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SO! I have finally entered in a BRPG contest! After all these years of me promising that I'd enter, I finally decided to live up to the expectations and do what I said I would do. Amazing! Anyway, the initial polls are up. Here is the poll where my game is in. It's entry #5, Epoch of Despair, a mystery/survivalist game. Here is the full game. I'm looking for someone with some graphic design skills to make a banner and/or avatar for it, but most of all I need people to vote for it! The polls are young, but this specific poll has plenty of awesome competition, pitting me against the likes of Parugi, The Captain and The Power that Is. So please look at the games in the poll and do try and vote for me!
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RPG Contest #22 Preliminary Poll Miss PiggyView the contest thread here.View the full list of submissions here.Preliminary Polls will run December 23 - 11:59 PM EDT December 26.You can select FOUR entries! [*]The War of Elementum-Nui 2 – The Shadow Wars - Toa Levacius Zehvor[*]Enemies of Justice - Toatapio Nuva[*]Shadow of the Barraki - Awesomeness[*]The Island of Pain - The Power that Is[*]Epoch of Despair - EmperorWhenua[*]Day Run: The Garden - Parugi[*]The Island - The Captain[*]Nightmare City - Emissary to the Void -
RPG Contest #22 Preliminary Poll KermitView the contest thread here.View the full list of submissions here.Preliminary Polls will run December 23 - 11:59 PM EDT December 26.You can select FOUR entries! [*]Arena of Honour - Toa Kovolta[*]Dark Mirror - Rakata[*]Techna - Legolover-361[*]Bionicle: Mystery Voyage 2001 - Zorkel567[*]Knives in the Dark - Lord Darkon[*]Dreamland - Kal the Guardian[*]Beat and Rhythm - Toa of Dancing[*]Ringworld - TheMightyFighty
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This is the voting for the "People's Choice" winner of Short Stories Contest #8: Title Twisters.The polling will run until December 17 at 11:59 P.M. EST. The top three will be the voted winners of the contest, and they will be awarded prizes along with the judged winners.-----------Before you vote, make sure you read all of the entries.This isn't a popularity contest; it is a quality contest. You have enough time to read all of these entries so you can make an informed vote.1. Dreams of Darkness2. All That Glitters3. All Our Sins Remembered4. Ignition5. Divided We Fall6. To Trap a Tahnok -
Well, it's been a while since the last COT short stories contest...nevertheless, we are back! After the amazing response 55555 and I received from Short Stories Contest #8, we decided that we wanted to start another contest -- why not COT, and since it's around the Christmas season, why not Christmas-themed? After all, there's been a Valentine's Day short story contest, and a Halloween-themed story contest, it's about time for a Christmas one. Not just any Christmas-themed story, though -- a Sci-Fi yuletide adventure, a snowy steampunk tale, or an eerie Christmas mystery, along with a plethora of other possibilities. Theme: Write a Christmas story while keeping it in one of the following genres: ApocalypseSteampunkSci FiMysteryFantasy CLARIFICATION:Your story may be religious or non-religious (still following BZP's rules, of course -- read the FAQ for more). However, the main theme of this contest is to write a story about the “Christmas spirit,” if you will – if it’s not religious, it should focus on the elements of the secular holiday (i.e., “holiday cheer,” presents, etc.). If religious themed, you may use Christmas or another religion’s equivalent (i.e., Hanukkah [Jewish], Saturnalia [ancient Rome], etc.). In other words, it's not so much "write a story about Christmas Day" as it is "write a story about the Christmas season" (though it can be about Christmas Day if you so desire). If you need any further clarification, please ask -- I don't mind asking any question you should have. ——— How to enter:The entry period lasts from Monday, December 05, 2011 (today) as soon as this topic is posted and will end on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.To enter, simply post a link to your entry in this topic using the following form:Member name: Theme:Entry name and link:Any entry PMed to me or not linked in this topic will be ignored – no exceptions. ——— Contest Rules: [*]All BZPower Rules and Guidelines apply.[*]Your story must be new and never before posted on BZP. You can certainly have been working on your entry before this, but it must be posted on BZP after the start of the contest for it to be eligible.[*]No plagiarizing! Your story must be your own work.[*]No cheating. Simple enough, yes? You don't get anywhere in life by cheating. Also, if you suspect someone of cheating, PM me. DO NOT post here. [*]Keep it PG-13 appropriate. So no gory descriptions, excessive violence, inappropriate content, et cetera.[*]Your story must be a short story. No epics here.[*]No flaming, bashing, or trolling! I shouldn't even have to say this at all, but if any of this occurs, you will be disqualified immediately.[*]RULE CHANGE: You cannot edit your entry 30 minutes after it is posted. This is to 1) ensure that all judges read the same version of your story; and 2) make things more fair, as not everyone will get the same amount of critique as others. So, once you post your story, you will have thirty minutes to edit it in order to make any formatting changes or to edit your story itself -- after that, your entry will be disqualified. PM me if you have to edit for story for some reason after 30 minutes before you do so. [*]There is no minimum or maximum word count for this contest. Just be reasonable, please. Do remember that the judges have to read every story.[*]If your story is not posted in this topic with the correct format, your entry will not be entered into the contest. The contest hosts reserve the right to change, edit, or make exceptions to any of the rules. A violation of the rules will be judged on a case-by-case basis by contest staff. ——— Voting:Winners will be dictated by judges. However, certain awards will be chosen partially through polls, namely Best Character, Best Ending, Best Quote and Best Imagery. These are not finalized, and are likely to change, but you get the idea. Most Judges will be picked by the contest staff, but volunteers are more than welcome. Potential Judges are not be prohibited from entering the contest. Judges' names will not be posted until after the contest so I won't have to hurt anyone for bribing judges. If you would like to be a judge, feel free to PM 55555. ——— Prizes:Prizes will be announced later, donations welcome. Also glory. ——— FAQ:Q: Does it have to be Christmas or can I use some other winter holiday? A: Your story can feature some other Christmas-time holiday such as Hanukkah or [for those who study Ancient Rome] Saturnalia or whatever. Just as long as the holiday takes place somewhere around Christmas, it's fine. Q: Can my story be religious-themed? A: Basically, you can have your plot loosely based off a religious theme or feature some small religious things, but they cannot be the center of the story, simply because of the sensitivity of religion. Make sure if you do have any sort of religious things in your story that you do not make it “preachy” and that you do not too heavily focus your story on it. If you think it might be too much, you can PM your story to me and I’ll look it over for you. I will also be reading all the entries to make sure that they are not too religious. It’s unfortunate that religion is such as sensitive topic, but as it is, BZPower must have this rule to avoid offending anyway. Thank you all for understanding. Q: Can we use multiple genres? A: Yes, though you would possibly have to choose one specific theme to officially group it under when entering. Q: Are fanfics allowed? A: Sure, but just keep in mind judges may be unfamiliar with your subject material (unless it's Bionicle). Other questions?If you have any questions about the contest not answered above, please post them in this topic. Chances are someone might have the same question, so if you post rather than PMing me, other members can read it the answer.First, however, look through this post to see if I've already addressed your question. But if you can't find an answer, or you think something is unclear, don't hesitate to post and ask about it! ——— Contest Staff:Contest Hosts:Velox 55555Contest Assistants: Zeddy Ziko Again, feel free to ask questions here if you have any. But most importantly, have fun and get writing! It is my great pleasure to host another writing contest, and I eagerly await all the awesome entries!
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RPG Forum Text-Based RPG Contest 22 ReviewsYou know the drill. Read the rules here. Submit entries here. Review entries and discuss reviews here.
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RPG Forum Text-Based RPG Contest 22 SubmissionsAll RPG Contest 22 Entries should be posted here. They will be added to the list as we get around to it; don't fret if your entry isn't on the list immediately after you post it.You have until 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, December 21st to submit entries.NOTICE: If there is a note by your entry saying that it does not meet the requirements, reread the Contest Rules and then send Black Six a PM if you are still not sure of what is wrong with your entry. You have until 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, December 21st to edit your post and fix your entry.Also, please be sure to check out the RPG Contest Topic for important updates and announcements.You can review others' entries in the Review Topic. [*]Arena of Honour - Toa Kovolta[*]The War of Elementum-Nui 2 – The Shadow Wars - Toa Levacius Zehvor[*]Dark Mirror - Rakata[*]Enemies of Justice - Toatapio Nuva[*]Techna - Legolover-361[*]Shadow of the Barraki - Awesomeness[*]Bionicle: Mystery Voyage 2001 - Zorkel567[*]The Island of Pain - The Power that Is[*]Knives in the Dark - Lord Darkon[*]Epoch of Despair - EmperorWhenua[*]Dreamland - Kal the Guardian[*]Day Run: The Garden - Parugi[*]Beat and Rhythm - Toa of Dancing[*]The Island - The Captain[*]Ringworld - TheMightyFighty[*]Nightmare City - Emissary to the Void[*]Title - AuthorTotal number of valid entries: 16NOTE: if you have an entry that is in violation of the rules and edit it to fit, please PM Black Six to notify the staff. Similarly, if you add a title to an untitled RPG, do the same. We are only human (well, okay, the jury's out on that) and are liable to miss the changes.
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RPG Forum Text-Based RPG Contest 22There'll be a theme next time, but not now. Just design an awesome RPG for others to enjoy.Here's how these contests work: [*]The contest will be run every three (3) months, or four (4) times a year.[*]All members are welcome to enter the contest......-Each member can only enter one (1) Text-based RPG entry......-The only exception to this is that BZPRPG and RPG Contest staff will not be permitted to make entries.[*]There will be three winners selected in every contest......-The winners will be the three RPGs with the most votes after one or more rounds of voting (depending on the number of entries).[*]Whether or not a given RPG wins or not, it will be allowed to run in future contests, with the below conditions and restrictions......-For and RPG that lost a contest, the creator must make an attempt to alter and improve their entry before entering it in the next contest......-If an RPG has won four (4) consecutive contests that it has entered, it can not enter the next four contests. It does not, however, have to be altered before being entered again after its break, although the creator can do so if they desire to........Example: A RPG wins two contests in a row. It is not entered in the next contest. It is entered and wins the fourth and fifth contests. At this point it cannot be entered into the next four contests. .....-Other restrictions as a result of other rules or administrative action may prevent a member from submitting an RPG.[*]At the end of the three-month interval between contests, if an active RPG does not win again, it will be closed......-If a former winner wins again at a later date, the creator of the RPG can choose to continue in the old topic where they left off or start over again in a new topic.[*]If the creator or members of a winning RPG break the RPG forum rules, that RPG will be closed......-The next runner-up from the previous contest will be allowed to run for the remainder of the term......-The offending RPG will not be allowed to participate in the next contest.[*]Each of the three winning RPG entries will receive a prize. This will likely be a single canister set each. If your RPG has multiple authors, you will have to decide amongst yourselves who receives it.[*]This system is designed to be more fair than the TBRPG approval process has been in the past, so absolutely no complaining.TBRPG EntriesThe following is what determines a Text-Based RPG entry. The creator of each entry must provide at least: [*]A brief introduction to the RPG......-A description of the setting, the time and place the events occur......-A history of what has happened leading up to the current situation......-The characters and creatures involved. Does this take place in the canonical Bionicle Universe, or is this your own island with its own heroes and villains?[*]A description on how you plan to further to story......-Does it follow the actual Bionicle story or take place in a setting of your own creation?.....-Is there an outline on where you plan for it go?.....-Will the players be allowed to choose the direction the story takes?.....-Is there an ultimate goal or quest, or is it merely a world for members to inhabit?[*]Requirements for those wishing to participate in your RPG......-Will members be taking the role of existing characters or characters you have created?.....-Can they make their own characters? If so, what sort of restrictions will be placed on them?.....-What sort of equipment, masks, stats, etc will members get when they begin?[*]Rules determining how players will interact with the environment and other characters......-How will the winner of battles be determined?.....-How will members buy and upgrade their equipment?.....-Will members level up? How will they gain experience?The above information can be submitted however the creator prefers. It does not have to be delineated in this way, as long as it is all there.Contest ProceduresHow the contest is going to be run. Here is the format the contest will operate under: [*]Members will have three weeks to draft and submit entries......-Entries will be posted in the Contest Submission thread. Any entries posted elsewhere or PMed will be disregarded. .....-At the end of this period, no further entries will be accepted.[*]The entries will be grouped into as few polls as possible for the initial round of voting.[*]Each round of voting will last for two to three days (48-72 hours).[*]The format of subsequent rounds of voting will be determined depending on the number of entries.[*]The three entries with the most votes in the final round of voting will be declared the winners.Any questions can be posted in the Contest Rules Thread or PMed to Contest Host Black Six or Contest Assistants Sisen and Friar Tuck.NOTE- All current TBRPGs must be submitted as entries if they wish to continue running.Entries can be SUBMITTED from now until 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, December 21st.You can review other entries and discuss the reviews in the Review Topic.Please Note: You can now discuss reviews in the review topic in order to keep the main topic less cluttered.
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BZPower Short Story Contest #8: Title Twisters Comic 24: Shadow Play By: Click Author's Note: A few probably FAQ's: This takes place in an alternate universe where Ko-Metru astronomers have already discovered Bara-Magna before Mata-Nui was awakened. A secret organization of exclusively Matoran called R.A.M.A. defend and do covert operations when necessary. It is exactly 5,724 words. Hope you enjoy! “Wait for my mark. Ready, go!” Commander Kira signaled with her hand. The dark and light blue matoran was anything but conspicuous in Voya-Nui’s jungle, but with all the missions under her belt, she knew what she was doing. Unfortunately, none of her other fresh recruits did. Commander Kira was one of the leaders of the most elite undercover organizations on Metru-Nui. Code named R.A.M.A., or Resistance Attacks of the Matoran Area, they specialized in the missions The Order didn’t. They had broken into many Makuta’s lairs and stopped attacks planned on the Matoran. They’ve stopped another rising of the Bahrag, and all of these great missions were led by Kira, who has been with them from the start. Of course, no one had heard of them, but that’s because they’re so good. At least, most of them. This mission was a training exercise for the new ‘Makuta Fodder.’ About half were asleep in the bushes, and most of the others were messing around with their new gear. A Lava Hawk fell from the sky in a fiery explosion as a recruit tried target practice. Such maneuvers would give them all away in a normal mission. Com. Kira tried to hide her face as a huge explosion shook the forest. She tried signaling again, but just a few sleepers got up and looked her way, then promptly fell back asleep. Only Verius could sympathize with her. He was the only recruit that was used to such vigorous training and orders. He was actually an Agori, and one of the new test subjects. The standard issue camouflage backpack had been bulked up with a built-in Spinner Launcher, with a netting power. His green and tan body was covered in a lightweight armor. Even his seemingly insignificant combat knife packed a miniaturized Cordak Pistol. Every look Kira took at it was filled with envy as she looked at her huge, bulky, double barrel pistol. Desperate times call for desperate measures, thought Kira, and she whistled loud and long. All the recruits stopped what they were doing and the sleepers got to their feet. Kira looked around, expecting an ambush any second. When she was sure that they were safe, she turned around to face the now orderly recruits. She began pacing in front of the recruits, which they now recognized as an indicator she was about to give a speech. A few groans sounded from the back and Kira fixed the general area with a piercing stare. “Now then, you are by far my worst training group so far. I have never had such disobedient, lazy, or distracted recruits yet. If you want to survive, we need to reach that volcano. Our mission goal is there, and if we don’t reach it by night, we fail, but even worse than that, is Voya-Nui is no place to be at night. All kinds of horrible creatures stalk these jungles, and we don’t stand a chance if your actions are any indicator. Am I clear?” A resounding “Yes, commander” sounded, about a third was reluctantly. The recruits began looking around cautiously, expecting a Muaka to jump out any moment. They were suddenly much more attentive, a fact that Kira loved on all of her past training missions. Of course she had worse, but she knew how to deal with this ‘Makuta Fodder’ because of it. She signaled again towards the volcano, and the trainees slowly advanced, looking all over. They almost jumped out of their masks when Kira’s radio sounded. “Ruku, do not go near the volcano, I repeat, do not go near that volcano, over!” “Copy that, Gukko Bird, may I ask an explanation, over?” “We just got intel that there is a highly dangerous Makuta moving in. I know you are ready for it, but your new rookies aren’t, over.” “Copy that, Gukko Bird. We’re heading home. We’ll have to complete another day, over.” “Over and out.” The rookies seemed almost glad to get out of the dark jungle, but Kira felt unfulfilled. She had started a mission, and couldn’t finish it. It was the first time in her long career. She suddenly made a quick decision that no one liked. “Alright, team, we are going after that Makuta.” As expected, most of them groaned. This would mean that they would need to stay there, probably after dark, just because of their commander. Of course, out of respect, only one voiced this concern. “But, commander, I thought Base just ordered us to get out of here.” “I cannot accept that. We are going after that Makuta, because I have never left a mission unfinished. I cannot accept to let even one spoil my record.” No one pointed out that she wouldn’t be finishing the training mission she was assigned to. They just unwillingly accepted the decision, just because they wouldn’t get out of it anyways. “Let’s move out!” ----------------------------- The force was running through the forest, quickly but silently, towards the huge, glowing volcano. They could barely hear the crash of trees in the distance as the Makuta made his way to the same destination. Suddenly, Kira’s radio sounded again. She held up her hand to stop the recruits, who suddenly were acting like a well-trained unit. “This is Ruku, over.” “Oh, Commander, I’m so glad I caught you before you left. You see, you’re the only one in the area that would be able to stop the Makuta in time.” “I was hoping you’d say that, because I’m already on my way, over.” “What? I specifically told you not to go, even though I kind of guessed you would do this. I should probably give you the details. The Makuta’s name is Tiberis. His goal is the Spear of Fusion, which was presumed to be left there by Vezon. I’m fairly sure it isn’t true, but he must think it is.” “Go on.” “Anyways, you’ll have some help for this mission, if your rookies aren’t prepared for it. The chamber is still guarded by Protodax and Umbra, but I hear he has a way to defeat Umbra. You need to get in there and prevent that from happening, over.” “Well, we’re only about three kio from the entrance to the 777 stairs, but the Makuta is almost there, about half a kio. I’m not sure if we’ll get there on time.” “Relax, soldier. The Protodax will keep him busy until you can get there. Over and out.” Kira took a deep breath and looked at her untrained recruits. On their first day, they were already going up against a Makuta. This won’t turn out well, she thought. She signaled onwards, and marched off into the forest. -------------------------------------- When the troop had finally reached the entrance to the 777 stairs, they knew they were too late. The carnage from the Protodax was horrible, but there was still plenty to fight. Kira remembered from training that Protodax split when hit by any weapon or power, similar to their microscopic counterparts. Somehow, the Makuta had managed to kill enough to get past, but still left enough for the pursuers that they wouldn’t get in easily. As they watched, hundreds more fell from bindings made from shadow. There was no way they could survive. Despite the odds, Verius gave a huge battle yell as he charged in. Taking courage from his bravery, the others joined him. Maybe it was courage, or they had slept through the class on Protodax. Kira was willing to bet on the latter. She joined in the battle, and soon, the whole troop was surrounded by uncountable numbers. Every time one soldier would shoot one or slice it, it quickly cloned into another one, using the energy of the attack. Kira knew she wouldn’t win, but they had to try. Slowly, one Protodax broke through the crowd with a Zamor launcher on its tail. It was obviously the leader. Kira had a crazy idea that wouldn’t work with all of them, but it might work with just one. “Everyone, grab on!” Kira jumped onto one of the two necks, to the total shock of everyone in the room, her troops included. Everyone was sure that she had a death wish. Slowly, they began to realize her plan. Verius grabbed on to the other neck, and after that, everyone piled on, forcing the leader to the ground. Four soldiers had the Zamor Sphere Launcher, which was shooting wildly, shrinking most of the other Protodax back down to microscopic size. Each arm had about six soldiers on it, preventing the Protodax from escaping. There was no chance for it as Kira and Verius slowly squeezed the necks. The other Protodax cried out, but slowly backed away from the fierce warriors. Suddenly, Kira made an almost imperceptible gesture to her soldiers, and they suddenly jumped up and ran down the 777 steps, leaving all the Protodax to wonder what happened. Just about two hundred steps later, the group entered into a wide cavern surrounded with red lightstone. Above the door was the words ‘Chamber of Death’ in Matoran. The troops looked nervous as they glanced up at it. An unseen voice suddenly called out: “For you to pass, one must be sacrificed.” The doors quickly closed down, sealing them in with only the light of the lightstone. Some of the soldiers ran back and pounded on the door, or even shot at it with Cordak pistols. It didn’t budge at all. The voice called out again. “Choose wisely, for there is no way for you to pass.” Verius stepped forward. “I will.” Before Kira could react, he suddenly vaporized, leaving a small pile of green and tan dust. Only the brave Agori’s helmet remained. The doors opened, but no one was enthusiastic to go. Kira fell to her knees, moving her hand through the dust. The other soldiers bowed their heads in sorrow. “Verius, you were one of the best soldiers I have ever had. You were even braver than I was, cleverer, and more honorable. You didn’t deserve to die this way, but your sacrifice will not be in vain.” Suddenly, someone pointed out, “If you needed to sacrifice someone to enter this room, then is the Makuta dead? Is our mission over?” Kira looked up with realization. She almost forgot Verius for a moment. “Are we done then? Was it that easy? I’m not even sure what to think. Maybe, we should move on anyways, just to check.” “Haven’t you heard of what lies beyond this room? It only gets worse! We should go now, while we still have our lives!” “I’m sure Verius would have charged on happily. Let’s do it for him.” Kira slowly got up, and walked towards the exit. She didn’t wait to see if anyone else was following. When she didn’t hear any more steps, she turned around, and gasped in shock. The rest of her troop was gazing at the pile of dust, which was rising up in a huge swirl. The colors matched together to form tan arms and green armor, and the helmet moved to its rightful place. The dust puffed outwards for a moment, and there stood Verius! He took a deep breath, coughed a few times, and then looked around curiously. Cautiously, he said, “Am I dead?” The mysterious voice answered back, “With your willingness to sacrifice yourself to your friends, and their devotion to you, you have shown me that you are worthy to possess what lies ahead. You may pass.” And with that, the troop moved steadily onwards, shaking hands with Verius and laughing all the way down the next few hundred steps. ----------------------------------- All of the laughter suddenly died when they came to the next room. After all, the ‘Zone of Nightmares’ didn’t sound very cheerful at all. Even worse was the huge Makuta standing in the middle of the room, proudly clutching the Spear of Fusion, and in the other hand, the Mask of Life. Kira froze. There was no way she had failed. She was right behind the Makuta the entire time. How could he have gotten all the way there and back so quickly? It also proved that he also came back to life like Verius, except he had no choice in who to sacrifice. The rest of the troop looked as shocked as she felt. The Makuta laughed in their faces, rejoicing in their failure. He flung them aside with the Spear of Fusion, and they crashed against a wall. The Makuta laughed even harder, and suddenly, Kira couldn’t take it anymore. Verius tried to hold her back, but she jumped up at the Makuta’s face, determined to slap that smile off his face. She shook him until he fell over, then she tried to pull out her pistol, but realized it wasn’t there. She had never lost her equipment before! The leader of R.A.M.A. would be furious at how she lost her only gun that cost a fortune to make!She was so furious, that she didn’t even hear Verius yelling. For the moment, all of her problems were the Makuta’s fault as he continued laughing on the floor and shaking the Mask of Life in her face. She brushed it aside, and was horrified that it shattered all over the floor. The Makuta still didn’t stop laughing at her, even though he had lost the mask. Then, the Spear of Fusion came up in her face. Before she could even tell herself to stop, she grabbed the spear and broke it on her knee, throwing it aside. She was almost not surprise it shattered as well.The Makuta stood up, and Kira fell on to the floor. In a daze, she thought she heard Verius yelling “I’m a protrusion!” She looked up and shook her head, finally realizing he was yelling “It’s all an illusion! It’s the…” He suddenly cut off as the Makuta laughed even harder in her face. She tried to find Verius, but she just saw him running out the door. Now her own team was deserting her! That was the final straw. She just sat down, huddled in the corner, sure she would lose her mind with all of her worst nightmares surrounding her.Nightmares. That’s it! Verius yelled it was all an illusion! That was the power of the chamber! It made you experience your worst fears. Verius must have figured it out, and when she realized that, suddenly, everything went quiet. She looked up into Verius’ green helmet as he offered a hand to help her up. There was no more Makuta, no more shattered spear, and all of her team was still there. She took the hand and stood up, trying to hide her face with embarrassment.“It’s okay. We all had the same thing. I’m not sure what happened to you, but it seemed a lot worse. It’s all over now.”She tried to choke out the words. “I…I’m sorry you had to see your ‘fearless leader’ like that. It all seemed so real, but what was the worst part of it all, was losing you. I know I’ll always have my team beside me, no matter what happens.”The voice came back. “You have learned the values of Teamwork and Dependence. I hope you will use them through the next few chambers, because you are going to need it. You may pass on.”Kira suddenly noticed the door had been wide open the whole time. “Come on team, let’s go, because whatever we face next, I know we can handle it, together.” ---------------------------- Luckily, the next chamber presented no challenge at all. It was a simple river of molten protodermis with a collapsed bridge almost sunken into it. This was one of the basic training exercises at boot camp! Teamwork made a huge part of the effort, but it worked smoothly every time after the first ten or so. Needless to say, some Matoran ended up in the hospital with severe burns for a while, but in the end, they survived. The troop quickly formed the basic line with one of their strongest, and one with a good balance of lightness and strength forming the front. Unfortunately, neither was Kira. She wasn’t exactly in her boot camp days anymore. The first few were thrown over the molten protodermis and rolled neatly to a stop at the base of the bridge on the opposite side. Then, they got ready to catch the next few.After a while, almost all of them were over, but there were sounds of clanking metal from the cavern beyond, and they knew they had to hurry to catch the Makuta before he did some real damage. All of them except the last two were thrown over, and then the strongest threw the other over, and then got his cable ready. The cable would only really last one use, so it was a last moment plan, but it worked perfectly. The strongest member of the team quickly shot the cable onto the other tower, and the rest of the team anchored it in or got ready to catch him. He swung over without incident, and the team ran into the next cavern, idly noticing it was the ‘Cavern of Life’ as opposed to the ‘Cavern of Death,’ which was a great relief.Unfortunately, the being waiting inside wasn’t very lively. It could only be Umbra, and he was fighting a losing battle with a horde of Shadow Leeches. The Makuta had already left him beaten, and continued to the next room. Kira and Verius charged in to the rescue, and the rest of the team followed. They used special settings on their guns and swords adapted for shadow beings, and cut away the Shadow Leeches. They were barely in time, and Umbra was barely holding on to life. His heartlight was slowly, almost imperceptibly flashing a dark grey, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. The brave guardian of the Mask of Life was at death’s door.Umbra tried to pick up his laser lance, but he was too weak, and Verius slowly put the reaching hand on Umbra’s chest. They knew they should go on to fight the Makuta, but they needed Umbra, and they couldn’t leave the poor guardian like this.Umbra quietly tried to speak. “Go, you have proven yourselves worthy to pass. You must stop those who are not. You are the new guardians.” Vaguely, Kira recognized his deep voice as the one in the chambers, even in his weakened state.“No, we need you. We’re just a bunch of Matoran. We can’t take on a Makuta by ourselves.”“Not by yourselves. You have each other, and you all can work together to defeat him. I cannot. You must go now, before he escapes! Go!” With those words, Umbra fell to the cave floor, his heartlight barely recognizable. Kira mourned his loss almost as much as Verius’. Then she quickly looked up and gave the signal to move onwards. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy, but reluctantly went. Many of them took mournful looks at Umbra.Someone at the back of the line spoke up. “Are you sure we can kill the Makuta by ourselves? We’re just a bunch of Matoran. We’ve never accomplished anything. We’re all going to die!”Kira snapped back, “No, we’re not going to die. Didn’t you hear Umbra? He believes in us, probably the greatest warrior of all time, and he knows we can conquer what he can’t anymore. We can do it. Haven’t you been paying attention to the teamwork we’ve done just to get here? You didn’t question my decision to come here, even if it meant disobeying orders and probably staying out after dark. When I jumped on the Protodax, even though you all thought I was crazy, we worked together to bring it down and get past. We can all hear each other’s thoughts and respond as one. We know how each other feel. We aren’t just a bunch of Matoran; we’re a professional group of soldiers working to defend Mata-Nui’s life! We will defend that life as hard as our own, and right now, this may just be the way to defend it! We can defeat the Makuta without anyone’s help, even without Umbra, because we are all we need: A team loyal to each other. So let’s go, team! Move out!”Kira’s little speech emboldened everyone, until they saw the Makuta. He was every bit as big as he was in Kira’s nightmare. His gleaming dark grey armor reflected the light of the molten protodermis like a slave of Karzahni. He was tearing apart the room, searching for the Spear, and for now, he was distracted. He didn’t even expect anyone to follow him, especially a group of Matoran. Now was their chance, and everyone knew it. Before the Makuta even saw them, the group had brought him to the ground.“What is this madness,” he yelled. “I am Makuta Tiberis, and I demand that you release me, puny, insignificant Matoran!”“We’re not puny, or insignificant,” responded Verius. “We are R.A.M.A., and you are under arrest for crimes against Mata Nui! Would you like to surrender quietly, or by force?”Makuta Tiberis yelled out and stood up, throwing Matoran everywhere. “You cannot detain me! I will crush you and your insolent band of Fire Flyers!”Kira was thrown over the molten protodermis pit, and barely managed to grab the edge before she plunged in. Now she was rethinking her speech, and wondering if Umbra would come anytime. She looked to Verius, who was stuck high up on the wall, slowly coming down. Makuta Tiberis charged straight towards him and unleashed a shadow hand, picking up Verius and throwing him across the molten protodermis pit, where he collapsed on a small shelf just over the boiling molten protodermis. Somehow, the Makuta detected that Kira was the leader, and moved straight towards her next. She tried to swing her body up and over the edge, but Makuta Tiberis kicked her back over the side and she barely had time to grab a hold again.The Makuta’s foot came down over her hands, and Kira cried out in pain. No one was close enough to help her, and she couldn’t hold on with the pain much longer. The few matoran that were still conscious could only watch as her grip slipped, and she fell into the molten protodermis.The protodermis was searing hot. Kira felt burned all over, and knew she couldn’t take much longer. Then, the ground rose towards her and broke out of the surface of the molten protodermis with a deafening roar. Kira was flung over to Verius, where he safely caught her and tried not to burn himself on her white-hot armor. Out of vision that was unclear from the pain, Kira thought she saw a dragon that had risen out of the molten protodermis. Its armor was still as hot as Kira’s, but it was ready for a fight. Makuta Tiberius was just as shocked as Kira. He tried to get out of the way as the dragon smashed a rock to dust where his head used to be.“Is that the…Kardas Dragon?” Verius finally whispered.His question was answered when a huge beam of energy hit the Makuta, sending him tumbling backwards and shaking the cavern.“Only the Kardas Dragon could do that! What’s it still doing here? Vezon is long gone!” Verius remarked.“It still needs to defend the cavern, even if Vezon and the Mask of Life are gone. There must be something to guard, like the Spear of Fusion! That’s what the Makuta is after, but where is it?” Kira was gaining her strength back, and began frantically looking around the cavern as much as she could from the tiny ledge.Across the lake, the Kardas Dragon and the Makuta were at a stalemate. They had each other’s claws gripped, but the Makuta was using his shadow hand to hold the dragon’s head away. The Kardas Dragon was firing off energy bolts at the ceiling occasionally to prevent it from exploding. If it stores up too much energy, it would explode and die, and that wouldn’t help the Matoran at all.Then again, it already wasn’t helping. The repetitive blasts were shaking the cavern and the tiny shelf that held Verius and Kira was slowly crumbling. The molten protodermis was slowly rising as it was fed this new substance. They only had one way out. Kira still had an extra cable, but the other Matoran wouldn’t be there to anchor them, and they had twice as many people as in the molten protodermis river exercise. It was their only chance between life and plunging back into the protodermis, an experience Kira didn’t want to repeat. She quickly fired the harpoon from her gun and locked the cable to her waist. Verius did the same, and it seemed like they were uncomfortably close, but in the peril, they hardly noticed. The cable reeled in a bit to straighten out the slack, and then the two jumped, passing a single bio from the surface of the protodermis. The cable broke about three quarters of the way to the other side, and momentum sent the two, still hooked together, crashing into Makuta Tiberis. The Kardas Dragon quickly gained the upper hand as it held down the angry Makuta and repeatedly blasted energy at his chest. The Makuta grunted, and finally decided to throw the dragon off of him. He jumped to his feet and smashed the dragon back into the lava, and the Kardas Dragon didn’t rise again.He suddenly turned his attention to the two soldiers that almost cost him the battle. He charged after them now that they were nearly defenseless. His crushing footsteps followed right behind. Kira peeked over to one of her recovering soldiers, who signaled he was okay. The others were also slowly rising and starting to formulate a plan under the radar of the charging Makuta.Meanwhile, Verius and Kira were just struggling to survive. Occasionally, Verius would veer back and stab Makuta Tiberis in the foot and gain them a few seconds while the Makuta quickly lost his temper. After a few minutes of this same tactic, the Makuta lost his mind and suddenly tried his hardest to kill them.“Die puny Matoran! Why won’t you be crushed?! I will destroy you eventually!” He bellowed, repeating it over and over with some meaningless words as well. In his rage, the Matoran knew he wouldn’t stop until both Commander Kira and Verius were dead, or he was. Luckily, they could help with the last one.Even thought the stabbing technique was effective, Verius decided now was the time to just run. Any delay, and he would surely be crushed. They were just lucky that the Makuta was mad enough to not use his brain and try his shadow hand or shadow bolts.Slowly, a plan was coming together in everyone’s minds. If the cable that they use to swing across the molten protodermis wasn’t strong enough for two, a fully armored Makuta wouldn’t stand a chance. Kira knew that Verius would be thinking the same thing. He already had his spare cable out, preparing to swing across to the other side of the protodermis. Kira understood that if she got on, the cable wouldn’t last long enough for the plan to work, so she had to get the Makuta distracted long enough for him to get across then hide and let the Makuta see him.Mata Nui, I have to be crazy, thought Kira as Verius ran off to the side. The Makuta stood for a moment, debating who to go after, when Kira shot him in the face with her Cordak Pistol.“Come and get me, you overgrown Brakas!” shouted Kira as the Makuta turned his full fury on her. She had to plan quickly where to hide so that Verius and his dangling cord were in plain sight. There was a ledge a few bio to the left of the cable, and she could be hidden if she could just get there. Verius was already across, waiting for her signal. She turned straight towards the ledge, pushing with all of her strength to finish those last dozen bio. With the Makuta straight on her heels and with all his might focused on her, they almost finished it as Kira jumped down to the ledge. Makuta Tiberis barely stopped in time on the edge, trying to regain his balance.Then, he fell right onto the ledge, and it shattered, throwing rock, Makuta, and Kira everywhere. Makuta Tiberis managed to grab onto the edge of the cliff before he fell, but Kira had been thrown out too far. Her only hope was the cable dangling lazily over the protodermis. It was already loose from Verius’ stunt, but now it was dangerously close to falling. Any lifeline would be preferred from falling into the molten protodermis again, and this time, there would be no last minute save. The cable touched her finger tips, but she still fell, her foot getting tangled in the strong cable at the last second. The harpoon was still slipping from the ceiling, and Kira had to act fast. Her momentum had only gotten the cable swinging a little bit, so she needed to pendulum her body just over the protodermis with the cable slowly going lower.Suddenly, a shadow blast shot past her arm. Great, now she had Makuta Tiberis to deal with, who had climbed up the cliff and was now attacking. The next blast hit her foot, swinging her wildly and bringing the harpoon even further out of the cliff. Her mind was full of fear again, she knew she wouldn’t live. The odds were hopeless, and she was doomed to fail from the beginning. What was she thinking, taking on a Makuta with a bunch of rookies?No, they weren’t rookies, they were good strong soldiers who knew how to obey their commander even better than any troop she had trained before. As soon as she thought that, she faintly heard someone yelling, and saw a flash of green and tan before going back over the lava. It was Verius who was reaching out to grab her hands, but she couldn’t move. The effects of the shadow blast were still very strong, and she could barely see Verius anyways. The harpoon was slipping, and yet there was nothing Kira could do about it. Finally, Verius grabbed Kira and almost tumbled off the edge himself. Kira stood in a daze against the wall while Verius covered her. He opened his backpack into a small Spinner turret and launched it as a desperate measure against the Makuta. Tiberis simply slapped it aside with his hand, but as he did that, the spinner’s effect activated.A lime-green net slowly closed over the Makuta as he tried to shake it off. He blasted shadow, but the net still grew, sapping his powers to feed its growth. The mighty Makuta dropped to the ground in weakness, collapsing on the side of the cliff. The rest of the troop cautiously looked up from behind rocks to see what had happened.Makuta Tiberis lay trapped completely inside the net. Coming from the top, the spinner still latched onto his hand, out of power. The Matoran cheered, but Kira in her shadow-infected state could feel the power growing. She tried to call out “stop, it isn’t over!” but no one heard her over the cheers.The chamber grew silent as the Makuta yelled out and the net began snapping. There was only one thing to do at a time like this. Soldiers of R.A.M.A. were instructed to only capture except under dire circumstances, and this certainly qualified. The remaining troops marched together and shoved the Makuta into the molten protodermis, the heat destroying his armor and shadow essence in a matter of minutes. He burst from the surface only one, just to release a single, small creature, similar to a Kraata, but made of pure shadow. The last remaining piece of his shadow essence. A Light Warrior, specially equipped to handle these, quickly grabbed it in a special jar. They had won.“Well done, Matoran.” Umbra stood in the doorway, much stronger than when they left him. He still leaned heavily on his Laser Lance, but he was alive. “I don’t even feel the need to battle you for entrance to this chamber. I feel as if you have suffered enough.” He quickly shot over the lake, grabbed Kira and Verius, who had been nearly forgotten on the other side without any means to get back, and returned them to their troop.“That means a lot to us, considering I don’t think that we’ll have the strength to fight anyways,” said an exhausted Kira.“Go, you have completed your mission. There’s another way out that will put you in the Green Strip without going through the other rooms. There, you will find your ship.” Umbra turned around and silently walked away, standing sentinel in the room he was fated to protect. The Matoran left without another word as well.To let off tension, Commander Kira always believed in some good laughs after a hard battle. Today’s jokes were centered on how crazy it was that Makuta Tiberis went after a spear that probably didn’t even stay in the cavern, and he lost so much in the process.“So, what’s our next mission, protect the legendary Rahi-Nui from assassination?”“Taming the Kanohi Dragon?”“Waking Mata Nui?”Kira smiled at all the crazy suggestions about things that may never happen, and most certainly would be done by the Toa. Their mission was done, but they were ready for the next one.Finally, Kira couldn’t resist. “You know, from my vantage point, I saw the Spear of Fusion on the Kardas Dragon’s back. Maybe there was truth to this myth.” She had to try really hard to avoid laughing at their faces as they all ran into the airship to go home.
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This is my entry to the Contest.FrontSideBackPoseBrickshelf Gallery when PublicBased on this
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First Ever Contest - Conceptual Drawing
HeavyMetalSunshineSister posted a blog entry in blogs_blog_1774
This is it. The thing absolutely none of you were waiting for. The thing even I wasn't waiting for. Because I had no idea it was happening until literally five minutes ago. Also because I'm a little slow up top. But yeah. The First Ever Madman-With-A-Box Drawing Contest, to be held from this point onward at no specific time interval. Basic Idea: Combine two animals that should never be combined, in a way that makes it clear that yes, they totally should be combined. For example, a turtle that is also an osprey. Don't use that one, that would be cheating. Entry Period: Until the end of the year. Seriously, go nuts. I'm in college and you're lazy, so I'm giving you plenty of time. Entry Limit: One per person, and each person has to have a unique idea - I would suggest that you announce your idea in the comments for this before you actually submit it, so no-one steals your idea. Rules: -All entries must be your own work. -All entries must combine two (2) animals that either really exist, really used to exist, or is part of an established mythos. This means that, if you truly feel like it, you could combine, say, a creature from H. P. Lovecraft's works and something from Doctor Who. -Entries may be drawn, and, in fact, probably should be drawn, but if you think you're slick, I guess you can try to Photoshop - just know that a sloppy job won't win. You have to convince me that this thing really is a turtle-osprey or whatever. -Concepts should be announced in the comments for this. It's not my fault if you get a great idea, never announce it, and then somebody else takes the idea. -All entries should be awesome. -
This is a preview of my new epic. It is also my entry for the SS contest. Happy Halloween! ______ Two Le-Matoran stumbled down a wooded ravine, neither sure of where they were going. The air around them was cold and the sky was unnaturally dark—the sun’s efforts to reach them were defeated by the layers of thick, leafy tree canopies above them. “I told you we shouldn’t go out,” said the tall one. “Shut up,” said the short, round one. He tripped and fell first into a small creek. The tall one burst out laughing, both amused and thankful at the chance to stop. “So,” tall one said, taking a seat on the ground, “how many Rahi have we seen?” Short one spat a number of venomous curses in his companion’s direction. “None. That doesn’t mean I was wrong.” “But it does mean I was right.” Shorty sighed. “Look, I only know what I was told. That kid back in the village said he saw some animal or something, so the Turaga told us to check it out.” “You’re missing the point,” tall said. “I said that kid didn’t see anything. We both know he didn’t. If you don’t, you’re just… well, you’re just being stupid.” He glanced over his shoulder, before continuing somewhat ominously. “And we both know it’s time for the tribute.” Shorty laughed patronizingly. “Sure sure, I know all the stories. ‘Deep into darkness, a Matoran send, for the reign of terror, quickly to end.’ Do you really believe that? Do you really want me to believe that the Turaga would send two of his own to be eaten, or killed, or whatever you say, every month?” He looked away. “You’re the stupid one.” Tall sprung up. “Yeah, you laugh! You make fun of me, but you don’t realize what’s going on here! How many of us are there on this island? A hundred? Two hundred? And still we live in fear.” His companion stood. “Now wait a minute—” But Tall would not listen. “We out number him! We need to stand up to him, and show him the true power of what Matoran can do! There’s nothing that could stop us, if we put our minds to it! But not, instead we listen to feeble minded… twits like you who are fine with being slaves! ‘Oh no, the Toa will come they’ll save us…’ You’re the fool for believing that, let me tell you. There are no Toa. There never have been and there never will. We all know the Turaga just tell those lies to calm the hopeless. We’re alone on the island, each one of us, in more ways than one. We need to forget our pointless bantering and actually… do something!” The air chilled. Silence bid its way into the forest, as the two stood motionless. Shorty grasped for something to say, his face containing a look of anger and disgust, but he soon turned away. Tall at last spoke. “Let’s get back to the village already. There are no Rahi, no Toa and no Makuta out here. We’ve wasted our day.” “Do you really doubt me?” Tall’s eyes narrowed. The voice had been higher and gentler than Shorty’s. He must have not heard correctly. “What did you say?” Shorty turned to face him. “I didn’t say anything.” “But then who…” “I did.” Tall one nearly jumped out of his armor. He spun around to see another Matoran wearing a cloak. The newcomer’s Kanohi was entirely hidden by shadows. “Who… who are you?” asked Tall, backing up. By now Shorty had noticed and had likewise turned around. He was equally stupefied. “I have many names,” began the newcomer. “Some call me Everything. Some call me Nothing. But you, my children, may call me Master.” Shorty chuckled. “That’s a good one, Master. But really, who are you and what are you doing here?” But Tall was not so oblivious. “I don’t think you should…” “Oh please, he’s obviously crazy and just looking for someone’s attention here.” Scarcely had the words left Shorty’s mouth when he rose from the ground and was flung against a tree—he screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. Tall tried to move to help his companion but found himself unable to move. The newcomer slowly walked over to the fallen Matoran, his footsteps making now sounds as he drifted across the forest floor. “Pity,” he said, a touch of irony in his voice, “that any of my children must leave me.” Shorty started to scream. He flailed his legs violently as he clutched his throat, his yells becoming more and more muted… until finally they faded all together. The newcomer paused, looking down at the now-dead Matoran, before turning to Tall. He slowly and deliberately paced around Tall, speaking as he walked. “And so,” he said, “you have seen the fate of those who challenge me. You… have realized my awesome power and woeful might. And for that, you will be rewarded.” Tall relaxed himself. He found himself once again able to speak. “Thank you… master… what I said early was just… just talk…” “Stop the apologetics, before I regret my decision. There are a thousand ways I could kill you, each one of them more painful than the last. I have made more powerful beings than you scream in utter horror—screams which would make your blood curdle and your ears cry for mercy. It is only by my benevolent grace and mercy that I do not decimate this island, and all those whom you call brother with it. No, you will not die. But rather you will serve as a reminder of my good will and you shall be a testimony to my hold over you.” In one fast motion, he threw back his hood. Tall was immersed in a bath of blood red terror. The newcomer’s eyes tore through Tall’s mind and soul, as though they searched through every moment of his life. All in one moment Tall’s greatest fears were realized around him, while he saw his greatest desires shattered. He saw his loved ones dead, as his enemies stood over their bodies. Every awful moment of his life was relived, even as the good were forgotten. It was over in a matter of seconds. Tall fell to the ground, twitching slightly. He muttered incomprehensible nonsense under his breath, his mind having been destroyed completely and utterly. The newcomer sighed. He replaced his hood, and his blood red eyes were once again hidden by the shadows of his cloak. He looked down at the now demented Matoran. “Do not forget. I am everything. I am everywhere. I am forever. I am Makuta.” And he was gone.
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Welcome, one and all, to the first Short Stories Contest on the new forums! And so, without further ado… Theme: Take the title of a Bionicle Comic and use that as the theme of your story. See below for a list of names.That’s right – you take a title from one of the comics and you write whatever you want about it, as long as it ties into the title. Here is a list of the Bionicle Comic titles from BioSector01. To avoid any confusion, only use the titles listed on that page -- some comics have different titles on the cover, so just use the ones listed there. Also, be smart: Don't name your story "Lunchable Comic 1." ——— How to enter:The entry period lasts from Tuesday, October 25, 2011 (today) as soon as this topic is posted and will end on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST. This gives you a little over a month to write your story – no need to rush!To enter, simply post a link to your entry in this topic using the following form:Member name:Entry name and link:Any entry PMed to me or not linked in this topic will be ignored – no exceptions. ——— Contest Rules: [*]All BZPower Rules and Guidelines apply.[*]Your story must be new and never before posted on BZP. You can certainly have been working on your entry before this, but it must be posted on BZP after the start of the contest for it to be eligible.[*]No plagiarizing! Your story must be your own work.[*]No cheating. Simple enough, yes? You don't get anywhere in life by cheating. Also, if you suspect someone of cheating, PM me. DO NOT post here. [*]Keep it PG-13 appropriate. So no gory descriptions, excessive violence, inappropriate content, et cetera.[*]Your story must be Bionicle. This doesn’t mean you can’t use what some people call “human Bionicle” [where one writes as if the characters are simply humans with powers, similar to X-Men], but the story must contain Bionicle elements. Your story does not have to be set anywhere in particular in the Bionicle storyline, however, nor must it use canon characters.[*]The story cannot be a comedy – those belong in the Comedies Forum. You can have comic relief, of course, but the general story should be serious.[*]No flaming, bashing, or trolling! I shouldn't even have to say this at all, but if any of this occurs, you will be disqualified immediately.[*]Rule Change: You cannot edit your entry more than half an hour after it was posted. This is so that all the judges read exactly the same entry and to make things as fair as possible. (And note that this does not mean you can post your entry, get critique, edit it, and then enter. Any revisions to the story must be done before posting.) For clarification: Once you post your story, you are allowed to edit your entry up to a half-hour after posting it in order to edit formatting errors. However, any entries edited after the half-hour mark will be disqualified. If you must edit your story for some reason after that time, PM me and wait for my reply before doing so.[*]There is no minimum or maximum word count for this contest. Just be reasonable, please.[*]If your story is not posted in this topic with the correct format, your entry will not be entered into the contest.The contest hosts reserve the right to change, edit, or make exceptions to any of the rules. A violation of the rules will be judged on a case-by-case basis by contest staff. ——— Voting:Winners will be dictated by judges and all of you. The first round(s) will go to the judges. Once the judges have whiddled it down to 5 or so entries, the entries will go to the polls. However, the entries will also be judged again. Yes, that means that there will be two winners: a “People’s Choice” and a “Judges Choice.” Judges will be picked by the contest staff. Judges' names will not be posted until after the contest so I won't have to hurt anyone for bribing judges. ——— Prizes:Prizes will be announced later. ——— FAQ:To come.Other questions?If you have any questions about the contest not answered above, please post them in this topic. Chances are someone might have the same question, so if you post rather than PMing me, other members can read it the answer.First, however, look through this post to see if I've already addressed your question. But if you can't find an answer, or you think something is unclear, don't hesitate to post and ask about it! ——— Contest Staff:Contest Host:Toa_VeloxContest Assistants:55555 Ziko Friar TuckAgain, feel free to ask questions here if you have any. But most importantly, have fun and get writing! Here is a list of current entries.
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Those of you who have read Chapter 3 of The Yesterday Quest are aware that one of the characters we have known in the MU was actually a Great Being in disguise. I took it upon myself to recreate the topic GregF had started in the old forums as he cannot post or make topics at this time. He never edited his first post with new information and always had a new post, so I have gathered up all the facts and posted them here in one post for your convenience. So far, GregF has stated that the Great Being is: [*]a named character.[*]a still living character.[*]a character who would have migrated to Spherus Magna by now.[*]a character who has appeared in story before.[*]a character who could have been created by Mata Nui at some point rather than being one of the original ones the GBs made and its creation was pre-arranged[*]a character who has always been the GB (not a case of the GB's consciousness was hidden in the person's mind or the person is being controlled by the GB)GregF has stated that the Great Being cannot be: [*]Helryx -- "I did toy briefly with the idea of using Helryx for this, but rejected it in part for the reasons that Alyska cited -- I did not want to undercut a strong female character by revealing she was secretly a guy all along."[*]Kapura -- "Actually my first choice, but got rejected for the same reason all of the other Metru Nui Matoran got rejected -- the mind wipe in 2004. I need the GB to remember he's a GB."[*]Vakama -- "Some great arguments were made for him in the contest topic, but I felt we had seen so much from his point of view -- so much insecurity about being a Toa and struggling to live up to Lhikan's example -- that he simply didn't sound like a GB to me. A GB would not care about living up to the example of one of his nanotech creations, especially if his primary purpose was observation."[*]Shadowed One -- "I never really considered TSO for a few reasons. One, Orde was defining the GB as evil, he was not defining himself that way. Two, he was in the MU to observe, not sabotage its running by causing trouble and disruption. And three, I have other plans for TSO that don't involve this."[*]Takanuva -- "Been mind-wiped, so definitely out."[*]Tahu -- "Already been enormously prominent, plus I have other plans for him."[*]Lesovikk -- "Lesovikk's whole motivation was being tortured by guilt over the death of his Toa team. A GB would be unlikely to feel guilty over some of his nanotech getting deactivated. If he felt guilty about anything, it might be what Karzahni did, but he would blame himself, not Karzahni. A good workman does not blame his tools."[*]Vezon -- "You really need to twist logic into a pretzel to make this work. It means he would have to put his mind into Vezok, and then have it split off when Vezon did, as opposed to just staying in Vezok. Plus Vezon was actively trying to keep the Ignika, thus dooming Mata Nui, and there is no evidence the GB wanted to stop MN from completing his mission."[*]Kopaka -- "Anybody Ko- is actually a good guess, simply because of their personalities, which drift pretty close to how I see the GBs. But it's not Kopaka. For one thing, whoever it is I essentially lose as a "regular" character, and I don't want to lose him."[*]Energized Protodermis Entity -- "Sorry, EP entity is not a possibility, as it was not created by the GBs or by Mata Nui. The story specifically states it was something the GBs had a hand in creating."[*]Tobduk -- Mentioned to Nuhrii the Metruan[*]Anyone in the GB fortress -- Mentioned to Nuhrii the Metruan.[*]Any Metru Nui Matoran -- They suffered the mind wipe as stated above.Though not directly stated by Greg, we can infer that the Great Being cannot be: [*]Any Toa Nuva -- The Toa Nuva suffered amnesia as the Toa Mata during their time in stasis. Kopaka and Tahu are already crossed off the list of potential candidates.[*]Any Toa Mahri -- They suffered the mind wipe from 2004 as Matoran.[*]Any Former Spherus Magna Inhabitant -- We can infer that no former Spherus Magna inhabitant is housing the Great Being's consciousness as the being is inside someone who was in the Matoran Universe.Anyways, post away any comments or theories!
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BS01 Contest 5: Sleeping Awake Fall of a Toa 18,000 years ago...So this was Xia. Behind the motley assortment of stores and dwellings, intimidating factories belched black smoke out of their tall, iron-gray chimneys. Devastator’s mouth settled into a wry smile. Of course the Vortixx would be polluting. They didn’t care the slightest about anything except business. It was a wonder their Toa protectors had not turned on them yet. Of course he had needed to research these potential obstacles -- his mission, after all, was to keep them occupied while Triglax and Orion snagged the weapon they had come here to get. Xia’s Toa team -- unimaginatively dubbed the ‘Toa Xia’ -- consisted of three Toa: Spinner, a Toa of Air; Zaria, one of those hated Toa of Iron; and Varian, a Toa of Psionics who would no doubt enjoy meeting the mentally-shielded Dweller. Speaking of Dweller, where had he gone to? Devastator shifted atop his perch on one of the taller residences in this southern Xian city. The mission was simple, as far as missions for Dark Hunters went. They were to meet their contact, retrieve the weapon, and eliminate any and all obstacles. ‘Obstacles’, much to Devastator’s satisfaction, happened to include Toa. Below Devastator, numerous beings, ranging from Vortixx to Matoran to the occasional Skakdi, crowded the streets, jostling one another as they went. Knowing Dweller, he would be far from the midst of that crowd, likely right along the edge... There. Only a particularly dark shadow could be seen in the alley, and to most eyes it certainly looked like a shadow. But could shadows watch the hustle and bustle with a sinister eye? At that moment a Toa appeared between two Vortixx, pushing through them and beyond, into the remaining mass of bodies. All of a sudden Dweller darted out from the shadows of the alleyway, slipping into the crowd almost effortlessly and disappearing amidst all the bodies just as quickly. The hunt was on. * * * To all appearances the alley several meters ahead of Varian was the same as every other in this city. But if the rumors were right, there was something going on back there in the shadows. It was Varian’s job to find out. She stretched out her senses toward the alley, but felt nothing. Good; it was easier to complete a mission without anyone getting in your way. As casually as she could, Varian directed her steps toward the alley. With a last surreptitious look at the crowd behind her, she slipped into darkness. For a few moments only a mixture of Vortixx, Matoran, and other beings Varian didn’t care to recognize moved past the alley entrance. Just to be sure, she reached out with her powers, gently touching the minds of those in the immediate area. Satisfied that no one suspected her, she turned around to move further into the alley. She took a step; that step was all she got. Suddenly she found herself in the arms of someone stronger than her; a hand covered her mouth, preventing her from crying out, and the unseen being pushed her further into the shadows. “Shh,” he whispered, the words barely audible above the hissing of his breath. “We don’t want trouble, now, do we?” The being gave a sinister chuckle. “The name’s Dweller. I know your kind, ‘Varian’ -- yes, I know your name,” he added as an ice-cold shock went through her body. “You never cloak yourself in darkness unless it is necessary. So what are you doing here, of all places?” She didn’t answer; she was too busy easing her sword out of its sheath using her mental powers. But before it could exit the sheath, Dweller grabbed the hilt and shoved the blade back inside. “Let’s try again,” said Dweller, his voice suddenly carrying an edge. “What are you doing here? His fingers parted enough to let her talk through them. “None of your business,” she snapped, her voice muffled by his hand. “If you know what’s good for you, you will let me go. Now.” The other’s answer was silence; that, and closing his fingers again to silence her. Gritting her teeth, Varian stretched out with her powers. If she could just tap into her captor’s mind, she could implant a feeling -- a feeling of pain. But no matter how hard she tried, she felt nothing. But that’s impossible, thought Varian, even as she double-checked, and then triple-checked, to make sure she had felt right. How can anyone escape being sensed? She had a serious dilemma: How was she to escape this being when she couldn’t affect him with her powers? As Dweller began moving her deeper into the alley, it hit her. She had been looking at it all wrong. Why affect her captor directly when she could affect her captor’s surroundings? There was a window nearby. It was boarded up from the inside, so she would not be able to escape through there. But if she concentrated hard enough... The glass began to vibrate. Then the vibrating settled into a steady wobble. Even as Varian passed, the wobble became more marked. Just a bit more... CRASH! The windowpanes blew out, showering the being behind her with a hundred shards of glass. As Varian had known he would, her captor flinched backwards, away from the fragments, not realizing that in doing so he would be weakening his grip on the Toa... She darted forward and suddenly found herself free. She glanced back; a being not much bigger than her was recovering from the surprise attack. His armor was all but black, blending his figure into the shadows quite effectively. And his eyes were fixed on her. “If I were you,” he hissed angrily, “I wouldn’t go doing that to a Dark Hunter.” Varian didn’t hesitate. She bent her legs as far as they could go and pushed off, leaping high into the air. The buildings in this area of the city were a mere one story; as she reached the apex of her jump, she grabbed the edge of the roof and half-pulled, half-swung herself over the edge and onto the top. Then she bolted for the next roof over. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, she made it to the end of the block. Varian leaped down from the roof of the building and looked back around the corner. Her keen eyes caught movement in a nearby alleyway, small but existent. Was it just some shadow, or her attacker? She would not wait to find out. Only one Dark Hunter had attacked her; but knowing that organization, she felt sure there were others out there, just waiting for their chance at her. She did her best to blend into the crowd. Suddenly she felt something in the back of her mind, something akin to a dark, foul touch. Frowning, shaking her head to expel the feeling, she moved off. Another feeling, however, still dominated her thoughts. Never before had walking down a crowded street felt so much like running a gauntlet. * * * Devastator finally met up with Dweller in a near-empty side street. The other was staring into the crowd, an absent expression on his face, as if he were concentrating hard on something else. “So you lost her,” growled Devastator. Dweller shook his head. “I know where she is,” he replied. “But following her so closely is a bad idea. She might spot us.” He looked up into Devastator’s face. “Besides, I’m sure you want a chance at fighting her,” he said. “Correct,” said Devastator. “After all, you messed up the last time. Or did you not realize?” From Dweller’s silence Devastator could tell that his comrade saw it differently. Now, however, was not the time for such arguments. They had a job to do. Besides, Devastator was so very eager to catch a Toa. * * * It took fifteen minutes of searching, but Varian finally found Zaria -- or rather, bumped into him at a corner. “Ow.” Zaria grimaced and rubbed his forehead. “Next time, look out.” “Sorry,” Varian apologized. “But now is not the time. We have a Dark Hunter -- maybe more -- running around this city, and--”Abruptly Zaria frowned, his gaze shifting from Varian’s face to the street behind the Toa of Psionics. “What’s that?” Varian turned, scanning the scene. Vortixx, Steltians, and Matoran walked the streets; nothing unusual there. Steeling herself, Varian thrust out with all her power, her brilliant green eyes closed in concentration behind her blue Calix. For a moment she nearly lost herself amidst the torrent of consciousnesses. A small thrust, however, and she was beyond that. In turn she sent her mind down each alley, searching for the consciousness that should now be harboring dark, foul thoughts. Nothing there... or there... but here... “I feel someone,” she said, her voice coming out almost as a grunt. It was one thing to sift through a group of minds for some general feeling. It was a different matter to look for one particular mind amidst a large crowd. Her frown deepened as she double-checked the location. “Down the alley directly ahead of us,” she told Zaria. “Then let’s give them a piece of my mind,” he said. He started forward, weapon in hand, but Varian grabbed his arm before he could cross the street. “What is it?” he snapped. Varian pressed her fingers to her forehead in a gesture of concentration. “They’re moving -- into that building.” With her left hand she pointed at a particularly ramshackle dwelling that had definitely seen better days. Zaria frowned. “How many?” he asked. “Three,” she muttered. “No, wait... four. And their mindsets are those of people making a deal...” Her eyes snapped open and she pulled Zaria along with her. “What’s the sudden rush?” he asked, nearly stumbling as he tried to keep up. The reply was only one word, but that word was enough to widen Zaria’s eyes. “Spinner.” * * * From his rooftop perch, Devastator grinned. So he would get to attack two Toa, not just one. Maybe he should let them burst into the building where Triglax and Orion were bargaining for the weapon, just to see the looks on their faces... Dweller was already behind the Toa, much closer than either of them probably thought. In the moment before Devastator willed his body to become a million grains of sand floating on the wind, he wondered which of his powers he should use to dispose of these ‘obstacles’... * * * Triglax had been waiting for a full ten minutes before the Vortixx trader finally came. “You wish to make a Dark Hunter wait?” he asked as the Xian stepped into sight from behind a pile of junk. “Do you know what I could do to you right now?” The Vortixx started. “You need me to tell you how to operate the weapon,” he breathed. “You wouldn’t dare harm me.” Triglax shrugged. “Maybe I’m just bored,” he countered, and grinned as the Vortixx took a quick step back. Beside Triglax the air began to shimmer. The Vortixx’s gaze shifted to the spot -- and he took another step back when Orion came into existence, grasping the wrist of a clearly unconscious Spinner. “He kept this from us, too,” Orion growled, fixing his eyes on the trader. “Perhaps we should cancel the deal?” “No, that won’t be necessary,” the Vortixx stammered, his scared eyes darting from Dark Hunter to Dark Hunter. “P-perhaps I should show you the weapon?” he suggested. “Why do you think we’re here?” Orion snapped. The Vortixx’s head twitched in a sort of nervous nod, and he turned to walk back around the pile of junk. Triglax, however, hesitated a second. “Orion, give me Spinner,” he said, taking the wrist of the unconscious Toa of Air. “You stay invisible. Watch the Vortixx. The moment I’m done with this scum... kill him. He strikes me as the telling sort...” Orion nodded. “Agreed,” he said, and vanished as Triglax turned to follow the Vortixx. * * * The building was even more ramshackle than most in these parts. Its walls were half-hidden behind piles of junk and rubble, and the central hallway was practically split in two by a ceiling cave-in of years past. Triglax doubted even a Toa would want to come in here -- which was a good thing. “The weapon is in here,” said the Vortixx, gesturing to a doorway on the left. Triglax made to enter, but suddenly found his way blocked by the Vortixx. “What--!?” “You took the Toa from my business’s premises,” said the trader. “I’d like a little extra money in return for the extra... ‘loot’.” “That was not part of the deal,” Triglax growled, dropping Spinner’s body and stepping forward. Surprisingly, the Vortixx held his ground. “You made it part of the deal,” he accused, “when you took that Toa. It was my guards who captured him. Your invisible little friend stole him. If I don’t get payment in exchange for that Toa, you don’t get the information you need to operate the weapon.” Triglax stifled a sigh. Of course. All traders and merchants were like that -- afraid of you one moment, but standing up for themselves once money was called into play. “Fine,” he muttered. He reflected, though, that it wouldn’t really matter just how much they paid him -- they could take all the money he had with him, once the deal, and his life, were done. “Now can I see the weapon?” The Vortixx nodded and made to enter the room, but suddenly froze in place. The expression lasted only a moment -- the next he had fallen to the floor, crying out in pain and writhing from a blow he had not received. Triglax frowned at the sight. Had the trader lost his mind? Suddenly he understood. Turning toward the pile of debris in the center of the hall, he transformed into a rhino-like Kikanalo; letting out a deafening roar, he charged the rubble head-on, smashing it to smithereens. With the fragments of rock and protosteel went two Toa -- one a Toa of Iron, the other a Toa of Psionics -- who smashed into the floor in a dazed heap. Triglax morphed back to his normal form and bared his teeth in a triumphant, malevolent smile. “So, Toa,” he began, spitting out the word ‘Toa’ with contempt, “you truly believed you could stop Triglax?” The Toa of Iron, Zaria, had made it to his knees; beside him, the Toa of Psionics -- ‘Varian’, Triglax believed -- was still on the floor. As Triglax gloated, she murmured something that made the Dark Hunter frown. “What was that?” he asked, leaning forward just a little. Abruptly he found himself practically glued to the floor, unable to get up. Zaria was standing over him, a grin on his face. Varian now stood beside him. “I said, ‘Don’t celebrate yet,’” she said with a smile... even as a shadow stealthily but steadily bore down on her. Zaria nodded. “Just because an enemy is down doesn’t mean they’re out,” he added as the shadow raised its hand. Triglax nodded -- and favored the two Toa a devilish smile. “You have me,” he said. * * * At the words Varian frowned at Zaria. Zaria met her gaze and frowned in return-- Suddenly his eyes widened. “Watch out!” he snapped, lunging forward. It was Varian’s quick reflexes that saved her. Even as Zaria cried out, she spun around to see a fist coming down toward her face. She didn’t hesitate; she activated her Mask of Fate and half-ducked, half-slid to the right, both avoiding the blow and putting her in perfect position to attack. But she never got the chance. Another warrior smashed straight through a stone wall beside her, sending debris flying through the room. Again activating her Calix, she managed to evade a particularly large piece and leap clear. Zaria, however, did not have a Calix. He was also very much not in the clear. In desperation Varian looked down the hallway. Triglax was standing now, but he seemed uninterested in joining the melee. Varian wondered at that before realizing that he was watching her. “No tricks, Varian,” he said. “Devastator wouldn’t like you to leave so soon.” He gestured over her shoulder, to where the third Dark Hunter was tangling with Zaria. The Toa of Iron’s weapon was lying on the floor, unused. Varian glanced back to the hallway. Suddenly she heard the sounds of another scuffle. Triglax spun, but before he could move an inch a Vortixx flew out a doorway with a cry, slammed into the wall, and slid to the ground. A second later Spinner jumped out after him. “What--” A spur-of-the-moment cyclone slammed into Triglax then, sending him flying. He hit the ground at an awkward angle and rolled, while Spinner came running down the hallway. Before Triglax could make it all the way up to his feet Spinner had slammed into his torso, sending him back to the floor. Varian moved to help, but before she had even taken a step her senses cried out again. She turned back around in the direction that the unconscious Vortixx lay. For a moment she frowned, wondering just what she had sensed...and then she understood. She grabbed her sword and threw it like a spear down the hall; assisted by her mental powers it flew straight and true, toward the target that even now tried to escape... There was a thud and a strangled cry. The fourth Dark Hunter appeared out of nowhere and fell to the floor roughly, still clutching in his hands a weapon that was now beyond repair -- as was his body. His eyes were still wide in surprise, his mouth still open in a last groan. Even as Varian took in this sight, something suddenly clutched at her heart, something colder than ice. She had killed; she had broken the Toa Code; she had killed... She turned, to see that everyone in the room was looking at her. Spinner was shocked; Zaria, freed from Devastator’s grasp, wore a stunned look. Triglax’s expression, however, bordered on curiosity. “A Toa that kills,” he murmured. “No big loss -- Orion was stuck-up anyway, and I believe you prevented him from escaping with the weapon and leaving us here. But, all the same, he was a Dark Hunter... And the Shadowed One wants you dead.” Varian took a deep breath. “But you will need compensation for this ‘Shadowed One’, correct?” “Perhaps,” replied Triglax, his eyebrow raised in a quizzical expression. “If you promise to leave this island,” Varian said, “I will come with you -- as that compensation.” “That would help,” Triglax muttered. Suddenly he turned to Dweller. “Grab her,” he said. Even as the Toa of Iron was let go, Varian found herself again encircled in arms stronger than hers. Yet this time she had accepted it willingly... There was no turning back now; even with her powers, she was outnumbered. She could do nothing. Even as she was taken back into the alley, through the backstreets and to the secret harbor where the Dark Hunters’ boat waited, she could not help wondering if this choice was the right one. * * * Varian was dumped roughly to the ground. She landed on her hands and knees and gasped, more from her fear than from any pain. Here she was, being presented as if she were no more than a piece of loot -- and she had chosen this path for herself. Dimly, she wondered if she was going insane. “So you are the great Toa Varian,” said a voice. It was deep and powerful, carrying the strength and wisdom of years upon years of experience. Yet there was a sinister edge to it that somehow stirred up Varian’s hatred. “I welcome you to Odina, Toa. I am the Shadowed One, leader of the Dark Hunters... and I would like to recruit you.” His voice grew smoother. “Look at me.” She didn’t move. To the last breath Varian would deny this -- this criminal the pleasure of seeing her cooperate. “I said look at me,” the Shadowed One repeated firmly. Suddenly her head was forced up, so that she looked straight into the other’s eyes. The Shadowed One smiled, an expression that sent a chill through Varian’s spine. “Thank you, Devastator,” he said. To Varian he asked, “What do you say to that?” “Never,” she bit out. The Shadowed One’s smile vanished. Yet he did not seem angry. “I expected as much from such a noble Toa,” he said, somehow keeping the contempt out of his voice. He cocked his head to the side, studying Varian closely. “Of course, I have a backup plan. I always do.” Somehow, someway, Varian managed to find the courage to spit out angrily, “I don’t care if you kill me.” The Shadowed One smiled again. “But I have no intention of killing you.” Another chill went through Varian’s body. Still smiling, the Shadowed One gestured to the side, to where an empty stasis tube sat against the wall. “You see,” he said, “I have to deal with many Toa. Surely they will be more disposed to cooperate if they see the fate of one of their own. Besides”--here his eyes seemed to grow bright--“I have always wanted a Toa of my own. You would serve as a fine trophy...” He paused. “Good-bye, Toa Varian,” he said as Devastator, Dweller, and Triglax dragged her toward the canister. As the Dark Hunters shoved her in, and a cloud of green smoke filled the stasis tube, Varian could only hope she would someday see the light of day once more. * * * 1,000 years later... “I understand your Dark Hunters saved me and repaired me,” said Spinner. In his new, bulkier form he shifted from foot to foot. It would take some getting used to, but already he liked the new feeling of strength that came with the extra armor and weapons. Still, the loss of his power over air was a big blow; and having a heavy, almost toxic cloud of air around you was another downside. “Of course,” said the Shadowed One with a nod. “I understand those mutated Rahkshi were rather... unpleasant to fight. You were found by operatives that were searching the village for valuables.” Spinner nodded, mentally steeling himself for what he was going to say next. There was no telling what the Shadowed One would do to him for his decision. “I want revenge,” he began slowly, “against Toa.” He took a deep breath; even the mere memory of that horrific day he had been abandoned by his team still brought back a feeling of terror -- terror, and anger. “Toa are not perfect, no matter what they say. I want to make them see the error of their ways -- but alone, without anyone getting in my way.” “I understand,” said the Shadowed One slowly. His tone, as always, was unfathomable. “But, still...” Casually his gaze drifted to the side of his throne room. Spinner followed that gaze -- and gasped. A stasis tube sat against the wall. Inside stood a Toa, adorned in blue and gold armor, that Spinner had never expected to see again: Varian. Her eyes, normally a striking green, were closed, as if she were asleep; but she would not be awakening any time soon. She might not awaken ever. “You know her,” said the Shadowed One. “Varian, who gave up her freedom to save her friends, according to the three operatives that came back from the botched mission. She refused to join the Dark Hunters, too... but look at her now.” Spinner felt his throat go dry. “I see,” he forced out, even as his heart skipped a beat. “Allow me to reconsider...” The Shadowed One smiled. “Excellent.”* * * * *This was my entry to BS01 Contest 5: Sleeping Awake. It placed runner-up in the contest, though, while I'm overall happy with how this turned out, I wish I could have made it longer, so as to allow more time for characterizations. Since Dume and Kualus don't appear in the story, I've edited out their mentions.Though this is an older story of mine, constructive criticism would still be appreciated.
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Attention, Hero Factory Heroes! Now that we've reestablished online communications, we thought it vital to re-post this message:Our Hero Recon agents doing intel on the Jungle Planet have discovered the existence of yet another dangerous creature: the Ballistic Beetle. It appears that, though its folding wings are too weak to get it off the ground, it can jump into the air using its strong hind legs, and stay airborne from there. Its most dangerous weapon seems to be the three prongs on the front of its bright blue head: the Beetle is known to dive-bomb prey from a high altitude and spear them with its weapons. Here's a picture we've managed to obtain of the creature: Here's the rest of the data-file of pictures: FlyingRight flankBackConfronting Hero Nex 2.0 More pictures will be available here if they are obtained.This data-update is being left open so that you, our important Heroes, can ask questions, make comments, or just discuss this newly-discovered threat. Please, feel free to leave any comments you may have. -
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I can't believe that I won EC8! That was way out of left field.
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I'd like to give a big thank you to all who voted for Abyssal Plain in RPGC14. Especially the Abyssers who campaigned tirelessly, and the first time voters who came out for it. Thanks to all of your efforts, AP took first place and dominated the polls. I owe you one. Thanks guys. All forty three of you.
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I'm entering. The fact that we have two whole months to wok on a single chapter re-write really makes it for me. Now to decide on what chapter to use... Oh, and check out my latest epic The BIONICLE Story Team. If you want to learn the story for the FCG that is coming in a few weeks I suggest you read up.
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BZPower's first ever Blog Theme Contest, but there won't be another one if you guys don't click the banner and enter by the dozen! Go and do!
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COMING MAY 28th
