What's in Sage's Keep - drawing mini-quest

[Maebius]

For you creative folks out there, I would like to propose a more personal Quest of mine.

If you have been inside Sage's Keep, there seems to be more to the interior than one scene. (for those who have not been inside, no worries!) [b]How would you envision that inner room? [/b]

If you are artistic, feel free to draw a sketch. If you are poetic, and can't draw a stick figure, just make a rough scribble.
In both cases, describe what you think are the important elements in 'your scene' or label them.
Why are they important, to you or MD, or Marind Bell?

I'll be taking submissions up until April 22nd, via PM or forum message, and then judging the results with a few friends.
Judgement will be based on creativity, symbolism, and Principles fitting with MD's overall theme, not purely "artistic skill" or prettiness.

A wishpoint is available for first place.
Further prizes for 2nd-4th are available, including an Angien or two, coins, or other creatures.

Have fun!
Enlighten us with your Vision!

...and because I was already asked to clarify this: "[b]There are no right answers[/b]".
Have fun and be creative.
It's meant to be a fun Artistic exploration of your perspectives, not "find the actual scene image".

[Maebius]

Got a few interesting submissions so far, I'm curious to see more. Deadline is the New Moon, April 22nd.
I'll be posting the submissions for all to see, unless I'm asked to specifically keep them secret.
BUMP!

(also, just noticed this is on facebook forum, not general Quests. could the mods please move this as appropriate if necessary?)

[Maebius]

two more days left!
So far, only a small few submissions.
You don't have to be an artist, even simple doodles count if you explain a squiggly line is a "vine" or some sorta roundish thing is "supposed to be a globe", or whatever your imagination and intuition show you!

[Maebius]

Got a few really excellent submissions.

Those helping to judge will just get the images and detail, removed of the "name" to also help keep bias out of it as best I can.
Good luck folks!!


[i]Also, seeking a backup judge, as some folks I was in contact with had mentioned wanting to submit an idea of their own (no one has een anythnig submitted except myself thus far, so that's safe). If they did participate, I'd like a non-participant to help judge submissions to keep it relatively unbiased. [/i]

[Maebius]

I've had a request to extend this another day, due to the Birthday celebration sucking time away from folks doing other quests.
The argument was very well made, so I'll extend the deadline for submissions until wednesday the 25th.
Once that day fades away at 23:59, the gate will close and I won't take any more ideas.

So, if you were still wanting to scribble up any ideas, feel free to do so.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Maebius

[Maebius]

Submissions gathered up and sent to the judges.
I'll know in a few days the results, unless there is a solid tie requiring more deliberation.
Congrats to ALL the folks who submitted ideas. If anyone wishes to not have their work shared, let me know privately, otherwise I'll be posting the final entries after the judging is complete.

[Seigheart]

And TKs will sponsor this with 15 credits for first, second, and third place.

[Maebius]

[b]We have a winner! [/b]
Below are the entries I received, which were sent to the judges as below, with names stripped off and all images uploaded to my website for further "anonymity" and to hopefully prevent bias (otherwise un-edited).
Each judge picked their top three choices and I gave 3 points to their first pick, 2 pts for second, and 1 pt for their last choice.
I then combined all the "points" to find the overall winner of the competition, as shown below.

9 points! = Guillak (Entry #5)
7 Points = darkraptor (Entry #3)
5 Points = joshdragon (Entry #4)
4 Points = Princ Rhaegar (Entry #2)
3 Points = Tom Pouce (Entry#1)
2 Points = Soothing Sands (Entry #6)

Guillak earns a Wish from me.
Second place wins an Angien from me (or choice of other crit/item below)
Third place and below can choose from the following prizes (+angien if darkraptor doesn't want it):
Tormented Soul, Pimped Grasan, old Unholy Priest, Imperial Aramor,
FreezeCreature Stone, Prot Attack Stone, Prot Heal Stone, Prot Defense Stone, Prot Freeze Stone,Prot Heal Stone, Prot NoMulti Stone, Prot NoArmor stone, or Prot Movelock Stone, or Silver Coin.


Entry 1:
[log='Entry #1']My entry for the quest, whats in sage keep, picture follow next message
What's in Sage's Keep
How would you envision that inner room?
When one find the inner room, one try to grasp bits of universe knowledge
What one found is intriguing
At first one see on a pieddestale a cube, (is it THE CUBE? or only a symbol?)
then one remark in each in its own resess 2 statuts oposite to each other
one of an angian, the other of a shade
and on the end wall, one see that a strange symbol thas was etche by flames, having burn the stones.
That symbol an inverse spiral cross by lines, one remember those symbols and know in his soul that it as a higher meaning, if only one could remember.
Who as made this place?
An angien and a shade, does it mean that they where once friendly to each others? Is it a picture of past time or futur times?
And the CUBE! is it relate to the strange dream one had comming in this universe? Is it relate to the famous cube that Knator Commander once travel with? is it relate to the legendary Book of Principles?
Evidently that will feed for many years study material for the scolars.
And as for symbol what more than shade and angien to illustrate the symbol of dark (hiding) and light (energy) principle. Each one balancing the other illustrating the balance principle. The spiral that illustrate the principle of cyclicity in each of its turns, and also principle of time as it progress outward. The cube symbol of the immagination principle, as who know what is in the box. For symbol of principle of syntropy if the scene showing agien and shade mean that they will be friend in futur to be made thats it, and if the scene showing agien and shade mean they where friend in the past, its the principle of Enthropy that degrade and change things with time.
[url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/innersage.png"]innersage.png[/url][/log]

[log='Entry 2 ']1) Sketch of Sage's Keep structure, with few assumptions that may not be true.
[url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/pic1.jpg"]pic1[/url]
One of the assumptions is that inside Sage's Keep is symmetric, without additional doors though, which makes the other side of the Sage's Keep (the visible wall part in the scene) small and empty as is the beginning.
2) Assumptions: The two towers are symmetric and have two floors.
This is the first floor, right tower. [url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/pic2.jpg"]Pic2[/url]

Inside the tower from perception I made an error in while drawing.
Those sketches between first and second window seen on the left are about books and scrolls, and they're supposed to be repeated between each of the windows. where you see the scenery from the window-gate, coming from the bridge that connects the two towers: [url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/pic3.jpg"] Pic3[/url]


Second floor, the setup is the same, tho the drawing perception is slightly better. [url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/pic4.jpg"] Pic4[/url]
Difference is, there are no books here, this is the place for practical research, experiments and testing. [/log]


[log='Entry 3 ']Sages Keep Sanctum
Beyond the entrance there is a door that leads to a dark room, in the center of this dark room there is an old trunk, around it all the room is secured by steel bars.
The trunk holds your fears and everything you want put out of your life.
This is a place you want to forget and yet you keep visiting it everytime you face one of your fears, to put one fear in you always have to open the trunk and face the ones already inside. So don't forget to close the stell door behind you before you open the trunk!
[url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/3_SageInterior.png"]http://everthorn.net...ageInterior.png[/url]
[/log]

[log='Entry 4']Attached Image: Sage\'s Keep Inner Room.jpg
[url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/4_SageKeepInner.jpg"]http://everthorn.net...geKeepInner.jpg[/url]
The vague line slightly below the center of the drawing is the part of the scene that begins to arch upwards turning from a floor into a wall. Immediately above it, the window with the sun clearly visible through it is supposed to represent the concept of Marind Bell – a land of light, build around the civilization of the Angiens, creatures that personify light themselves just as much as the Shades personify darkness.
Above the window, with not even a break between the two, is a shelf of scrolls. This represents the knowledge that the Seekers of Enlightenment pursue and also is a direct reference to the scene poem (“Scrolls of every shape and size that could lead to the world’s demise”). The lines that form the backbone of the building itself and are the bulk of the walls… they are cyclicity, syntropy, and balance, packed into one.
The carpet/path leading up to the window represents the path that must be taken in order to reach enlightenment. It is a straight path, but very narrow, for in such a venture it is all too easy to veer off the path and ultimately fail. The knowledge contained within is also the reason that the room looks and feels somewhat closed; this particular sort of knowledge is something very few people have access to, and the room is meant to represent that. [/log]

[log='Entry 5']
Here is my entry for "What's on Sage's Keep". According to the Adventure Log, Sage's Keep is supposed to have winding corridors, etc. That's not an aspect we see in the main scene, so I just imagined what was a little further in the keep based on the main scene only, at the same level.
Here you go, in seven points!
[url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/5_SagesKeepinner.png"]http://everthorn.net...esKeepinner.png[/url]

1. In the continuity of the main scene, a vast, rather empty, room, bathed in a strong light coming from four stained-glass windows.
2. The floor is abruptly replaced by a deep hole. It seems rather dark below, and nothing prevents people from falling. If you flood the room with water, you'll get a nice waterfall.
3. The wall is covered with shelves full of various scrolls and books. There are three levels here, but there are more below apparently. The floors are supported by thin but robust pillars. Still nothing prevents people from falling. Better be cautious if you go there: the higher you come, the harder you fall. And we don't see the bottom of the hole.
4. Nicely curved stairs connect all levels of the "library", including the lower levels. They are half-continuous: each floor entails a short pause before continuing to the next one. The same design is repeated on all levels.
(Drawing is perfectly unrealistic, imagine they are built inside one of those "towers" we see from outside Sage's Keep. So they are *behind* the right wall actually, we shouldn't be able to see them from where we are).
5. A serious breach in the wall. It seems as if vegetation had business in here: there's even a tree who managed to force its way in, attacking the wall itself, and grow there, through time and perseverance. Now its leaves suck almost all the light from the last window.
On the one hand, it brings shade to the shelves, hence helping to preserve scrolls and books. Too much light is not good for them.
On the other hand, it completely deprives the lower level from receiving a single bit of light, making it all the more dark. We can also hear and feel an intermittent hissing wind from the breach, and even feel humidity from the lake. Elements are no good for the preservation of paper …
6. A candlestick. Pick it up if you intend to go down the lower levels. Its three candles should suffice to light your path. Beware the draughts though, they could blow them out.
7. A desk is right under the windows: obviously, you need light to work. There are a couple paper sheets and a pen to write down whatever you need. A single desk, a single chair: this is a place of solitude. Not many people come to this place, and nobody will help you if you totter. You're on your own: watch your steps.
[/log]

[log='entry 6'][url="http://everthorn.net/Misc/images/backofkeep.jpg"]http://everthorn.net.../backofkeep.jpg[/url]

No description provided.[/log]

Edited April 28, 2012 by Maebius

[J-D]

Thanks for the fun quest!

[Eagle Eye]

Congratz to all the winners

[Soothing Sands]

I probably should have had a longer description than 3 bullet points But i'm glad I did it, awesome quest!

[Jubaris]

Congratulations winners!
There are some awesome works indeed!

[Maebius]

Princ Rhaegar, Tom, and Sootjhing Sands, feel free to pick your prizes!
the angien/ts is gone, but I have plenty of other creatures and Stones for you to choose from!
Pimped Grasan, old Unholy Priest, Imperial Aramor?
FreezeCreature Stone, Prot Attack Stone, Prot Heal Stone, Prot Defense Stone, Prot Freeze Stone,Prot Heal Stone, Prot NoMulti Stone, Prot NoArmor stone, or Prot Movelock Stone, and Silver Coin.

[Kris Summers]

I have observed this quest and while I have not taken part in it in a mundane sense, I have participated spiritually.

Does that entitle me to a prize?

[Jubaris]

I'll take Prot Freeze stone as my prize, and will ask you Maebius to donate it to the Bringers of Light in my stead.

[Tom Pouce]

Ill take the pimped grassian plz

[DarkRaptor]

I've received the 5Credits code package from the TK.

[J-D]

Oh, we're supposed to make a note of that on this thread?

I got my credits a couple of days ago.