Persons of Vinterest

[Vin]

Youse right, youse right. Sorry Till.

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Brigand

Antonia St. Myra

Antonia, Antonia, Antonia.
What on earth am I gonna do with ya?
You went and killed that sonuva,
And for that, I can't really make fun o' ya,
But I do have to say
While I did shout hurray,
I'm not quite sure how I can vote fer ya.

It's funny because the first time I read this app I didn't like it very much. The second time I read it, I was like, oh. I get it.

I've noticed people talking about Antonia's convictions, and how she's bringing down the patriarchy etc, and praising her for what she's doing. Like, sure. But I don't think that's how we should view her character, because that's not the most compelling way to in my mind. She escaped (assuming escaped, because of her tattered and ragged appearence) a nunnery to seek justice for an action that wasn't committed committed against her, but one that she knows all about because it has happened to her in her past. She is angry because she relates to the struggle of the ferret.

But what is this crime? A ferretmaid who, when she defied her parents, was sent to the nunnery.  Sure, it's not a good thing at all.  But, in my opinion, it's hardly a crime worthy of death. Tell that to Antonia, though. She straight up merks this dude. No sympathy, no mercy. Sword to the throat. Boom. Ya dead. And that's why she's so interesting to me. She's zealous, but she's not righteous. She has every reason to be angry and no reason to kill.

There's a quote from The Expanse (which, by the way, is an excellent show) that springs to mind here. "Good men do bad things...and bad men do things believing it's for the good of mankind." I think we can apply that to Antonia. Which of the two she is, I'm not sure, but what I do know is this. She's done a bad thing. She thinks it's good. I find that really compelling.

My big issue with Antonia, though? To me, she doesn't fit the category at all. She seems more like a hunter than a brigand. Even duelist would have been a more accurate description of what she does in the app. The act of stopping a carriage does not a brigand make. I just don't see why she's in this category instead of one of the others. There are a couple other apps where I've been like, well, this kind of fits this other category better, but it still kind of fits at least. Antonia isn't a brigand at all in my mind. That's a big hit from me, to be honest. How can I vote a brigand in who isn't a brigand? It's going to be very, very hard to justify. That may seem harsh, but it would be harsh to the people who wrote actual brigands to vote in someone who isn't, no matter how much I like the app.

Kiri
This is a solidly done app. Kiri is a brigand, no doubt about it. There's nothing objectively wrong with it, other than maybe a nitpicky question or two. Why does she always stay low, for instance, when she's a bird? The scene itself is pretty well set up. Some good banter between her and her crew. A well executed plan.

Why this app falls flat for me compared to the other two is there's not a lot of subtlety to her character. She's a brigand, full stop. She's not a brigand and. Both of the other characters in this category are incredibly nuanced in a way that Kiri really is not. She's well done, yes. But I don't see anything more to her than her thieving ways.

Another thing that was a little weird for me is species choice. With the characterwe got, you could have replaced sparrow with rat or ferret or mouse or any species and the character would be exactly the same. If you're going to pick a non-traditional species, you have to justify it. Look at Chitterfang in Berserkers, Priideep in Guardians, or Old One in Hunters. All of these are non-traditional species, but their species is intrinsically tied to their character. If you changed their species, then all of a sudden their character doesn't work. They have to be the species they are. Kiri doesn't have to be a sparrow, and she doesn't act like a sparrow, so it doesn't make too much sense that she is a sparrow.

Smooths
This app is really simple. That is, in my opinion, its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. We really get to see the scene vividly, I think. There's some good descriptions in there: "In the distance the wind rustled through the trees and the faint gurgle of a stream rolled through the quiet night." He also can't seem to shut up. Even though his friend clearly can't respond, and even after he has (presumably) died, Smooths keeps talking and talking. We can only guess how he got the name Smooths, but I imagine it has something to do with talking his way into that trouble that he mentioned. There's also something to be said about his loyalty. He carries his friend through the dark night, and even when he knows his friend is dead, he promises to find him a place to rest. He's not a good guy, because he's a robber, but he's still kind of a good guy. It's a very subtle kind characterisation, which I rather enjoy.

At the same time, it just doesn't pack the same punch as a lot of the other apps across the spread. The most memorable thing about Smooths is his name, and I think other things should be memorable as well. I enjoyed the app, but I didn't connect with it as much as I would like in an app. Sure, it's sad that his friend died, but I didn't really get to know his friend. His friend kind of just...sat there. Quiet and dying. I just didn't get a big emotional reaction. 

The Standout
I'm gonna have to go with Smooths here. He's a more interesting and nuanced character than Kiri, and unlike Antonia he fits the category.

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Marksman

Flauros
Did he kill Cordy? Free him? Leave it all up to fate? I'm not sure. What I do know, whatever he intended to do, he did. He's a marksman, after all. I, personally, like that ambiguity. It means right away in the contest we're going to have learned something new— is he motivated by money, or by submission to fate? We don't know for sure yet, but we know it's one of those. So it's not like there is a lack of motivation.

There's a lot of exclamation point use here. This is just a personal pet peeve, so take it as you will, but you don't have to add an exclamation point for a character to yell, speak with passion, etc.; you can portray the same emotion through other ways that help vary the tone in your dialogue. With so many EP's, it just seems like everyone is yelling in a monotone.

Overall this is very interesting to me because of the focus on fate. We've got a contest with seers and witches...fate is a very very interesting thing to think about in that contest.

Siler
"Breathe easy in Hellgates, then." Damn, dude, ok. Judge, jury, and executioner over here. I don't think his wife meant KILL the dude. This is The Punisher or Taken or The Equalizer in Redwall-verse, isn't it? Judge Dredd? I've never seen/read anything Judge Dredd related, but isn't that his vibe too? It's like if you let Antonia run free for a few years and she becomes even more jaded and cynical. Siler is what you get. And that's what's interesting to me. He's a bad dude in a bad world doing bad things to bad people.

The main thing holding this back is that Siler doesn't quite have the charisma of a Denzel or...whoever the guy from the Walking Dead is. He just seems like a bad, bad dude. Give him something, anything, that will let me feel any emotion toward his character other than dislike. Maybe a question you could ask is what happens when he is faced by something objectively good and pure?

Now a note for the voters: remember that not every character you vote in has to be likeable. You need a mix of good and bad creatures for that natural give and take, push and pull, etc.; It's how you create conflict. Siler is a good example of a bad guy character who isn't likeable at all...but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be in the contest.

Unga Underbite
Poor Unga. She just wants to be a not terrible person and to help other people be not terrible, too. Someone mentioned she felt older than her given age, and I agree. This is the kind of character I would expect to be at least in their late 30s if not older— 40 to 50 is the vibe I got from the app. I'm not marking any points down for that, though. Just a note.

My favorite part about this app is that we don't see Unga use her marksman skills. In fact, she deliberately chooses not to use them. Even though she could kill him, she doesn't because deep down, it seems that she really cares for this kid, and maybe even views him as family. Think about it. The motherly views, wanting to keep him on the not quite straight and narrow (the slightly-curved and tapering?), complaining her tribe would never have treated her this way. She clearly places a lot of value in family but doesn't have one, which is really sad. I feel bad for her, and want to see her find a family.

The Standout:
There's always something compelling to me about a character who has a skill and chooses not to use it. I always thought there was something powerful or even profound about that. What it means coming from Unga, I'm not sure. But I am sure it drew me in. Also, I like alliterative names, even if they're a bit silly sometimes.

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Schemer

Elsabeth van Riften
I like Elsabeth in spite of the fact that, or maybe because, she isn't a warrior. Of all the spread, she's the character that would seem the most out of place fighting against an army of evil dudes. That's actually a pretty big risk when you think about it. I think it makes her character all the more interesting. She's a classic schemer, stealing money and crooking books. How is she going to help fight a battle? I'm really intrigued by this question.

I just don't find her motivation as compelling or clear as some other applications. Is she motivated by her desire to stay rich? By a fear of disappointing her family? Simple pride? There are shades of each of these in the apps, but it's not clear which of these is really driving her. I think looking forward the author needs to lock in on one motivation to show us what really drives her, or figure out how to mix all of these together in a way that presents us with a clear view of who Elsabeth is. Right now it's not quiiite there for me.

Lucan
You know what this app reminded me of? The scene in the Princess Bride where Fezzik, Inigo and Wesley attack the castle. It takes more than brawn to win a fight. It takes brains as well. I like this app a lot because it really leans into that. Lucan isn't big or strong, but he's clever, and he's able to come up with unorthodox ways to solve problems that could be super interesting to see in a setting like the Nest.

What I would caution the author of is leaning too hard into the, I want to leave Redwall and prove myself as a great warrior storyline. This might sound strange, because it's the basis of his character. And it's not necessarily a bad premise by any means, it's just that we've seen it so often before. How many Redwall books were based on that exact premise? I don't want to read another Redwall or Salamandastron, because we already have those books. I want to see how Lucan is different from your Matthiases and Samkins and Tirias.

Also...the first time I read this app I thought he straight up blew his friend up or set them on fire? If that's what actually happened...explore that. It could be very interesting.

Merrill
The first time I read this app, I was confused. I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Further rereads made everything more clear, but it's still a bit confusing. There's gold? And all of a sudden we're with a camp of villagers? What's going on? Killian knows that the "witch" only uses tricks, but still refers to them as spells?  I think the pacing is just sliiightly off and that's what makes this a tough read initially. Maybe that was just me. I did read this first at 3 or 4 in the morning, after all.

I think it's an interesting look at small-mindedness and superstition and how it affects innocent people. I may be wrong, but I believe the implication is that the "accident" that Merrill and Killian speak of is incredibly important— I think to why her mate (presumably) died. Even though she lost something too, she is exiled and vilified for the simpe reason the villagers don't understand her or her "spellcraft".

The Standout
Lucan. I think he brings a measure of inventiveness and street-smarts to the spread that isn't there without him, and I think that bit of diversity to the traditional big bad bruisers and highly skilled fighters that make up the majority of the warrior-types in the spread could lead to some interesting storylines in the contest

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Berserker
This category is just strong. Every app in here is fantastic. This is tough.

Chitterfang the Wrigglekin

Honestly, this app hits on every level for me. I love it. I love the idea of this mystical, powerful being who just...doesn't really realize the implications of her power. She knows that it's dangerous, but the fact that she doesn't immediately react to the Wrigglekin title shows that maybe it's not something she considers part of her. Or maybe she blocks that part out? Her insistence that Brennan run means she knows how bad it is. She knows what might happen.

And then when she goes full Wrigglekin? It's so weird but interesting. How and why does she have this power? We don't know and she doesn't either. This is a character who is at a loss for what their identity is, and is trying to find it. Trying to find "home". To me, that's incredibly compelling as a motivation and the fact that the app is so well done just puts this high, high on my list.

Elias Heatherpaw
It's honestly kind of annoying how good this category is. I'm struggling to find anything to critique here. Elias is another really strong showing. His character may not be as inventive— beasts driven by an overwhelming desire for revenge aren't exactly far and few between— but it's done really, really well here. I feel like what really shines through with this app is how well we understand exactly what Elias' wife meant to him and how far he's willing to go to get revenge. A hare, defy a badger lord? That in of itself speaks volumes about his drive. The moment where he starts to hear his wife's voice saying, remember...remember...remember......so good.

I wonder if his wife's voice is really her, or just something he imagines her saying that reflects his own emotions. Could be an interesting thing for the author to think about and explore.

Ilka
Another banger of an app. I like that we aren't shown Ilka in her berserk phase like the other apps. What is she like when "the red haze" isn't dominating her? Nihilistic and jaded, it seems. I love the interplay between Brother Wulter and herself, and I know the subject of Religion in Redwall isn't for everyone but to me those little tidbits about this system of "the Light" are fascinating. My favorite line: "Instead, his ears tipped back a degree, almost as if he meant to pray to the great Nothing Ilka knew to be out there." I think this shows exactly where Ilka is at. I want to see how her berserker tendencies created this mindset. And then the uncertainty at the end— does she want to be "saved"? Is she just being sardonic? I don't think even Ilka knows the answer to that.

Also, shoutout to the author for incorporating the prologue into their app without making it seem too much like they're saying, "oh look at me I read the prologue wouldn't I be a great fit ;)". It's a very natural tie in for the scene and for the character.

The Standout
Chitterfang. This isn't just an excellent app, because all the apps are excellent in this category, but it's inventive and a huge risk as well.

On that note, I do want to say something real quick. I'm a bit worried for this app, and also for a couple other apps that maybe aren't as traditional and make some gambles. It's not that I'm worried people won't vote for it, because maybe these apps just aren't your scene and you'd rather see the other characters in the contest. And that's totally cool. What I'm worried by is people going, "Oh, this is a really good app, and I really like it...but it isn't clear to me how this character will fit into the story or in with the cast." and immediately writing that character off. I think if the author took a risk, they are likely prepared for what's ahead and have a plan. I bring to the table the example of Saveaux. For those of you not familiar with Saveaux, he was a newt in Midnight Mossflower who— and this may sound familiar— couldn't speak. It couldn't have been clear how he was going to interact with the audience and the larger story, but he made it in and I think he's one of the standout characters from that cast.

I'm not saying you need to vote for these apps. I might not even vote for Chitterfang, because every single one of these apps is excellent and has reasons they deserve a vote. I'm just saying don't write them off, because the authors clearly trust themselves and so does the admin, or they wouldn't be here at all. Really consider them as characters and whether or not they speak to you and if you want to see more of them, independent of whether or not you think they fit. Because they will fit. Don't trust me on that. Trust the authors.

[Airan]

I'm not saying you need to vote for these apps. I might not even vote for Chitterfang, because every single one of these apps is excellent and has reasons they deserve a vote. I'm just saying don't write them off, because the authors clearly trust themselves and so does the admin, or they wouldn't be here at all.

Seriously, guys. I cannot emphasize this point Vin made here enough. There has been a lot of talk about certain characters not fitting in with the others or that a character doesn't fit X category- whether on the forum or on Discord. This is something that always seems to happen in nearly every contest. Weird, conceptual characters, or characters with some category overlap always get this criticism and it's just frankly wrong. To clarify on each point- 'The character does not fit the story' is a very common complaint that characters get, which my response to is- You don't know the story. No one knows the story. And the only one who knows the more finer details like possible twists, themes, and character motivations is myself. Saying a character does not fit the story, is wrong, because if I felt that they didn't, then I would have already cut them from the running. Every character currently in the running for a Top 10 slot, is a character that I believe can succeed within the narrative and has the possibility of winning the entire thing. If I did not feel a character would work well or not succeed, they would have not even made the Top 30.

The same is true for category placement. If I didn't feel a character fit their category, then they would have been scored to fit this mistake- and some who got cut WERE. The characters are all warriors so there is bound to be some overlap in their skillsets- but I even said in my Judging Criteria thread, that just because your character has a duel, does not mean they are a Duelist.

Point here is the same as Vin's, trust the writer to deliver. That is the entire challenge of these contests. To pitch your character, and then write an entire story with them, interacting with characters that are not of your own creation. If you don't like the pitch, then don't vote them in, but don't do it because you don't think they would work in the narrative. 'Cause trust me when I say this- They do. So, trust me, and trust them.

That is all, carry on.

[Sycamore]

Also, it's just ... kinda lazy? "I'm not going to vote for So and So because they don't fit the category" is a real cop out. We're looking at character concepts here, not job applications.

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Hunter

Whew. WHEW. What a category. Y'all wildin' out here in the hunters, yo.

Ashtad
There's this thing that writers better and more experienced than you tell say that you should do when you write. That thing is to shatter the audience's expectations. Upend the norm. In essense, subvert, subvert, subvert. Ashtad does this excellently. I think there are a couple things that we as Redwall fans think of when we think snake. I don't think any of those things is...philosophy. Just based on that alone, he's compelling. Why isn't he like other snakes? Where did he learn to read? How does he flip the pages??? All of these are questions that I want— no, need— answered. Pair this with compelling character with a tremendously written application and you get money. MONEY. You've struck gold, my friend.

One thing I really like about this app is the NPC. He's not just a throwaway character that the author is just using to highlight some aspect of the MC. He feels like a real character. He's not an NPC that Ashtad is really tied to. The snake doesn't have to bring him to the contest proper, like a couple other characters have to with their NPCs. But the author is still able to use him without abusing him. There's a writing principle— well, there might or might not be; I just like to throw around concepts that I invented and pretend they mean something— called Populating Your World. You can't just throw stock characters into your writing and expect it to feel like a real world or even real story. You have to make sure that every single character, even the smallest one, exists as an entity in its own right, and that that is self evident through even the smallest and most insignificant moment. The dormouse is an excellent example of Populating Your World well.

Kew-Kew
Oh, Kew-Kew. You are the best bird. The very best bird.

Talk about a fun app. Every single note of it hits just right. The pacing, the character, the humor. It's just...fun. And the most impressive part about that word to me— fun— is that it didn't sacrifice anything to be fun. A lot of "fun" apps you see tend to ignore important things like character and motivation. We aren't missing any of that when we read Kew-Kew. It's very clear who he is, why he does he does, and why that's important. I don't think that, in a technical sense, this app competes with the other two apps in the category; the writing isn't quite as sophisticated. But that's the beauty of this app. It doesn't have to be complicated or lofty to be profound or complex. Take this line, which I think is the best line of any line from any app in the entire competition, cut apps included: "He waited all of three seconds, his eyes wide in wonder, as if seeking the answer, before licking the mouse across the face." It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. And it still shows so much about the character. Kew Kew isn't just compelling because oh look he's a wearet who thinks he's a hunter weird but because he's someone who is so boldly and bravely assured in his sense of self-identity that we know is just absolutely wrong. And I love that. Well done, Kew-Kew. Well done.

Old One
Another day, another wild entry to the Hunter category. Literally. Wild. The entire premise of, well, Redwall is animals but civilised, and then this dude comes down from the North and is just like...yeah. I'm gonna hunt you and eat you. What're you gonna do about it? And, if the fate of the poor rat(?) in his app is anything to go by, what you're gonna do about it is not very much at all. What I love about this app is just the entire idea behind it. There's this whole world and way of life that is being alluded to in this app that is completely new and completely unique. From the old songs to the Great Horned Ones, there's this sense of mythology to everything that happens. Other apps are trying to fit in to the world of Redwall as we know, while this one is trying to create its own little corner in that world that we've never seen before. The character, I think, is fascinating as well. You have this dichotomy between the all-powerful predator and the aging, aching lover of song. There's something almost noble about him in his wildness.

The Standout
In a category with three standouts...it's really just personal preference, isn't it? Like for me, if any of these three came up in the wildcard category against any combination of characters, I'd vote them in bar one or two exceptions. I think I'm most intrigued by the Old One. I want to hear more about his world up there in the north and see how a creature who is both deaf and feral interacts in a complex way with other beasts.

[Vin]

First Impressions: The Wildcard

Rynn
Do matches exist in Redwall? I'm not sre, but it's not enough of an anachronism to really bother me. Just a small thought. Anyway.

Ah, yes. The familiar feeling of wanting to tear apart everything around you in rage. I'm sure we've all felt it at some point. I'd wager the author has, at least, because this is a totally realistic portrayal of that emotion, in my mind. It's not a subtle portrayal of anger, and that's good. Rage isn't a subtle emotion. It's loud and angry and house-shaking. Every moment of this I was like, yeah. I've felt that.

The one thing I'm not totally sure about is her motivations. She mentions wanting to be nice, but I feel like that's not enough to explain her constant yo-yo between wandering and coming back. What is that something driving her away? That something bringing her back? We don't really know, we just know it exists. If you make it in, make sure you give Rynn motivation beyond, "heaven forbid I'm nice to people!". Especially because, as we see in the app, she's not always particularly nice.

Seamus
Bise, is that you???

Oh, Seamus. Drugs aren't the answer, bud. This app is really solid. Tight writing, pretty fun character. It's got an air of...almost irony to its tone? Seamus, despite being in a similar situation to Bise, reacts in a very different way. He doesn't seem to long for freedom so much as release/escape. He has this almost resignation to him that creates that ironic tone. Also, I'm not going to go on about NPCs and Populating Your World again, but the Imp is another example of this done very well.

My issue with Seamus is that, excellent writing aside, I'm just not too compelled by him. I can't exactly place why, but after I read the app I was like, "Ok. This is good." but I didn't have any questions that I wanted answered or plots I wanted to see fulfilled. I know he likes books, and "opiates of pleasure" but beyond that...I'm just not completely sold.

Zandir
The beginning of this was a bit confusing. It seems like he's there to free slaves from their captors, but it also seems like the slavers are waiting for him and set up an ambush of sorts, so it feels like a hit? Those ideas kind of conflict. Is Zandir the one who wantss to kill them or are they the ones who want to kill him, initially?

Where the first half felt a little rote, with a simple action scene, the second half was much more interesting. We get these glimpses into Zandir's religion/culture that are very intriguing. What is the Burden? Who are the Chosen? Why are they Chosen? These are all questions I want answered, their exisstence means we'll have a clear motivation for Zandir going forward. Also, how will a beast of religion interact with a mystical place such as the Nest?

The Standout
Zandir. I don't think the app is the best example of strong technical writing in the category, but it's definitely the most compelling.

[Vin]

Ok, so, obviously it's the last day. I don't have a lot of time, which means that I'm unfortunately going to have to skip Part 2 of these reviews. I would've liked to have had them out, but life is life and things just didn't quite work out. That means we're going straight to the final step. Basically, I'll be writing a quick reflection on the category as a whole, with a few notes for each character, and then locking in my votes. Yes, the votes I put down here are final. As soon as I finish this I'll be PMing Airan.

[Vin]

Bihto
Oh, Bihto, I almost forgot about you. I'm sorry dude. Bihto's not exactly a new character. Doesn't really fit in, feels his true calling is doing something his family doesn't really approve of. He reminds me of Lucan a bit, actually. But I'm a sucker for a pugilist. Pugilists don't get enough love in these contests, despite pugilism being such a big part of the novels themselves. Think about all those characters you know and love who box. King Bucko. Dotti. Wild Doogy Plum. The hare guy Wild Doogy Plum fought. As I write this I realize maybe you don't love these characters. I didn't really like any of them all that much. But what I did like was the boxing. I think it's a fun part of the Redwall universe that gets ignored by people a lot. Although I'm not that sure if Bihto technically qualifies as a pugilist because he uses his beak...but like...it's as close as we've ever got, right? Brownie points aside, what I really like about this app that I didn't get so much from the other two is motivation. Bihto has the simplest motivation of anyone in the cast. He just wants to fight. That's it, clear and simple. He's not that complex, but we understand him, and we understood him from the very beginning. I like that.

[Sycamore]

I know he likes books, and "opiates of pleasure" but beyond that...I'm just not completely sold.

I don't think Seamus likes opiates of pleasure. I think they scare him. Check out this line:

Smelling salts; of course. No more offensive than a poultice. His books would have told him as much...

The line "No more offensive than a poultice shows me he's trying to rationalize that they aren't that dangerous. And then he reassures himself with the next line: "His books would have told him as much."

I say this because I've seen a few conclusions state that Seamus likes the white powder, but I disagree. I think he's actually afraid of it. But that's just the way I read it, and I did read it, haha.

[Vin]

I actually didn't think that the white powder was the same as the opiates. They seemed two different things, like the white powder reminded him of the opiates, but weren't actually them.

[Vin]

Final Impressions

The Duelist
This category was tough for me. I seriously considered each and every character here. At first, I was leaning toward Fiyero. He's loud, he's fun, he seems like a classic Redwall character in many ways, but he has that added complexity of maybe being a little bit of a psychopath? Maybe I read too much into his goading, I don't know. But I think a lot of people slept on Elliot. A lot of the conversation about him that I saw was about what the app was missing, but not about what the app had. We know he can duel, obviously. A really well choreographed fight. But also he's an interesting character. Sure, it felt like his app threw in the majority of his characterization at the end but that character it presents, this guy who is old and losing his skills, is one that none of the other apps has...except maybe Old One, but I'm not sure you can count them as one and the same. The entry of Bihto into the category really flipped it on its head for me. At the end of the day...I'm a sucker for a prize fighter, and Bihto fits the...bill. Hah. Just a little bird joke for y'all.

The Vote: Bihto Snowridge

The Berserker
This is one of my favorite categories, and I don't think you can go wrong with any of these characters. In Elias, you have a classic trope done just so, so well. In about 600 words the author has managed to tell a story that is so much larger. In Ilka, we have this character where...the berserkerness is kind of taken for granted? Like she's a killer. We all know that. Nobody cares about that. The important part is the question of belief, which will be super interesting in the Nest, and the question of what the right path is. This is a character questioning their own worldview. But Chitterfang, man. I find everything about that app so fascinating, from the bug power to the contrast of this small and frankly quite vacuous animal having this awesome deadly power, to the amnesia and motivation.

The Vote: Chitterfang the Wrigglekin

The Schemer
In this category, you have one schemer, one person who schemes, and one trickster (which I would say is like a subset of schemers). The schemer is Elsabeth. Everything about her is that classic schemer vibe. She steals from her bosses, and when she gets caught she immediately tries to pay them off. For me, though, this is a contest about 10 beasts facing a whole army. I like Elsabeth, but I don't see how her talent for "balancing" books will be as interesting for me, personally, as Lucan or Merrill's talents when it comes down to the nitty gritty. The person who schemes is Merrill. She sets up this whole elaborate thing, but the reason I don't call her a schemer isn't in a, oh, she doesn't fit the category kind of way. It's in a, her most important facet is not her schemes kind of way. She has an emotional backstory with a bit of heft to it. That's something the other two lack. Lucan, though, gives off a very, very Redwall feel. This is a Redwall Survivor Contest. He gets bonus points from me for feeling like he stepped right out of the books. On top of that, he has a clear motivation, a clear skillset, I have ideas of things we might see from him in the contest that would be pretty cool.

The Vote: Lucan

The Seafarer
This was probably the most straightforward vote for me. I think every app in this category is excellent, excellent. Bise and Novak really portray their characters well and it's burgeoned by fantastic writing. Their only downfall is they came up against Dawl, which was honestly a very personal app for me and a story I understand and connect with. I wasn't ever not going to vote Dawl, but the authors of Bise and Novak should not in any way view that as a slight against them.

The Vote: Dawl Dredgemast

The Hunter
If there's one category where you can assuredly say there are no wrong choices, this is the category. I've waxed poetic about each of these apps at various points. If it were up to me, they'd all make it in. I would be willing to sacrifice pretty much any other category to see all three of them in the same contest. But that's not how this game works, and we're gonna lose some people who really, really deserve to be in the contest along the way. That's just the harsh reality. For me, Old One is the most intriguing concept, and like Aldridge said in Foxpenmanship: high risk, high reward.

The Vote: Old One

The Guardian
I like Priideep. I like Priideep's app. I'm just more interested in seeing a story about her in her environment than I am in a story about her in the Nest. I want to learn more about the slidge and the intricacies of frog culture, but I feel like that will inevitably take a backseat to whatever happens in the contest. I like Sheercrest a lot. I think the idea of a beast trying to atone for their sins is very, very interesting. But it's tough because I think Shahin brings something unique to the contest in that he's not this broody, moralizing type, which I think we're going to get a lot of this contest. He's also not a very good guy, and I'm a sucker for positive growth. I didn't agree with every choice that the author made, least of all Eti's charaterization, but I see an opportunity for an excellent character here. If you do get in, Shahin, I would implore you to do one of two things: drop Eti, or make her an actual character.

The Vote: Shahin

The Marksmen
This is a tough one. Siler is a villain through and through, and that's something that none of the other apps bring to the table. Flauros brings these very interesting questions of fate into the contest that could really mesh well with themes of the contest. I just find the idea of a marksman who isn't quick to pull the trigger so, so fascinating. That's why I like Unga. She knows she can kick ####. She doesn't need to prove it.

The Vote: Unga Underbite

The Brigand
I'd like to start this one off by saying WHOOPS. I know I was adamant I'd never be convinced that Antonia was a brigand but I'd rather look like a fool than a clown, y'know? I reread it multiple times and noticed all those details I'd been missing.
Funnily enough, this didn't make my choice harder, but actually a lot easier. Smooths and Kiri are good apps, but Antonia as a character really stands out. There's something about her that just draws me in. One thing I will say. I know there's been different readings and understandings of the character so far, which makes sense. But I think for the contest proper, while I understand and even sympathize with the "Down With The Patriarchy" reading that other people have had of her, that motivation is going to fall a little flat. We won't be fighting the patriarchy, we'll be fighting a giant, suneating seer. Unless you can find a way to make that translate— anything's possible— consider making her a bit more complex if the DWP reading is what you had originally intended. I'm not saying you have to go with MY reading, just add any kind of complexity to her motivation.

The Vote: Antonia St. Myra

The Assassin
This one came down to two apps for me. Robin was fun, but she wasn't as well written as Brother Hawthorn and she didn't have a clear motivation like Siobhan. Originally, I was really high on Siobhan. I thought her motivation was clear, understandable, she's got a good story to flesh out. And that's not to say I am no longer high on her. I still love the app. It's just that rereading Brother Hawthorn's app...there's a lot of nuances and subtelties to the writing you miss the first time around. For example, the probability that this town is at war, and the hedgehog is a spy. I didn't notice that at first, but as soon as I did...all of a sudden his motivation changes completely. The meaning of that ache in his chest changes completely. I don't think I missed those things beause they weren't evident, but because I went into this app with no context. If we have that context, every little subtle thing suddenly means something.

The Vote: Brother Hawthorn

The Wildcard
Another fairly straightforward vote for me. Seamus and Rynn are good. I like them both and think they're stellar efforts and wouldn't be mad to see either of them in the contest. But at the end of the day, Zandir's religion and culture were extremely interesting to me. I want to see more. Simple as that.

The Vote: Zandir Firesage