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Post: 4507190_1 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:29:39 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:29:39 +0000

Welcome to Cimeara's new K.I.S.S. Art Contest for OC art!

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K.I.S.S. => Keep It Simple, Stupid

The name is a reminder to me, not an insult to you! xd What's "simple" about it?

(1) one character to draw (okay, possibly two but that's optional!)
(2) one category of prizes
(3) one type of prize

The character is my new roleplaying character Saera Duraston. The category is anything goes. The type of prize is 2004 donation letters plus gold.

Grand prize winner gets one each of every 2004 donation letter. Next twelve top entries each get 10K gold plus one of my other set of letters in mid-GEN order of value at the time the prizes are given out. Right now, that would be that the runner-up prize winner gets January + 10K, next place gets March + 10K, etc. This way even the lowest value prize is still worth 14K!

Current value of prizes (Jan 10, 2005): 280K in letters + 120K gold = 400K!

Deadline for entries is midnight Pacific time on the evening of Jan. 15th, 2005. THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSION! Prizes will be awarded on Jan. 16th, 2005.

Every artist who enters receives 1K for their time and effort!

Index:
1 => This post.
2 => Information at a Glance
3 => Saera's specs
4 => Saera's charms
5 => Drow's specs
6 => Char insight
7 => Entries
8 => Winners
9 => Links for this contest
10=> Links to other places

Jan. 17th: Winners are listed on page 80. There's a link in one of the posts on this first page. Prizes will be sent out gradually over the day. Thanks very much to everyone who participated! heart
Jan. 16th (later): Winners will be announced sometime around 8-9pm PST tonight. So many entries now... and all of them good, and so many of them great! sweatdrop
Jan. 16th: Entries are now closed! PM me if you still want to draw the characters or have a partially completed work. And on to the judging...
Jan. 10th: The poll was in favor of no extension and that's what some of the most faithful thread bumpers said, too, so there's no extension! Contest ends THIS SATURDAY at midnight PST. Anyone who isn't finished by the ending time, PLEASE get in touch with me! I'll still want your picture and we'll just have to talk prices instead of prizes. Though it may take me a bit to get some money again. xd
Jan. 9th: One week to go and suddenly more interest, lol! So.. I'd said no extension and I'd meant it at the time. But is there really enough interest to run it an extra week?
Dec. 30th: Thirteen prizes. Five entries. This might be very easy to judge. wink Got bored and added some info to Saera about the masque ball costumes.
Dec. 9th: Added costume references and picture links.
Nov. 15th: Changed deadline to avoid conflicting with Raesha's contest so much. Added grand prize worth over 100K.

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Post: 4507190_2 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:30:25 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:30:25 +0000

Information at a Glance

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Starts: Now.

Ends: Midnight Pacific time on Saturday, Jan. 15th, 2005

Entry payment from artists to me: Nothing!

Entry payment from me to artists: 1K with each artist's first entry. You deserve at least a little something for your efforts!

How to Enter: Post the picture or a link to the picture in this thread, unless it doesn't fall under Gaia's PG-13 guidelines. If that's the case, PM me a link or ask me to get in touch with you some other way.

Media: Anything! And with Saera's necklace, I expect detailed ink or pencil to have an even field against elaborate computer color.

Style: Any! I only ask that the drow's ears NOT be too much the huge sideways floppy manga ones (unless you're deliberately drawing a humorous entry), or Saera will laugh at him. blaugh

Subject: Saera Duraston, alone or with the drow (what about the drow by himself? ah... maybe... sure, if you really want! ) but entry must contain at least one of those characters.

Categories: No separate categories. Prizes will go to what I consider the best thirteen entries whatever the style.

Prizes: Grand prize winner receives one each of every 2004 donation letter. Next top twelve entries each receive a 2004 donation letter plus 10K in gold, in order based on mid-GEN value at the time. To be announced on Jan. 16th, 2005.

Questions: Please post in this thread, please don't send PMs.

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Post: 4507190_3 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:31:11 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:31:11 +0000

Saera Duraston

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Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Height: 5' 6"
Skin: fair
Hair: very dark brown, mid-back length without bangs, definitely curly but not in ringlets, it's usually tied back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck but with tendrils coming out around her face
Eyes: definitely blue, no gray or green to them, large and rather wide open most of the time
Build: slim, with the sort of muscle tone that comes from lots of walking more than from any other exercise
Clothing: a loose shirt or tunic in dusky cool colors like purplish or bluish or turquoise or grayish shades, breeches/pants/trousers in darker colors, and soft leather boots in matte black
Belt & accessories: black leather belt with two daggers (small and medium) and a largish black leather pouch attached to the belt with chain loops (but not with a dangling loop like Gaia's chain wallets)
Jewelry (VERY IMPORTANT): a silver chain necklace that goes to mid-chest with about 50 silver charms, each about an inch long (see post below for what the charms look like); also four silver rings with two on each hand and some silver post earrings.
Other: her hands are those of a craftsman, lots of small burns and scrapes and scars, the nails kept fairly short and unpolished; a very mobile and expressive face that rarely manages to hide her thoughts
Occupation: silversmith, jewelry maker, and sorceress who enchants her work with spells; starting to try non-magical sculptures and other art forms
Attitude: naive for her years but open to new experiences; a warm heart but an underlying practical nature that keeps her from being sticky sweet (the sort of friend that will listen only so long to your complaints about your boyfriend before pointing out how simple it is to dump him); often easily flustered or distracted, she keeps a running commentary of thoughts in her head about whatever is going on as a habit to keep herself focused; intense dislike of fighting, possibly because her types of inherent spells are limited so she has very few options in between "leave me alone" and slamming you with a half-dozen lightning bolts; a true dedication to her craft and starting to turn it into an art
Background: Born to middle-class craftspeople, Saera's magic is through heritage not books so she grew up able to do spells; unfortunately the bloodline is weak so except for one uncle (who left town years ago), she's the only one in the family with magic and was strongly discouraged from using it. When older, she tried a stint with an adventuring party but things went badly both in magic use and in relationships, and instead she found a small college of mages where she concentrated on storing magic in items, not using it directly. Too many years later, her master threw her out. What he said was that she was blowing spells from boredom and there was little left to teach. What he knew was that it was time she faced the real world again.

Facial References: After an exhausting celebrity search, Sophie Marceau has been cast to play the part of Saera. Saera's eyes should be blue and the hair a little more curly, but it's generally the right touch of innocence to her. These photos are for reference only! do not steal! they aren't mine!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/sm1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/sm2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/sm3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/sm4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/sm5.jpg

Warning: with Gaia's new software for external links, you may get a "page not found"... try hitting refresh and then it should display.

Costume References:
Feel free to use your own imagination! These are here only if you want an explicite description. If so, then the pants are close-fitted, can even be tapered. The shirt is also close-fitted, tunic-length, and buttons down the front. Open at the neck. It might have a collar or not. The sleeves would either be close-fitted or rolled up to allow her to do work.

Maybe this shirt, but no notch in the collar:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/saera-shirt1.jpg
Or this one, but not nearly as bright and with buttoned front:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/saera-shirt2.jpg

Drow Masque Costumes:
For a ball in the decadent Underdark, Saera was provided with a costume with a surprising amount of coverage. Fitted (very closely fitted) breeches and vest and jacket, as if elegant men's clothing, in a very fine thin brocaded silk in mixed black and gold that indicated every bit of the form beneath as if it were a second skin. As for the artist, he wore a layered costume of heliotrope, crimson, gold, and russet, stitched here and there in indigo threads, covered in flowing arabesque patterns, making the outfit's lines blur so it almost seemed to move when he wasn't moving. A set of silversmithing tools hung from his belt, a couple from his wrists. "I am going as your work fire. Here is your mask." He gave her a mask painstakingly carved from obsidian; it was a portrait of her own face, made cruel and arrogant, with gold rivets marking the left nostril and the ears. "You're going as an efreeti version of yourself! The mask will hover near you if you are not wearing it; you need not hold it." His mask was a spell; when finished, it appeared that his head was on fire, flickering with blue flames.

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Post: 4507190_4 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:32:00 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:32:00 +0000

Saera's Charms

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Meaning the ones on her necklace. xd

The necklace itself is a double-link silver chain. Each charm is also in silver, about 1 inch long, and each is a one-use magic spell that's activated by pulling the charm off the necklace and saying a special word to trigger the spell. The form of the charm matches to the type of spell, so it's easy for her to find the right spell quickly.

The current charms (and number she has of each) are:
shield (1), helm (1), pig (1), feather (2), horse (3), bell (1), spiderweb (1), bat (1), arrow in an open circle (1), eagle (2), hand-mirror (1), comedy mask (2), lightning bolt (1), flat sun (1), flame (3), bird's wing (2), bear (1), icicle (1), octopus (1), tragedy mask (1), door (3), cone (1), key (3), arrow (2), pointing hand (1), spiked ball (1), corkscrew spiral (2), sword (1), skeleton (2), two disks overlapping (2), rounded sun (1)

"You're Joking, I Can't Draw All Those!"
Do you have to draw these specific charms and/or this many of them? No! This is what's "real" but that doesn't mean you can't use artistic license to draw whatever you wish.

"Love Your Char, Hate the Necklace"
Don't want to tackle it at all? Sure! There's a number of times and situations and clothing options where she might not be wearing it. Artist's perogative.

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Post: 4507190_5 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:32:48 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:32:48 +0000

Her Drow Lover

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The player isn't on Gaia so I'm not going to use the character's name here.

Race: Drow (dark elf)
Gender: Male
Age: unknown
Height: 5' ?"
Skin: black as ink, which is hard to sketch so it's fine to use a dark gray, any undertones other than gray should be blue or purple not brown
Hair: white with a slight silver tinge
Eyes: heavily lidded, the color of "fire opals" => orange-red
Build: slim and lithe
Clothing: pants, shirt (buttoned or laced), vest with hidden pockets, in deep blues, purples, reds and sometimes dark grey, decorated with occasional bits of glittery gems or jewelry; or else a silk brocade dressing gown in dark red
Accessories: a quiver-like bag filled with various art supplies and papers, a rapier with the hilt made of rose ivory in the shape of two drow women embracing; sometimes a paper parasol (like current Chinese ones) with an erotic painting on the surface if opened
Other points: long eloquent fingers, often in motion; very expressive in posture, prone to draping himself over a chair rather than anything so simple as sitting in it
Occupation: renowned artist in Erelhei Cinlu (sculpture, paintings, illuminated books of erotica, etc.), patronized by most of the noble houses though not a noble himself, and is also a sorceror of unknown level of magic
Attitude: sardonic more than openly sarcastic, decadent more than depraved, extremely sensual, a true esthete, generally with a lazy good humor (because fighting is too much trouble and the riffraff are amusing) and with flurries of activity as something new catches his interest and/or inspires him to new works of art
Background: Raised, or more accurately raising himself, in the underground drow trade city of Erelhei Cinlu, he's extremely familiar with all its charms and dangers. His talent in art brought him out of the back alleys and into social prominence and wealth but he still keeps contacts in the streets and brothels. He often travels the surface world in search of new inspirations and so met Saera. Amused and intrigued by her attitudes and abilities, he seems to find great pleasure in introducing her to a variety of new experiences and supporting her talents.

Facial References: These show something of the right attitude. Remember these pictures are for reference only! do not steal! they aren't mine!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/drow1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/drow2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/drow3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/drow4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/drow5.jpg

Warning: with Gaia's new software for external links, you may get a "page not found"... try hitting refresh and then it should display.

Costume References:
Feel free to use your own imagination! These are here only if you want an explicite description. If so, then the pants are close-fitted. The shirt is also close-fitted and buttons down the front, with a pointed or standing collar, or no collar at all. The shirt is NOT white. There's a vest over the shirt and it might look like one of these but more decorated or in brocade:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-vest1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-vest2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-vest3.jpg

When they're together, he often wears a dark red silk brocade dressing-gown type robe. Normally with nothing beneath, but pajama-type pants are also an option. The robe should be ankle-length. Here are pictures of guys wearing robes, even if not brocade ones:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-robe1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-robe2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/Cimeara/ool-robe3.jpg

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Post: 4507190_6 created on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:33:47 +0000
Posted: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 18:33:47 +0000

Character Insight

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Saera often stays with her lover at his place in the drow underground city of Erelhei Cinlu, though she still has a room at an adventurer's tavern in a small town on the surface. For those who'd like a better clue as to the characters and relationship, this is from a scene where Saera had been severely injured in a fight, but managed to get away and get to the drow's place where his servants provide her with basic aid till their master arrives.
...........................

He eventually saunters in from elsewhere, having not been home when she arrived, and he quirks an eyebrow, "You didn't go to the marketplace [in Erelhei Cinlu] on your own, did you?"

Saera flushes, "Of course not. I was just at the tavern, in Ford Keep."

"I'll have to revise my opinions of that sleepy little town... what exactly happened, hmmmm?"

"Ah.. someone grabbed me and.. well.. we fought."

"Something personal?"

Saera shakes her head quickly and then looks queasy, telling herself to avoid that motion, 'I.. ah.. didn't know her. Red armor.. black hair.. something wrong with her skin... "

"So, no reason at all? I suppose that sort might single you out. You don't exactly look formidable. Well, then. Make yourself comfortable, and be at ease. We'll dose you up with the usual antitoxins and the like."

Saera flushes again, looking almost annoyed, "So what do you suggest? Black robes and a giant staff with a flaming orb on the end of it?.. not exactly me... and I'm alright, I'll get better."

He looks at her blandly. "It's a sad fact of life that assault of this kind rarely, if ever, occurs for no reason. As to the robes, not really. Shall I fetch you some wine?"

She sighs, "So it might happen again. Ah.. yes.. please. And I'm sorry I snapped at you, I shouldn't have."

"That's quite all right, Saera. You just got mauled. It's only natural that you'd be short tempered. I know I feel a bit out of sorts, when I drag myself bleeding through the foyer after an Everhate party."

She blinks at him, "A... party... ?"

"Yes, they do have some merit, but that House is a touch ah volatile, I suppose you could say."

Saera thinks, volatile... as in... insane... that's more like it... "Right."

"Don't worry; I'll not be taking you to any of their events."

She's relieved, "Oh thank you!"

"And these days, I have no reason to attend, myself."

"You don't?... enough patronage from the other houses?"

"That, and the reasons I used to go to their parties really don't apply any longer."

She seems rightfully confused but too weary to pursue it much farther, "Oh.. that's good then... whatever reasons... what were they?"

"I'm not as angry as I used to be."
"Tea? Rothe milk? Mushroom wine? Demon ichor? Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

She stares at him a moment and then almost smiles, "Whichever you think would help."

"Right away."
He saunters out for a while.
.................................................

Are they in love? If you asked either of them, they'd say no. He would say that drow aren't capable of love as humans know it, he merely has some care for her, for now. She'd say it would be wrong to love him, too much difference in lifespans, too much difference in culture, and besides, he doesn't love her. wink

Extra: If you're looking for a setting, one place they've been to in the underground city is a garden of luminescent mosses and plants with fountains of glowing water due to the substance given off by small blind octopi that live there, and with a gazebo seemingly made from some giant ribcage of bone.