Greetings, Sapience.

Almost a full century has passed since the first days of the Dreikathi
invasion, an event which affected all of us in one way or another. It
was a struggle unlike any I had ever experienced before, an era of
heroes and unity beyond anything before or after. The destruction of
Ashtan by dragonfire still lives clearly in the memories of those who
became refugees. Many remember Winters, who managed to fell the Merzpawn
known as Erkuba. And who amongst us have not heard of the day when
Mazzion was blessed with the visage of the Ankyreans themselves? And
Tuiln, who inspired a whole generation of men and women to take up arms
in resistance of these foreign invaders. Truly, these were times that
deserve being remembered.

As such, I have decided to host an event of sorts, a competition that
will run to the end of Midsummer in year 397 M.A. It will, in part,
relate to the events that unfolded here all those years ago. The rules
are as follows:

The competition will consist of three separate parts: Crafting,
Religion, and Change. Each of these parts will be further divided into
two separate contests. Participating in any of these will award one
point per contest. The winning entry for either of these contests will
be awarded three points. A maximum of three runner ups per contest will
be rewarded two points each. Whoever has the most points when the
competition ends wins. Quite simple, no?

CRAFTING:
1) - MEMORABILIA - Design and craft an item of your choice that has a
connection (whether direct or indirect) to the events surrounding the
Dreikathi invasion. It could be a painting of their airships, a piece of
Ursai armament, or anything else inspired by the Dreikathi invasion.
Send me the item in a signed letter, along with a brief explanation of
how this item relates to the events that took place during the invasion.
Any craft may be used for this contest
2) - DELVE - With the discovery of Delve came possibilities, trade, and
innovation. While the pylons and the extraction of ylem were the
greatest advances for the cities of Sapience, there were other ways to
benefit from this newfound civilization. One of these benefits were the
many new materials, techniques, and styles used for crafts in Delve
itself. Design and craft an item of your choice, using a craft of your
choice, based either on materials or a style that originates in Delve.
As with the previous contest, send a signed letter containing the item
as well as a brief explanation on how its connection to Delve. Any craft
may be used for this contest.

RELIGION:
3) - THE DIVINE - The Dreikathi hail from a godless land, their
Divinities supposedly long since dead or gone. Even here, our own Gods
and Goddesses could not halt the Polemarch's advance. As such, I feel it
is proper to take some time to simply remember Them, and what They have
done for us. Find a way to pay homage to or teach about one, or several,
of the Divine, and do it. This could range from sacrifice, to essays, to
sermons, or any other form of worship you might think of. Send me a
signed transcript of this act of worship (or a copy in the case of an
essay).
4) - THE MALEVOLENT - While all Divine deserve respect, there is but one
that still commands my loyalty: Iosyne. Simply put, learn Her tenets,
summarize them, and compare them to the lifestyle you have chosen to
pursue. The contest here is not one about agreement, but rather
understanding: whoever can relay Her teachings to me in the most concise
and accurate manner, regardless if supporting them wholly or vehemently
disagreeing, will win.

CHANGE:
5) - GEOGRAPHY - The Dreikathi invasion affected not only the people of
Sapience, but the entire continent itself; Ashtan was destroyed, Aalen
was poisoned, and the Scidve Cove was discovered. Chose a georaphic
area, and describe how it has changed - for better or for worse - over
the decades. Apart from writing about the area itself, topic coulds
include wildlife, plantlife, or other similar subjects. Send me a copy
of your findings in a signed letter.
6) - PEOPLE - The final contest might be the most interesting one as it
requires you to study people. During the Dreikathi invasion, people from
all walks of life (and unlife) joined together to fight impossible odds;
alliances and structures formed only to collapse as the common threat
disappeared. Write an essay in regards to politics, organizations
(cities, houses, orders, or guilds), or just interview a person of
interest. The only requirement is that the main topic would relate to
'change' in one form or another. Apart from that, it is up to the
contenders to decide what they wish to write about. As with the other
contests, send me a signed letter with your submission.

For all these contests, quality will be valued over quantity. Also,
anyone competing in a contest will earn at least one point, so being
ambitious will ensure a higher placement in the total tally.


As usual, competition would not be a competion without prizes, so I am
offering the following items to be given out to participants (whoever
comes in highest picks first, the second place picks next, and so on
until all rewards have been claimed):

* A compass-inlaid ilmenite bracer (1x top half of a mirror frame, 1x
bottom half of a mirror frame, 2x mirror shards, 1x compass diagram, 1x
compass needle, 1x compass case, 1x broken chain, 4x ilmenite ore, 1x
left eye, 1x right eye, 1x gemstone setting, 1x silver chain loop)
* The star chart of Elenina (1x of each of the star chart segments)
* A snowglobe of Spinesreach (5x model Spires of Spinesreach)
* A racial Idol (1x golden head, 1x golden torso, 1x golden arms, 1x
golden legs)
* A racial Idol (1x golden head, 1x golden torso, 1x golden arms, 1x
golden legs)
* 50 credits
* 100,000 gold
* 5x chalices of enigmatic elixir
* 3x chalices of enigmatic elixir
* 10x grimstim pills
* 10x phoenix hearts
* 10x bull's eyes
* 10x assorted pieces of chocolate

Furthermore, I would happly accept assistance in judging entries for the
competition. Those of you who would be willing to assist me in this
should just send me a message.

Let this be an exciting prelude for the year 400 celebrations!

Penned by my hand on the 2nd of Haernos, in the year 394 MA.