December RP Writing Competition

[studentloandebt]

Returning to a competition we once did, we're once again having another writing competition.

Members of the DSA can submit a piece of RP writing to the competition. Once the time frame is over, there will be a regional vote as to who wrote the best piece.
The topic for this competition will simply be "End of Year Experiences". It may have whatever themes and events you'd like as they relate to the end of the year.

• You can only give one (1) submission to this competition
  
• It has to be set in the DSA universe
• It has to be In-Character, like an actual story. This isn't Out of Character worldbuilding, but a story set in-universe.
• It must be a new piece of writing. You may not submit a piece of writing you have written before (that's just cheating)  
• Your RP piece does not have to be canon. You could either write a piece you can continue to use in your usual RP or it can be an entirely separate RP just for this competition. 
• Keep it SFW. If it has triggering topics, please prelude it with a list of which topics you chose to cover.
• You must link to it on this official Forum Thread. You can either post it directly there or link to it on there from some other source (NationStates Dispatch and Google Doc are the most preferred due to accessibility).
• Try and keep it not too long so as not to intimidate people from reading it

This will be open until December 22nd, which will be followed by a vote that will conclude on December 25th.
The winner, if they wish to receive a prize, will received one of three (3) prizes of their choice: a month of Discord Nitro, 2 months of Discord Nitro Classic, or $10 on Steam (all are equal in price value).


If you are confused on anything listed here, contact myself and I can help.

[torshavn]

In the capital of Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands - (islands of Southwest of Kaznaty) the first Rocket is going to (DSA) moon! the count will start in 1 minute. The Cosmonauts are ready! and the count starts "TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO!" The rocket flyes away - The Rocket is going into space, and the TKASA is very happy about that, The Cosmonauts are going to the moon very fast! they must slow down! they are telling it to the Cosmonauts, so its everything back in control - the (DSA) Moon is only 20 kilometres away, but they can't do something wrong!

After 20 minutes they are Landing! the group of Cosmonauts just Landed! TKASA is Celebrating! very great Future is coming for Tórshavnia!!!!!!

[Kanoshu]

The Tale of the Three Kings and the Panlong

(The following is an old folktale from Kanoshu, its origin is a mystery, though it is often told around the time of the new year.)


Long ago, in ages past, before the land between sea and mountain was named, there existed three kings who warred with one another endlessly for the right to rule over the lands of men.

In those ancient times, a single year would last for what we would now call a century. Summer would last decades, and during this time the crops would flourish, and the people would live well. But to balance this, the winter years would be dark and cruel. In those days the people were not as they are now, they wore scales of blue and green instead of skin, and their eyes were serpentine and glowing. Like the lizards of today, when the long winter came, the people would retreat to great caves beneath the earth to slumber, until the bitter cold had passed.


As the year drew to a close, and the first frost began to fall, the three kings did come together under the flag of truce to discuss their situation and how they might move forward into the next year. Each king’s heart was full of greed and deceit, and each worried that the other would sneak into their sleeping cave and slit their throat as they slept during the long winter. So the three kings decided that they would settle who among them would be ruler once and for all, so that they may sleep without paranoia, and the people would awaken in spring to be ruled by a single king and prosper in peace.


The three could not decide amongst themselves who alone should rule, and so it was decided that the three would trek together to the top of the tallest mountain that reached up into the clouds. For atop this mountain lived a great and wise Panlong, and each king in their vanity believed the beast, in its infinite wisdom, would choose them alone to rule.


The path to the cave amongst the clouds, where the mighty creature made its home, was long and full of danger, so the three kings enlisted the aid of a druid who had spent his life living in solitude amongst the peaks to act as their guide. After many weeks of travel, and failed attempts to betray one another, the party did arrive at the mouth of a great cave.


In those days before time, when the world was still young and the energies of creation ran through the earth, the Panlongs were truly colossal beasts that towered over even the mightiest structures of man. In those days, they could soar amongst the clouds even without wings, and their breath was a green flame that made flower and plant alike bloom in its wake. The earth trembled and rock bounced as the great creature made its way to the mouth of the cave to greet its visitors. Being a creature of magic, not flesh and blood, when the Panlong spoke its voice echoed in the air around them, seemingly from every direction at once, and some directions beyond description nor imagination.


‘For what purpose is my slumber disturbed?’ the mighty dragon asked, its voice was filled with mirth not rage, but no less terrifying for it.


The kings’ guide dropped to his knees before the beast, and his head touched the ground in respect. The three kings, believing themselves above such piety, merely bowed lightly, careful not to bend lower than any other – lest it be seen as weakness.


The first of the kings stepped forward and spoke, ‘Oh mighty creature, your wisdom is known far and wide! We seek your counsel, to determine which of us is fittest to rule the lands of men below!’


The ruby eyes of the creature regarded each of the three in turn, before replying. ‘Tell me, why it is that each of you can claim rulership over the lands of men?’


The first puffed their chest out proudly and exclaimed, ‘My armies are the largest and most well equipped in all the lands. By the virtue of might I claim my title!’ The king spoke truly, for indeed his armies were capable of vanquishing any foe, and it was only by virtue of the other two uniting against him from time to time, that he had thus far not conquered the land.


The second stepped forward and vainly proclaimed, ‘My treasury is the envy of the world! Gold and gems from every continent fill my castle walls. By the virtue of wealth I claim my title!’ Again, the words were true, for the vaults of the king were filled to the ceilings with treasures never seen before or since.


The third then stepped forward and arrogantly proclaimed, ‘My knowledge is beyond what the others can comprehend! There is no phenomenon, natural or magical, I cannot explain! By virtue of wisdom I claim my title!’ The words were as truthful as those that came before, for the king’s library was filled with tomes from every corner of the earth, and he had been tutored by the greatest minds of the age.


The Panlong considered their words, stroking its chin with a razor talon. ‘I will test each of you in turn’ he spoke, his voice like thunder, ‘through these tests I shall see who among you is most worthy of rulership.’


The three kings nodded in agreement, each sure beyond doubt that they alone would succeed. Their guide simply watched in silence, for he was familiar with the dragons and knew their tests were not to be embarked upon lightly.


Three great orbs appeared before the beast, growing in size, and shining with the energies of creation. ‘I will create three worlds inside these orbs, similar to your own, though much smaller and finite in size. Each of you will rule over a world of your own, and from this I will see who is best suited to rule the one that lies beneath us.’

The three eagerly agreed, and their guide watched as one by one the kings disappeared into an orb. True to the dragon’s word, each found themselves in a castle that mirrored their own back home, surrounded by a kingdom, enclosed within a sphere of glass.


The first king was quick to muster their armies from the barracks and marched out across the new world, displaying his might, and causing man and beast alike to bow before him in terror, proclaiming him their sovereign for eternity on pain of death. Satisfied, the king returned to his castle, certain of his victory in the trial. Weeks became months and the king was content, any threat against his rule was soon put to the sword and vanquished. One day however a great plague did come to the kingdom. One by one the beasts and peasants alike fell before it, and not even his greatest warriors could stand against it – for how does one slay a pestilence?


At last only the king stood alone in the world, all others having fell, and it was then the Panlong appeared before him. ‘Foolish creature’ it spoke with fury. The Panlong exhaled from its nostrils and the king was blown away, his body becoming dust.


The second king, also finding himself in a kingdom within a glass sphere, was quick to use his reserves of gold and silver to buy every luxury from across this new land and adorn his palace with them. The people bowed in awe before his opulence, and great statues of purest gold, beset with diamonds, celebrated his rule in every village square. But then a great and bitter cold did come to the kingdom, and the king learned that one cannot burn gems nor gold to keep one's home warm, nor consume them when hunger struck. An angry and starving mob did gather at his gates and no amount of bribery could persuade them to leave, for they did not seek riches but bread. The castle guards, themselves starving, no longer accepted their wages as adequate motivation to keep their starving brethren out, and opened the gate, descending along with the people upon the king's stores of fine wine and food.


As the mob was about to break down his chamber doors and devour the king himself, the Panlong appeared before him. ‘Foolish king!’ The Panlong stamped its feet, and the king was turned to solid diamond, which then shattered upon the floor.


The third king, finding himself in the same situation as his predecessors, set about to travel his new kingdom. He found the new world's natural functions and society followed the same rules and logic as in his own and was pleased. He impressed the inhabitants by predicting the motion of the moon and stars and gathered all the greatest philosophers and thinkers in his halls. There was no question he could not answer, no phenomenon he could not explain, and the people looked to him as an all-knowing ruler. But then, a great and dreadful famine did ravage the land. The people came to their leader for help, and he explained in detail the natural events and causes that had led to such a disaster. Though, having lived a sheltered and luxurious life, he could offer no practical aid beyond explanation. As the kingdom wilted and faded around them, the Panlong appeared in his hall.


‘Foolish ruler!’ it bellowed. Before the king could protest, the dragon bent down and consumed him in a single movement.


Back in the cave atop the world, the guide had watched the events take place one by one within the orbs, their events playing out in mere moments before him. For time was only a matter of opinion for the great dragons in those days.


The Panlong again appeared in the world of men, and spoke to the humble guide, asking him what he had witnessed.


Again bowing low in respect, the guide offered his observations. ‘The first relied on brute force alone, but not even the greatest army can hope to conquer nature. The second relied on wealth and treasure, but their value only existed in the minds of men, gems and coin are no aid in crisis. The third thought himself above all with his knowledge and books, but what use are books and scrolls if you have not the will nor experience to use what knowledge they contain.’ The Panlong watched him with a smile as he continued, ‘Perhaps if the three had put aside their vanity and rivalry, and ruled together, sharing their strengths. they might have avoided their fates.’


The Panlong was pleased and nodded solemnly. ‘Your words are true, your heart has the strength of an army, your treasure is your kindness, and you have the wisdom to put to use the knowledge in your mind. Yet despite this you bow lowest before me, and wear only rags, you are humble and do not seek rulership over others – and this is why I give you dominion over the lands of men.’


The dragon exhaled dark smoke, and the smoke coalesced into a crown upon the simple guide’s head. ‘Go now, with my blessing, oh king of men! Guide your people with kindness and humility as you guided those kings to my abode. Remember the lessons you have witnessed here today, and your reign will be long and prosperous!’

Before the new king departed, the great dragon offered a final gift: He would give up his magic and divinity so that the seasons would be shortened, and the people would not have to hide during the long winter.


And so it was that a new year, and indeed era, began; and the people rejoiced in song and dance. And so it is today, upon the new year, that we give thanks to the dragons for their gift, and remember to banish arrogance and deceit from our homes, vowing to be kind and humble in the year to come.

[jasonvillee]

Over the skies of Gyeoljeongjeok-do. The final battle of the 7 Years War.

"Oh m-"

"We're all going to di-"

"He-"

"AGHh-"

The young pilot quaked feverously, terrified as his plane dived down towards the city. All around him his compatriots screamed as fiery explosions cut their voices off, leaving only radio static.

He looked outside of his cockpit and saw the hundreds of skippers, all taking the same path to death as he was. They all frantically flitted around, as if they were dragonflies skipping across a river in an attempt to flee a predator.

Except this time, the predator had thousands of cannons, which were all pointed towards them.

"Where's the squadron lead-"

Another one down. And another. And another.

The young pilot closed his eyes. Wasn't it just half an hour ago that his friends were still alive? He could remember it vividly. They were all sitting inside the hanger, passing around one bottle of grog, as each one gave a comical toast. He could remember the rambunctious singing, and the roars of laughter as two of their comrades began to have a small scuffle on top of a table.

That singing and laughing now were gone. There was nothing but radio static and the cries of many more soon-to-be dead pilots.

All the orders of battle had fallen. No one knew who was the authority, as pilots shouted at one another, voices filled with panic and confusion. All they knew was that they needed to fly towards the city, yet at this point, it looked like the attack was going to break apart.

Resting his head backward, the young pilot let go of the controls. He began to tune everything out and resigned to his fate.

"No, you cannot join the Aerofleet!"

Huh?

He opened his eyes, and suddenly found himself in front of a small house. How did he get here?

"Do you know how dangerous that is?" A woman continued, and the young pilot could see she was chastising a young teen. They were picking berries from a tree in front of the small house.

The child rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Mum! Of course, it's dangerous! It's war!"

"War isn't all fun and games! Stop thinking of such foolishness. You will stay here and continue to be a farmer like a good boy."

The young pilot took a step back. He was...home. This was where he should have been. Tears rolled down his cheek as he knew what the boy was going to reply.

"But mother-" The boy stood up with a wide grin, and cupped his hands like a singer "Do you know why I want to join?"

Sighing, the mother sat down on the front steps and put down her basket of berries. She rubbed her face and then looked somberly at her child.

"Why, my son, do you want to enlist so badly?"

"Because...

I wanna be in the Aerofleet,
if they send me off to war,
I wanna good skipper under me
like my countrymen before
I wanna good plane when the signal sounds,
and I hear the flak cannons' roar
I wanna be in the Aerofleet if they send me off to war!"

As the child continued to sing, the young pilot knelt and began to sob. Why didn't he listen to his dear mother? Why did he think war was all fun and games? Why did he want to fly a skipper, when everything he could have had was here, with his mother? Suddenly, a flood of regrets washed through his mind, breaking him down even more.

After a short while, the tears stopped spilling. The pilot looked up and realized that the mother and child were gone, along with the house and everything around it. How long had time passed? Was he even still alive?

As his conscious returned to reality, the sounds of flak reminded him that he was, unfortunately, still alive. It was as if he had suddenly lapsed into this state of frozen time, as it appeared that his plane was still a far way from the city.

The screams of men and women returned to his ears.

War wasn't a game. War wasn't fun.

The young pilot flicked a small switch, turning on his radio. Taking a deep breath, he continued the song the boy had sung.

"I'd not a good foot soldier make, I'd be sour and slow at march-"

"Oh my, oh my, oh-wait who's singi-"

"And I'd be sick on a navy ship, and the sea would leave me parched"

"Wait, everyo-"

"But I'll be first in line if they'll let me fly, by God, you'll see my starch"

"Everyone stop talkin-"

"I'll be part of the battle, with my machine gun rattle, flying underneath that vict'ry arch."

"Is that Gray-41?"

"Why is he singing?"

"Has he gone mad?"

"Nevermind that fellows! Come on! Let's sing with him!" 

"We flew gallantly at the enemy, what we thought was an easy vict'ry"

"Our commanders inspired, to not retire, and press on with our engines on fire."

"And although we lack hope, hundreds dead, and the battle is all but lost,"

"I still wanna be in the Aerofleet, until Heaven's river I have crossed."


Soon, the singing voices began to drown out the screams and explosions. The once chaotic battlefield had been stilled, and the melody now knitted the pilots together into a common weave.

[lechatrouge]

"THE FOX IN THE DANDELION SEA"

Chapter 1
"Dandelion, Dandelion, ride the wind to a faraway land," the Fox chants.
An unforgettable Lannish fairytale about a hunter and a fox. The Fox in the Dandelion Sea, begins here.

"Dandelion, dandelion, ride the wind to a faraway land."
The little fox chanted.
He blew the dandelion flower and sent the seeds flying. He then spoke in a more serious tone.
"May my teacher's wishes ride the wind and reach the Golden Gardens of Jällkä."
A wind blew past us and swept away the dandelion seeds.
Did they fly to a better place, carrying my hopes and dreams there with them?

When did this happen?
Some time ago, behind the village, there grew a forest of countless lush trees. At the center of this forest was a small lake.
The lake was like the stained glass windows of the Arkhangelsk Cathedral: crystal clear and shimmering in the sunlight.
The sun shone through the treetops and glistened on the water's surface like fragments of gemstones. It was really something.
The weather was cool that day. I was hunting in the forest when I arrived at the lake's edge. The shimmering water somehow reminded me of a girl I loved a long time ago.
I couldn't remember much about her, but I felt that her eyes must have looked like the lake, glittering as if harboring fragments of gemstones within.
I became lost in thought as I stared at the glistening water. Walking transfixed along the lakeside, I had forgotten entirely that I was out for a hunt.
I came to when I heard the sound of something freezing up. It was a Mist Flower growing by the lake, having just frozen the water around it. Next to it was a white fox, its tail frozen in the ice. Poor critter.
"It must have had its tail in the water by the Mist Flower while it was drinking."
Mist Flowers are dangerous plants and can cause frostbite if handled without care.
Extreme caution must be taken when handling them.
As it saw me approach, the fox struggled in fear, but its still-frozen tail kept it rooted to the spot. The fox whimpered in pain.
"Oh no, this won't do."
I thought to myself.
"Poor critter. It's gonna die anyway if I don't save it, so I might as well end its pain by bringing it home as my game for the day."
I imagined what a delicious fox stew I could cook with the carrots I grew. Just thinking of the hot stew gave me energy and brought a smile to my face.
So I took out my hunting bow and slowly walked toward it.
"Be good and stay put."

Chapter 2
"Be good and stay put."
Trapped by a Mist Flower, what does fate have in store by the fox who met a hunter?

"Be good and stay put."
That's what my father's father had taught me. When I went fox hunting, I always chanted his words silently, so that my hands wouldn't shake when pulling the bowstring.
But just as I was about to release the arrow, the fox lifted its head and looked me straight in the eyes. It had eyes like the lake, glistening as if harboring fragments of gemstone within.
My head began spinning, as if a strong wind were blowing inside it. My arrow missed its target and instead smashed the ice, releasing the fox's tail. The fox raised its tail and looked at me once more before running off into the forest.
I came to my senses and began the chase — but who in this world can run faster than a fox?
Gradually, the fox began to shrink into the distance, eventually turning into a white spot.
"Hey! Don't go!"
I shouted, barely catching my breath.
After hearing my words, the spot seemed to slow.
"Is it waiting for me?"
I pondered.
"If running for its life, a fox is able to shake off anyone in no time."
Foxes are strange animals. Even when running on a flat plain like at Klessöistter, where one can see clearly for miles ahead, they somehow still seem to disappear from view.
It's almost as if they run into another world.
This led me to my conclusion:
"The fox must be waiting for me!"
Convinced of this fact, I chased the glittering white spot for hours on end. Suddenly, a chilling wind began to blow.
I stood there, shivering, and what I saw next astounded me.
"How can this be?"
Suddenly, instead of one, there were now two white spots in view.
More appeared. Three, four, five... They seemed to grow in number as the winds blew. Eventually, I lost track.
Suddenly, with a stinging sensation, one of them flew directly into my eye. Upon inspection, I discovered that the spots were in fact nothing more than dandelion seeds floating in the wind. The fox had disappeared.
I laughed at my own foolishness and went home.
For supper, I had carrot fox stew — though without fox, or any other meat for that matter. The gods know how much I hate boiled carrots without meat! I felt starving, and in time fell asleep.
I awoke in the middle of the night to something stirring outside my door.

Chapter 3
"The Hunter of fruitless hunts was awoken by a commotion outside.
Who is at the door?
The story of the Hunter and the Fox continues".

Having failed to catch the fox, I went to sleep with only tasteless boiled carrots in my stomach. If not for what happened next, I would have forgotten about the fox by now.
I awoke with a start to strange noises coming from outside my door.
"Perhaps boars have come to eat my carrots?"
I hopped out of bed and opened my door. To my surprise, there stood a tiny little white fox. Its fur was so white that it glowed in the dark, not unlike the way the sunlight sparkles on the water after filtering through the treetops.
"It must be that fox from earlier today!"
I thought again of those eyes that looked like gemstones in the water, gazing at me as if from the depths of my heart.
And so I walked over to the fox, unarmed and with tired eyes.
This time it stayed still and waited for me in silence.
The closer I drew, the greater in stature it became.
By the time I stood before it, it had magically transformed into a human.
She was a tall and slender woman, with a swan-like neck and pearly skin. Her eyes sparkled like gemstone fragments in pools of water — in the darkness they seemed to shine like rays of sunlight on water after filtering through the treetops.
"What a beauty. She looks a lot like the girl I fell in love with long ago, though I barely remember her name. Those eyes tell me she must be her."
I thought to myself.
"This can't be. Must be some type of fox magic."
Stranger still, the idea of "fox magic" had only occurred to me in that instant. You'd believe anything after you'd seen those eyes.
For all the magic and transformation I had witnessed, nothing amazed me quite as much as the gemstone lakes of her eyes. For a while, we stood silently in the dead of night.
And at last she spoke. Though not in our common tongue, I could somehow understand her. Some other magic, perhaps.
"I would have died by the lake, if you had not come in my hour of need."
She paused and continued:
"Although to die by that gemstone lake is no bad thing,"
"We foxes are grateful beings, so you must let me return the favor."
She bowed to me, and her long silky black hair flowed down her shoulders like streams.

To be continued.