I knew that the theme I picked would be limiting, but I didn't guess how limiting. Probably only about half of the entrants had even one chapter that qualified.

Some of my half-dozen winners / honorable mention picks probably wouldn't have made my short list in a "normal" contest; but I will readily admit it's a lot harder to write good "later" role chapters than it is to write a captivating backstory. While in some ways the bar was lower this time around, each of my picks did really impress me in some way.

In no particular order:

Winners are Uhariz, Kyzraith, Ssii.

Honorable Mentions (getting only a very small prize, but retaining future eligibility) are Mexzi, Khaahd, and Brom.