Herald event: Shrouding New Ground

Welcome, freelancer!

Starting today and running all the way until the 27th of April, the Herald staff is bringing you a ten competition event with double Clusters on every (applicable) competition! More on comps later, but for now let me explain:

The Shroud Syndicate is expanding into new territory and new/old locations. The goal is to give you a chance to develop with us a new sandbox to play in and use for your characters in the future and give you the opportunity to win some good rewards while doing it. You'll be part of the process, just like with the Matron years ago.

For those of you who have been here for long enough, Nancora is the homeworld of the Collective. Once a thriving industrial planet, now a ruin caused by a battle 9 years ago.

Nancora's Wiki page has been updated with new infor and new images, so go have a look.

Intro

Nancora. Once a thriving tech-world for The Collective, it is now ravaged by uncontrollable electrical storms. The atmosphere processors, that once breathed life into a whole barren world, misfire endlessly choking the planet in smog and clouds. Wounds of orbital bombardment still mar the many planetary factories and cities that dot the surface, covered now by vast colonies of storm crystals formed by lightning and blowing sand.

Amid the wreckage of the Collective's jewel, technology long abandoned waits to be claimed. Combat droid slaughterbots, AI engrams with murderous intent, crystalline amalgams of circuits and energy, long dead flesh raised anew through techno-necromantic rituals. Nancora is a hellscape, but it is a profitable one for all the brave souls who dare.

The Herald of the Brotherhood demands expansion. Brotherhood space is too small, too cramped, too prone to infighting. The Shroud needs space to breathe and her finger points at the enemy's old home. Led by the Matron's first officer Vigo Zakirov, like a plague of locusts the Shroud Syndicate descended on Nancora, intent on pillaging what remains. As lighting tears through the skies, the war for fortune begins…

Fiction

Nancora orbit 44 ABY 9 years after the battle

The Godless Matron emerged from hyperspace like a clawed hand grasping for prey. The battleship’s black hull absorbed starlight as it drifted toward Nancora, flanked by a swarm of smaller corvettes, gunships, cargo haulers, troop transports, and escort frigates.

The fleet glided into orbit, silent and watchful. Below them, Nancora raged, lightning flashing across half the planet’s surface, atmosphere churning like a cauldron of something vile and wicked.

“Ugly world,” muttered Iden Sult, the Matron’s Majordomo.

On the command deck, Vigo Zakirov ignored him.

The recently promoted first officer of the Matron, and by extension, the Shroud Syndicate stood near the forward viewport, hands clasped behind his back. Tall and lanky in stature, Vigo wore a long Armorweave cloak that hid his features well, his expression carved from stone. He stared at a holodisplay: tactical readouts, atmospheric procession and estimates, flight plans, landing zones. All of it planned in advance, at least for the majority of the fleet. The stragglers and dregs would be on their own.

Vigo’s eyes snapped to the viewport again. The Herald had given him a command: Expand. Reach your hand out and take what needs to be taken.

The Syndicate had grown too crowded and too tense over the last decade. Power struggled against power as crew fought crew for scraps. Alliances cracked under pressure as the Collective, Severian Principate and other Force-damned hegemons took their due, fattened on what should have been theirs to begin with. The Syndicate — Sorenn’s Syndicate — needed new territory, new stomping grounds, new enemies and hauls. A new focus was required. She wanted Nancora. Soon she’d want much, much more than that.

Nancora had once belonged to the Collective. Now it belonged to no one but those who could survive it. Vigo wasn’t there when the battle of Nancora happened, but he knew enough from the reports. Orbital bombardment scarred the surface, destroyed the atmospheric processors and turned it into a hellscape. But it held promise under the clouds: a whole world of advanced technology to plunder, and no one to stop them.

Zakirov studied the planet as lightning crawled across the thick clouds picking up dust and debris in their wake.

“Begin descent operations,” he said calmly.

Behind him, officers moved immediately as orders flowed through the fleet.

Several dozen private vessels took up the head — mostly smaller crews, smugglers, freelancers and the like. Then the larger transports headed out, and finally the Matron emptied its vast holds as ship after ship descended like a hive. Armored transports, cargo barges, escort fighters, assault ships, gunships and landers. Hundreds of vessels plunged toward the churning clouds. A plague of locusts ready to strip the planet bare.

Zakirov watched them go. “Let the scavengers loose.”

Find the full fiction here: Shrouding New Ground Nancora Fiction.

Competitions

There are 11 competitions in total, 5 event long comps and 6 Phase comps split into two 3-week phases.

You can find the comp list here: Competition: Shrouding New Ground: Nancora

There are several team comps, gaming, graphics, fiction, RP... you'll find what you like, I'm sure of it. :)

You can participate in as many comps as you like, and you'll want to because...

Grading and Reward

...the overall winner of the event wins a custom graphic for their dossier: Robe, Warbanner, Weapon, or Accessory.

To get you there there is a scoring system that you can follow:

Overall scoring will be done through points. The score will be calculated based on top placements overall in each competition. Ties will be broken by the number of competitions entered, broken further by the number of higher placements.

• 1st place: 4 points
• 2nd place: 3 points
• 3rd place: 2 point
• All other participants: 1 point

Closing

We'll be posting frequent reminder (once a week, or even more frequent if necessary) so don't worry on missing out, but feel free to subscribe to the comps you'd like to do so you can keep them in mind.

Any questions? Let us know on the Staff mailing list: [Log in to view e-mail addresses]