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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sniktch" data-source="post: 694523" data-attributes="member: 7704">Jameumz vs NiTessine, rd 1:Yikes!  This was a very difficult for me to judge; I enjoyed both entries quite a bit and it almost comes down to a toin coss.Jameumz presents us with a quest for the Blue Unicorn pendant, with a twist.  I always enjoy the occasional story where the protagonists do not triumph in the end, and this is what we get.  A couple of minor things that bothered me:  in the beginning we see through Rynvesi's eyes for a moment and we see him liking and being attracted to his companions, which seems out of character considering the end, when he's revealed to be a fanatical cultists agent.  Perhaps the scene is better seen through Uthoule's eyes.  Also, how long have they been together?  Rynvesi has never removed his gloves in his companions' presence?  In addition, its nice to see the playfulness between the companions but its hard to swallow that seasoned adventurers are going to chase each other about screaming just after an ambush ended, when they're not sure if the area is safe yet.  NiTessine gives us a Harper tale that I can almost imagine finding in the series (well, assuming it were 300 pages longer).  Another strong entry with a straight forward and familiar plot, NiTessine relies upon good descriptions and characterization to keep us reading.  I think this would work great towards the beginning of a longer story; on its own the bullywug fight at the end just isn't difficult enough to make me fear for the character's safety.  It could use a little more bang, I think - maybe one of the bullywug shamen does get off a summon spell?  I don't know, that's just my thinking.  Otherwise I like your story and characters a lot.In terms of picture usage, I have to break it down pic by pic to look for an edge.  Both use the frog statue as the idol of a deity, which is really hardly surprising.  Jameumz uses the Blue Unicorn as the object of the quest whereas NiTessine throws it in as the ranger's holy symbol.  I have no problem with this, per se, but thought it could have played a larger part in the story (maybe she could use it to banish the creature the shaman summons?).  NiTessine uses the dagger as the object of his quest while Jameumz turns it into an identifying tattoo for his dark cult (see above for comments on this).  Finally, I have to say I like NiTessine's use of the final pic as an island of beauty in a foul place more than the grim and foreboding image for which Jameumz uses it.  I've thought for hours on this one and still not made a firm decision.  My initial impression when reading through them for the first time was that Jameumz made slightly better use of the photos, but that his story has a couple more potential holes in it, while NiTessine's piece is more descriptive and solid overall.  I'd definitely like a third opinion on this one.From Maldur:Jameumz: You describe one of those double crosses every gamemaster loves, but is really hard to pull off right. Great stuff. Nitessine: This is a very new idea. A story with no weird twist, no hidden complot. Just a mission, and it works! Very nice. My vote goes for Nitessine, primarily for his better incorporation of the pic in the story.</blockquote>

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