The stage has been set. The characters have been announced. Time for things to get interesting, wouldn't you say?

To get the plot moving along, most stories need something big, something that makes a distant goal seem up close, personal, and important. If the problem is crime in Gotham, the death of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne is our inciting incident. It's a Kindly One attacking a twelve-year old in the Met. It's Dante taking his first steps into the abyss.

Srok Khmer is the second-largest city in the Tau Empire on the southern continent of Aimsir. Renowned for its three competing universities of Layqa, Hamut'ay, and Runakay (specializing in the study of magic, science, and history/philosophy respectively,) the entire city hasn't had anything more violent than a drunken brawl in years. However, what really distinguishes Srok Khmer is its famous Cartographer Guild. Composed of the best mapmakers from each university, the Guild works in concert with each institution to create maps of astonishing detail and accuracy. Of course, each university believes its own maps are superior to the others, and many a plump academic sacrifices years to perfect a specific map or technique.

What better place to begin the search for a long-lost tree than a city famous for maps and scholarship?

Of course, there is a tiny wrinkle, one that soon makes itself obvious.

Everyone else had the same idea.

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The Task

-This is analogous to a Bloodbath Task in the traditional Hunger Games format. They serve similar functions, and a similar proportion of tributes will be eliminated.

-While in Srok Khmer, your tribute must encounter another tribute or group of tributes and somehow realize that they share a goal- the World Tree. I'm looking for creativity here! This is probably not a fact that the other tribute will volunteer (unless you can make that work.)

-Shit has to go down at some point. I'm requiring three entry kills this task, as well as three more in some combination of entry kills and ballot kills. Include a kill list for both, or your kills will not be counted.

-Fun fact about Srok Khmer! The current duke of the city, due to the conflict with demons in the south, has told his loyal soldiers (think police, but with more brutality and swords) to monitor the magical races with "extreme suspicion." Make of that what you will.

-Eight tributes will go up for votes. Six will be eliminated.

Due Date: Sunday, June 14, at 5 PM EST/10 PM GMT