Testing. Nothing to see here

[Razumi Yazura]

("Raz, why isn't the banner silver?" "I LIKE IT THIS WAY.")

Welcome and prepare your senses for a sensual experience...wait! Don't leave! I promise to be good!

Alright. It's no surprise to anyone that I love art. My friends know. Oh, man, they'd tie me up and keep me away from buying commission art if they could. It's just that I enjoy seeing how other people interpret my characters. I can't help myself.

This is an OC contest, but there might be some avatars thrown in for outfit purposes.

The characters in this contest are in stories I've written and I am also working on a webcomic, which holds the same name to this contest. The stories have not been posted anywhere. I'm updating and rewriting most of them and I'm not sure if I will ever post them anywhere online. However, I'm hoping to start posting the comic some time this year.

I hope you all will enjoy your time here with me. I wish all of you the best of luck.

✦ Contest Deadline is March 18th, 2013, 11:59pm PST ✦
Or March 19th, 2013, 12:00am PST, for clarity.
(Why this date? March 18th is my birthday and I want to put significance to the end date of the contest.)

Announcements - May 5th, 2012

Hey. You may notice that only five of the nine main characters are complete in refs and information. That should be enough info to start things off. I'm working on the other four and should have them ready in the next following weeks.

Don't forget to check out the monthly contests. I'm hoping to make a few more once I've figured some out.

Character profiles may will likely change a bit throughout the week. I know that I'm kind of wordy. I'll try not to kill you guys with text. Sad thing is, what you will see is simplified...

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Behave and follow the TOS. You want to have fun here, right? Right?

◄ Don't quote entire posts from the first and second page. It's unnecessary. Don't do it.

◄ There is nothing wrong with bumping the thread, but please don't bump so much that entries may get lost along the way.

◄ I urge you to read all the necessary information before you decide to participate. Wouldn't want to miss anything important, no?

◄ Your entries must include at least one of my characters. If no one can recognize who is in the drawing, that is a problem.

◄ Remember that this is a contest. As much as I would love to give everyone a prize, I just can't.

◄ For a chance to win more prizes, you can enter as many times as you'd like.

◄ Refrain from giving another user critique unless they ask for it. Feel free to give input if they are seeking it.

◄ You are allowed to reference poses, but you are not allowed to trace or eyeball. Give credit and show your references if you use any. Your reference cannot be copyrighted material. It can only be stock images. Your art should not look like a carbon copy of your reference. Use them as guides. Not a crutch.

◄ If you feel that someone is cheating, tell me and provide the necessary information. I may reward you for your findings.

◄ Have any questions about any of the characters? Don't be afraid to ask me. I'll be happy to help.

◄ You are welcome to collab with other users. If you win, it's up to you as to how you split the prize. All categories have multiple items and gold to juggle with. I must also have access to all users working on the collaboration to make sure that no one is cheating.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Read the descriptions carefully. Many categories may overlap depending on how you present your entry, so you have many chances to win a prize.

◄ With the exception of first place, contestants can win more than one category if multiple entries are submitted.

◄ Most of the categories that involve items can have more than one character in the entry. I've placed the mandatory couple or group categories in one section for reference. The miscellaneous section can still have couple entries if you so desire.

◄ I am aware that the value of EI and RIG items fluctuate. The estimated value I've listed may be lower than what you see in the MP. However, if the value of the items drop below my personal value significantly, I may balance the prizes with more gold. If the RIG animals completely fall through the dirt, I do have alternatives that I have saved just in case.

◄ There is a high chance that more categories or prizes will be added. I want to balance and make categories fair.

◄ If a category or theme proves to be failing in entries, prizes may be carried over and granted in another category. Decision will be decided based on the progression of the contest, but no prizes will be taken away.

Grand Prize!

First Place : + 5,000,000g
Goes to best overall piece of artwork.
(Estimated value: 40 million)

Second Place : + 2,500,000g
Goes to second best overall piece of artwork.
(Estimated value: 20 million)

Third Place : + 1,250,000g
Goes to third best overall piece of artwork.
(Estimated value: 12 million)

Solo Character! Gold Only Prizes

Best Main Cast Character(s) : 2,000,000g for each major character.
Check the character hub to see who is part of the main cast. Minimum requirement is five entries from different contestants for the character to qualify for this category. Characters that fail to meet the minimum entry requirement will be moved into a different category that they fit within.
(Potential of 9 winners. Gold total overall: 18 million)

Best Male: 1,750,000g
Prize is granted to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the male characters. All of the male characters are included. Not just the main characters.

Best Female: 1,750,000g
Prize is granted to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the female characters. All of the female characters are included. Not just the main characters.

(More categories will be available once more characters are revealed.)

Couples or Group Prizes

Friends Forever : 1st: + 1,000,000g || 2nd: + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents friendship between two or more characters. This can include entries that involve a character and their warlock/hunter companion pets if they have any.
(Estimated value: 1st: 3 million || 2nd: 2 million)

Let Me Cherish You : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents a romantic pairing. This applies to any displays of romantic affection.
(Estimated value: 8 million)

It's A Love Triangle In Here : + 1,000,000g
Some characters can potentially have more than one love interest. Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents romantic conflict between three or more characters.
(Estimated value: 6 million)

I Just Love to Hate You : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents an argument between two or more characters. Perhaps the love interest escaped from the previous category and the other two are still looking at each other with seething hate. This category can range from genuine hate between enemies or a mere squabble between friends.
(Estimated value: 4 million)

Fight Me. I Dare You : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents a fight between two or more characters. Can range from playful sparring to violent rivalry. This can overlap the previous category, but the difference is that this one is more physical or has actual fighting/training/sparring aspects rather than just arguing.
(Estimated value: 4 million)

May I Ship This? : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork the best couple art that is unlikely or downright impossible. Can be straight, gay, etc. This can also involve characters that have never met in the story. Especially if one of the characters has long died before the existence of the other character. Have fun. Please no incest, though.
(Estimated value: 3 million)

Miscellaneous Prizes (Can still include couples or groups)

We All Were Young Once : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents the characters from when they were children.
(Estimated value: 4 million)

A Sweet Moment : + 1,000,000g
Artwork is not restricted to romantic pairings. This can relate to a moment between family or friends, but can also be a scene with only one character. Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents a moment that is caring, loving, and/or adorable.
(Estimated value: 2 million)

Let the Music Guide You : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents a scene inspired by music. This can either relate to the instrument the character plays or the musical genre that associates with them.
(Estimated value: 3 million)

FOR THE HORDE...wait...I mean... : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the characters suited up in their respective class armour. (Warlock, mage, priest, warrior, death knight, hunter, etc.) This is not restricted to WoW armour sets.
(Estimated value: 2 million)

Let There Be Chaos : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the characters in their demonic, dragon, or beast forms.
(Estimated value: 2 million)

Spread Your Wings and Fly : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the characters with wings. This can include demonic, dragon, or beast forms, but also "normal"/humanoid form with wings.
(Estimated value: 1 million)

Let's Join The Circus : + 1,000,000g
Prizes go to the piece of artwork that best represents any of the characters in a circus role and attire that is suitable based on their personality.
(Estimated value: 3 million)

Extras

The Wild Card :
This prize could go to anyone who entered. Based on the order entries were submitted, names will be placed on a list. If a person enters more than one piece of artwork, their name will be placed on the list whenever an entry is submitted. This is a bit like a raffle. A random number will be generated and the number it hits declares the winner of this item.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Here are the characters. Many characters are set to hidden until a later date. Only the main characters are viewable below. The other characters can be viewed in the character hub as they are revealed.

◄ The connection feature appears to be buggy. When it's more stable, I'll link characters together so you can check on who knows who more easily.

◄ I'm not done the height chart for four more of the main characters. Their linked pictures will be added in this post once I finish them.

[Character Profiles]

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

Entry form

◄ Be sure to fill this out and post it in the thread or else your entry may be overlooked.

[size=16][color=darkred][b][u]CONTEST ENTRY INCOMING[/u][/b][/color][/size]
[color=darkred][b]Username :[/b][/color] (Put your username here. If you did a collaboration with another user, list all artists who worked on the entry.)
[color=darkred][b]Media:[/b][/color] (What did you use to complete this entry? Digital, traditional, etc.)
[color=darkred][b]Character(s) drawn:[/b][/color] (Who is in this entry?)
[color=darkred][b]Submission URL:[/b][/color] (Entry URL goes here.)
[color=darkred][b]WIP or Completed?:[/b][/color] (Is this a WIP or completed entry?)
[color=darkred][b]Website URL:[/b][/color] (Have a gallery website? deviantArt? Post if you have one.)
[color=darkred][b]Notes:[/b][/color] (Any further comments? Questions? ...clowns?)

Entries

◄ Entries that I have received so far can be seen here.

[None yet]

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Need to know more about the relationships between characters? This is mainly a guideline. If you decide to draw a couples entry and need to know more information, let me know. Relationships are complicated, so feel free to ask me to determine which category your entry would fit.

◄ If you would like to know the relationship between characters and they're not listed below, (to clarify if they know each other or other details,) feel free to ask.

◄ I'll reveal this later. Trying to figure out a method that isn't incredibly wordy and full of story/spoilers.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ How long have you been on Gaia? Why are you still here?

I've been around since June 19th, 2003. I suppose the reason I'm still around is...well...artwork. Also, I guess I have a certain attachment to the place. Don't get me wrong, though. I've been on hiatus before. One that lasted for perhaps over two years. I still browsed, but it was random and far between. I initally came back for the sole purpose to save up gold to get artwork. If I ever decide that I'm going to leave Gaia...well...that will just mean more prizes for you guys, now doesn't it?

◄ What kind of art do you like?

I enjoy many styles of art. However, I will admit that I don't fancy chibi art all that much. I'm sure that I can be pleasantly surprised if it's drawn well, though. Below is a link to a gallery of artwork I've received from other people. There are a few chibi pieces just to show that I'm not totally biased against the style...just...unless you blow my mind away and it's really detailed, don't expect to win with a chibi.

[Art others have drawn for me]
In no particular order.

◄ Huh? Who are those characters in the couple pics people drew for you?

If you see a couple art example in the gallery linked above and a character is unfamiliar, but you would like to draw them, ask me. They are usually characters created by my friends. The entry will still have to have at least one of my characters for it to count in the contests, but if you do draw my friends' characters, I'm sure that they would be more than thankful.

◄ ...is that a fantroll in the renditions? Why is that there?

Hey. I added those since I like the art. Just showing more examples. However...no. There's no prize category for him unless people really want there to be one. It would be a rather random category.

◄ Is there any pet peeves I should know about?

Well...there is one. Height. Some characters have similar height, so I have no problem there. HOWEVER, there are some characters who are fairly tall while others are reasonably small. I don't want to see characters who are pretty much a foot difference in height looking the same. I'll be a sad panda if the others somehow appear as though they are the same height as Orion.

◄ Which characters are better suited in certain categories?

The gold only prizes are self-explanitory. Other than that, I have listed suggestions in each character's profiles. If you are still unsure, feel free to ask me for clarification. The main nine characters should fit within all of the item categories.

◄ Raz! Why is the deadline so far away?!

Is it? I have no idea how to time a contest like this. Especially since I will be dumping more gold and prizes into it along the way. Also, one thing I promise is that I will not extend the contest. The end date you see is what you will get, so use your time wisely. If you procrastinate and miss out...well...I don't know what to tell you.

◄ Can I help you judge the entries?

You want to? Well, only if I know you and have your MSN or Skype info, sure. You just can't enter the contest if you want to help judge, though.

◄ I can't draw, but can I get art from you instead?

Would people want art from me? I will likely draw freebies during the duration of the contest as long as there are people chatting in the thread. If people want to commission, just send me a PM. Just don't ask for anything too crazy.

◄ Why are there so many "random number generator" mini contests/prizes?

Gaia made me this way...err...I mean... There's only a few. I want everyone to have a chance to win something regardless of skill as long as they try and put forth effort towards the contest. There are still many, MANY other prizes that outweigh the RNG bits.

◄ Why are there so many items in the categories? Why don't you split them into many more categories?

Eh... That's just how I groove. Also, it gives a better chance for people to collab together and then share the prizes a bit better.

◄ How come Jikal and Quil sometimes have silver hair with red eyes and then black hair with blue eyes other times?

Reasons...there is a reason for Jikal, story-wise, but not for Quil. It's just that I like having the twins look similar, so his alternate colour palette can also be used for her. However, I have no objections to seeing them in an image together with a black haired, blue eyed Jikal interacting with a silver haired, crimson eyed Quil. By all means, that would actually be accurate. The other way around would be questionable, though.

◄ Doesn't [character here] have a different name?

I've had a lot of these characters since 2001 or longer. As the story progressed and evolved, I felt that their names had to change to make more sense in relation to the world they live in and where they were raised. Sanzo's name actually changed quite a few times and was Samuel for a good while. (Considering his nature in the story, he may as well go by several different names, though.)

Razumi's name changed to Razekiel.
Sanzo's name changed to Sanriel.
Otira's name changed to Orion.

I may slip every now and then and may say either of their names during conversation. For nostalgic purposes, I do use the original names whenever I RP. As for Razumi...well...yeah.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

I'll try to make more monthly contest for artists, but here's one for now.

◄ This monthly contest for artists is a WIP contest. Show me a WIP that you have drawn for the contest and I will add you to the list below. It will be like a raffle. I'll random generate a number to pick out the winner(s.)

◄ You're only allowed to have 3 WIPs active at a time overall. If all I see is a bunch of WIPs and no finished entries from one person, I will start to question where their focus is. It's okay to draw plenty, but only three will count in the WIP contest.

◄ You can enter a WIP again for the next month if it isn't finished, but there has to be a substantial amount of progress for it to count.

◄ Finished entries count for two. Couple entries count for three. Any finished entries that have additional characters count for more.

◄ The amount that can be won ramps up based on participation.

◄ You can win more than once, but it may be changed to every other month based on participation. You can potentially win more than once in a month.

◄ If this becomes popular, I will increase the beginning amount and so on. I may add items as well.

Current prize amount: 25k

1. 25k
2.
3.
4.
5. 50k
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. Three chances for 25k.
.
.
.
.
.
20. Five chances for 50k.
.
.
.
.
.
100K?

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

I'll see if I can make more monthly contests that are non-art related.

◄ This one is non-art related. All I ask is for you to play my aquarium tanks while they're glowing and bump the threads. Yeah. I'm not kidding here. Everyone is welcome to participate. Help me help you. This helps me go towards increasing prizes for the main contest. Also, using the bump helps advertise the art contest a bit if an artist happens to be playing and sees the banners. You can also save the bump banner and don't have to quote me. I just want to see where some of my tank exposure if coming from.

◄ Make sure that the tank is actually glowing before you do any bumping. Don't try to cheat. It benefits no one if you try to cheat.

◄ If you're unable to play Booty Grab or refuse to, all I ask is for you to help support the tanks with a few bumps. Especially for Jikal's tank.

◄ Anyone can win multiple times as long as they are helping out and participating each month.

◄ Bi-Weekly: For Razumi's tank, I'd like to see a screenshot of your highest score. Since a different amount of fish glow at different times and buffs/debuffs factor in, you can submit a new screenshot if you gain a new high score. Every 2 weeks, the person with the highest score gets 250k. If there are a lot of people trying for this, the second highest score will be given 100k. Sounds easy, right?

◄ Monthly: For Jikal's tank, simply use the bump link provided in this thread so that I know where you're coming from. If I know that you're aware of the contest and using the necessary bump, I'll add you to the list. I'll generate a random number to get the winner. At least try to support the tank as much as you can. I'll be watching. During this contest, 50% of the gold that Jikal is carrying will go to the winner at the end of the month, so support his tank! You can very well rake in a lot of gold from this if his tank does well. I also play other tanks and hit the 150k daily cap from time to time with Jikal, so what do you have to lose?

Razumi's Tank

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
|| Direct Tank Link ||
╚════════════════════════════════════╝
|| Bump Here when I glow || Tank Analysis ||

^ Mini Grunny subs and Enki item grant chance. ^

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Jikal's Tank

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
|| Direct Tank Link ||
╚════════════════════════════════════╝
|| Bump Here when I glow || Tank Analysis ||

^ Prince Enki item grant chance. ^

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Screenshot example for the bi-weekly contest.
(Give me screenshots of scores you get from Razumi's tank. This is just an example.)

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Here's some banners to add to your signatures or threads if you'd like to help me out.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]

[Razumi Yazura]

◄ Have a guild, contest, art shop, or any other thread you'd like advertised? Give me a banner and URL and I'l place it here.

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[Introduction] - [Rules] - [Prizes] - [Characters] - [Entries] - [Relationship Info] - [Notes or FAQ]
[Monthly Contests (Artists)] - [Monthly Contests (Non-Artist)] - [Link Me] - [Affiliates]