Contest July-August Short Story Contest (September 4th)

Discussion in 'Fluff and Stories' started by Scalenex, Aug 14, 2025.

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Which story did you like best? (you only get ONE vote!)

This poll will close on Sep 4, 2025 at 7:06 AM.

  1. Story One: "Administer"

  2. Story Two: "Food for Thought"

  3. Story Three: "The Quest!"

  4. Story Four: "Oaxtep"

Results are only viewable after voting.
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  1. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    [​IMG]

    It's a Xanatos Gambit. No matter what you do, I win. There are situations where we both win. And there are degrees of winning.

    If you enter a short story in the contest and you end up winning. I also win.

    If you enter a short story in the contest and don't win. I still win.

    Your Chaos Dwarf obsession is currently driving engagement on the short story contest. Which is a form of me winning.

    Anyway, I'll try to get my reviews up soon(ish)
     
    Scalenex, Aug 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
    #61
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  2. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

    NIGHTBRINGER Second Spawning

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    Hmmmm... well, this is one of the rare times where I find myself in agreement with you. You have correctly read the battlefield. I cannot refute your observation.


    Let's break it down:

    Scenario #1 - I enter the contest and my entry manages to win
    • Scalenex [Victory] ⟹ you broke me and got me to join an SS contest! Increased SS engagement
    • NIGHTBRINGER [Victory] ⟹ you broke my resolve to abstain from the contest, but I won and go on a Chaos Dwarf self-congratulating tour ;)

    Scenario #2 - I enter the contest and my entry loses
    • Scalenex [MAJOR VICTORY] ⟹ your best case scenario! You got me to join an SS contest. Increased SS engagement. You get to enjoy watching me crash and burn. It's a good day to be Scalenex!
    • NIGHTBRINGER [MAJOR DEFEAT] ⟹ my worst case scenario. Everything from above... but against me.

    Scenario #3 - I do not submit a SS contest entry. No Chaos Dwarf story is submitted.
    • Scalenex [Neutral] ⟹ Status Quo. You have peace and quiet, not having to listen to me prattle on about Chaos Dwarfs, but SS engagement remains limited.
    • NIGHTBRINGER [Neutral] ⟹ I have no interest in the contest and go about my merry little way.

    Scenario #4 - I do not submit a SS contest entry. A Chaos Dwarf story is submitted, and it wins!
    • Scalenex [Minor Victory] ⟹ Increased SS engagement, but you must listen to my Chaos Dwarf proclamations.
    • NIGHTBRINGER [MAJOR VICTORY] ⟹ my best case scenario! Chaos Dwarfs are the greatest, let's celebrate. There is no escape from Chaos, it marks us all.

    Scenario #5 - I do not submit a SS contest entry. A Chaos Dwarf story is submitted, and it loses. (a rare but not an impossible event)
    • Scalenex [Victory] ⟹ Your second best scenario. SS engagement is increased. You are supplied with evidence to combat my promotion of the Chaos Dwarfs
    • NIGHTBRINGER [Defeat] ⟹ I hate to see my Chaos Dwarfs take an "L". Counter evidence has been built against my beloved Dawi-Zharr.



    Taken together, if we throw out the neutral result, from my perspective it is in my best interest not to submit an entry.
    • No NIGHTBRINGER submission = MAJOR VICTORY or Defeat
    • NIGHTBRINGER submission= Victory or MAJOR DEFEAT
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 28, 2025 at 12:08 AM
    #62
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  3. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    Yes.

    And you posting your lengthy analysis is a victory for me as well.

    My victory grows ever more complete.

    But your view on winning and losing a contest is a false binary. You could respectable second place or be in dead last place.

    Actually, my best case scenario would be your piece TIES with someone else and we have an exciting run-off election.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2025 at 7:23 AM
    Scalenex, Aug 28, 2025 at 6:55 AM
    #63
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  4. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

    NIGHTBRINGER Second Spawning

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    Now you are just being silly.

    For a Chaos Dwarf, anything other than winning is losing. Hashut does not reward second best. ;)

    Your best case scenario would be a tie with an exciting run-off election but my piece was not among those that tied and instead finished dead last. With zero votes, in a scenario where even myself and @Mrs. NIGHTBRINGER did not vote for my piece.
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 28, 2025 at 7:16 AM
    #64
  5. Killer Angel
    Slann

    Killer Angel Prophet of the Stars Staff Member

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    well, any constructive contribution to the thread is a victory for the competition and, by extension, for its curator
     
    Killer Angel, Aug 28, 2025 at 11:44 AM
    #65
  6. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

    NIGHTBRINGER Second Spawning

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    But was this constructive?

    It was just an analysis into the win/lose scenarios that each of us faces. The only thing it provides is one more reply to the thread. It isn't even about the stories.
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 28, 2025 at 11:45 PM
    #66
  7. J.Logan
    Troglodon

    J.Logan Well-Known Member

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    It amused me. That is constructive, yes-yes.
     
    J.Logan, Aug 28, 2025 at 11:53 PM
    #67
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  8. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    But is it constructive as it pertains to the entries of this iteration of the short story contest?
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
    #68
  9. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    I can sweeten the deal. It would be blatant favoritism, but if you enter a story and somehow win, I will double the prize money.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
    Scalenex, Aug 29, 2025 at 9:12 PM
    #69
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  10. J.Logan
    Troglodon

    J.Logan Well-Known Member

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    Wait, you mean I was supposed to get money when I won the previous contest!?

    Gosh dangit to heck, I've been sustaining myself on good feelings, when I could have been buying actual food with real moneys!
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
    J.Logan, Aug 29, 2025 at 9:16 PM
    #70
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  11. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    This got me thinking. I'm betting if there was a cash prize, a lot more people would be including Chaos Dwarfs in their stories!

    I thought you knew. Your winnings were donated to help fund the development of Scarterra.
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
    #71
  12. J.Logan
    Troglodon

    J.Logan Well-Known Member

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    :p Boo!

    I need to donate my winnings to my stomach and keeping it from being empty.
     
    J.Logan, Aug 29, 2025 at 11:59 PM
    #72
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  13. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    You'll have to take that up with upper management (@Scalenex ). :D
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 30, 2025 at 12:21 AM
    #73
  14. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    I only used my prize money from the contests I won for that.
     
    Scalenex, Aug 30, 2025 at 2:21 AM
    #74
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  15. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    Then we need to investigate potential corruption in the Lustria Online Short Story contest because @J.Logan claims to have never received any funds for his victory:

     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 30, 2025 at 3:12 AM
    #75
  16. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    All is quiet as the contest voting deadline approaches.


    [​IMG]
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 31, 2025 at 3:58 AM
    #76
  17. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    I'm looking forward to the author reveals.
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 31, 2025 at 6:45 AM
    #77
  18. Killer Angel
    Slann

    Killer Angel Prophet of the Stars Staff Member

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    The time has come for my "reviews".

    now, this bunch of stories can be divided into two groups:

    this basically is a classic narrative structure, that approaches the theme in a classic way and treats the "non-conformity" within the narrative arc.

    The first and the fourth entries, "Administer" and "Oaxtep" fall into this cathegory

    Administer is a solid little piece. Bureaucracy at its finest, where you need to adhere to the conformity of procedures, even if something wrong and "out of the norm" is clearly happening. Two wrongs don't make a right, so if something of non-conformity happens, but the one entitled to act does nothing about it... then no one should. Go back to our duty, citizen!

    Oaxtep is even more harsh about it... you are a cog in a supposedly working machine. We appreciate your love for your work and the fact that you would like to improve your efficiency, but a single cog that goes at twice its assigned speed it's not more efficient, it ruins the entire process.
    The Slann explains it clearly to out poor protagonist, showing that even the most important and vital cogs have to stay in the place determined by the Great Plan, or really bad things happen. it recalls me of 1984... i'm not killing you, you must see your wrongdoing and you must accept it and you must stick to conformity once again. Only then i will killl you.

    Both were really good pieces, but Oaxtep struck me more in the deep, and so i gave my vote to that story.


    this kind of stories fully embraces the "non-conformity" idea, and changes even the classic narrative structure, putting the readers outside the story.

    the second and the third pieces, "Food for Thought" and "The Quest" fall into this

    Food for thought is not a story at all... it shows the mental process of the author that begins to decide what kind of story he's going to write. We have a lot of "non conformity" here, the fact that this is not a story, and the core of the various weird ideas presented to the readers, which by themselves give hints of possible bizarre developments.
    IMO is a solid and unusual concept, but it is doomed from the start because, even if 100% into the theme, won't stand a confrontation against a story which is into the theme as well but it's a proper story, one the reader can identify with.
    And i was aware of this problem really well, 'cause i wrote this entry
    ;)

    The Quest is simply genius. It shatters the fourth wall in a very good way. It's IMO the most brilliant piece all around in this competition, with every details (even the ones that at the beginning sounded out of place) that fall into context.
    It's not perfect, as i find it to drag itself for too long, which in the end was the main reason i placed my vote somewhere else. But that's just personal tastes, i knew it was almost surely going to win, and so far I am proven right.
     
    Killer Angel, Aug 31, 2025 at 9:37 AM
    #78
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  19. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    [​IMG]

    !.gif
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 31, 2025 at 3:04 PM
    #79
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  20. NIGHTBRINGER
    Slann

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    Jokes aside (because I don't think @Killer Angel would take credit for another author's work, even as a joke/trick), why the departure from contest protocol? I thought author's were not supposed to reveal their identities while voting was still active. (not that I mind, I was eager to know)
     
    NIGHTBRINGER, Aug 31, 2025 at 7:02 PM
    #80
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