For nearly two years, the designers of the Basin have competed to win
the Medallion of Beauty. At last, the Challenge of Beauty has come to an
end, and the winners of the contest have been announced!

Silferras of Glomdoring placed first, with a platter of the planes: thus
becoming the new bearer of the Medallion of Beauty!

Second place was taken by Aramel of the Serenwilde, with her aerial
mask!

Eliron of the Glomdoring achieved third place, with his sunset viola!

Fourth place went to Sadhyra of the Glomdoring, for her feathered mask
of Crow!

And finally, Wuylinfe of Celest received fifth place with his
luminescent tiara!

All champions have now been chosen: only the final challenge remains!


The winning design:

an extravagantly tiered platter of the planes

A three-tiered platter has been left on the ground here, its lavish
display portraying a culinary snapshot of the outer planes.

A masterpiece of metalwork in itself, this silver platter has been
intriguingly fashioned to present cuisine upon an extravagant
three-tiered display. Fresh honeycakes dominate its wide, scallop-edged
base, their golden glaze gleaming amidst crisscross lashings of whipped
cream and honey. Fanning outwards in twin trails, tiny sugared violets
trace a stylised arabesque design, the painstakingly-placed confections
unfurling to frame a black rose and a moonflower laid along opposing
sides of the platter. From the exact centre of the base, a
wrought-silver stand bearing two tiers lofts upwards in imitation of the
outer planes of existence, both comprising flat half-moons of metal
joined only by the central shaft. The essence of the elements has been
echoed in the middle tier; one semi-circle of metal is taken up by the
gossamer translucence of sashimi, raw fish cut so thinly that the
slivers of skin left on each slice mirror the swell and flicker of light
on water. A serving of pan-seared foie gras occupies the other half, the
fragrant delicacy topped with generous shavings of earthy black truffle
reminiscent of the plane it represents. The top tier reflects a
dichotomy of colour evocative of the cosmic planes - a rare filet mignon
drenched in thick red wine sauce holds pride of place just above the
foie gras, the bloody inner flesh of the steak exposed by a discreet
filleting held open with a carved bone hook. Sauteed chicken strips
cover the opposite half, shredded and arranged to mimic the pinions of
an angel's wing, an impression reinforced by a smothering of creamy
alfredo sauce and an artful sprinkle of saffron.

Consume: Sampling each tier at will unfolds a smorgasbord of flavours
over your palate, from the exquisite freshness of sashimi to the heady
aroma of red wine that infuses each bite of the steak. The rich foie
gras complements the dark earthiness of the black truffles perfectly,
while alfredo sauce and saffron add a tangy relish to the tender
chicken. A sweet note amidst it all, the honeycakes are moist and still
warm from the oven, the accompaniment of whipped cream and honey making
for an ambrosial treat.

Smell: Sweet, savoury, and underlaid with the coppery tang of blood
among others, a medley of different aromas competes for your attention.

Taste: A quick sample of the platter's delights unfurls a host of
diverse flavours across your palate.


The second-placed design:

an aerial mask adorned with skyblooms

Giving off a sweet scent as it lies here, a luxurious silk mask has been
discarded upon the ground.

This delicate mask is made of pale, ethereal silk, brocaded with tiny
flowers in gentle lavender hues. Meant more for decoration than
concealment, it covers only the eyes and the nose, tying around the back
of the head with a slender cord. The mask is stiffened with wax to help
retain its shape, and is covered on the inside with grey mrriak fur for
comfort. Faceted amethysts sparkle a deep, mysterious purple around the
edges of the mask, and tiny chips of diamond are dusted in whimsical
patterns upon the silk, lending it a subtle glimmer. The almond-shaped
eyeholes are edged with polished silver, limning the eyes with
brilliance when worn. A plume of radiant white feathers, taken from an
aerial bird, rises from the forehead of the mask in an extravagant
display, swaying with every stray breath of air. Sprigs of mingled blue
and purple skyblooms, cunningly made of wrinkled chiffon, unfurl like
wings along the sides of the mask, trailing similarly coloured silk
ribbons along either side of the face. A sweet, elusive scent drifts
from the mask, product of a dash of the famed wind wisp perfume from the
cloud gardens of Clarramore.


The third-placed design:

a jewelled viola of the setting sun

Glittering with the colours of a sunset, a jewelled viola lies here.

A rounded firegem flickers beneath the rosewood bridge of this jewelled
viola. The gem's light gives life to the rubies shaped into a sunburst
around the firegem, their facets glowing like the last embers of a dying
sunset. The long ruby tail of the sunburst frames the tailpiece of the
viola and ends in a point at the viola's saddle. Both the rosewood and
the rubies grow steadily darker in colour as they trail away from the
firegem. The rosewood fingerboard is a twin of the tailpiece, the rich
red wood deepening to a burgundy streaked with black at the pegbox and
scroll. Carved along the off-side of the pegbox are stylised images of
Father Sun covered in a thin layer of garnet dust that glints a dull
bronze. Carvings of Mother Moon in full ripeness line the opposite side,
individually marked by the glitter of diamond dust and speared with a
tuning peg. The pegs themselves are the same rosewood as the pegbox, and
the dark markings on each clearly form Mother Night's black star. Each
peg blocks part of a Moon from view, sending it through the phases of
the lunar cycle or hiding it completely as the peg is turned. The rubies
and rosewood blend into amethyst in the body of the viola. The amethyst,
in turn, melts seamlessly into sapphire. The rich blue of the sapphire
darkens around the body of the viola and reaches a midnight blue on the
back. Barely visible as a change of hue in the darkest of the sapphire
is a starburst, echoing the sunburst on the front of the viola. Here and
there a curve or point of silver shows through the jewelled body,
showing where lines were partially carved from the gems from the inside
and then filled with silver. A touch of light from the firegem or an
outside source causes the silver to glow amid the ruby and amethyst like
a trail of cloud caught in the fading light of Father Sun. In the
sapphire the silver is no more than specks that glitter rather than
glow, the first stars on Mother Night's skirts. Far from chaotic, the
silver stars pick out constellations. The images of Brother Crow


The fourth-placed design:

a dusky, feathered mask of Crow

A black feathered mask, crafted in the stern visage of a crow, is here.

Long plumes and sharp, shadowed angles define this mask, creating an
incongruous dichotomy of opulence and austerity. Cut to cover the top of
the face, the only hint to the wearer's visage is given through the
eyeholes, long, elliptic openings that shroud more than they reveal.
Tiny opals circle these openings, glittering when illuminated to imitate
the piercing, stern stare of Crow; shining with a cold, dark fire, the
faceted gems reflect the wearer's surroundings with dusky brilliance. A
curving, sharp beak covers the remainder of the face, enamelled to a
gleam, while smooth, short dark feathers cloak the mask, elongating into
liquid, languid quills that trail off behind the head of the wearer to
hang suspended and quivering. Elegant and costly, the feathers gleam
under light with a subtle sheen of iridescence, wreathing the head in
the hinted shimmer of a bird frozen in flight.


The fifth-placed design:

a luminescent tiara of frozen feathers

A luminescent tiara of frozen feathers lies here.

Fashioned from a delicate band of platinum, this luminescent tiara spans
the full circumference of a perfect circle and has been graced with
layers of precious gems and metals. Sculpted down to the very last
painstaking detail, a whirlwind of swirling feathers glides over the
body of the tiara, no two feathers in the same position or form yet the
overall impression is still pleasingly symmetrical. Sparkling gently,
splashes of iridescent crystals encase each feather like frozen tombs of
ice, radiating forth a cool azure aura. Winding in and out of the icy
feathers are minute silver tendrils, which even upon closer inspection
appear ambiguously as either flowering vines or lissome tentacles. Four
elliptical opals have been set equidistant along the tiara, each one
polished so thoroughly as to gleam like murky mirrors. However, all who
gaze upon their surfaces are met with but a warped and inverted
reflection of their surroundings.

Penned by My hand on the 5th of Vestian, in the year 229 CE.