Contests

## Steampunk Monster Creation Competition

Some people have requested a contest during Halloween for the artwork of lifeforms or monsters that exist in or around Arkology inside the Elysium Structure, and do a showcase episode on November 2nd.

So, here are some ideas for the submissions.

- Deadline 31st of October 2020

- Make a drawing, painting, or object of an 'alien' lifeform that could exist in or around Arkology. You may be biological, Lovecraftian or mechanical. Not magic.

- Make a brief description of the creature's behavior and characteristics (max 100 words) and clarify why it suits the setting.

Not familiar yet with Elysium and the home town of Radio Retrofuture, Arkology

Check out this reading list of short stories

Elysium

The Styx

The White Ship

Vail Generators

The Overseer

The first three stories of the Arkology Reports

Radio Retrofuture

On Sunday November 2nd we will make a showcase episode during which we will discuss the designs and their narrative potential.

#### Old Contests

We trying to set up the first informal writing contest for character writing.

You guys asked for it. We trying to set up the first informal writing contest for character writing.

 **Write an introduction/background to a character in a Steampunk/Cos**

**mic Horror setting that could exist in the multiverse of The Association of Ishtar.**

**(Needs to be a story, not a description)**

Can be High Concept (typical AoI file) or Low Concept

 Rules

1. Submissions must be sent to radioretrofuture@gmail.com, before the deadline on the 18th of May 2020, anonymously(!) This means the story document itself may contain no name.

a. Email must be titled ‘Story Submission, Contest’, must include ‘a name’ (real or otherwise) , a regularly used email-address and country of residence

b.  The attached document must be in ‘.doc’, Ariel 11, rule distance 1,5 and must include the title (not the

author)

c.  The story must have a proper title, may contain 1502 words at maximum. And the spelling, grammar, etc.

needs to be correct.

2. Co-authorship is allowed

3. Original drawings and/or photos give bonus points (think book cover)

4. References to, or suggested connects with other entries in the Association of Ishtar are allowed

### How to write an Association of Ishtar Story

The best way to get a feel for the universe is to start reading stories that are already filled in the Library.

You can also check out the stream we did on the world of the Association of Ishtar here

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> “The Association of Ishtar is a clandestine organisation which investigates the many Rifts that opens up their world to The Multiverse and determine any threats before 'they' find them”
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#### Genre and Ground Rules

For this series, we define the Steampunk Genre as the combination of Science Fiction with Alternate History

1. No Magic and Magic Systems: The supernatural or paranormal is fine, as long it is not humans with superpowers
2. In the Multiverse objects and life forms cannot exist on other ‘Planes’ for longer than 40 days.

Exceptions are the ‘Sanctuary’, a facility under the Association's control. It is a haphazard solution to contain otherworldly artefacts and individuals. There is not much lore on the place, yet. Then there is ‘Arkology’. Arkology is a city drifting in the void with a lot of lore behind it. So check out a couple of stories on this before attempting to expand on this.

#### The World

The Association’s ‘Plane of Origin’, codenamed ‘Atlas’ is similar to the historical 19th century

Exceptions are

* Analogue Radios become a thing, thanks to ‘Utter-Krapp’. The Association uses the first wireless telegraphs thanks to U-K.
* Germany didn’t unify in 1871
* The Existence of ‘Elysium’ in the same orbit as the moon encouraged the development of Space Rockets. Napoleon launched his version of the V-2 rockets at England (Ps. Napoleon R-2 rocket is not mentioned yet in any of the stories.)

#### The Association

1. Associates and the Doctors are volunteers who operate under a strict code of conduct. Those who violate the code risk being nominated a ‘Lost Number’.
2. The Chair is responsible for the daily affairs of the Association.
3. Special Committees are specialised groups, responsible for investigating and containing particular threats. Some committees are not Associates at all.
4. The Association is primarily an advisory organisation, helping local authorities to contain Rift- or Outsider-Activity.
5. Associates use numbers as code names while doctors use alcoholic drinks.

#### Story Structure

1. Write an introduction to the entry: Think of it as the 'warning label' or the 'before-you-read-on-section. This is often a warning, procedure, letter or a statement about the subject.
2. The File: The is the story proper.

a. Can contain a factual Description (but make this engaging). Give examples, use witness testimonies, recovered notes, etc.

b. Tells the stories through audio recordings, interviews, diary entries, personal records and other evidence.

#### Themes, Atmosphere and Tone

* The tone from the stories can range from comedy to horror
* The themes and atmosphere emerge from the character's relationship between themselves, the world technology and the unknowable.

Tip: You can create an atmosphere by giving examples of sounds, smells and reactions.  But also the emotional state of the character.