Alrighty! It's that time again!
Well, technically it was that time again a good week or so ago. CSquared I will take full responsibility for the delay on this results post. Due to my inability to schedule properly, incidents (both IRL and online) piled up and prevented me from reading/reviewing your stories. For this, you have my apologies.

Also of note is that both Wanderer D and RainbowBob were unable to take part in the judging this month (D due to similar reasons to last month, and Bob due to an incident involving alcohol, shattered glass and copious amounts of stitching), so it's only CSquared, Denim and myself posting.

Now, with all that out of the way, let's get down to business! I figured you've waited long enough to find out the winners, but if you're really interested in the rankings for each individual category, we could post them further down the line.
You can request your individual scores too, same as last time.

Here's the complete list of stories entered in this month's competition:
The Outrageous Adventure of Sir Stouthorn the Chivalrous Minotaur and His Loyal Companion Seafoam the Seapony by TalonMach5
Spike the Selfless by flutterdash1
Gout of Flame by Burraku_Pansa
I'll See You to Shore by Educated Guess
The King in Ruby by Silvertie
Breaking an Oath by Yipyapper
The Long Haul by ReqSquirrel456
The Bull and the Dragon by Malfrost
and In the Crystal Crypts by Peppermint Owl

So, as you can see, it’s a much smaller bunch than last time. Half the size, actually. Returning from the loft podium of the top three of last month is Mr. Educated Guess. For those of you who remember, he placed second last time around, but can he defend his honour from those who would seek to claim it? And can our other three returners crack the top spots? Or perhaps the five newcomers take over this month’s competition! Let’s find out, shall we?

In third place, with a score of 4.15, is one of our four returners. Last time, he wrote about hyena poetry. This time, dragon thieves. An interesting mix, to be sure. He is, of course, none other than Burraku_Pansa with his story Gout of Flame!
Let's see what the judges had to say about this one:

PLOT

Denim:
Hm! Interesting premise here; stealing the royal hoard from a dragon king that's...not vile, cruel, and greedy? And, to top it off, said thief sees more value in values that ponies view as negative or shameful? Interesting indeed.

I guess a little more background would have helped, but I got the general idea here. Is this king relatively new? What is the state of this draconian kingdom that I presume exists? Stuff like that can help give a bit more of an understanding of the world and show what you're setting the characters up to do.

C^2:
I would love to give this a higher score. I really would. The plot is very interesting and lots of interesting conflict has been set up. Unfortunately, not much is actually there. It feels like an introduction to a grand tale and doesn't stand well on its own. When complete, however, I can easily see this score going much higher.

Plum:
What was there was interesting. Such a shame it ended rather abruptly. The idea of some dragons battling to resist the pacification of their society is an intriguing one that could really do with more stories on the topic.

CHARACTERIZATION

Denim:
My big question here is what makes Gout abhor values that are typically for ponies and princesses? Gout seems to be a clever dragoness, but she seems to be carrying a chip on her shoulder as well. I'm curious as to what her backstory is, and why she's holding value over traits like honor, greed, and such. Yes, they're considered 'dragon-like', but what's wrong with the more 'pony-like' values in her eyes, and why?

For awhile I thought Sear wasn't a dragon to be honest, heh. You let the reader give their own details for the main character, but we knew from the summary that Gout was a dragon. Apparently Sear is a princess...so my question is what got her to try and help Gout with this great treasure-stealing idea? Love/infatuation for Gout? A personal grudge that she's ashamed of?

Then there's Wrought; he's not what I imagined him to be at all, and I'm not disappointed to say he was rather civil. A contradiction to what I had viewed the supposedly abhorrent dragon king to be. I'm curious about his own backstory.

I realize this doesn't seem to be finished, but, again, you can't help paint a picture of the world via characters at times.

C^2:
Excellent characterization here. Gout and Sear worked very well together. The one thing that seemed off to me was that I had no indication that Gout was a female until the reveal.

Plum:
It took me far too long to realise the main character was female. I guess it would be fairly difficult/awkward to introduce the fact earlier in the story, but it still came as a bit of a shock. A fact that was compounded by the androgynous name of "Gout".

Anyways. Main characters presented a nice juxtaposition. Straight- man dragoness Sear and cocky rebel Gout seem to mesh well. And while the king had very little time in the story, a good picture was painted of a wise, stern yet rather devious dragon who was one step ahead of Gout at all times.

MECHANICS

Denim:
I enjoyed the back and forth between Gout and Sear. It helped show who they are as characters, and the inner thoughts of Gout gave us a bit of an idea of what they thought about the world. More could have been touched upon, yes, but it was still good.

The one thing that bothered me was Sear's introduction. You spoke of her amethyst colored eyes...but not much of anything else to describe her. It's not bad to leave a character's appearance up to a character, but I wasn't even sure if Sear was a dragon for a moment with how little was told of her. Gout was a little easier, if only because your summary helped paint a picture of who Gout was; a paragon to dragonkind.

All in all, you did fairly well here.

C^2:
Grammar was solid. Pacing was solid. The diction fit the narration. My main issue was that the excessive italics made them lose value toward the end. There really isn’t much more I can say.

Plum:
I like how this is set in the form of a diary, without the need to explicitly state it at the start. Gout's lack of literary skills shows, and amuses me no end.

One thing to note is that italics were used fairly excessively. They lost an awful lot of impact by the end.

Otherwise, the technical aspect seems to handle itself well here. Pacing, grammar and spelling all seem to be a-ok.

WORLD-BUILDING

Denim:
A neat little twist here; it seems like Equestria's influenced the dragon culture. This gives tons of different possible scenarios as to WHY, and I wish more was given to explain this current situation for dragon society. They have royalty, civilization, and so forth, but Gout seems to view these things as wrong and unnatural, which implies that dragonkind is much different (probably more like they're portrayed in the show).

C^2:
Lots of interesting aspects of dragon culture were introduced here. From a unified kingdom to the importance of the hoard to the impact of ponies, it all looked pretty good. The one thing I'm not sure on is how exactly is Gout a hero? I'm quite interested to see how that works out.

Plum:
Not only introducing a unified dragon kingdom, but internal troubles with groups of dragons dissatisfied with their civility? Noice.

Also like the fact that the ponies are partially to blame for the situation at hand. Could make for some good tension in later chapters (assuming it's continued).

FITS-WITH-FiMVERSE

Denim:
Part of me wants to think this took place in the past or something, seeing as this story is about a hero's beginning. The idea of a civilized dragon society that's similar to Equestria is hard to imagine with what we've seen in the show, but you've implied that many dragons would think it to be wrong as well. The fact that such a thing is wrong makes this work, in a way, heh.

C^2:
The only issue I can see is the timing of this. Dragons certainly don't act like a unified kingdom in-show, so I can't see this happening at the same time as the show. And we're not yet given a timeframe for this story. That sounds like something that should be explained at some point.

Plum:
While I would have no problems incorporating this into the FiMverse personally, it'd have to be set in a different time period. I mean, we've seen the Great Dragon Migration in-show, and that doesn't really strike me as something such a Kingdom would undertake.

Either setting it in the past so that Gouts (implied) revolution takes place, or in the future, so the dragons settled down sometime after Spike tagged along for a bit.

In second place, with a similarly impressive 4.41, is one of our five newcomers. Give a warm welcome and a hearty congratulations to Silvertie and his ancient dragon hero, The King in Ruby.
Let's take a look at that one, shall we?

PLOT

Denim:
A story of a noble dragon fighting for the good of his kind, AND helping create one of the Elements of Harmony? Well, that's not something I've seen.

I enjoyed the fight; a classic David and Goliath piece if I ever saw one. The fact that Celestia helped didn't really lessen Harrow's heroics, either. Like she said, "...a weapon as strong as you are..." The little tidbit of him avenging his father was nice. Helped bring more purpose to Harrow's need to slay his uncle, I suppose.

The fact that this is incomplete is both irksome and great; it means you likely have more story ideas in mind relating to Harrow...I just don't get to see them.

C^2:
Oh wow. This was a good one. An ancient, noble dragon fighting to defeat a tyrant so he could create one of the Elements? There's a pretty cool idea, one I've never seen before. And then the fight was well executed, especially with all the reveals regarding Harrow's uncle. Overall, this was an excellent plot for an excellent story.

Plum:
The plot was extremely Disney-esque at times. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it did make it rather predictable at times (Celestia during the fight scene was a particular example).

Otherwise, highly enjoyable. The thing with Loyalty completely blindsided me, but in a way that made perfect sense.

CHARACTERIZATION

Denim:
Harrow, both as an elderly dragon and as a teenager, struck me as a likable character. The fact that he sees his clan as his hoard was perfect, especially for a king. His debt to Celestia left me wondering what his backstory is, though, but it didn't detract too much. Left a little mystery to him, I guess.

Celestia's personality in her younger years seemed fitting; strong-willed, yet level-headed too. The way she was more concerned about Harrow's well-being over his sense of honor in the duel was something I expected from her, and you delivered. Honestly, for all his bravery, I don't think I could have seen Harrow coming out of that fight alive without her help.

C^2:
Harrow worked well as both a young dragon seeking justice and an old dragon ready to die. His character was quite interesting and one I enjoyed reading about. His uncle appeared to be a classic evil tyrant, and you executed that well. And on top of the dragons, Celestia seemed very much in-character, so nicely done all-around.

Plum:
Scrallax was rather cartoonish in his villainy. A mix of multiple tropes, like this one, this one and this one too.

In fact, all the characters were fairly unremarkable in their design, but they were so well executed that I don't find myself minding that much.

MECHANICS

Denim:
No real issues here that immediately stood out for me, grammatical or spelling-wise. The ending was a little abrupt with Luna's entrance, but again, word limit. I'm sure you would have elaborated more on that otherwise.

C^2:
My only issue was the abrupt ending. It seemed a bit sudden in an otherwise sound story. The grammar was solid, the pacing was solid, but the ending seemed off. Still, though, that wasn't that big a deal.

Plum:
As others said, abrupt ending is abrupt.

Asides from that, there's no major grammatical errors that I picked up on, nor any spelling problems either. Technically very competent.

WORLD-BUILDING

Denim:
Probably one of my favorite parts of this story was your description of the hallway as Celestia made her way to see Harrow. Hate me for saying it, but I started thinking of Skyrim. That aside, though, the use of gems to represent important figures, along with a large ruby to represent Harrow, was done nicely. I liked that little bit of foreshadowing with the two rubies and sunstone, by the way. I was hoping that was going to be explained.

I also enjoyed that exchange between Celestia and the guards; having Celestia actually bow to a guard of all dragons was rather unexpected, but you laid out the reasoning well. I like the idea that Celestia would adhere to other cultures' traditions when traveling; she seems like a pony that respects those things.

C^2:
We saw some interesting aspects of dragon culture in this one. The scene with the dragon guards was the biggest one, in my mind. I found that to be incredibly interesting. But where this story really shined on world-building is the bit about the creation of the Element. That was a really cool idea, as I said over in Plot.

Plum:
Hints of inter-clan warfare with mixed with draconian pride in the carvings at the start (as well as some conversations) fits well. The idea of a dragon king growing huge because of the wealth of their clan makes perfect sense, yet is something I've never seen explored before.

There's even an origin story for the Elements of Harmony in there too. Nicely done.

FITS-WITH-FiMVERSE

Denim:
I could see this in the MLP-verse. The idea of dragons having clans makes more sense than a single empire, to me at least, and you portrayed that well here. The fact that Celestia has to work for her respect among dragons is great, considering both she and dragons are long-lived creatures in this world. Royalty or not, you have to show proper respect when it's due.

C^2:
I could see this fitting in very easily. The clan idea for dragons seems fitting, and so does the scene with the dragon guards, interestingly enough.

Plum:
Harrow is the perfect character to star as dragon king in MLP, and the cartoonishly evil behaviour of Scrallax would actually be to its advantage in this regard. No-one ever accused any of the MLP villains of being subtle about their intentions.

And last, but the exact opposite of least, is yet another one of our five newcomers, scoring a very impressive 4.58. So, without further ado, we present to you RedSquirrel456 and his masterful story The Long Haul! Go give him acorns hugs.

PLOT

Denim:
I was a little unclear as to what was going on at first, but the way you laid out what was going on as the characters talked helped greatly here. The fact that the fighting hadn't even begun made me like this even more, and wish there was more to read. Alas, the word-limit is a cruel mistress.

C^2:
In just over 3000 words, you've spun an amazing tale. The hints at a larger, grander tale were wonderfully executed. Enough was said to explain everything, but enough was left unsaid to keep the readers on their toes.

Plum:
This was beautifully done. The characters were likeable, the emotions heartfelt, and the tension was palpable. The war felt suitably crucial and hard-fought, without having to go into the gory details. You did more in 3,000 words than I've seen others in 300,000. Highly impressive.
The only reason I didn't score this higher was because DAMN CLIFFHANGERS

CHARACTERIZATION

Denim:
A pony and minotaur, debating the importance of friendship, what they're fighting for, and if they stand a chance in the midst of breaching a citadel...yeah, that was done splendidly.

Grim Tidings fit his name well. The grim (no pun intended) attitude was a great contrast to Epaulette's somewhat more optimistic attitude. I loved the comment of ponies being peace-loving pansies...that know how to keep the peace. That spoke volumes about Epaulette, and the fact that Grim was subtly showing his thanks for the help from the other races showed a glimpse of who he was.

Epaulette's morale-boost speech to Grim was probably the most defining moment for the unicorn, and Grim's realization definitely highlighted this. You did well here showing the characters' personalities through actions and words and not direct explanation from the narrator; something I can always appreciate.

C^2:
This is an excellent example of a story where the characters really made everything work. The interactions between Grim Tidings and Epaulette were very well executed. Their contrast really made things work. And that contrast, those interactions, were able to explain what was going on to the reader. And it was executed wonderfully.

Plum:
Grim Tidings was the absolute epitome of what I imagine a minotaur hero to be like. A healthy dose of both bravery and sympathy, topped off with mountains of charisma and enough drive to shatter mountains. Slightly jaded around the edges, but willing to learn and able to accept others for who they are.

Epaulettes was an excellent counterpart. Quietly optimistic, while remaining realistic with a bit of passion thrown in. Not quite as brave as Grim, but no less of a hero for it.

MECHANICS

Denim:
Imagery and setting the scene was definitely a strong point for you here. A citadel in a far away land with an active volcano...an army of combined species working to liberate a race that some have no real need to assist other than because it's the right thing to do. You painted a picture from the get go, and it was vivid.

The pacing was great, and the fact that it ended with the fight just about to start worked well here. The mood and tone towards the end gave me the feeling that in the end, despite the overwhelming forces they were facing, the 'good-guys' were going to come out on top.

C^2:
The pacing was fantastic. All this took place while the gates were being battered down. And I dunno about you, but heavily fortified gates take a while to knock down, so it's very reasonable to think that this conversation could have easily taken place during that time. Oh, and the grammar was solid too.

Plum:
No problems on the spelling/grammar front that I noticed. Pacing seemed spot-on too.

First correct use of blasé I've seen in ponyfiction, too. Well done.

One small niggle is the tendency to use cow-specific terms/phrases (e.g. lowing) while expecting the reader to understand them. I won't lie, I had to look a couple of them up, which does kinda break the flow.

WORLD-BUILDING

Denim:
Definitely another strong point here. I wasn't sure where the story was taking place at first, or who was fighting who, but then you cleared that up with dialogue and the descriptions of the scene at play.

The fact that Equestria, for the most part, didn't favor helping the minotaurs' war, yet still ponies and griffons both came to the bovines' call for help was great. The idea of a dragon taking over a citadel that's considered sacred to minotaurs while a corrupt ruler is oppressing the bovine race is great. It helped show what the minotaurs' world is like. I truly would like to see more of this world of yours in future works.

C^2:
The story really shines here. First off, it did a great job of establishing Grim as a hero. It was through his leadership and charisma that the minotaurs were able to rise up against their corrupt ruler and then gain the aid of the griffins and the ponies. Then there were the bits on minotaur lore regarding their holy sites. All in all, a lot of lore was established. Nicely done.

Plum:
Presents just enough information to outline the world, while giving the reader enough space to let their imagination roam free while filling in the blanks. Really well done.

In particular, the history between the Minotaurs and the Dragons was really rather excellent. Nice.

FITS-WITH-FiMVERSE

Denim:
A bit violent for Equestria...but I guess they weren't in Equestria, so I'm not griping there. The idea of ponies, often depicted as a gentler race in these kinds of stories, fighting fiercely with griffons and minotaurs helped paint a perspective.

I liked how you even through in the whole friendship deal. The whole comradeship among soldiers was depicted here, and I could see this happening in the MLP-verse...just probably not in Equestria, heh.

C^2:
The idea that ponies are participating in this war is a bit off-putting, but that's about my only issue here.

Plum:
I'd say this works pretty damn well.

The lack of a pony military in-show does throw a small amount of doubt on this story, but the idealisms of Epaulette, as well as the behaviour of Carcarath fit well with the characters we've already seen.

So there you have it! There’s our top three in all their glory, which you are now free to bask in the glow of.

Now, seeing as these results took so long to come out, and the winner has had less time on the group-page as a result, I will be offering them the option of having their story reviewed on the MyLittleReviews podcast to help garner a spot more fame, in addition to the top-spot.

Well done to all who entered, and good luck to those who plan to for March!

~ The World-Building Alliance Admin Team

:3

In third place, with a score of 4.15, is one of our four returners. Last time, he wrote about hyena poetry. This time, dragon theifs.

Thieves*?

780512
Whoops, apologies

Awesome!

And something I think I should note, that I guess I might not have made as obvious as I could have (par for the course for me, at times): Gout of Flame is supposed to take place at some indeterminate time in the past. I tried to give the starring characters archaic speech patterns to help demonstrate that, but I suppose I was unsuccessful. Ah, well.

And I suppose I might have to continue it. : /

Congrats to the top three! I'm pretty sure I called this rank for rank after I read all the submission myself! All really great stories in my opinion. I suppose I should get my individual score to see how much I paled in comparison and see where I need to improve.

780478 Can you send me my review please?

Congradumalations to all

Congrats to all the winners!

Congrats to all, sorry I got the prompt backwards, would have loved to compete against you all

Hoo whee!

Now Malfrost can stop annoying the piss out of me I can finally see the new results! Congrats to all of the winners... I now have some new stuff to read, on top of all the stuff I already need to be doing!

The Long Haul definitely deserved to win. Masterful piece, that.

Seems I stumbled off of my "loft podium", though. I've never forced myself to do stories this small, before - I think I'm finally figuring out just how much I can fit into them. Out of curiosity, what was my score/place, this month? In a PM, if necessary.

I look forward to seeing more entries for March!

Things that made my day: This.

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