vanara.

[soulping]

You find yourself transported across to the far end of the pond - although how you got there (and why you're suddenly separated from the other teams), you can't be sure.

In front of you, you see a long wooden table with scrolls on it - one blank one with a quill and ink ensemble next to it, and a few others with words written on them in dainty script.

Comments

rules.

[soulping]

As characters arrive into their "rooms", they implicitly understand the following rules:

▶ This is a poetry-making game! But since some teams have found it difficult to write their own poems, the swan maiden has provided you with some words she found in library books for inspiration.

▶ Round 1 is the writing period - teams will be asked to compose one 4-8 line poem, as well as give it a title.

▶ Teams are not required to use the suggested words, but they will get points for using them. So if you feel like you got a bunch of crappy words and that you can write your own poem that'll knock everyone's socks off, you're welcome to. Additionally, poems must be sensical - "dog cat bark forest / happy green pink" (aka simply listing out all of your words) will not be eligible for a points win.

▶ Teams are also not required to use rhyme/meter/follow a particular style, but these factors may be used for tiebreakers or may factor into the echo's favorite win.

▶ Round 2 is where teams read the compositions of other teams (anonymously) and vote for their three favorite in rank order (ex. favorite is #1, second favorite is #2, etc.). Teams may not vote for their own poem.

▶ If a team can only be present for Round 1, then they are ineligible to win as a popular poem.

▶ The three win categories possible are most points, most popular, and echo's favorite. The number of wins given to each category is up to my discretion.

▶ Round 1 will run from 8-9:30pm PST, and Round 2 will run from 9:30-11pm PST.

questions?

[swansonged]

please direct any ic or ooc questions (mark it in subject) here!

OOC

[fairweatherfriend]

Can you use words such as 'spoil-ed' or 'salt-y', or does it have to be exactly as written?

Re: OOC

[swansonged]

using a word in a way that's not intended will get you partial points!

Re: OOC

[swansonged]

SORRY I READ THE SECOND PART spoiled would be fine and count for full credit, though! that's just a tense change, assuming it's still being used as a verb

Re: OOC

[fairweatherfriend]

THANKS sorry for the couple of edits, we realized it was anonymous and had to quickly swap out names.

Re: OOC

[swansonged]

no worries!

round 1.

[swansonged]

word lists.

[swansonged]

[ Upon further investigation, you may notice that the scrolls with writing on them contain the following words... ]

verbs.

[swansonged]

lick
connect
extend
paste
like
talk
smell
spoil
wail
wrestle

nouns.

[swansonged]

pen
crow
degree
drop
farm
ring
voyage
salt
water
nerve

adjectives.

[swansonged]

needless
disastrous
belligerent
nutritious
alcoholic
ripe
callous
uppity
upbeat
tasteless

adverbs.

[swansonged]

honestly
famously
hopefully
keenly
adventurously
afterwards
optimistically
unabashedly
quaintly
violently

prepositions.

[swansonged]

on
since
before
over
towards

discussion.

[swansonged]

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

We have not faced a competition such as this before.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

Something new! Oh, good, I'd hate to grow bored and dull on death.

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

Perhaps in this one, we shall not bleed.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

Is bleeding that bad? It seems commonplace enough to me.

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

Were we to always bleed, our clothing would soon rot away. We might then perish in a dire winter.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

Are we in store for seasons like that here? We do seem to be inside most of the time.

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

If this is so, we need not worry about our garments.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

Right this moment, we've writing to attend to, and clothing worries to put aside.

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

If from this we win memories, we should have a feast to celebrate.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

Yes, that sounds like a feasible reward.

Re: discussion.

[overfull]

Are we meant to write poetry...?

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

It does sound mundane, but there's a chance we'll take it.

[overfull]

That's true.

Do you like poetry, Nymph?

[branchesout]

I don't mind it! I'd like it more if I could find more of it to read, perhaps.

[overfull]

I did read poems often before I arrived here, if memory serves, but I seldom understood them.

[branchesout]

I imagine some are easier than others.

turn-in.

[swansonged]

please give your poem's title in the subject line, and the content of your poem in the message part of your reply.

also, for ease of scoring, please bold all used suggested words.

turn-in is due by 9:30pm PST.

Loss

[fairweatherfriend]

Any talk on this disastrous voyage our team will callously shun.
Take from us our nerve honestly and to the earth give salt.
This belligerent wail of ours will violently our listeners assault.
Be not tasteless in this farm of spoiled values; life and death a needless magic trick.
Before our deaths we missed the keen rule of balance too, but afterwards we give not a lick.
To our precious teammates we extend a hand, and all others will hopefully become late.
Since into lava we were dropped, those who find us callous we consider quaint.
Out of all we have lost from before, we most unabashedly miss owning a submachine gun.

round 2.

[swansonged]

[ Suddenly, the scrolls in front of you vanish - only to be replaced with more scrolls, each covered in writing... ]

discussion.

[swansonged]

Re: discussion.

[fairweatherfriend]

Which is it that we should choose?

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

What do you think? The sea serpent one, that's fine, and the one about war. I find the porter one a bit ... odd, at the end. I think I find the swan lake one to be the best.

Re: discussion.

[overfull]

I enjoy The Storm and the Sea Serpent as well. I also like Yearly and Swan Lake - perhaps in that order? I wouldn't feel any opposition to giving the lattermost our first place, however.

"No guts, no glory" is a futuristic turn of phrase. It means that one must practice bravery, or they will accomplish little.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

But what an odd way to end a poem.

Re: discussion.

[overfull]

I believe it may be a moral of sorts. The narrator's love was taken from him because he was weak and foolish. It would not do well for the listener to repeat his mistakes.

Re: discussion.

[branchesout]

It's the phrasing that gets to me. It feels out of place.

Re: discussion.

[overfull]

[ oh

oh!! ]

Oh, I see. Yes, it does appear so. Well, we may knock it from the running - perhaps Swan Lake, The Storm and the Sea Serpent, then Yearly?

turn-in.

[swansonged]

please list your top three favorite poems (by listing their titles), in order, with 1 being your favorite and 3 being your least favorite of the three. you may not rank your own poem.

turn-in is due by 11pm PST. should you fail/be unable to turn-in, your team will be ineligible to win via popularity.

Re: turn-in.

[overfull]

1) Swan Lake
2) The Storm and the Sea Serpent
3) Yearly

Re: turn-in.

[swansonged]

[ To endgame... ]