Finished The Challenge: Season 7 - And the Winner is...
- Thread starter Athena
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The challengers quickly began their climb to the top, picking their ropes along the way. The passages were steep and treacherous, but all of the parties were almost silent, so afraid of potential avalanches that they refused to say a word to each other! Without any good communication, many ropes were tangled and split, causing some of the competitors to abandon their climbs.
The first out was poor TGK. After an early avalanche--thankfully the only one of the trek--tore the first rope out of his fingers, he was never quite able to catch up to the others. Luis and Cecil were the next to fall; both kept reaching for the same ropes and, as a result, they happened to slip at the exact same time and tumbled back down the slope. Mathas was able to keep up rather well despite an early slump, but he was not quite fast enough to beat Altaver to the top.
With the final longest rope in her grasp, all to herself, Altaver made the final dash to the top of the peak all by herself, claiming the win and the reward.
Once they all met back up the ground, Queen Athena invited the challengers to join her in her pavillion, offering them hot teas and cocoa and warm, savory pies to help them recover from the strain of the climb. The challenge itself was not spoken of, but the challengers couldn't help but occasionally glance at TGK, knowing he was the loser, especially Altaver who hoped to reap the reward of his scrolls.
However, when the time finally came to pay up, TGK's pockets were empty. "I'm sorry, your grace." The young feline Sorcerer hung his head in apology. "I used up the last of my scrolls during the last long challenge. I'm afraid I have nothing left to pay my debt for this loss... unless you'd accept a pretty ice spell as payment, Altaver?"
The Queen shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, the rules are clear, and if you have no scrolls to pay to the winner, your position is forfeit. After we return to the castle, you will have to leave the challenge."
"But wait," Altaver butted in,"if he doesn't have any scrolls to pay... then what do I win?"
Athena laughed. "I guess I hadn't thought about that. It looks as if your prize for winning this challenge is not much at all. Unless, of course, you'd like to take TGK up on his offer of an ice spell."
"Oh gods," Altaver groaned with a shiver, "no thank you. I think I've had enough ice and snow to last a lifetime."
The first out was poor TGK. After an early avalanche--thankfully the only one of the trek--tore the first rope out of his fingers, he was never quite able to catch up to the others. Luis and Cecil were the next to fall; both kept reaching for the same ropes and, as a result, they happened to slip at the exact same time and tumbled back down the slope. Mathas was able to keep up rather well despite an early slump, but he was not quite fast enough to beat Altaver to the top.
With the final longest rope in her grasp, all to herself, Altaver made the final dash to the top of the peak all by herself, claiming the win and the reward.
Once they all met back up the ground, Queen Athena invited the challengers to join her in her pavillion, offering them hot teas and cocoa and warm, savory pies to help them recover from the strain of the climb. The challenge itself was not spoken of, but the challengers couldn't help but occasionally glance at TGK, knowing he was the loser, especially Altaver who hoped to reap the reward of his scrolls.
However, when the time finally came to pay up, TGK's pockets were empty. "I'm sorry, your grace." The young feline Sorcerer hung his head in apology. "I used up the last of my scrolls during the last long challenge. I'm afraid I have nothing left to pay my debt for this loss... unless you'd accept a pretty ice spell as payment, Altaver?"
The Queen shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, the rules are clear, and if you have no scrolls to pay to the winner, your position is forfeit. After we return to the castle, you will have to leave the challenge."
"But wait," Altaver butted in,"if he doesn't have any scrolls to pay... then what do I win?"
Athena laughed. "I guess I hadn't thought about that. It looks as if your prize for winning this challenge is not much at all. Unless, of course, you'd like to take TGK up on his offer of an ice spell."
"Oh gods," Altaver groaned with a shiver, "no thank you. I think I've had enough ice and snow to last a lifetime."
Challenge 12 Results
Picking Ropes
Picking Ropes
The final rope lengths for all challengers are as follows:
@Celever: 77.7m
@Skyleaf2000: 44m
@Vracken: 43.5m
@Brave Vesperia: 34.2m
@Luispipe8: 34.2m
@thegroyvlekid: 13.5m
Overall, I'm not sure what I expected from this challenge, and I got exactly what I expected. I had thought there would be at least a bit more discussion in thread, but instead basically no attempt to communicate was made at all. Celever's plan of just automatically submitting the longest rope each time ended up being optimal, though of course it wouldn't have been if everyone thought the same. @Skyleaf2000: 44m
@Vracken: 43.5m
@Brave Vesperia: 34.2m
@Luispipe8: 34.2m
@thegroyvlekid: 13.5m
A few interesting notes from the choices made:
- BV and Luis chose the same ropes every single round.
- Skyleaf was the only one who never split a rope with anyone, which enabled her to make a pretty good comeback despite a bad start.
- TGK would have lost even if he had had a SoSMA to use for his rule-break in Round 1, since his submitted rope had been 35m and he still would have ended up with the lowest overall totals had that gone through.
- Full rope choices can be seen below:
In the end, @Celever is the winner, and @thegrovylekid must pay him all existing SoSMA as punishment. Unfortunately, TGK no longer has any scrolls, and so...
@thegrovylekid has been eliminated from the game!
Thank you very much for participating! I hope you enjoyed your time in the game. Please contact me privately if you would like a link to the Dead/Spectator QT to discuss the game behind the scenes.
The Next Challenge?
Due to increasing busy-ness over the next few days, the next challenge won't go up until early next week. It will be a kind of simple, lighthearted challenge, and a bit more fast-paced than some of the other ones we've had recently, so I hope you all will have fun with it. I know I will! Use the next few days to bribe me and learn as much about me as you can while it's still free.
Mass tag for challenge end! @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @thegrovylekid, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
Ah, well. It was fun. Thanks for th game, Athena!
*Stretches jaw*
Wow, having restrictions about what words you can say is stupid. At one point I tried to actually make a post, but after looking into the censored words, I blatantly ran out of ways to try and articulate my point. That's why there were no posts. :/ Mad props to Vracken for figuring out we could say "highest" or "lowest", though. Never even crossed my mind!
TBF, the Xanadu's challenge was still way better.
Wow, having restrictions about what words you can say is stupid. At one point I tried to actually make a post, but after looking into the censored words, I blatantly ran out of ways to try and articulate my point. That's why there were no posts. :/ Mad props to Vracken for figuring out we could say "highest" or "lowest", though. Never even crossed my mind!
TBF, the Xanadu's challenge was still way better.
I didn't post because I was afraid of accidentally breaking a rule.
Which is funny, because we did it first in that Key Game during Challenge 6. xD
I mean, uh, I'm pretty sure we didn't restrict everything a participant could possibly want to say, though. In this challenge we couldn't even say the name of the host!
Post restrictions are fine if executed well, like that iambic pentameter challenge in Season 4. I just think this one was far too restrictive. :L
After the distant, cold mountain climbing challenge, everyone was happy to return to the warmth and safety of the castle. The challengers spent a few days relaxing in their rooms by the fire until they were called together once again for another challenge. Instead of being summoned to the throne room, however, they found themselves led to the Queen's personal solar, a cozy room full of pillows, large windows, and cats at the top of the Queen's tower.
"Welcome, everyone," Athena greeted them warmly from her perch atop a pile of pillows in the corner. One of the castle cats was curled up on her lap, blissfully asleep. "I thought we'd have a bit more relaxing challenge this time around, as a contrast to some of the more strenuous activities you've had lately. It will also give you an opportunity to learn more about me as a result. Take a seat wherever you'd like, and let's see how well you truly know your Queen..."
"Welcome, everyone," Athena greeted them warmly from her perch atop a pile of pillows in the corner. One of the castle cats was curled up on her lap, blissfully asleep. "I thought we'd have a bit more relaxing challenge this time around, as a contrast to some of the more strenuous activities you've had lately. It will also give you an opportunity to learn more about me as a result. Take a seat wherever you'd like, and let's see how well you truly know your Queen..."
Challenge 14
Pick-an-Image, Queen Athena edition
Pick-an-Image, Queen Athena edition
This challenge will consist of multiple rounds, each round showcasing two or more images. Challengers must submit which image they feel Athena likes the best within a given time frame, gaining a point for each correct answer. Players may use Scrolls to ask Athena questions during the game. The challenger with the highest number of points will be crowned the winner, and the challenger with the least points will be eliminated.
Instructions:
- This challenge will last for 17 rounds, each round consisting of a post that contains two or more images for you to choose between. There will always be at least 2 images, though there will occasionally be more. By the time I post the images, my favourite of the group will already have been predetermined.
- You may discuss the options in thread or amongst each other privately as much as you wish, but all actual choices must be submitted to me via PM. All PMs are final; once a choice has been submitted, it cannot be changed. Please use the same PM conversation for all submissions.
- To help you pick my brain and discover which option I'm more likely to have picked as my favourite, you can use a SoSMA to ask my questions during the challenge. Details are found below in the SoSMA section.
- Each round will have a 48 hour submission period. This gives people enough time to discuss and use Scrolls if they wish, and also gives me time to set up the next round. If you do not submit a response by the deadline for a given round, you will simply not receive any points for that round.
- When the next round is posted, the correct answer for the previous round will be given, so you can tell how well you are doing.
- Round 1 will be posted tomorrow, Friday, September 9th at around 1:00pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 12:00pm BST, 7:00am Eastern US time, 4:00am Pacific US time, or approximately an hour past the time of this post in your own time zone.
- With each round taking 2 days, and there being 17 rounds total, I anticipate the entire challenge ending on October 11th, hopefully. After this, The Challenge will go on a short hiatus while I have a guest in town and will effectively be on a mini-vacation.
- At the end of all rounds, full point totals for all challengers will be publicly displayed. The player with the most total points will win a prize of some sort (currently undecided, suggestions welcome), while the player with the least points will face elimination.
- If multiple players are tied for winning, well, uh, I'll think of something, depending on what I end up choosing for a prize.
- If multiple players are tied for losing, then each of them can make a public appeal to stay in the challenge and all non-losing players will vote for which should be eliminated and which will remain.
- If multiple players are tied for winning, well, uh, I'll think of something, depending on what I end up choosing for a prize.
- Just a side note, but it's possible (though unlikely) that my upcoming surgery will impact my ability to update things. If this is going to happen, I'll post about it to let you guys know and decide what to do when/if the time comes.
Scroll of Summon Magical Assistant: Use ??? (I lost track)
(Each of you started with a number of Scrolls of Magical Assistant, a magic item that can be used to give you various advantages throughout the game. Each time a new use of the item is revealed, it will be posted about in the Update (like this section here and now), and also added to the OP for easy reference. Please Note: Each Scroll is single use only! Once you use a Scroll for any purpose it is used up and your total number of scrolls goes down by one. If you ever want to know how many scrolls you currently have available at any given point, feel free to ask.)
SoSMA: Bribe the Queen! (Challenge 14 only): Each challenger may spend 1 SoSMA to ask me 3 questions to pick my brain and help you figure out what my favourite for something might be. You can also spend multiple SoSMA to ask even more questions, getting 3 more questions for each SoSMA spent. Questions can be saved and asked throughout the course of the challenge and don't have to be used immediately.
There are, however, some restrictions on what questions can be asked:
- You cannot ask me point blank to answer any given round. For example, if a round had a picture of an apple and a picture of an orange to choose between, asking me "Which do you like better, apples or oranges?" would not be a valid question.
- Overly long and complicated questions will also be invalid. Using the above example again, if you asked me "Please list all fruits in order of your favourite to least favourite," I would not accept it as a valid question.
- There may also be other instances in which I refuse to answer a question, though I can't think up any right now.
If you are uncertain how many SoSMAs you have available, you are welcome to ask me. If you have any other questions about this particular use of SoSMA, please ask!
Mass Tag! Round 1 starts tomorrow, so be prepared!
@Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
@Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
Ohgod, it's the first round and I'm already late.... -_-;;;
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
Each round will last 48 hours (though I may end some rounds early, especially if I was late in posting them like this one). As such, the deadline for Round 1 is Sunday, September 11th at around 3:30pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 2:30pm BST, 9:30am Eastern US time, 6:30am Pacific US time, or approximately the time of this post in your own time zone.
Pick-an-Image Round 1
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
A:
C:
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
Each round will last 48 hours (though I may end some rounds early, especially if I was late in posting them like this one). As such, the deadline for Round 1 is Sunday, September 11th at around 3:30pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 2:30pm BST, 9:30am Eastern US time, 6:30am Pacific US time, or approximately the time of this post in your own time zone.
Round 1 Results: The correct answer was B! My love of Shellos isn't exactly a secret thing around these parts, as it seems like most of you all knew. Onto the next round, and the battle of the remakes! :3
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
Each round will last 48 hours (though I may end some rounds early after all answers have been received, especially if I was late in posting them). As such, the deadline for Round 2 is Tuesday, September 13th at around 3:30pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 2:30pm BST, 9:30am Eastern US time, 6:30am Pacific US time, or approximately the time of this post in your own time zone.
Mass Tag: @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
Onto the next round, and the battle of the remakes! :3Pick-an-Image Round 2
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
F:
A:
C:
E:
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
Each round will last 48 hours (though I may end some rounds early after all answers have been received, especially if I was late in posting them). As such, the deadline for Round 2 is Tuesday, September 13th at around 3:30pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 2:30pm BST, 9:30am Eastern US time, 6:30am Pacific US time, or approximately the time of this post in your own time zone.
Mass Tag: @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
Mass tag fun! @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
I'm going to edit this into the previous post as well now so future round starts will just have a bunch of tags automatically included and therefore I don't have to spam as much.
I'm going to edit this into the previous post as well now so future round starts will just have a bunch of tags automatically included and therefore I don't have to spam as much.
Round 2 Results: The correct answer was D! Not a lot of people got this, though; I guess I haven't gushed about my love of Soul Silver on the forums here much: my favourite of all the remakes and one of my favourite Pokémon games in general. I was tempted to give half points to the people who at least guessed correctly which version of each duo that I actually played (Leaf Green and Alpha Sapphire of the other sets), but those weren't even guessed, so I guess it was a moot point. Onto round 3, where the pick will probably be easier...
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
This round will actually be long because I messed up and forgot that I'll be gone all Thursday afternoon/evening to celebrate my anniversary with my husband. As such, the deadline for Round 3 will be Friday, September 16th at 1:00pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 12:00pm BST, 7:00am Eastern US time, 4:00am Pacific US time, or approximately 2.5 hours before the time of this post in your own time zone.
Unless everyone submits by noon on Thursday, anyway, then I can end the round early
Mass Tag: @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
Pick-an-Image Round 3
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
A:
D:
When you have made your selection, please PM me with the text ##PICK: (letter) to indicate which image you think is my favourite of the bunch!
This round will actually be long because I messed up and forgot that I'll be gone all Thursday afternoon/evening to celebrate my anniversary with my husband. As such, the deadline for Round 3 will be Friday, September 16th at 1:00pm Central European Summer Time. That is the same as 12:00pm BST, 7:00am Eastern US time, 4:00am Pacific US time, or approximately 2.5 hours before the time of this post in your own time zone.
Unless everyone submits by noon on Thursday, anyway, then I can end the round early
Mass Tag: @Brave Vesperia, @Jabberwock, @Luispipe8, @Celever, @Skyleaf2000, @Vracken
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