I am proud to announce the winner of the Tattoo Competition!

We received an overwhelming number of entries by decorative tattooists
across the land: 70 in total. Dragons were by far the most popular
subject matter, followed by Achaean landscapes and the World Tree. From
these, myself and Jingo narrowed down the top ten, and in a
demonstration at my parlour in Delos, I myself painstakingly inked all
ten onto Jingo. Two world-renowned artists, Frida of Caer Witrin and
Zigfrey of Cyrene, judged alongside me to choose the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place winners after carefully inspecting the living canvas.

With his masterful and symbolic portrayal of the sun Ethian,
colloquially known as the Morning Star, and the bottomless pit Abbadon,
destroyer of worlds, the winner was Delphinus! For his artistry he won
the binding of a magical moon tattoo permanently upon his skin, never to
fade. The 2nd and 3rd place winners, Nysa and Asara, shall be awarded
pocketbelts fairly overflowing with inks. The rest of the top ten shall
receive, or already have received, pocketbelts of inks as well for their
imaginative entries. It was a very difficult judging process as so many
of the pieces were deserving, and we thank all those who entered.

Now, a description of the top three entries as judged by our panel:

Delphinus:
Pigments both coruscant and stygian twine with one another to form this
stylised tattoo of the death of a star. Yellow and orange swirl within a
glowing, brazen disc of scintillating ink on the left, forming the
roiling crucible of an immense sun: that of Ethian, the Morning Star. To
its right, the gaping, circular maw of Abaddon, Destroyer of Worlds is
laid out in nonreflective ink of the deepest midnight black. Tongues of
yellow-orange sear the void in an accreted aura around the black hole,
wreathing its edge in a halo of fire, while pitch darkness snakes in
tendrils around the sun's blazing perimeter. The churning eddies of
light and shadow intermingle with each other in a rough approximation of
an infinity symbol.

Nysa:
Masterfully arrayed in a ring of vivid, eye-catching colours are six
dragons of varied size and hue, their miniaturized wings spread
elegantly behind them. Each of the majestic creatures has been inked
with one of the colours of the Greater Dragons of Achaea, flowing
tastefully from royal blue and rich, forest green to robust crimson, and
continuing on into eye-catching gold, opalescent silver, and darkest
ebony. Ripped nearly in two by the enormous talons of the dragons is a
thin, grey veil, the hole in the centre just large enough for a seventh
dragon, the noble white dragon Ashaxei, to be visible between the ragged
edges. Half hidden behind the veil, the radiant form of Maya, the Great
Mother stands comfortably near Ashaxei, Her hand outstretched and
resting atop the dragon's head.

Asara:
An immense dragon of silver hue wings across the background of this
tattoo, the foreground a panoramic view of the Parthren Gare. Bold,
glittering scales reflect the setting sun's rays as it slices down
through the air to illuminate the soaring summit of earth and stone
called Dragonspire Mount. Delicate brushstrokes have painted the
mist-cloaked landscape that embraces its base, only to turn harsh as
they swirl the purple and scarlet hues that compose the star-studded
vista of the vast heavens above. A river of deep azure flows down the
side of the mountain to land in a pool of teals and navies, with dots of
orange begonias partially covering its moss-covered rocks. Drifting
blossoms from pale periwinkle to rich crimson make their way down past a
garden of luminous orbs that float lazily about silken dunes of fine,
black sand. A brilliant array of blended color and skill, this tattoo
offers a fantastic glimpse at a mere portion of Creation's finest.

The remaining seven of the top ten entries, in no particular order:

Rho:
Fearsome Ashaxei is cunningly depicted here in reverse silhouette: a
black pillar defining the boundaries of the dragons form even as the
flesh below gives it colour. The arrangement of the limbs and neck of
the dragon is such that with the undulation of the muscles beneath they
seem to writhe of their own accord. Tattooed in full color in front of
the dragon is the powerful figure of Han-Tolneth, arms crossed as he
regards the viewer placidly. Arranged in an arc over the pillar, a
representative of each dragon hue wheels as one. Their jaws gape to
release terrible blasts of their varied breath, forming bands that wrap
the entire tattoo in a braid of colour.

Elenia:
This painstakingly detailed tattoo depicts the stunning form of Alp, the
Nightmare Siren, poised upon a jagged clifftop in the Vashnarian
Mountains. Her long ebon hair is whipped about her face by the wind, and
her dress swirls about her legs in a dramatic flurry of deep plum
velvet. Braced against the roaring winds engulfing her, she is
silhouetted against a sky of roiling black and purple clouds, jagged
streaks of lightning outlined in a flash of brilliant white. Alp's face
is twisted into a defiant expression, her arms raised as if to embrace
the storm.

Nubbins:
Bright inks depict the Garden of Whispers in Tasur'ke at midday, the
pearl-covered altar of Caspian resting on a cliff overlooking a blue sky
and the deeper blue of the ocean. Standing at the altar is a frail, thin
woman. Her long, black hair spills over the back of her small dress, and
small slippers cover her feet. Her back is turned to the viewer as she
faces the ocean, her head pointing in the direction of a small boat.
Leaning slightly with one hand on the alter, her posture reflects an
attitude of sorrow, hope, and resignation.

Anarwaen:
A pale silver tracery of tiny downy feathers forms a graceful oval
across the back, resplendent in shimmering grey and white. The lower
curve of the oval is wreathed in clouds, inked in soft pink and violet
with silver accents, and from the centre rises the forested isle of
Arcadia, the glistening city cresting the wooded peak in five concentric
rings. A snowy tower crowns the pinnacle, bright against the night sky,
and a pale full moon, shrouded by a wisp of cloud, rises above, seeming
to glow against the deep midnight sky. Here and there, a star twinkles
slightly, the silvery-white pigment catching the light and throwing it
back softly. Across each shoulder blade, the end of an ebon-feathered
wing extends to brush the shoulder, the dark, metallic ink bringing out
the silver and white of the city on the clouds.

Paine:
This diverting design depicts an infamous suicide mouse in mid-leap,
facing forwards. A smart red beret hangs rakishly from its head and a
tiny dagger sticks out horizontally from its clenched teeth. Brown
straps support a disproportionately large black bomb on its back. The
bomb's short fuse glows as if actually lit, the orange, red and yellow
inks applied with the perfect amount of hue and saturation.

Imyrr:
Crafted from the full spectrum of ink, this tattoo glimmers against the
skin. Dark blue, green, and purple form the body of the comet, pocked
and worn by uncountable aeons of travel. Surrounding the body of the
comet is a brilliant corona of fiery reds and yellows and all hues
between, inked with such skill that the careful application of gold ink
gives the tail the appearance of actual incandescence. Flying in the
wake of the comet, lesser Dragons swarm about, sketched in perfect
detail, menacing talons gleaming in the light of the dread Ethian.

Nynae:
A blend of black, silver, and grey inks, this tattoo of a large grey owl
stands in tribute to the Great Mother. Outlined in black and highlighted
with white, each silver-grey feather has been rendered in loving detail,
each distinct from the next. Magnificent wings unfurl from the body of
this regal creature, spread wide as though to encompass the whole of
Creation. The eyes of this great grey owl glitter with the starry black
of midnight sky, seemingly endless in their depth and wisdom.

Long live the creative spirit in Achaea!

Regards,
Vinci

Penned by my hand on the 2nd of Scarlatan, in the year 450 AF.