There's a new contest in town! This one will work a bit differently from our usual format- instead of being a standard writing contest, this contest is specifically for the Shur'tugal Fan Fiction Adventure (more information here), SFF's on-going writing-based role-playing adventure. In this contest, you have the chance to become a part of the Adventure by designing and describing a part of Therinsford, where the Adventure is currently at. For those who don't know, Therinsford isn't a nice place- it's filled with warring gangs and ruled by a draconian Duke and his Council. But what is it really like? That's where you come in.
Starting now, we will be accepting submissions for detailed descriptions about an area of Therinsford. The contest will end in one week's time- any entries submitted after 1:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, October 8 will be invalid for judging.
Official Rules:
You may describe any area of Therinsford on the map (found here), including the arena, the village, the fort, the bazaar, the surrounding forest and mountains, and any other place on the map.
You must describe the physical detail of the location, but you should also include other aspects- the people that live there, the history of the place, how it got the way it is today, and so on. Include information on the gangs (information here) if you think it is appropriate.
You do not have to be a current participant in the Adventure to enter! All you have to do is submit your description.
The more detail and creativity, the better! If you simply restate what's already posted here, your description will not win. Instead, go more in-depth- take a different spin on your chosen area, look closely at a particular aspect, or talk about the people, culture, or history of the area. There's no such thing as being too detailed!
You're free to use any information on SF3 for inspiration, including the original maps by Shadowjhunter and amardatar, as well as the gang descriptions.Submissions may be PMed to Swenson through the forums, or you may e-mail them to shurtugalfanfiction (at) gmail (dot) com.
You are welcome to submit entries for more than one area, but you will only be able to win for one of them.
The contest will run for exactly one week, officially beginning at 1:00 AM October 1, 2009 (EST) and ending 1:00 AM October 8, 2009 (EST). If your entry is received outside of that timeframe, it will not be accepted, so watch your clocks and be sure to convert to Eastern Standard Time!
Format:
The format for this contest is open- all that is really required is your username and the description you're submitting. The length of the description is also up to you. Obviously, we're looking for something more in-depth than a hundred words, but any length will be accepted. Write a book about it if you like!
Pictures, maps, diagrams, or other supplementary material are not required, but are welcome. (If you submit your entry by e-mail, please attach any extra files. If you PM it, upload the pictures or other material to an online website and include a link to it in your message. If you need help with this, PM swenson or another moderator for instructions.)
Prizes!
Wait, so not only do you get to participate in an awesome contest, but you get rewards, too? Of course you do!
The best entries will be chosen to become part of the official descriptions, and will be used for future SFFA chapters, gang information, and roleplaying. The winners will also receive 100 Player Points (which may come in handy sometime soon, if you participate in the Adventure!) and permanent bragging rights.
If there's some entries that are almost as good as the winners, but just aren't chosen as the best, they will be designated runners-up. Runners-up will also get bragging rights, as well as 50 Player Points.
Finally, everyone who participates in the contest will receive 30 Player Points automatically. If your entry does not fit the guidelines, you will not be awarded the points, but otherwise, they're yours just for writing a quick description of part of Therinsford.
If you have comments or more questions, see the official contest thread on SF3. Good luck!