Prompt:
Your character becomes lost in a snow blizzard (or other similar extreme weather condition), the worst one seen for many years, miles from any known settlement. This can be in Salvar, Berevar or in a place where it might be very unexpected. How does your character survive, and how will they plan to get to civilisation? How did they get there?

Shinsou:

Plot:
It opens really well, with an informative, but effectively descriptive paragraph, that leads well into the environment that your character currently is in. The setting is done well, given an idea of the cold beforehand, and after as the storm settles in. The story itself is set into two parts that works well and has an equal pacing between them. There is reason for both, for one sets the scene before the disturbing appearance of the beings behind them. I would have maybe liked to have seen more development for the background to the story, though this is a little touched on. This piece seems part of a much larger whole, and for your personal story that works, but for a vignette can be jarring. There is some information missing for a person who knows little about your character - who is this dad, why is he so terrible? As someone who knows Shinsou well I can answer those questions, but it is something to consider. Pacing wise, it was good and steady, with some good paragraphing to build tension at the end.

Character:
Your character develops both with the story plot and the general structure of the piece. You have a strong narrative voice in this piece that keeps a steady, contemplative tone, that is reflected in that of Shinsou himself. The reader can feel his personality through the thoughts and concerns written in the words that make up the narration. His communication is constant in its tone, and portrays his feelings of anxiety when talking of his father.
The addition of Bane as an NPC works well, and he is described briefly enough but full enough to comprise an idea of who he is and what his presence feels like. He has an interest on the overall story and does not just seem like a useless part. Saying this, I would have liked to have seen Bane take a more direct part in the story.

Technique:
Overall you have some good technique that helped you win points here. Parts like "snow-dusted trunk of a fallen tree" add to the setting, and help to make a more effective story. There are some good uses of colour that work particularly well. That saying more metaphor would be good here, that you miss in a way, and perhaps imagery.

Loves.Blessing:

Plot:
You build setting up really well here, with this being the focus of your piece. Setting is felt by the reader, in the addition of the cold items, reference to clothing, and good use of adjectives. It is more the cold than anything that seems to be focused on here, and that is aided by the hallucinations of seeing the bear as Nymeria. The fact that McKinley uses her "beloved instrument" as a weapon is an example of just how desperate the situation is. There are some sweet parts to the story, and a good development of plot. Paragraphing was done well and it was realistic overall; a short scene that fits a vignette well.

Character:
The reader can feel part of what McKinley is like from this, with a lot of direct thought and thought in the narration of the piece. Action is simple, but provocative, with the breaking of the violin being a major part. You can feel part of who she is from this, with her feelings to Breaker and Nymeria described. Overall I would have liked to have seen more power of the former relationship, leading to the fact he is carrying her, within this piece, though, to make it more of a romance.

Technique:
There are some really great pieces of writing here: "A trace of smile flirted with her beautiful pink lips," that give great imagery. There are some minor spelling errors that are within your piece such as, "unlocked the caser" that should be "case". Overall there are some issues with punctuation that you have, with parts that there should be more common. Though, more or less, you have a good grasp of sentence structure, reading sentences back to yourself and adding in commas when there are pauses can help.

The Huntsman:

Plot:
You set out with a good, firm description, setting us within the brief well and effectively. The fact that it has description, then a small bit of narration to tell the reader how you got there works very well. Overall the pacing is good, with a steady rise to the main action of the story. There are some moments where there is a little bit of stumbling (see technique) but the general story itself has very good and solid content. The setting is also developed well, with a clear indication of just how cold it is, with small details such as the bear frozen. When the story goes on to the scientist it flows well, mirroring what had been felt within the first half. Though the brief is not the focus here, it still is mentioned with the illusions to "freezing" and so on.

Character:
Use of first person serves you well here, with building up the character from the ground, and showing us his thoughts as he deals with the situation. You do not let it become too much of a distraction either, though, and instead have it help to frame the storytelling. Small actions help to add power such as, "I drew out my iron dagger, and looked at it with a frown," and even though there is not much dialogue to consider for this piece, it is not needed for the overwhelming feelings that are communicated.

Technique:
There are some points where there is an awkward confusion in the piece, such as when you do not explain what 'it' is with, "I tripped over it," and you begin a series of paragraphs with 'I'. There are also points where more commas could be useful, such as in "dead dead dead," that make your writing weaker. Saying this you have some very clever use of words within this piece, showing some use of metaphor, foreshadowing and really great use of pacing.

Winner:

Shinsou wins!
The Huntsman comes 2nd.

Shinsou receives:
1,300 EXP
200 Gold
1 AP

Loves.Blessing receives:
150 EXP
1 AP

The Huntsman receives:
240 EXP
150 Gold
1 AP