Visions of Wintersday: A Chronicles of Tyria Art Contest.
Erratum: Due to a technical problem with one of our submission forms, the deadline for this contest has been pushed back to February 2nd.
Hello Tyrians!
Tixx and Toxx have arrived for their yearly stay in Divinity's Reach. With their arms brimming with gifts, they aim to spread joy and happiness in this end of the year celebration. From Toypocalypse, to Bell Choir and the newly revealed Lair of the Snowman, there are many activities to partake in. To celebrate Wintersday along with them, the Chronicles of Tyria team is organizing an art contest sponsored by Arenanet.
Our writers and judges for this contest (Amy, Jalinar, Josh and Nienna) have prepared some Wintersday themed prompts which participants will have to take inspiration from to create an original artwork.
Rules
Deadline
Participants have until 11:59pm EST on February 2nd 2019 to submit their entries via the provided form on this page.
Entries
Participants may submit up to 4 entries (One for each prompt provided below). However, they may only win one of the prize packs offered in this art contest (excluding the twitter giveaway).
Entries must be around the theme of Wintersday as suggested by the prompts.
Entries may take the form of any visual arts. Ex: traditional painting, digital arts, diorama, papercrafts, etc...*
Use the following form to submit your entries.
Visions of Wintersday
Judging & Winners
Judging of the entries will take place over the week following the deadline. The four winners will be announced on our social media on February 9th 2019.
Each writer will judge the entries inspired by the prompts they respectively wrote. (Josh will judge the entries inspired by his prompt "Minis", Nienna will judge the entries submitted for "Giving Back", and so on)
Entries will be judged on style, medium, originality and how the chosen prompt is incorporated into the piece submitted.
Prizes
Each winner will be awarded the following prize pack.
- 1x Guild Wars 1 Pin Set
- 1x Guild Wars 2 Rytlock Mouse Pad
- 1x Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire Lanyard
- 1x Guild Wars 2 Concept Art signed by their respective artists (Daniel Dociu, Kekai Kotaki or Jason Stokes )
- 1600 Gems
- Showcase of the winner's art on our website and social media.**
Restrictions
This contest is open to our worldwide audience except in the following countries due to strict contest laws : Austria, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan.
These restrictions may apply to more countries or regions not listed above. This contest is void where prohibited.
Participants must be 18 or older, depending on the legal age where they reside.
Prompts
[expand title="The Gift by Amy Sanderson"]
“What is it?” Jean eyed the parcel on the floor in front of him.
It was waist-high, wrapped in flame-coloured paper the colour of Auri’s elementalist robes – and, more ominously, shaking. The twins stood next to it, small and solemn. They looked almost like dolls in the firelight, with their matching hair – almost silver, where Jean’s was grey. Both had one blue eye and one green, too, on opposite sides, as though they were mirror images of one another.
“It’s your Wintersday gift,” Oska said. He tugged the hem of his tunic.
Where were their pyjamas? Jean wondered. Why were they fully dressed so early in the morning? And, for that matter, why did they look so dishevelled?
Auri placed one hand on top of the box. “It’s a very special gift, Uncle Jean. We’re sure you’ll like it.”
“Right.” Jean couldn’t help how ungrateful he sounded. The box was magnificent – but why did it keep rattling? And, was it his imagination, or had it just squeaked?
“You didn’t need to have bothered, you know. I bought you both chocolates.”
He was starting to regret that decision, when the twins had gone to such trouble. There was still something unsettling about them, though. They weren’t just dressed. Auri carried her staff, he realised, and Oska his thief’s daggers. Why were they armed? The box shook again and the twins took a step back.Jean stared at it in rising horror.
“What’s… what’s in there?”The twins glanced at one another.
“You’re always saying we’re as sneaky as a skritt burglar, Uncle Jean,” Oska said seriously. “Well now,” Auri continued, “you can find out for certain.”
Jean didn’t have time to react. The top of the box exploded open with an indignant screech, showering them all in tattered paper. Jean reached for his own staff, then remembered he wasn’t carrying it. Bloody pyjamas. The twins threw up their hands – he was sure they were grinning – and yelled together,
“Surprise!”
[/expand]
[expand title="Minis by Josh"]
For weeks the air had been crisp in Divinity's Reach, but today it was downright cold. The sun was just past its midday height and shining down on the cobbles from a perfectly clear sky, but Wepp still shivered as he stood beside the Rurikton asura gate.
It was nearly Wintersday, and still the human capital hadn’t seen snow. It should have made for more merchants traveling to Ebonhawke, but that wasn't the case. Reports said that winter weather systems had been pushing brandstorms much farther south than usual, which in turn kept most people away from the Ascalonian city.
Aside from the frigid cold, though, Wepp didn't mind his gate shifts being slower this time of year. It gave him opportunity to watch the people of the city in all their holiday revelry. Though he'd never tell his partner Skixx, Wepp enjoyed the personal touches people put on their celebration of Wintersday: the toys, the candy-cane objects, the scarves and other special attire. Perhaps most intriguing to him, though, was the odd appearance of little—
His thoughts were quite appropriately cut short when a round man approached the gate followed closely by a miniature quaggan in a floppy, red Wintersday hat. The man stepped up, paid his toll, and waved the quaggan on behind him as he passed into the gate. “Come along, Foostivoo,” he said.
Wepp bent down a little to get a better view of the tiny quaggan with such an unusual name. It’s owner already through the gate, it looked up at the asura uncomfortably and hurried on into the gate’s energy field, tripping slightly at the end of the ramp.
Grinning, Wepp stood up. “What odd little creatures we see at Wintersday,” he snickered.
A light at the console blinked, and a moment later, a small, ragged shoe slipped out of the portal from the other side, followed by the human child who filled it. Then there was another, and another. Right on the heels of the third, an uncommonly small skritt slipped out, deftly balancing a stack of gifts in one hand and holding a red Wintersday hat in the other. Chittering at Wepp, the thing leapt, still impossibly balancing its gifts, and deposited the hat on Wepp’s cold head before scampering off after the kids with a mischievous snicker.
He smiled gratefully, about to pull the festive hat over his ears, when the console flashed again. Out of the still activated gate popped the tiny quaggan Foostivoo, but its hat appeared to be missing. With a rapid wave of its hand, the quaggan summoned Wepp to its level and snatched the hat off the asura’s head. It pulled it on tightly and stuck its tongue at Wepp before bounding back through the gate.
Standing alone now, Wepp blinked. These were very strange miniature creatures indeed.
[/expand]
[expand title=" Giving Back by Nienna"]
(Please note that this story segment is not in cannon with The Eternal Blade Saga, nor any other works I have produced with this main character to this date.)
The signs of Wintersday’s arrival were everywhere. Garlands of snowflakes andbrightly colored baubles hung from the buildings while the enticing scent of seasonal baked goods filled the air. Snow makers had been busy sprinkling Divinity’s Reach in white, and the whole city was bustling with preparations. Holding her full bag securely on her back, Nienna Valar kicked up a cloud of snow whereit had collected on the edge of the street and laughed merrily as she walked straight into it.
Every month, Nienna visited the Queen’s Heart Orphanage, but for her special visit today, she wore her Wintersday best: a black and red brocade coat trimmed with white lace and black leggings tucked into a pair of black shin-high boots. Although her attire was darker than most, her disposition was not. Her warm smile brightened her emerald-green eyes, deepening creases in the corners that otherwise betrayed her youthful appearance.
Upon seeing a few small faces peering out the orphanage window, she offered a little wave. Excited children began pouring out the front door, their cheers and laughter filling the courtyard. A little dark-haired girl, only a few years of age, sped toward Nienna, her arms reaching outward. With a grin, she dropped her bag and scooped up the girl.
“Nenna!”the girl exclaimed. She had yet to accurately pronounce her name, but Nienna didn’t care. Instead, she let the little orphan girl play with strands of her long, dark red hair as she held her. “So much white!” she exclaimed, holding out a section for her to examine.
The woman let out a hearty laugh. “One day soon I imagine it’ll start to look like a red and white Wintersday candy cane.”
The little girl giggled and then motioned to be let down. Carefully, Nienna set the little girl on her feet and greeted all the other children. Their little eyes grew wide with delight as she opened her bag and revealed a collection of toys and treats. With help from the priests and priestesses of the orphanage, she distributed the goods to every child. While they played, the priests and priestesses thanked Nienna for her generosity.
“Your thanks are appreciated but not necessary,” she replied with a polite bow.“Their joy is reward enough. I was like them once and have been fortunate to have so much now. As long as I am able, I will always give back to them.”
[/expand]
[expand title="Original Piece + Prompt"]
This section will be judged by Jalinar.
This prompt is a free pass. If none of the prompts suggested above make your creativity flow, you are allowed to create a completely original piece. We wanted to allow artists to create original art if they so desired for our contest.
However, by choosing this category you must also submit a short narrative accompanying your piece (100-500 words). Whether it be a poem, a short story or where you pulled your inspiration from for your piece, anything is accepted as long as it is submitted through written form.
[/expand]
*Any inquiries on whether or not your piece will qualify for this contest should be submitted to jalinar.cot@gmail.com or @ChroniclesTyria on Twitter.
**This prize is an opted-in option for the winners. The artist retains full rights to their submitted works. Opting into this prize does not allow Chronicles of Tyria to use the works for future promotion, contest or social media activity without the further consent of the artist.
Any litigation respecting the conduct or organization of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the board only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.
