Character #WritingContest

Stonewall Gaming Network is excited to announce another Character #WritingContest, running now, through December 5th, 2016, and we're extra excited to be giving away some unique and amazing prizes for the participants and the winner of this event!  

This contest is open to all members of the Stonewall community, regardless of which game you play!  We know that your in-game characters are a unique representation of part of your personality that you may not normally have the opportunity to share.  That's why we've decided to offer you this opportunity to share the story of any one of your characters in any game that you may play, whether it be Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, or another game entirely!  Share your creativity with us!  We're excited to read all about your character's latest or most epic adventure!  Share your creativity with us here, in this thread, for your chance to win prizes!




To participate in Stonewall's character writing contest, you must post your entry here, in this thread, before 11:59 PM Pacific time, on December 4th, 2016.  Your posted entry must comply with these additional six rules to be eligible:

1.  Your story must relate to one of your in-game character's most epic missions or adventures
2.  Your story must be written in English (so the judges can understand it)
3.  Your story must be your own original work (plagiarism will result in disqualification)
4.  Your story must include the game/world that your character exists in, their name and race or species
5.  Don't make your story novel length; we need to be able to read it in a single sitting!
6.  The content of your biography must not be edited after the submission deadline

Only one entry per community member, please.  While we encourage you to include graphics to supplement your character's adventure story, only the written narrative portion of your entry will be judged.




The winning contest entry be recognized on our Facebook and Twitter social media feeds.  The winner will also be entitled to choose from one of three different prize packages that we've assembled.  Each pack is geared toward one of the three main games played in the Stonewall Gaming Network, namely: a Star Trek Online prize pack, a Guild Wars 2 prize pack or a Star Wars: The Old Republic prize pack.  We also have participation prizes for all those who enter!  The winner will be able to choose one of the three following prize packs:

Star Trek Online Themed Prize Pack:

1.  6 Stonewall Credits
2.  A super-rare holographic TOS bridge crew set

*Stonewall credits can be saved and/or redeemed for in-game merchandise through the Stonewall Credits Store.

Guild Wars 2 Themed Prize Pack:

1.  A Heart of Thorns expansion unlock code
2.  A hand-crafted set of exotic armor, weapons and jewels for a level 80 toon (donated by @whiteonmyoji)

Star Wars Themed Prize Pack:

1.  2,400 Cartel Coins!

Good luck to all participants!  We can't wait to read your character's adventures!

Looks great Voleron! Can't wait to read some of the submissions.

Quote by NicholasJohn16

Looks great Voleron! Can't wait to read some of the submissions.

Can't wait to read your #WritingContest entry :p

Whoop whoop, looking forward to it :D

Started writing, then looked at my word count almost at the limit and I havent event started the meat of the story yet.

Quote by Niko

Started writing, then looked at my word count almost at the limit and I havent event started the meat of the story yet.

I'll be removing the word-count; keep the creativity flowing!

Laughs, and here I just finished a new short story that was just under 2000 words.

Quote by Niko

Laughs, and here I just finished a new short story that was just under 2000 words.

Doh!  Post whichever you like!  The soft word-count cap was meant as a means of ensuring that we wouldn't be reading the next Lord of the Rings style trilogy ;)

If I forgot to look up or pay attention to time you would probably get that from me.

Can we include more than one of our player characters in the story, as long as we make it clear which is the main one?

Quote by SiranNataan

Can we include more than one of our player characters in the story, as long as we make it clear which is the main one?

@SiranNataan Absolutely!

Um... did you see my Pirate Day bio?

Just in case: http://www.stonewallgaming.net/forums/threads/45120-bio-comp-reflection-day-2-biography#scroll=89333

How's that for length? Is it too short?

What if you were to win and already have Heart of Thorns?

Quote by SiranNataan

What if you were to win and already have Heart of Thorns?

Then you will have two copys! :D

"That's why we've decided to offer you this opportunity to share the story of any one of your characters in any game that you may play, whether it be Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, or another game entirely!"

Just to be clear, this doesn't have to be an MMO? It might also, say for example, be Skyrim or Mass Effect?

Quote by Lars1091

"That's why we've decided to offer you this opportunity to share the story of any one of your characters in any game that you may play, whether it be Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, or another game entirely!"

Just to be clear, this doesn't have to be an MMO? It might also, say for example, be Skyrim or Mass Effect?

@Lars1091 That's right!  It can be any character from any game that you play. 

Quote by Voleron

Quote by Lars1091

"That's why we've decided to offer you this opportunity to share the story of any one of your characters in any game that you may play, whether it be Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, or another game entirely!"

Just to be clear, this doesn't have to be an MMO? It might also, say for example, be Skyrim or Mass Effect?

@Lars1091 That's right!  It can be any character from any game that you play. 

Great!

6.  The content of your biography must not be edited after the submission deadline

Do we include our character biographies in the same post as the writing or should that be posted somewhere else?

Quote by I

6.  The content of your biography must not be edited after the submission deadline

Do we include our character biographies in the same post as the writing or should that be posted somewhere else?

 You can post both in the same post if you like but this writing contest is more about your characters most epic adventure rather than a biography contest.  With that said, if they are both intertwined feel free to post  One or the other or both :)

[Here is my entry for the contest. I'll add some screenshots tomorrow. The story is set before and after the events of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and has two Nord main characters, Ulfgthar and Vigdis Talos-Born.]


During the Oblivion Crisis that marked the end of the Third Era, the capital province of the Empire, Cyrodiil, was not the only province to be besieged by the Daedra. The Oblivion Gates appeared all over Tamriel and the demons in service of Mehrunes Dagon tried to destroy anything that they encountered. Skyrim was hit the hardest, although no scars of the Crisis exist two hundred years later. The Hist Sap gave the Argonians of Black Marsh warning about the impending doom and they had time to prepare, fighting so fiercely that they actually managed to invade Oblivion itself and eventually forced the Daedra to close the Oblivion Gates there. The Daedra invasion in the Summerset Isles was also met with grand resistance by the Thalmor, back then an obscure group without much importance.
This last group of Altmer (High Elf) supremacists gained a lot of respect among their fellow High Elfs because of this, gathered enough power to leave the Empire after the Oblivion Crisis was over and founded the Third Aldmeri Dominion. Eventually this resulted in what would generally be known as The Great War. A devastating war between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, thirty years before the return of the Dragons and the Civil War in Skyrim. This ultimately ended in the White-Gold Concordat that, among other things, outlawed the worship of Talos, the Nord that ascended to Godhood and who was an abomination in the eyes of the Thalmor.


Year 175 of the Fourth Era
Several weeks before the end of The Great War
The plains of Cyrodiil, just outside of the Imperial City

‘Bloody Thalmor!’ shouted Ulfgthar, a Nord captain in service of the Imperial Legion as he sunk his two-handed battleaxe in the shoulders of the Altmer mage. A moment later Ulfgthar felt a firebolt passing by him, which exploded quite some distance behind him, followed by screams. He looked where the magic came from and saw his Dunmer (Dark Elf) mage, Maladras, looking pleased. A raucous voice left his lips:
‘There were three of them behind you, pointing their arrows at your back.’ No sign of appreciation was shown in Ulfgthar’s face when he ordered:
‘Gather the men, my wife is fighting her own battle in Bruma and requires reinforcements.’
‘Dude, she’s just giving birth. I’m pretty sure that we can find some more Thalmor trying to get into the city if we look really hard,’ a deep voice said. Bagt, the teenage archer of the unit, was unusually laid back for an Orc. She was also extremely nimble and easily underestimated by her foes. She shouldn't have bothered opening her mouth however, as Ulfgthar was already on his way to the city in the north.

Two hours later the unit was about to reach the Bruma Gates. Marius Octavius, one of the Imperials in the unit was the first to notice something was wrong and said so as he readied his sword and shield. Ulfgthar readied his battle-axe and began running. The Bruma Gates were breached, everywhere lay dead soldiers, Thalmor and Imperial alike. There was no indication who had won the battle, but that became clear as soon as the unit saw Thalmor soldiers roaming the streets, executing anyone who wasn’t Mer (Elf). The ten men Imperial unit that Ulfgthar was in command of slaughtered their way through the High Elves. Eventually they reached the castle, but that too was breached.
As they entered the castle halls, Ulfgthar saw a Thalmor standing in front of his wife, who was forced on her knees despite still being in labour. Ulfgthar shouted:
‘Thalmor! Leave my wife be and let her deliver my child!’ The Thalmor looked up to Ulfgthar and his wide mouth turned into a sadistic smile. With disdain in his voice, he said:
‘As if I would allow a barbarian like yourself to procreate,’ and he thrust his sword through the woman’s throat. Ulfgthar didn’t hesitate and threw his massive two-handed battle-axe right at the Thalmor. As both Ulfgthar’s wife and the Thalmor (his head and part of his chest split in half by the battle-axe) fell to the ground, the Nord ran to his wife.
‘Move!’ said another hoarse voice. ‘I can still save your child.’ Ulfgthar looked up and saw Bandages-The-Wounded (or Bandy for short), his female Argonian medic standing in front him. He immediately let go of his wife and gave Bandy all the space she needed. ‘Maladras, help me. The child will need all the healing magic we can provide.’
Ulfgthar, however, could not stand to see how his wife was cut open and decided to go outside. It had began to storm and as rain and thunder and lightning adorned the night sky, Ulfgthar lifted his head to the clouds. As the hall behind him stayed quiet aside from Bandy and Maladras working their magic, Ulfgthar pleaded:
‘Talos! I stand before you now as godless as I always was. I command you: Give my daughter life!’ As it stayed quiet behind him and he got soaking wet from the rain, Ulfgthar continued: ‘Give my daughter life and we will fight your foes, carry ourselves with honour and reject the banditry that stains my lineage. Give my daughter life and our clan shall henceforth be known to all as Talos-Born!’ A thunder so extremely loud that Ulfgthar fell to his knees rolled over the night sky, to be heard all the way to the other side of Cyrodiil. At that exact same moment Ulfgthar heard a baby crying behind him…


Year 210 of the Fourth Era
The Plains of Whiterun, Skyrim
Several years after the end of the Civil War and the return of Alduin the World Eater and his merry bunch of fellow Dragons

‘Warriors! Today I stand here before you, ready for battle! Ready for the Second Great War of our Era! Skyrim is independent, its High King, a man of honour! High King Frothar, son of the former Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, asked me to remind you why we are here! You know the story of my birth! How my father and me were then forced to hide in the mountains because our very name was illegal within the Empire. We fought for our independence to worship who we want. To bring honour to the deity of our choosing, not the choosing of the Thalmor. And now we stand ready to give that same right to the rest of Tamriel! But we do not go into battle alone! Where we first were their servants, the Empire are now our allies! The Thalmor already now that they have no way to win this war. As we speak, the Empire is preparing for battle against the Thalmor from the other side of those mountains, just as we are! That is why I, Vigdis Talos-Born, Harbinger of the Companions, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, Nightingale of the Thieves’ Guild, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Knight of the Dawnguard, and Dovahkiin, leader of the Blades, will go into battle with all of you by my side. So all of you, Nord, Imperial, Mer, Khajiit, Argonian, Orc, Breton, or Redguard, raise your weapons and CHARGE!’


[Screenshot of the characters. I'll keep the two main characters at the top.

Vigdis Talos-Born
Ulfgthar
Maladras
Bagt
Marius Octavius
Thalmor
Bandy

Hope you enjoy it all!]