Trials of Astania

October 2023: Opulence of Opal [CLOSED]

TROVE OF TREASURES | OPULENCE OF OPAL

This month, we are collaborating with one of our affiliates, the MelloniaCommunity, for a variety of spooky prompts!

PROMPTS:

1. A trick-or-treater with a strangely realistic costume shows up on your doorstep. Instead of taking candy, they leave a mysterious item atop the treats instead, then leave without explanation. When you pick it up, you begin to see strange things living among you, hidden out of sight.

2. A group of friends enter a supposedly haunted house, but quickly become bored when nothing happens. When they're about to leave, the door they entered through is no longer there.

3. This will be you and your partner's first Halloween together. As the holiday nears, they begin to act strangely. Eventually, you learn they're not as human as you assumed.

4. A faraway village has a ritual of cannibalism once a year. The ritual needs a newborn to be sacrificed but a mother hides her newborn to save from the ritual by escaping the village. The child develops a taste for blood immediately after the ritual fails. (From the MelloniaCommunity)

5. On the night of Halloween, you and your friends plan to remake the childhood Halloween tradition of collecting candy but instead of candy, you knock on houses to hear the scariest stories they have to offer in a contest for who has the scariest story. It's all fun and games until one of the stories comes true. (From the MelloniaCommunity)

RULES:

- Write or create a graphic entry using at least one of the prompts. You may use more than one prompt if you like.

- Participants may submit up to one written and one graphic entry. Your entry must be created for this contest.

- Written submissions must be 5,000 words maximum. There is no minimum.

- Graphics submissions must be 512x800 pixels. Users must show all assets/stock images used, if applicable. You must have permission to use all images; AI-generated images are not allowed.

- Any genre is allowed.

- Mature content is allowed, but if you're publishing on Wattpad, please keep their content guidelines in mind. Any mature content must be explained in the submission form.

- Submissions must be published on Wattpad or shared in a Google Drive link. We will not be downloading files of any kind.

- The deadline is October 31, 2023, 11:59 PM EDT. Winners will be announced as soon as we can.

- No experience necessary! Anyone can enter.

PRIZE: Your entry will be added to the Astania Community's contest book, and you will receive a shout-out from the Astania and Mellonia Community's profiles. You will also receive a free cover from the Mellonia Community's graphic shop. (You may opt out of this in the submission form.)

SUBMISSIONS: Fill out the form in the external link of this chapter! You may also link your entry in the comments, but this is not required.

NOTE: This challenge will include entries from members of the Writers of Astania Discord server. Judging will be in collaboration with our community affiliate, MelloniaCommunity.

Good luck!