Congratulations, as always Wizard Players came out in force with some very unique dorms. Without further waiting here are your winners!
Grand
Erica
First
Iridian Willowglen
The Conjurer’s Collaboration Conference (or CCC because educators love to abbreviate) was held this summer at Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. In order to accommodate all of the participants from Pigswick Academy and The Arcanum, all faculty members had to share rooms. Organizers felt it was best to randomly pick names to assign dorm rooms. Unfortunately, this led to more than a few conflicts! Of course everyone wanted their space to be comfortable during their stay and as soon as they arrived, they pulled out their wands. Poof! Zap! Decorations appeared to suit the inhabitants. Madame Dalia Falmea and Professor Lydia Greyrose were assigned to the same room. They are obviously as different as night and day! Everytime Professor Greyrose crafted a piece of icy furniture, Madame Falmea’s fiery décor would melt it! Professor Greyrose was in a tizzy! Her yarn basket was getting wet! Her favorite plant was getting singed, so she put it in an iceberg to protect it. She loves the theater and her favorite comedyand tragedy masks were so scared they hid in amongst the balls of yarn! She tried casting a blizzard spell, but it just turned to raindrops and made the situation worse. She finally had to call Headmaster Ambrose to intervene. He cast a wall of thermal protection down the middle of the room so the teachers could focus on the conference and not on their décor! He also instructed the committee never to randomly assign teachers to be roommates ever again!
Use of items: Dalia’s pet, Ignatius (dragon pedestal) is playing in the embers of her fireplace. When he’s ready for a nap, he sleeps on his cushion (padded stool). The mantle clock is Dalia’s alarm clock on her bedside table. The comedy and tragedy masks are in the yarn basket next to Lydia’s chair. The palm fronds are in an ice chunk near the door (only visible in picture A).
Second
Katie
Paragraph 1:
The night and day represent two entirely different worlds throughout time. The night embodies the evil and darkness in our lives which juxtaposes the new life and hope of the day. It is the dramatic contrast between these two worlds that signifies the turmoil in our life that portrays the difficult and enlightening experiences of our lives. The night is characterized by the gloominess on one side of the dorm which portrays the fear and grief in our life during times of hardship that is illustrated by the wicked dragons and glum trees. Whilst the distinct vibrant side of the room displays that in despite of tough times, there is always hope. It is the plants and trees that implies renewal and new possibilities during the day. As it is the blooming flower in the center that signifies that it is rather a period of growth and developmental in life which is essential to overcome the obstacles we face. Just as the night and day comes and goes, the encounters of the good and bad are inevitable, that it is bound to our timeline, but it is how we chose to deal with these difficult times that allow us to achieve the best in life. Ultimately, the concept of night and day represents the idea of the good and bad experiences in life.
Paragraph 2:
The night is denoted by the concept of darkness and evil which is rendered by using dragon pedestals. The dragons, being a symbol of chaos and evil by their petrifying gaze instil the idea of fear and darkness we experience in our life during times of hardship. In contrast, the palm fronds that are used amongst a variety of other plants represent the idea of the renewal and goodness of life during the day. Whilst the integration of the palm fronds in the blooming flower embodies the unfolding of leaves to signify growth. The turmoil of the good and bad times occurs during the length of our lives, where we must endure during these times of distress. This is portrayed by incorporating the padded stools, as it is our patience and resilience that plays a vital role in our development as individuals. Whilst the use of numerous padded stools indicates that we are not alone as individuals, but rather there are other people who bear these challenging times and also there are others that you are united with during this passage of hardship. Throughout time, the night and day pass and switch over, they are never static. This is similar to how our experiences of the good and bad come and go, which is implied by the inclusion of the mantle clock floating above us, as reminder that time always lingering around us. As we endure these difficult times, we often seek to achieve satisfaction and happiness and to others may act like everything fine despite our grief. The theater mask is a symbol of the barrier we put up to others to seem brave despite our suffering during the night.
Third
Keller Spirit
Title: The Iroquois Twins
From the womb of earth arose
Two friends who fought like foes
Though much alike, and twins they were
Dislike and hate shan't cease occur
The twin of night sought darkness and evil
His might was not either gentle nor feeble
The twin of day shone bright like the sun
He fought to atone and slights, undone
As day conquers night, and night conquers day
This is the cycle of our everyday
Bloody is the battle of infinite rift
Always remember each day is a gift
Using the required items as more of the main components in the dorm, rather than an outlier, was my main goal during the build. Because I based it on the Iroquois legend of creation, I used the palm fronds as substitutes for feathers in the Night twin's headdress. The back of the mantle clock is used for the base of the headdress, as a replacement for what would normally be animal hide. Dawning the face of the Night twin is the theater mask; speckled with stars and moons. My character is used as the Day twin, who I positioned inside a grown, sunk, nimbari brazier as his "light." I used the cushion of the padded stool as pools of blood to show their everlasting battle. Lastly, the dragon pedestals are meant to be the hands of Night twin breaking out of the ground. (Unfortunately, it did not turn out as well as I had hoped. The hands are easier to visualize by focusing on the mask instead, or squinting, or crossing your eyes.) XD
Judges Choices
Judge A
The use of the five items and decorations brought this dorm together. Paragraphs were very interesting to read.
"Through the Looking Glass"
By: Ellie Rose
Each day is a new beginning. A new slate, a new opportunity, but most of all, a new experience. For Ellie, her day begins the moment her bedside alarm goes off and ends at night when she arrives back home tired, and ready to rest. This daily routine becomes ever so familiar to Ellie. Once the alarm goes off, she hurries down the stairs, greets the dog, waters the plants, and heads straight to her makeup table. This makeup table, plays a significant role in Ellie's life. On this table lies products such as Krokotopian eyeliner, Zafarian imported eyeshadows and an exclusive Wysterian lipstick set designed by Belladonna Crisp. However, as aesthetic this vanity looks, it symbolizes a deeper subject in Ellie's life. This being, her self-confidence. As Ellie stares back at her reflection and a vision of a grotesque stares back at her, she cannot help but feel a sense of obligation to put on a mask of makeup before heading out to explore the spiral. Though, as this routine continues through her everyday life; Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, and months turn into years. By now, her plants have grown and died, and have grown again, and Ellie too, has grown older and wiser. She has learned to grow fonder of herself and begins to reflects back to the days when she let a distorted image of her define her strength as a wizard. As she stares back intensely into the mirror, she no longer sees a grotesque. She sees herself and she is proud. She remembers that she could not have done this without the support of the many impactful wizards surrounding her. She reminds herself on days when she doesn't feel her best, that confidence and self appreciation is not something that can be accomplished in a span of a day, or over a night, but rather it is something that is achieved gradually over time. As day and night come and go, Ellie realizes that with the emmaculate support of her friends and the experiences that have paved the path of her wizard's career, that it didn't matter how others perceived her, but rather how she perceived herself. And at last, through all of it, Ellie finds peace as she now proudly believes that she has become the best version of herself.
PARAGRAPH 2:
In this dorm, I used the 5 required items to symbolize important aspects in Ellie's journey towards self appreciation. In the perspective of the dorm, the key points to keep in context are time, insecurity, deception, support, and lastly growth. I used the mantle clock to represent time. In Ellie's daily routine, she never fails to wake up to the sound of an alarm. The alarm marks the start of every new day. As night goes and day comes, it becomes more clear to Ellie that makeup plays a big role in her life. At her makeup table, the presence of the dragon pedestal incapsulated in the mirror represents insecurity. As Ellie looks at her reflection and sees herself as a grotesque, she uses that vision as a justification to apply makeup. Often, makeup is considered as a mask-like addition to one's face. Because of this factor, I utilized the theater mask to represent deception. As these previous furniture items represent the short-comings in Ellie's life, we must also look at the other aspects present in her dorm. I used the requirement of the padded stool to signify support. Located in the window as a plant holder, the padded stool serves symbolically as an object that lifts things up. It also represents the endless love and support that Ellie's friends provide to her. By putting the plant at such height, it is able to flourish and become more radiant as days pass. Very similarly to the plant holder, Ellie's friends and the support system that Ellie has, greatly motivates her to appreciate herself more. Ellie doesn't realize it, but through her morning routine as she tumbles down the stairs, pets her dog and nonchalantly waters her plants, she plays a substantial part in gradually aiding their growth. This leads us to the last and final required item, being the palm fronds. The palm fronds represents growth in Ellie's life. In each passing day, the plants grow more beautiful. Ellie learns that loving and appreciating herself did not come easy. As the plants grew and bloomed extravagantly, so did Ellie. She is reminded that without the balance of good and bad in her journey, she could not have found the perfect blend to becoming the best version of herself. Ellie's story is often a familiar one amongst many individuals struggling with their self image. However, it is important to reflect on oneselves and remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. If you ever find yourself relating to Ellie, always remember that growth comes with time, and that the experiences learned from the days that come and the nights that go are merely the baby steps in progressing towards happiness.
Judge B
The eternal struggle - siblings! The story is short but full of punch, I giggled more than once! Loved the shower!
Jacqueline Smith
I really dislike sharing a home with my brother, we are total opposites - like apples and oranges or day and night. He is dirty and untidy, and I like to be clean with everything in its place. If you want proof take a gander at the pictures I took whilst he was out.
My brother never throws anything out or puts anything away, so there are always empty cans and cartons lying around – as you can see on his red table with matching stool (about the only thing which matches). He also refuses to sweep as he doesn’t like the colour of my broom – seriously! So, all the dirt on his side seems to find its way to the back of his room and now even has ‘shrooms growing. I suppose you will not be surprised to learn he is never on time, especially now the clock is broken after he threw it in the corner. My brother is so grubby that there is no way I will let him use my wonderful bath with the dragon shower head. AND he has a really warped sense of humour – he bought the theatre mask and said the sad face was me as I am such a grump, hmph!
Judge C
Great imagination coming up with the 'magical mirror' reflecting the day
Adam RavenSpear
There is a forest with a magical mirror in the center. It is night in the forest, however the reflection in the mirror shows it during the daytime. The mirror also shows a change in season; it is Fall in the forest, but Spring in the reflection. The mirror is guarded by a monster with two heads, each head wearing a mask that is the opposite of the other. The monster can control the time shown in the reflection with the clock it wears.
The padded stools were used to create birds flying in the daytime sky. Palm fronds decorate the forest. Two dragon pedestals were used to create the heads and body of the monster. The monster wears the mask to make it look mysterious, and the clock because it can control time.
Judge D
Wonderful job decorating! Inventive story, I especially liked the reason for bringing the stool!
Kristen MoonDreamer
I received an extremely rare drop: a map to the legendary pirate, Mimic Marauder’s treasure! (He obtained the nickname by being such a spectacular mimic, he would awe entire ship crews with his talent and afterwards, while his audience remained distracted talking about the performance they had just witnessed, he would secretly pillage their ships!) I set sail in my row boat with some supplies and found Mimic's skull-rock cavern, although a serpent was keeping me from collecting some of the treasure. I don't know where time went, but as I looked out of the cave, I knew I was going to be late getting home: the sky was already ablaze with the setting sun, and the moon was high in the sky!
The Palm Fronds are on the sand, leaning against a barrel; it is a small fan to promote staying cool in the tropical climate. The Padded Stool is on the beach barrel (behind the Palm Fronds), and I brought it on my journey because hours of a wooden row boat seat didn’t sound fun! 😉 The Mantle Clock is on the barrel in the boat, and it is to keep track of time, because rowing in the dark can be dangerous (it also acts as a paper weight for the treasure map). The Theater Mask can be seen on the front of the treasure chest; it is the symbol of the Mimic Marauder! The Dragon Pedestal is by the treasure chest; it is a serpent that seems to have arrived to claim its part of the treasure!
Honorable Mentions
Alex Frost
Mitchell MythHunter
Destinty DragonDreamer
Noah
Julia Fire
Austin Fire
llewella RubyFlame
Jacqueline Sky
Daniel Dragonblade
Brooke Spriteshield
Mark Dragonhaven
Brand Brand
Lucas Silver
Amber Roseblossom
Megan IceBreeze
Random Draws
Dolan FairyGiver
Molly HexSong
Samantha WaterFlower
Morgan Nightshade
ThomasDuskCaster
Julia
Sydney ShadowWalker
Ellie IceRiver
Brian
Keller AnvilHorn
