From the Past Comes... [October Contest Entries]

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Welcome, and I would like to present you with the October contest:

From the Past Comes...

The heads of the three Alliance sites got together and decided to do another related contest.  The way we will do it this month is each site will present their own contest, and that contest's winner will be used as the source material for another of the Alliance site's contest next month.  This month, we decided to be inspired by pictures.  Below is the picture that inspired the October Contest, 'From the Past Comes...'



Many campaign settings focus on various mysteries, dangers, relics and artifacts from the past - whether it be an 'ancient evil arising to conquer the world,' a 'strange monolith in the middle of the desert which depicts a history of the world hitherto untold,' or 'a powerful weapon, created with magics no longer available.'  Sometimes these ancient mysteries serve as backstory and flavor for your setting, and sometimes they're used as hooks, gimmicks, quests, or MacGuffins to get players and characters moving in the right direction.   Whatever the reason, the past very often influences much of what is going on in a campaign setting.  In this contest, it is your duty to describe the reasons behind a certain ancient artifact which may or may not have deep and hidden meanings for a campaign setting.  Below are the details and a story.  The details are extremely simple, to give potential contestants much broader story to work with.

Some Kingdom/Nation/Culture has discovered a previously unexplored island/continent/planet/stretch of land.  Upon exploration of said locale, a mysterious old set of ruins is found.  The ruins themself are obviously ancient, and currently out of use.  Of a much more curious nature, however, are the multitudes of skeletal remains surrounding the ruins, almost as though a major battle took place here.


1 - Questions to Consider and Possibly (but not necessarily) Answer
Here are some questions:
Who are the beings who created the ruins?  How old are the ruins and the battlesite?  What was the purpose of the ruins?  Who were those involved in the battle?  What is the reason for the battle at the ruins?  Do these people still exist?

2 - Some Necessary Includes

*The source material (the story above)
*The name of the race who created the aqueduct (or at least, the race(s) who battled at the aqueduct)
*The reason this race isn't known of in the current campaign area.
*The reason this particular locale us currently unexplored.
*The next actions the discoverers of the ruins are likely to take.
*Possible story ideas, plot hooks, and happenstances that can take place around the ruins.

3 - About a map
Being an Alliance contest, once the winner of this contest is chosen, it will be rotated to be used as source material for the members of the Cartographers' Guild to use to create a map.  So, what you need to do is supply plenty of references as to what the locale is like and where places are while at the same time, leaving enough space for the Cartographers to put in their own unique touches.

4 - Necessary Disclaimer Stuff (Below in Spoiler Box):
[spoiler=Disclaimers]
Please read all these rules before entering.  If you enter the contest, it is assumed that you have read and agree with all the rules presented below.  Any entries/contesters found in contrast with these rules will be disqualified from the contest and will be ineligible for any prizes.
0. VERY IMPORTANT All entries must be original content, or if outside material is used, it must be used with the express written permission of the original creator.  Anything that is the Product Identity (PI) of Wizards of the Coast can be used for submission, but will not be allowed to be published in the Guide, should it win.
1. No one under the age of seventeen (17) can enter a contest without the consent of a parent or a Legal Guardian.
2. Rules and guidelines will vary. Some restrictions may apply.
3. All winners will be contacted by e-mail within seven (7) days of the contest ending.
4. To claim your winning prize, simply follow the easy instructions in your e-mail notification.
5. If we do not hear from you within seven (7) days of notification, we'll select an alternate winner.
6. Read all the rules, entry requirements and deadlines of each contest before entering.
7. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) reserves sole and final judgment as to all matters concerning its contests. All decisions are final.
8. Winners are responsible for all Federal, State and Local taxes, if applicable.
9. Void where prohibited and where all Federal, State and local laws and regulations apply.
10. Prizes cannot be exchanged, substituted or transferred, without the prior written consent of the contest sponsor if applicable or the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).  
11. Odds of winning a prize depends on the number of eligible entries received and are determined by each contest's specific  
 criteria of awarding prizes.  
12. If you are a contest winner you also authorize the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its affiliates to use your name and/or screen name for promotion purposes and publicity purposes without compensation, as well as for use in the Campaign Builder's Guide.  
13. These rules are subject to change without notice.  
14. Unless otherwise specified, only members 17 years of age and under as stated in rule number 1 above in the general guidelines, and 18 years of age and older can enter or become eligible to win any of the prizes with respect to any contests or make any submissions of any kind to the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).  
15. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) is not responsible for error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of your entry.  
16. You agree that the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its respective representatives shall have no Liability, in connection with the acceptance and use of prizes awarded, including liability for personal injury and property damage.[/spoiler]


And that's it!  The deadline for this contest will be 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. Voting will go through 7:00 PM EST on Saturday, October 27, 2007. Good luck!

-Ish

PS - Please put all chit-chat, talk, funny remarks, discussion, and shenanigans in the Discussion Thread.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Contest has been *slightly* changed to create a broader concept.

[Koor]

.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Well guys, one more day for this.  I would say that it looks like we'll have to choose a default winner on this, but I'm hoping you guys will prove me wrong...