Sand Castle Building Contest

Main Beach

A wide strip of snowy white sand stretches out, sloping gently downward to meet with the lake's gently rippling waters. Not overly large, it curves with the water's edge, dunes not present; instead, there are kicked-up mounds and child-made ditches. A few logs create a line a ways back from the water, becoming what is easily recognizable as a lounging space for young and old alike. The lake spreads far, surface shimmering in the faintest light, a river's mouth just visible in the distance.

Oppressive midsummer heat blankets the south. People move sluggishly and a noon siesta to get out of the worst of the sun seems almost mandatory. The sunlight glittering off the bay is almost blinding in its intensity, and the unending blue sky above is a deep rich azure.

Lasarah looks over the crowd in satisfaction. "Glad you all could make it - I'm looking forward to seeing some wonderful sand castles - or whatever you want to build. We have buckets, shovels, and cups over here for your use." Lasa gestures to a pile of materials stacked in the upper part of the beach. "Simkus here will be the judge. Each person should explain how they are building the castle to him, and then at the end, you will explain your castle to both of us. The prize for the best castle will be a firelizard egg."

OOC: Lasarah says, "Simkus will pose, then each of you pose building the castle. There will be 3 series of poses, when you pose after his pose. At the end, we will go around and ask for the descs of each castle built. Have fun!!"

As Lasarah speaks, Maelgwn makes his way toward her, interested. "I wonder what colour 'lizard it is..." He mutters to himself as he watches for the starting signal.

Angharad arches an eyebrow toward the green, grinning. "Lucky you. Mine are no help at /all/," and she juggles the small flight that clings to shoulders, back, and upper arm. She, too, gravitates toward the judges, her quick, decisive steps bending oddly as her feet catch in the sand.

Simkus nods towards Lasarah. "I also want to thank you all for coming. Good luck to you all. You may begin to build." Simkus steps to the side and begins to take notes.

Virginia grabs a bucket and shovel, finds a likely spot, and begins to dig. In, out, in, out, shoveling sand all day. A small mound begins to form, and it becomes bigger and bigger as she digs. After a while, it is around five feet tall! Virginia stands up, and moves over to her huge sandpile. It's almost as tall as her! She shoves some sand back into the hole she made, for she wouldn't want anyone to trip in it. She picks up the bucket and shovel, and puts them back with the other tools. She then grabs a stick, and begins to draw lines the in mound. What /could/ she be up to????

Callysto smiles at Gigi. "Hi!" She then grins to Lasarah and Simkus. In one hand, she carries a bag of supplies. Cally nods, and goes over to the buckets, shovels, and cups, taking one of each. She takes off her boots, socks, and rolls up her trousers. Walking over to the water, she steps in slowly. The water is very refreshing after walking on the warm sands. She dips her bucket into the water and takes it over to a free patch of sand. Cally sets it down and picks up the circle, digging a circle about 4 feet around. Emptying out the bag, pieces of straw and sticks scatter out across the sand of different sizes. The sand left over from the circle is dumped into the water, and from there placed inside the circle.

Maelgwn runs down to the water's edge and collects his firelizard on the way. Right. Now that that's done, he makes his way back up the beach slightly, still below the high tide mark, but far enough so that the water won't wash the castle away. He scoops up the sand and his little 'lizard starts to scratch, helping, if only a little. He starts to fashion towers out of the sand, making them tall, He then starts to build up the walls, a small stick beside him, ready for the next step.

Angharad crouches down amidst the blaze of white sand, near the water's edge. "A bit smelly," she remarks softly, "but it does pack well." A hump of sand grows slowly, rising at last to be as tall as she is, half-kneeling on the damp tide-mark. Fingers scrape and the delicate metal rod she's brought picks gently at the crumbling sand, forming squares and circles, pentagons and triangles. She's still smiling--this isn't too trying, after all.

Lasarah is practically dancing with excitement. She weaves in and out of all the contestants, peering at their progress, grinning as they dig furiously in the sand. What could they be making? She tries to catch Simkus's eye, but he, the serious one, is concentrating too hard on making small marks in his little notebook.

Jorg waves to Lasa as he trudles down the beach stairway. 'Too hot to sleep" he explains as he comes closer, "Besides this time of year the only good exploring is done at night." Pleasantries over Jorg meanders over to an extra damp spot where the sand is /just/ right. There is a science to these things you know. Item to dig, hands grope out into the darkness coming into contact with a piece of driftwood perfect. And away he goes, oh, look at the big whole he is making.

Rosemary grabbing great handfuls of sand. she pushes and smoothes out the sand to make a flat a area in which to build her castle. She then grabs a shovel and near her chosen spot she digs and digs until she has a fair sized pile of sand. She grabs her bucket and fills it with water she carefully wets the flat spot where she will build her castle. She then emptys the rest of the water on the pile of sand. "wet sand is good sand i always say."

Simkus walks around a little, making notes in his book on each of the contestants.

Rosemary grabs her shovel and slowly digs out a shallow hole. She then again grabs a bucket fills it up and poors it slowly into the shallow hole not wanting to make it bigger. She grabs some twigs near bye and makes a square patch near the pool of water. She then grabs a pile of sand and makes a volcano shape near her chosen flat spot.

Virginia steps back from her mound for a moment, and studies it. She moves to the left side, and begin shaping a seeming 'pathway' into the sand. It leads straight up, with no obstacles. She pats it down carefully, and moves away again. "Hummm.....that looks good." She moves to the right side, and begins making another pathway. This one is wiggling up the side though.....strange. She pulls a bunch of twigs and rocks out of her pouch, and begins sticking them into the side of her mountain. Strange, yes, but definately Gigi.

Well okay maybe the hole isn't the sand sculpture, but the mound next to it will soon be. Pile judged large enough Jorg leaves the little gully and starts pating the sand here and there forming a long and narrow hump not much like a castle at all. In fact he is shoving sand into smaller mounds in size locations on the two sides. Is he crazy or is there really a method to his madness?

Callysto continues to pile and mold wet sand in the circle. At one point, she forms a tunnel -- or is that a tunnel? -- at one point in the circle. Soon, what seems like walls are formed. Bucket empty, she returns to the water to fill it up again. She runs back and places the bucket down. One wall tumbled down into the circle/ditch. "Ugh!" Cally works as fast as she can to build the wall up again. Done. Several other walls are built inside that one, and a hole is made through them. Towers are built at four sides, with a clear area towards the middle. Sticks are placed against the walls, and sand balls are placed in the center. A long, skinny hole is made at the center. On top of that, she places some sticks and then looks around. "Ah huh!" Cally finds a shiny, white shell and places that on the sticks. She grabs some straw and scatters it on top of the huts. Finally, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out two wooden runner toys, which she places in the middle. She stands up to look at her work.

Angharad has a recognizable castle now, long slim spires buttressed by handy pieces of driftwood. A courtyard grows under diligent fingers, and the detailing starts, tiny curve upon tiny curve, deep-graven into the damp white sand. Lip is bitten as a section of wall half-collapses, but the smile returns as real stones are added to the mix, and ruins are sculpted out of the tragedy, handy pick defining each imperiled block in the gap. A small trench is lined with leaves--brought in some pocket--and a channel is made to where the lake laps. A single pointed grass-blade flag flutters from a twig.

Maelgwn smiles and whistles as he works, the little lizard crooning softly, if slightly out of tune. He now, with the little stick, starts to draw in all of the little bricks, and not just cross hatching, no! He actually is doing the brick pattern! A grin as he finishes off the last line, and he looks up. Tori is sitting on top of the sand castle, so far. Uh-oh. And she won't move. "I guess I'll have to build around her," he mutters as he piles the wet sand around her with a grin as she squarks. "Now, If you move, I won't feed you for a week." He grins as she squarks again, and he builds up the next level, leaving her head and neck uncovered. This time he pick up the little stick and draws in the drawbridge, the artist in him making it a raised drawbridge. He then prodeeds to dig the moat out, a laugh as the sand is thrown towards the ocean.

Simkus walks around looking at the various castles, in various stages of being built. He pauses for a little time and watches each person building thiers, taking notes.

Virginia again stands back from her project, and grins. "Lookin good, just a bit more debris needed." She adds some more sticks and twigs to her mountain, and stands back. She nods her head, and looks quite pleased with herself. She yells over to Simkus, "Done!" She quickly retracts her words. "No, Im not!" She shouts again, and pulls a large, semi-round object out of her pouch. The finishing touch. Her clasped hand opens to reveal a rose-hued shell. Perfect, it matches the prize egg. She places it carefully at the top of her moutain, where the paths converge. She moves back, and smiles. Now she really is finished. She tries to wave Simkus over. "Now Im really done, and I mean it!" She makes a final pat, and sits down next to her creation. Now just to wait.

Callysto stands back, looking at her castle. "Hmmm, am I missing anything? Ah, yes!" She kneels down and adds a final wall between the four towers with wet sand, supported by flying butresses and sticks. Cally bites her lip, /hoping/ it won't fall. Luckily, all supporters stay, and wall stands. She sighs, hand on heart. Cally scans the castle... everything there? Good. "Done."

Angharad is now inlaying the seperated ridges of dune grass into the walls of her ethereal creation, adding sharply defined shutters to gothic windows, creating a frail, Oriental-style bridge. Small flecks of shell, both of mollusk-type and 'lizard type, cobble the walkway to the open-doored castle. When at last she's finished scraping and fussing, she stands and stretches, felinely graceful as she attends to the sand on her pants with lake-damp hands. "Ready, sir."

Jorg continues to shape the six mounds giving them, claws? Yes, this kidlet has done it again, he is defiantly out there. Talons completed to his satisfaction he turns his attention to the more rounded end, a head perhaps? A handy stick erases the uncertainty with clear strokes that give way to the image of yow beady eyes on a turtle like face. Two small sticks are even pressed into the sand "mouth" for fangs. A bit of shifting later and a few finishing touches and before you lays a tunnel snake made for sand. Yup, you heard me right, a tunnel snake.

Rosemary quickly builds a bunch of little mounds of various sizes and shapes. She carefully ads twigs and rocks to the building/mounds. She looks around and spots some greenery a few paces away. She gets up and quickly grabs some and carefully adds it to the little spaces near the certain buildings. She then carefully adds some finishing touches, then as she remebers something she frantically grabs a twig laying near bye and adds it to a raft or maybe its a dock of some sort. She carefully stands up admires her creation. "thier i believe im done."

Maelgwn blinks and the little 'lizard blinks right back. She is not impressed. "You got yourself into this..." He says, with a chuckle, as he pushes her head down gently, placing sand all over her. Now, he starts to build the balcony, a little 'lizard head poking out. He ends up laughing at her bemused expression, and finishes the top of the tower, once again drawing on it, a little more decorative. This /is/ the green queen's flat, after all. A spiral pattern is etched first and a smirk is given to the flitter. "Now, don't you move!" He grins and pulls little flags out of his pocket, the healer hall flags, placing them on the top of the building, and on the towers in the four corners. And as luck would have it, a wave creeps up to his sand castle. Oh dear! But no! The moat takes all of the water, and saves him having to borrow a bucket. He stands back to admire his work, another chuckle at his 'lizard. "There we go."

Lasarah skips among the various creations, oohing and ahhing at the creativity. A raised eyebrow is given to a rather serpentine-looking sculpture, and a gigle is stifled at a 'lizard's head poking out of another. "These are wonderful, Simmy!" she whispers in excitiement

Simkus makes a couple final notes and walks over to Lasarah to confer with her. "We will now look at the description of what you built. If you wish to explain it to us you may, or you can jsut put it out there for us to see."

Virginia

A large mound of sand stand before you. It is around five feet tall, with pathways winding up the sides. On the left side, there is a half-foot wide pathway that goes straight to the top. It has been carefully patted down, so that it looks well traveled. On the right, however, is a winding path full of little twigs and rocks. These pathways both lead to a rose-hued shell at the top. This symbolizes the pinnacle of life, the greatest moment. Hummmm.....I took the road less traveled by, and that made all the difference...... Could that be the theme of this castle (or mound of sand)? No, this is about Virginia. About her struggle of life, and how she ended up on the winding road, with all the bumps and bruises to show it. Her mother leaving, her many lost loves........but now, she is at the top. She has made it, for she has found friends and a family she thought she would never have. She stands at the top, with a helping hand leaning down to help all those comming up the rough road. Not literally of course. Grains of mica glint from the sand, and seem to shine with an unearthly glow. The mountain of life, here on Pern, Dragon Mountain. You may choose your path, but prizes often come with hardship.

Mael's Castle

This is a sand castle, there is no doubt about it, and a magnificent one at that. Tall towers have been erected on the corners of a square and walls have been built between them, the pattern of the bricks having been painstakingly etched with a small stick. Small arrowslit windows peep out of the walls at intervals, and in one there is a small bent twig, and on it is another twig, to represent the archer. The archer looks out over a raised drawbridge, also drawn on with a stick, and the moat. The moat is about a handspan wind, and the same deep, and somehow, the builder has filled it with water, but after about ten minutes, the water level has dropped, and needs refilling. For the best part of about a half a metre, the sand castle goes straight up, but all that changes. A smaller, square area is on the top, and a smaller one after that. The middle construction isn't really all that significant, for the most part, it is the same as the bottom section. The only difference is that there is a speck of green in the lower left hand corner of the north wall. Now to the top section, and the first thing that strikes you is a small green firelizard head. It squarks loudly, but dosen't move. On his level there are a few more 'luxaries'. A smallish balcony is where the firelizard's head rests, and the body of the little green decends into the lower levels. The windows are much larger than before, and the pattern of the bricks on the outside of this section is more decorative, a picture of a swirling spiral made out of bricks etched onto it, the smallest hint of green showing through. There is a flag on top of the tallest tower, and also on the circular towers around the edges, a miniature HealerHall flag, denoting the entrant as Maelgwn the Healer Apprentice.

Angharad's Castle

Tiny, raised veins thread over this airy and delicate castle, spires overrun with the green-threaded 'ivy'. Every cracked or polished stone depicts elegant modeling on the white-sand base, stained grey by the dye of lake-detritus. The eastern wall, alas, lies breached, but in the broken rectangular prisms is mathematical planning. A pale green moat shimmers as water seeps through the tamped leaf-lining into the sand below, and is replaced by a trickle from a shallow channel in the sand. Wood-framed windows look into partially-hollowed rooms in towers, and the battlements stand ready-for spring, that is, as tiny shore-flower petals carpet any imaginary guard's tread. A mosaic of shells, all colors, though all in small pieces, cobble the center courtyard, the treads of a fragile, Oriental bridge, and a long, winding path toward the sea, eventually petering out into speckled sand.

Callysto looks down at her creation... a castle. This sand castle stands to be about 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. At the front is an opened door, with a drawbridge built over the "moat" (a 5 inch wide ditch dug around the castle). The "berm" is the area of flat sand between the moat and castle wall. Above the door, made somewhat sloppily, is a firelizard-type shape, looking very much like a blob with wings and a tail. The outside wall is curved to provide better protection from battering rams, and about 2 inches thick. There are small slits, or arrow loops, throughout the walls to mimic places for arrows to be shot out. Also, there are parapets at the top for the same purpose, and a place to look out for enemies. Behind the parapets is an alure, or walkway. Posted out along the walls, to the north, south, east, and west, are four keeps. Keeps are tall, thick-walled towers with a few windows. There are also parapets and an alure along the top of that as well. Inside the curtain wall are several "inner walls", each about an inch thick, to provide more protection against raids. A beastwork (heavy parapet) is slung across the tops of the two outer walls. Sand alone wouldn't be able to stand, so a thin strip of bark was laid, covered with sand. The beastwork would be made to defend the portculis, or wooden grid gate. To make this, several small sticks were criss-crossed between a hole in the wall. The batters (bottoms) of each of the walls and keeps are sloped outwards, making them thicker and easier to support. Also for support, thick sticks were placed as flying buttresses to hold up walls. Holes are placed in each of the inner walls so any little person in the castle could get to move around between them in case of an attack. There is a small platform extending out from the top of the castle. Platforms were used to drop oil, rocks, etc. onto enemies if they tried to attack. Several barrel-shaped rocks were placed there for that purpose. At the back of the castle is a postern, or rear exit. This would be used if the front exit was blocked. In the middle of all this sand protection is a small village of sorts, known as the bailey or ward. There is a sand chapel and several other huts. Surrounding the bailey is a "curtain wall" hung between two towers. The huts where formed from little sand balls on the ground with a door carved in the front and windows at the sides. Broken bits of straw were placed on the top of them. A small well, with a little water at the bottom, is placed in the center. There is a white shell on the top of it, supported by four small sticks, to provide a covering. There is a larger hut, filled with bits of straw, towards the left side of the castle. Evidently a stable, because small, wooden runner toys were placed within it. Daeran and Timie walk slowly around it, looking almost like dragons outside a real castle.

"It's a tunnel snake," Jorg explains, the explanation is probably needed too. Well it is made of sand, but as far as being a castle the mark falls short. Instead of walls and predictable turrets blank eyes stare strait ahead and wooden fangs hang, well one does, it seems the other just fell down to the ground, some rules are always followed, like gravity. The six legs jutting from Jorg's creation are not in anyway the same except that they all are made of the same stuff. In fact the inconsistency is great enough that it would be a treat to watch this kidlet's lizard try to walk. The artist himself kneels behind it, his eyes looking up in triumph. What could be better then a malformed tunnel snake anyway? To Jorg, nothing, except perhaps maybe food.

You look down and realize that Rosemary's creation is supposed to be landing. Its different from the landing today maybe because it came from Rosemary's strange imagination. Below the volcano are a bunch of building most with wooden roofs some made of rock. Next to some Buildings is a small garden. Other buildings have a pile of rocks shaped into a shape of sleds. Next to the pool that represents the sea lays a square piece of wood with a twig sticking out of it, you then realize that the twig represents a bell and the wood a dock.

You look down and realize that Rosemary's creation is supposed to be landing. Its different from the landing today maybe because it came from Rosemary's strange imagination. Below the volcano are a bunch of building most with wooden roofs some made of rock. Next to some Buildings are small gardens. Other buildings have a pile of rocks shaped into sleds. Next to the pool that represents the sea lays a square piece of wood with a twig sticking out of it, you then realize that the twig represents a bell and the wood a dock.

Maelgwn waits patiently, a grin on his face as he enjoys his 'lizard's discomfort, but he soothes her. "You'll be out soon... just wait..."

Virginia watches the judges, Lasa and Simkus, as they try to decide. She whispers under her breath as she crosses her fingers. "Please let me win, please, please......"

Lasarah clears her throat, holding the prize egg. "This was /really/ hard, and I want you to know that we wish we had more prizes! But we have finally come up with a winner." Lasa smiles over to Maelgwn. "We have decided that the team of Maelgwn and his little green 'lizard are the winners. Congratulations!"

Simkus smiles and walks over to the young healer. "Congatulations." Simkus sticks his arm out for Maelgwn to shake.

Virginia claps her hands joyfully! "A well deserved win, especially for the 'lizard. I think she should win, not Maelgwn!" *giggle* Who cares if she didn't win? It was loads of fun.

Callysto claps to Maelgwn and his green. "Wow! Congratulations!! You two really deserved it!" She smiles at them, and then at Lasa and Simkus. "Thank you for this fun event!"

Maelgwn clasps his hands together and grins, a grand smile on his face. "Ohh..." He seems shocked for a moment, blinking furiously. "I've got somehting in my eye..." He rubs his eyes, they're all red. "It's sand..." He says, trying to get it out. He holds out a hand with a grin. "Thanks,"

Jorg stands proudly by his creation. ( So what if it looks like something from "Frankenstein"

Virginia follows Cally's example, and moves towards Lasa and Simkus. "Thankie very much for this, it was fun." She runs back over to Cally, and grins. Silly Gigi, always ready for a laugh.

Jorg stands proudly by his creation. ( So what if it looks like something from "Frankenstein" he likes it and that's all that matters.) Eyes follow as an egg is handed over to a particularly ornate castle. Poor him, they punish the worst castle with a flying stomach? Its nice to be a winner. (OOC: Congrats. :-)

Callysto smiles at all gathered. "I really enjoyed making this, and watching you all! I suggest we leave them here." She grins at them all.

Angharad claps softly, blowing at her veil self-consciously, and waltzing off the beach, hardly bothered at all. The work is done, and the stablehand is happy to leave it, strolling off toward effipresent stable-work with a very small smile.