That Guy with a Halberd

[keeperoflore]

well i would but i already have a story lined up that im going to write for my first free writing assignment in english this year, and if i write it now i wont be able to use it in class, but if the contest is still going on during that period of time, ill participate.

[TFT]

Wait... write background stories as a contest? I'm in! I'll have something prepared in the next couple of weeks, or whenever I get around to it. Whichever comes first.

[Lerky]

you know I was thinking of writing some FF for GwaH. Mainly based on Holammer's pictures I'm also working on getting all the fan made pictures together into one GwaH folder. Thanks for opening my eyes to the light of GwaH. Almost forgot to mention, I run an inn on the RPG The Town and I was wondering if I could use the GwaH seal of approvel there, would grab a bit more attention.
-For Shojo!

[Trazoi]

All of that art (smiley, avatar, banner, the stuff from the OP) seems to be specifically of a character in OoTS rather than just OoTS-style art. Wouldn't that fall under the "Rich Burlew has specifically requested that people NOT use his OOTS art as avatar image, other than those he has specifically provided as the default message board avatars."

I'm a bit uneasy about that myself, even though I made the avatar, smiley and banner. I'm not entirely sure what the rules are with respect to reproducing art from OotS itself, even if made from scratch.

Most of the avatars and pictures I've made before have at least had some original elements, like dressing OotS characters up in funny costumes or recreating Baldur's Gate characters in OotS styles. But this one is clearly a character straight from OotS, even though a very minor one.

I don't know whether that's considered kosher or not, and I don't want to go against Rich Burlew's wishes.

[Graymayre]

I have seen a few Cliffport police smileys as well and no one seems to mind.

you know I was thinking of writing some FF for GwaH. Mainly based on Holammer's pictures I'm also working on getting all the fan made pictures together into one GwaH folder. Thanks for opening my eyes to the light of GwaH. Almost forgot to mention, I run an inn on the RPG The Town and I was wondering if I could use the GwaH seal of approvel there, would grab a bit more attention.
-For Shojo!

Sure can , Nevitan or Trazoi may even be able to make an inn sign itself. Perhaps something like "The Halberd's Whetstone".

[Lerky]

Sure can , Nevitan or Trazoi may even be able to make an inn sign itself. Perhaps something like "The Halberd's Whetstone".

1st of all: AWSOME!
2nd: actually the inn's been running for awhile. Dancing Fox Inn, we're already on thread number XV. However I swear to the 12 gods and in Lord Shojo's name, if I was just opening the inn it would be an honor to have a sign made and I would certainly use that name (and I'm not just saying that to suck-up)
but I'm also thinking for writing a background story (as I stated above but now I hear there's a constest) I'll post the prologue and nothing more:

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The year is 1183. Azure City is on the brink of war… defeat is almost a certainty. Many warriors lost their lives, some of those warriors stories may never be told. This one’s story is told right now. I present the story of Ji (GwaH)

Ji is just the name I'm using currently, it's the closest thing I could find for the chinese translation of halberd.
-For Lord Shojo

[Ascension]

Although I'll be writing in English, and probably modern English at that, I plan to pattern my piece after early chansons de geste like The Song of Roland... ten-syllable lines in assonanced, variable-length stanzas. A proper poetic form, but still fairly flexible.

I hope I can make this work. It'll be awesome if it works out. I've always wanted to write an epic poem, and this is the perfect excuse.

EDIT: By the way, I think I'm going to name him "Guy," if I'm forced to use a name at all.

[Graymayre]

Brief overview so no one will be confused:

Once I have 5 contestants, I'll open the new thread. Do not take the thread as a sign that it is too late to join. I'll be accepting new entry's until all 5 of the original ones have been entered (maximum contestant number pending, any idea on what it should be?)

[Lerky]

I dunno. the more the merrier

[Ascension]

This is by no means final, but here's a little preview of the sort of thing you may expect from The Song of the Halberd.

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The Song of the Halberd
By Ascension

Some say he came from the West, wild and free,
Some say from the East, walking quietly,
Some say he rose full grown out of the sea,
Some say he grew from the ground like a tree,
The Halberd Guy of the Azure City.

But not one of them ever met the man,
None of them spoke to him, or shook his hand.
Nearly all who did have turned to sand,
Now I alone still bear the Azure Brand.
I who now tell you all that a man can.

Yes, I, O’Chul, am the last of those few,
The brave, the bold, the last paladins true
Who wore that armor of old Azure blue.
The others’ ghosts have finally been sooth’d.

But the story I tell is not my own,
It is of a man long ago o’erthrown,
But whose hand the seed of freedom did sow,
Bringing tyrants, kings, and emperors low.

[Lerky]

wow that was... amazing
real nice job!

[keeperoflore]

YAYS, he will have his own epic poem. i would LOVE to see that happen, though i have never been able to write an epic.

[Lerky]

I shall write a grand epic of GwaH! A tale that the bards shall sing for generations! And all shall knows his name (as soon as I do)

I have worked endlessly and now. My story is complete, it is part of seris but part 1 is finished. I'm still working on a name but all I'm curious is when does the backstory contest being

[OneFamiliarFace]

I would enter, but I think my story would end up something like

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It was a dark and dreary night inside of The Lonely Badger. Outside, rain was pouring as though all the Beholders in heaven were crying over their lost treasuries of +1 longswords. Two men sat huddled around a cold table and lukewarm ale, whispering into the night.

The first, clad in a grey cloak, leans close to the other. "Have ye heard of the exploits of the Guy with a Halberd?"

The second, clinging to his mug as though his life depended on it, a scar across the back of one hand looks up. "Nope. Sure haven't."

"Well, that's too bad. Have a good one." The inn door clacks loudly as the last, wispy trail of grey cloak finds its way outside.

The end.

[keeperoflore]

wait, i just thought of something, this could end up like all legends do, different backstorys derived from a single point, that single point should be that he is one of the last survivors after the battle.

each person can have a different way they tell his story, and even if it is needed each can give him a name(different is always better) but we will always know his tale(s) as the Legend(s) of the Guy with a Halberd.

once everyone inputs there grand creations i think i may just take each of them and form some sort of book, that collectively incorporates all of the stories from each and everyone perspective that chooses to do so. no matter how big or small they may be.

[Kool-Aid]

I'm going to try my best to try and write up a story but I can't guarantee I can finish it due to the fact that I get writer's block. Here is how I want to start it off though.

Spoiler

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Throughout history there have been many heroes, mothers tell their children the brave tales of these heroes as they put them to bed, and their children strive to become heroes themselves.

Some heroes were legendary, some almost unknown, the hero of our story is the latter. He was one of the guards of Azure City, and although he would have proudly gave his life for his homeland he received no recognition, for although some heroes became legendary, some were just some guy with a halberd.

Been trying to get this up for a while, stupid thunderstorm.

[Haleyintraining]

You should put the GwaH smilie in the custom smilies thread.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...custom+smilies

[Holammer]

This thread develops nicely. While it's OotS related in a way, I have a feeling it belongs in the Arts and Crafts section at this rate. Don't be surprised if it's moved there later on. Either way, I have a few more pics planned.

[Graymayre]

So far, we have 4 definite contestants:

• Ascenscion
• Catseye2121
• Lerky
• Kool-Aid

Two that I was unable to tell if they are participating from their post

• Coplanter
• Holammer

One that will participate if the contest is still going on in the fall

• KeeperOfLore

[keeperoflore]

actualy my school starts tommorow, i take it that i might have a chance to start writing by the end of the month, if not well meh, ill still write some, contest or not.

[Jayabalard]

Hey, instead of Complaining About Threads You Don't Like send a moderator a private message on the matter.

Where did I say or imply that I don't like the thread? I don't have any problem with people going crazy about an otherwise unknown and minor character.

Personally I prefer the "post it here as a question and get the person who created them to answer" option, since that actually gives me the information that I'm looking for, namely: did the people who created all of the graphics make sure that this is ok with Rich or not. The answer is "no they didn't check with Rich"

While I can see how you might take the fact that this thread hasn't been locked yet as a tacit approval, it might be best to make sure. It's the polite thing to do.

[Lerky]

wait, i just thought of something, this could end up like all legends do, different backstorys derived from a single point, that single point should be that he is one of the last survivors after the battle.

each person can have a different way they tell his story, and even if it is needed each can give him a name(different is always better) but we will always know his tale(s) as the Legend(s) of the Guy with a Halberd.

once everyone inputs there grand creations i think i may just take each of them and form some sort of book, that collectively incorporates all of the stories from each and everyone perspective that chooses to do so. no matter how big or small they may be.

that's basiclly what mine is but it's kind of a seris that also goes beyond that. Part 1 is nothing but a backstory though
EDIT: and I'm not posting a single bit of it, other than the prologue (which was already posted), the ones to see it would be me and my friend who I asked if it was good or not.
P.S. He thought it was amazing
P.S.S I use the name Ji, because it's a chinese halberd and sounds really awsome
if anyone was looking for a name other than GwaH feel free to steal mine.

[TFT]

How long are we looking for the story to be? Just wondering.

[Lerky]

mines is pretty darn long. But not long enough to be a chapter in a book. Like a book book.

[Graymayre]

I do not have a maximum length set in at this point.

[Lerky]

you know a slogan contest would also be fun. Such as Graymayre's The Enemy Gate is Down or my For Lord Shojo!

[keeperoflore]

if i actually sat down and chose to wrote a story about GwaH without any shortening in the whole thing, it would probably be about 4-5 chapters of a book. but i doubt i have the patience to do that, so at best you might get 3 out of me.

[Salty]

Hey, I've been gone for a while. I'm in.

[Graymayre]

Ok I have 5 starting contestants

• Salty
• Catseye2121
• Lerky
• Kool-Aid
• Ascenscion

I'll post the new thread in the next day or so.

[Lerky]

yeah I finished part 2. Not very proud of it though