The Basics (Application Categories and Rules for Submission)

[Zevka]

Hello there, jacks and jills! I'm here to formally roll-out the starting prompt and basic information about Mossflower Odyssey IV: The Beasts in the Crater.

As with most contests, there will be nine categories, and you can submit applications for up to four of them. You will be playing the part of nine unlucky beasts, captured against their will and forced to fight as gladiators in an arena known simply as the Crater and ran by the lynx Nire Borean. Categories are as follows:

- The Healer.
- The Traveler.
- The Beast Who Makes Things.
- The Thief.
- The Silly Beast.
- The Beast Driven by Love.
- The Beast with the Gift of Gab.
- The Beast with a Secret.
- The Beast driven by revenge.
- New 10th Category! The Beast Who May or May Not Be Crazy.

Applications are open from now until 11:59 on Wednesday, 14 June. I know that may seem like a long time, but I'll be out of town for part of it and wanted to leave both you plenty of time to write apps and me plenty of time to read them. The best 3 in each category will make it to semi-finals, at which point audience members will get to vote on the final 9-beast cast. Email your application to me at leaveredwallalone (at symbol) gmail (dott) com. Word limit on applications is 750 words. Please specify category, species, age and gender in your email -- these don't count against word limit.

Do your best to stay anonymous. As a practical matter, I know perfectly well that many of us know each other's writing styles quite well and that people can and do figure out some of their fellow cast members. Please do try to follow the spirit of this rule as well as you can. If you know who someone is, that's one thing, but please don't go blabbing to other contestants just because you feel like it. Also, if you're new to the forum, please don't name your account after your application character. Your forum identity should remain separate from your characters.

Any species that has appeared in a past contest as a character or NPC is allowed. For newcomers, that would include: weasels, stoats, ferrets, pine martens, mice, rats, moles, vole, shrews, squirrels, otters, badgers, wolves, foxes, wolverines, numerous species of birds and lizards, and other Old World wildlife. Other Old World species might possibly be okay depending on how well you can justify it. Nothing from North or South America, though, please.

If there's anything I've forgotten, hit me up and I'll answer it as best I can. Otherwise, best of luck! You can read the teaser and prologue for more story information to set you on your way.

[Zevka]

Some people have been saying they would like a 10th category. I am about to be traveling, but thought I would go ahead and make one -- The Beast Who May or May Not Be Crazy.

[Zevka]

So, the Top 30 are finally up. You have until 9 July at Midnight, PST to give me your votes. Please only send me ONE email or PM containing your votes. Over the next week I will try to post a few of the runner up apps. If you do not want me to post your runner up app, let me know.

A final word -- I had persistent issues with the formatting of posts getting chewed up in transit. Please assume that any formatting weirdness may not Ben the author's fault.

[Airan]

Eyyyy. Thanks so much for getting these up for us, Zev. It's so far been a blast reading them and I really look forward to seeing what our top 10 looks like with a pool so strong.

[Tooley Bostay]

Just curious, will you be posting your reasons for not including the apps along with them? I'm sure the authors would like to know why they didn't quite make the cut.

Though that is a bit more work on your part, so you do you, man. =)

[Xorvath]

Am I the only one still only finding 28 Semi-Finalists? The categories of Silly Beast and the Beast Who Makes Things still only has 2 characters each, I've just been waiting to vote until I saw the last 2 unless I'm blind or something.

[Airan]

There are only two in those categories because they only received two submissions. So, it's just between those, Xorvath.