ready for a new round of Ceramic DM?(judgements in, check in for finals...)
AuroraGyps
First Post
Clay, you're just evil. 
angcuru & I have our work cut out for us. However, playing Ceramic DM might be bringing me some luck... Office Max called about my application today. Ok, off to brainstorm I go.
Forgot a quick question for ya Clay: in Pic 4, is there supposed to be a little white square in it or is that a glitch?
angcuru & I have our work cut out for us. However, playing Ceramic DM might be bringing me some luck... Office Max called about my application today. Ok, off to brainstorm I go.Forgot a quick question for ya Clay: in Pic 4, is there supposed to be a little white square in it or is that a glitch?
Last edited:
Drawmack
First Post
Ceramic DM Round I Drawmack vs. Taladas
The Search for Alonda, Part I
By: J. Thomas Enders
The sun beamed in through the window striking me in the face and waking me up as it did most mornings. The village was calm and peaceful as my mother washed her face in the spring out front (1). She always cleaned up after making breakfast. This morning’s meal was cockatiel eggs and wild boar. The day seemed perfect as if nothing could go wrong. I grabbed banjo and went to get Andre. We were going out foraging for berries this morning. Neither of us could have foretold the horrors this day would hold.
We started by going to the familiar picking spots. However, we found them mostly picked clean, which is to be expected from this time of the year. Straying farther and farther from the village in search of ripe berries to take home we eventually came to the barrens. There was nothing really different about this area. It was called the barrens because no one, not even the adults, were supposed to enter it. The mystics told of great wonders and greater horrors that lay beyond the divide. Andre and I decided that getting berries for the night’s meal was more important then some old superstition and crossed the divide entering the barrens. Not ten steps in the bounty of the place became apparent.
The trees sprawled out before us reaching up into the sky like towering giants with manes of green. The bushes littered the ground like humungous rabbits sleeping in balls. The ferns stood as tall as us. We began to muse about the berries we would find here.
“I bet we find cranberries the size of our feet.” Said Andre.
“One blue berry is probably enough for ten pies.” I responded.
“You could eat off that for a week.” Shouted Andre pointing to an apple hanging high in a tree.
Then we were startled by the sound of a horses galloping and men speaking. Strangely, the men sounded winded. Why would men on horseback be winded? Andre and I quickly hid in the underbrush and watched what came down the path. There before out eyes were half man – half beast creatures. We heard about these in the myths of old, now taken as nothing more then children’s stories. These were centaurs, so named for being the centurions of the forest.
“Did you see that?” I asked
“I – I – I think those were centaurs.” Replied Andre
“But centaurs aren’t real, they are just creatures from children’s stories” I said
“Apparently they are quite real, or a very powerful wizard is playing tricks on us.” Andre offered in response.
“But magic isn’t real either. I feel like I’m asleep and dreaming the myths from fairy tales into being.” I said
At this very moment Andre smacked me across the face.
“OUCH, What the hell was that for?” I yelled
“Well if that hurt then you can’t be sleeping.” Andre responded
It was then I smacked Andre.
“What the hell was that for?” Andre asked.
“I just figured I’d make sure that you’re not dreaming either. Now let’s be about our business“ I stated.
It wasn’t much longer until we found a patch of blue berries raspberries and grapes. We attempted to pick fruits but found them too large to manage. We decided that taking these berries home would tell the ancients where we were. Fearing the wrath of the ancients we decided to leave the fruit and suffer punishment for going home empty handed. Then that we heard the voice of an old man.
“You boys seem to be facing quite the dilemma, as if you have found the proverbial rock and the hard place.” The old man intoned as he stepped into sight.
He was a wretched creature. His skin hung on his frame like hides made for a fat man being worn by a child. Wrinkles saturated his pale white face and he was stooped from the battle with gravity. He walked with a staff that looked as if it could barely hold his weight.
“I might be able to help you boys.” He said with a toothless smile.
“You could help us? However could you possibly help us?” I asked
“Well my boys an old man doesn’t live in these enchanted woods without learning a few tricks.” The man said.
“What tricks do you know that could help us?” I asked.
With a wave his staff a blue light erupted from the end surrounding a nearby blueberry bush. The light turned green and dissipated leaving a normal sized blue berry bush.
“What do you want in return?” I asked.
“Well it seems that time has caught up with me. I fear I am no longer able to live as a hermit in these woods. The twilight of my life has arrived and I would like to live out my days in a village. Life will be easier there. You boys just take me back and tell the leaders you found me wondering in the forest. I’ll help you get all the berries you need.” The man responded.
Seeing this as our only way out of trouble we jumped at the chance. In short order, and with full bushels, we headed back to the village. The old man slowed our progress but we planned to use his frailty as an excuse for being late. Upon arriving back at camp we took the old man, Zacharia, to meet the ancients. As Zacharia spoke to the ancients the real man and his real intent was revealed.
With a few words Zacharia grew tall and broad. His skin became ruddy. His face looked like it was touched by devils. He filled out the robes that previously hung on him. A charm, the tear of ancients, appeared around his neck. (3) He spoke his intent very clearly.
“Through myth and forbiddance you keep the children from the barrens. As you have learned today robbing children of truth is not the road to peace and harmony. True peace and harmony only come through enlightenment. It is enlightenment I now bring to your people. You will worship me or you will be decimated.” Zacharia spoke, his voice reverberating through the forest with the power of gods.
Michalin, the oldest and wisest of the ancients, addressed Zacharia. “You were banished for embracing dark arts and blighting the forest. You were banished never to return.”
“Michalin, my old friend, do you forget your own banishment? I was banished until such a time as the innocents of your village welcomed me back. Today Andre and Zimmer welcomed me back when my providence avoided their punishment. Now that my banishment has ended you will bow before my might and lift me to my rightful place as ruler among your people or you will pay the price.” Zacharia retorted.
“We will never revere the evil that is you.” Michalin stated harshly.
“Then you will pay, all except those who ended my banishment.” Zacharia announced.
With that he did a quick incantation. At the culmination of his incantation he vanished in a cloud of thick black smoke. The smoke began to spread with fire at the edges. Michalin told us to find Alonda. Then the blight enveloped the ancients who screamed in tones that startled the deaf. The fire blight spread over the entire valley. (4)
When the blight was done Andre, myself and Banjo were left standing in the middle of a dry, cracked and barren desert where our proud forest home once stood. (2) We headed out to find Alonda, whatever that was.
The Search for Alonda, Part I
By: J. Thomas Enders
The sun beamed in through the window striking me in the face and waking me up as it did most mornings. The village was calm and peaceful as my mother washed her face in the spring out front (1). She always cleaned up after making breakfast. This morning’s meal was cockatiel eggs and wild boar. The day seemed perfect as if nothing could go wrong. I grabbed banjo and went to get Andre. We were going out foraging for berries this morning. Neither of us could have foretold the horrors this day would hold.
We started by going to the familiar picking spots. However, we found them mostly picked clean, which is to be expected from this time of the year. Straying farther and farther from the village in search of ripe berries to take home we eventually came to the barrens. There was nothing really different about this area. It was called the barrens because no one, not even the adults, were supposed to enter it. The mystics told of great wonders and greater horrors that lay beyond the divide. Andre and I decided that getting berries for the night’s meal was more important then some old superstition and crossed the divide entering the barrens. Not ten steps in the bounty of the place became apparent.
The trees sprawled out before us reaching up into the sky like towering giants with manes of green. The bushes littered the ground like humungous rabbits sleeping in balls. The ferns stood as tall as us. We began to muse about the berries we would find here.
“I bet we find cranberries the size of our feet.” Said Andre.
“One blue berry is probably enough for ten pies.” I responded.
“You could eat off that for a week.” Shouted Andre pointing to an apple hanging high in a tree.
Then we were startled by the sound of a horses galloping and men speaking. Strangely, the men sounded winded. Why would men on horseback be winded? Andre and I quickly hid in the underbrush and watched what came down the path. There before out eyes were half man – half beast creatures. We heard about these in the myths of old, now taken as nothing more then children’s stories. These were centaurs, so named for being the centurions of the forest.
“Did you see that?” I asked
“I – I – I think those were centaurs.” Replied Andre
“But centaurs aren’t real, they are just creatures from children’s stories” I said
“Apparently they are quite real, or a very powerful wizard is playing tricks on us.” Andre offered in response.
“But magic isn’t real either. I feel like I’m asleep and dreaming the myths from fairy tales into being.” I said
At this very moment Andre smacked me across the face.
“OUCH, What the hell was that for?” I yelled
“Well if that hurt then you can’t be sleeping.” Andre responded
It was then I smacked Andre.
“What the hell was that for?” Andre asked.
“I just figured I’d make sure that you’re not dreaming either. Now let’s be about our business“ I stated.
It wasn’t much longer until we found a patch of blue berries raspberries and grapes. We attempted to pick fruits but found them too large to manage. We decided that taking these berries home would tell the ancients where we were. Fearing the wrath of the ancients we decided to leave the fruit and suffer punishment for going home empty handed. Then that we heard the voice of an old man.
“You boys seem to be facing quite the dilemma, as if you have found the proverbial rock and the hard place.” The old man intoned as he stepped into sight.
He was a wretched creature. His skin hung on his frame like hides made for a fat man being worn by a child. Wrinkles saturated his pale white face and he was stooped from the battle with gravity. He walked with a staff that looked as if it could barely hold his weight.
“I might be able to help you boys.” He said with a toothless smile.
“You could help us? However could you possibly help us?” I asked
“Well my boys an old man doesn’t live in these enchanted woods without learning a few tricks.” The man said.
“What tricks do you know that could help us?” I asked.
With a wave his staff a blue light erupted from the end surrounding a nearby blueberry bush. The light turned green and dissipated leaving a normal sized blue berry bush.
“What do you want in return?” I asked.
“Well it seems that time has caught up with me. I fear I am no longer able to live as a hermit in these woods. The twilight of my life has arrived and I would like to live out my days in a village. Life will be easier there. You boys just take me back and tell the leaders you found me wondering in the forest. I’ll help you get all the berries you need.” The man responded.
Seeing this as our only way out of trouble we jumped at the chance. In short order, and with full bushels, we headed back to the village. The old man slowed our progress but we planned to use his frailty as an excuse for being late. Upon arriving back at camp we took the old man, Zacharia, to meet the ancients. As Zacharia spoke to the ancients the real man and his real intent was revealed.
With a few words Zacharia grew tall and broad. His skin became ruddy. His face looked like it was touched by devils. He filled out the robes that previously hung on him. A charm, the tear of ancients, appeared around his neck. (3) He spoke his intent very clearly.
“Through myth and forbiddance you keep the children from the barrens. As you have learned today robbing children of truth is not the road to peace and harmony. True peace and harmony only come through enlightenment. It is enlightenment I now bring to your people. You will worship me or you will be decimated.” Zacharia spoke, his voice reverberating through the forest with the power of gods.
Michalin, the oldest and wisest of the ancients, addressed Zacharia. “You were banished for embracing dark arts and blighting the forest. You were banished never to return.”
“Michalin, my old friend, do you forget your own banishment? I was banished until such a time as the innocents of your village welcomed me back. Today Andre and Zimmer welcomed me back when my providence avoided their punishment. Now that my banishment has ended you will bow before my might and lift me to my rightful place as ruler among your people or you will pay the price.” Zacharia retorted.
“We will never revere the evil that is you.” Michalin stated harshly.
“Then you will pay, all except those who ended my banishment.” Zacharia announced.
With that he did a quick incantation. At the culmination of his incantation he vanished in a cloud of thick black smoke. The smoke began to spread with fire at the edges. Michalin told us to find Alonda. Then the blight enveloped the ancients who screamed in tones that startled the deaf. The fire blight spread over the entire valley. (4)
When the blight was done Andre, myself and Banjo were left standing in the middle of a dry, cracked and barren desert where our proud forest home once stood. (2) We headed out to find Alonda, whatever that was.
NoOneofConsequence
First Post
I appear to have become invisible. I can see my own post (back on page 2, before KB and Ang) but Clay appears to have missed it and signed my place over to someone else.
Please tell me this is a mistake and not because of something I said, did, didn't say or didn't do.
Please tell me this is a mistake and not because of something I said, did, didn't say or didn't do.
Kahuna Burger
First Post
NoOneofConsequence said:I appear to have become invisible. I can see my own post (back on page 2, before KB and Ang) but Clay appears to have missed it and signed my place over to someone else.
Please tell me this is a mistake and not because of something I said, did, didn't say or didn't do.
I would be willing to ceed my place in the round over - I just (finally) got a job and I'm gonna be a bit more busy squaring things away before it starts than I was when I signed up...
Kahuna Burger
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
Ah, the chaos and mad scrambles of a Ceramic DM competition! The crazed images (where DOES he find those?) and frantic confirmations. And at last, the stories, creative and always so much fun to read!
Good luck to everyone (even Drawmack the Speedy), and I look forward to reading the results!
Hey Clay, is it alright if spectators post comments on stories after judge's decisions are in?
Good luck to everyone (even Drawmack the Speedy), and I look forward to reading the results!
Hey Clay, is it alright if spectators post comments on stories after judge's decisions are in?
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