Santharian Development

Okeydokey folks, the Awards Update with all awards, laudations and updated team pages is up on site - go and check it out! I'd especially like to thank everyone involved in this year's awards, be it by preparing the polls, writing laudations or drawing special awards pictures. You all did a great job! :grin:  :thumbup:

This is also the place to present a few special awards...

For one - thanks to our dear Bard Judith - we've a new special award graphic to celebrate the Best Commentor Award, which was won by Rayne - the Mithril Quill! Hope you enjoy having this one next to you on your virtual desk, Rayne!

(http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/mithril_quill.gif) (http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/mithril_quill.htm)
The Best Commentor Award 2011
...goes to Rayne Avalotus
(click on image to enlarge)

Not only that, the Council of Sages, which consists of all the members who have won the Sage of the Year so far, has also decided to hand out two very special awards this year, two Lifetime Achievement Awards. The first one also goes to our favourite elfling for the continuous dedicated work for the Dream, ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present:

(http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/lifetime_achievement_heart.gif) (http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/lifetime_award_rayne.htm)
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Productivity and Heart
...goes to Rayne Avalotus
(click on image to enlarge)

If there is a common thread that runs through the very center of Santharia, through the whole of it, it would be Productivity and Heart. This is what separates the Santharian Experience above and beyond other sites that fit into this genre. The people who gather here, who pour their creativity into this world, are a special breed. They are true Santharians at heart, not just writers of Fantasy. But, even among these special people, there are those who stand out; whose very being signifies what it really means to be a Santharian. Rayne Avalotus is one such person. She is not merely a writer of elves; she IS an elf. She IS a mage. There is so much of her soul that comes across in her creations, that one cannot help but be swept up in them. Not only in a Development role, but on the Role Playing side as well. No one has gone to the lengths she has gone to, or put as much of herself into the restructuring of it than she. And through it all, she handles herself with unflinching grace and dignity. Her contributions, of which there are many, are always done with an attention to detail and calibre of quality that few can match. Rayne Avalotus, in short, is the very epitome of Productivity and Heart.

The second one goes to our dedicated researcher on the dark side of things, who doesn't shun to do her researches up there in the forbidding Mists of Osthemangar bringing back valuable information - and this already for quite a while. Actually she has won the commitment badge three times by now in past years and has accomplished a great deal in her Santharian career that we can all be very proud to have her!

(http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/lifetime_achievement_inspiration.gif) (http://www.santharia.com/awards/santh_awards/lifetime_award_azhira.htm)
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Creativity and Inspiration
...goes to Azhira Styralias
(click on image to enlarge)

Creeping through the northern mists one might expect to come across a wary netherbeast monster or a colony of ghostling brownies, but instead you may spot a young researcher collecting samples and taking notes. And you might expect this researcher to be receiving an award for bravery or daring or stout heartedness, however, the Council of Sages has met and has seen fit to grant a special award to this young researcher, bearing the name of Azhira Styralias for Creativity and Inspiration. An award deserved and long overdue!

Thanks to Azhira we now have the bane of the north documented, the Mists of Osthemangar with its Wyrmrot Spire. Along with other eerie entries such as the Shadespell Gorge, Fanghenge Ruins, mystran spirit, and the wisp, Azhira has established herself as the crafter of the creepy. But Azhira's creativity does not stop there. She has also brought us a whole orc race in the Kaaer'dar'shin Half Orcs, a beautifiul plant in the tear frost flower and wondrous magic in Anilya the Everbright. In practically every category Azhira delivered high quality entries over the past years!

We could keep going listing here all those breathtaking entries but let us say a word about her cooperative spirit: Azhira's involvement in the Ximax rewrite was indeed an excellent example of collaboration and inspiration. She's great to work with and a pleasure to have around the halls of the compendium headquarters.

Therefore we say: Thank you, Azhira, for all that you have brought us! We look forward to more creativity and inspiration from you in the next year and decade to come. Congratulations!

:D  Congrats to all winners and nominees in this year's awards.  Quality is still in abundance in Santharia.

Yes, congratulations to all! It's nice to have a wide range of winners this year.

And great work with the update, Arti. It looks fantastic. Your customary friendly and enthusiastic tone is always a big advertisement for the site!

Artimidor...! I don't know what to say... I'm moved beyond words. Thank you--and thank you for giving me a beautiful world to help create, a wonderful community to be a part of, and the encouragement to keep dreaming no matter what. Thank you.

Congratulations everyone.  What a wonderful year.  I can't wait to see what comes out next.

Bard, you better be on your A-game.  I coming after your award in 2012.  :)

(Kinda nice to be in a category where there have only been two competitors.  However that Jonael has shown some artistic promise...hmmm.... how to keep him away from here.  :evil:) 

And Altario ... don't forget Altario. His study of the races was simple but effective in its execution :)

Oh ... and I am trying once again to do artwork ... it is better than my 'We are not amused cow', but not by much. :D

Oh and congratulations all on your awards and nominations. Thanks for all involved in preparing for the awards, and thanks especially to Arti for bringing it all together, and for allowing us all to play in your playground.

I had been working on a poem for the awards ceremony ... but then I forgot it, with the excitement of writing laudations and all. Is it still worthwhile me trying to finish it?

Go ahead with your poem, Dek, you can still post it :)

Actually, to conclude Rayne's Oscar... err... Santharian Dev Awards night, I've just finished a story myself, titled "Ripples in the Dream Pool" and posted it in the Library Forum right here (http://www.santharia.com/dev/index.php/topic,15216). This one's dedicated and inspired by our Sage of the Year, Rayne. Congratulations again - hope you like it :)

It seems that I totally missed the voting for all the awards this year  :( I was always a fan of it because it is a nice way to show everyone that their work is recognized and appreciated.

More so I was surprised that I got a commitment award myself!  :grin: My work has always been mainly behind the scenes so it is very nice to see it recognized. So I guess, thanks a lot!  :hug:

And thanks Deklitch for writing the laudation!!

*Desperately auries Grinch in absolute horror.*

*Restores Grinch's aura-to-post ratio to a value larger than one, as becomes his august person*

Wow, where have I been!  :D I almost missed this award.

I feel totally undeserving of a lifetime achievement award lol! I feel every member deserves such an award and in my mind you all do. Thanks so much for this, and I am sorry I have been away so much. The last year and half have been life altering to such a degree that I feel like I can't breath anymore. Santharia and its developer community and story tellers will always be dear and inspirational to me.

So yeah. Wow. I'm blessed. During my crazy real life issues, I am glad Santharia is always there to allow me a creative outlet. I promise to get back to entry writing asap!

 :heart: :heart: :heart:

It's a pleasure to give you the award, Azhira! :cool:  :thumbup: Also time that your real life issues settle and don't trouble you, so good luck for that!

What a charming line to come back to after a while of absence ^^ Haha, cheers Seeker, it's people like you and Judy that spur me on and constantly encourage me to keep drawing and painting and developing. I'm ever grateful to you all for that.

Though very much belated, I'd also like to thank everyone for the awards. To see that one's work is appreciated and treasured by the community is one of the most fantastic and rewarding experiences for any compendium-dweller. Cheers everyone