~DETAILS~

Hurrah, a contest!!! It will be the first time holding one on DA. So here it is:

The contest is help spread the word around about the novel I've been working on. You can read the first chapter to the novel in my previous journals. There are grand prizes to be won, plus a few sub category prizes as well. All winners will be chosen by myself and a select few whom I trust will chose fairly.

Anyway, I'm looking for pictures of the main character Kuro.
They cab be pictures of him at any age, from a baby to an adult, both or even him with other characters from the story.

~RULES~

1)Be imaginative. Don't be afraid to change the character or characters a bit if you feel it will help. After all, they wont always be wearing the same clothes or have the same hair style. Can't draw? I will allow fanfic or cosplays. Though I don't expect people to go as far to cosplay as him. For a fanfic, simply message me with any information about him or the story that you need to know and I will supply you with the information.
2)Please use colour and take your time drawing the picture. I don't mind black and white if the picture is really well done. But I would like to see that you've put more the a few hours into the picture. After all, I'm giving you lots of time to enter the contest.
3)Have fun. Don't force yourself to do this contest if you don't want to.
4)Last and most importantly please post a small or large thing about this contest in your journal so that others may see, learn about and perhaps enter the contest too. It would be a huge help!!


~PRIZES~

~Best Work Overall- Grand Prize~
1st place prize – 1 year subscription, a print valued at $50 or less, a feature and a picture drawn by me if you are interested in one.
2nd place prize – 1 year subscription and a print valued at $20 or less, a feature and a picture drawn by me if you are interested in one.
3rd place prize – 1 year subscription, a feature and a picture drawn by me if you are interested in one.

~Most Detailed/Accurate~
1st place prize – 1 year subscription, and a feature.
(Note: Can only win if you haven't won a Grand prize)

~Best multi character image~
1st place prize – 1 year subscription and a feature
(Note: Can only win if you haven't won a Grand prize)

~Best Fanfic (if any)~
1st place prize – 1 year subscription and a feature
(Note: Can only win if you haven't won a Grand prize)

~Anyone who does a cosplay~
I will offer to bye the costume for the amount it cost you make, plus half. So if it cost you $100 to make I will pay you $150. However prices can be bargained. And you do not have to sell it to me if you don't want to.
Anyone who does a cosplay will win a 1 year subscription aromatically and has a chance to win the grand prizes as well.


~THE CHARACTERS~
Story:
A young boys life is torn apart when his family and safe solitude is stripped away from. Taken in by a man they called the Red Demon, Kuro is beaten and tortured for fourteen years. On the thirteen year he escapes the clutches of the Red Demon, captors his kingdom and become known as the one and only Dark Emperor.
For two years Kuro’s mind is set on creating a new world; One free from racism, war and slavery. The only man who seemed to stand in the way of his dream is Aden, emperor of (No final name yet). From the day Kuro came into power, Aden had been against him keeping all of Kuro’s armies from moving forward with the help of a young hero, Alexander. Despite all off Adan’s attempts to stop him, Kuro gains the upper edge and their final battle approaches.
That is until a hot tempered woman comes forward. Driven to protect her land and family Azalea attempts to change Kuro’s battle tactics but instead captures his heart. Kuro becomes obsessed with trying to woo Azalea, the creation of his new world becoming his secondary worry.
Read the first chapter here: [link]

Kuro (The Dark Emperor): Adult

Kuro has long black wings as an adult. His hair is long and dark blue matching his eyes. He has little emotion around this age because of the torment he had gone through growing up. The thing to remember about Kuro is that, even though he is the hero of the story, he is also the villain.

He is extremely good with one handed swords of any kind. He also favors the whip.
He has a bit of shadow magic. One of the being 'the great power' that the Red Demon was looking for and ends up ding from. A description of this is as fallows:

Again a wisp of black mist curled in front of him. Silence settled over those gathered as the black fog rose, swirling lazily. Kuro waited, tense, but no blow fell, the whip did not crack. Black rage rose in him, and with it rose the fog.
It grew thicker, roiling over the ground, boiling around Kuro’s huddled form. As it grew thicker, denser, larger, a faint sound echoed on the silence filling the courtyard. For a long moment the sound remained too low, too indistinct. Then it turned into the sound of someone screaming. Another voice joined the first, and another, and another until the air was filled with the sounds of agonized screams, their sound filled with the horror of death, the coldness of the grave, sending chills of horror down even the most resolute spin.
From the depths of the mist something moved. Sluggishly a figure lifted itself from the mist. As Harkin watched in stunned fascination, more creatures rose from the thick black fog, surrounding Kuro, who remained motionless in their midst.
All around him the world turned to black ash. Nothing living escaped the touch of the creatures unscathed. The grass surrounding the courtyard, the flowering bushes lining one wall, all turned black and turned to ash.
A human scream rose above the screams of the creatures as more and more rose from the midst, their bodies boneless masses, the flesh white and shriveled, sagging in rotten patches of decay. Turning his head, Harkin stared at the screaming man. He held his hand before his face, the flesh shriveling with age, and then further with decay, melting from his bones before it turned black and sifted away on the man’s screaming breath. The painful deadly decay continued up the man’s arm, devouring him. Blissfully the sounds of his agonized screams stopped when the flesh and tendons holding the man’s jaw in place rotted to ash and it fell away.
Pain exploded in his chest, and Harkin looked down in horror to find one of the nightmarish hags reaching out, touching his chest with a shapeless hand.
A scream bubbled up in his throat, filled it, and exploded into the air, mingling with the screams of other living beings as their life was stolen away from them by the slow black decay.
It was over quickly. Only red robes remained, covered by black ash as they fell to the ground. Then the creatures vanished, sinking back into the boiling black fog. The fog turned to thin mist, and then vanished in the bright light of the day, revealing the black ash sifting through the air.

Reference Pictures, including a bit more about him:



Kuro: Child

The man difference about Kuro as a child is that his wings are a bright yellow. Quote: “Their petals are as bright as the morning sun,But you, my dear little Kuro, are brighter than them both.” Other then that Kuro looks the same but younger... or course. His clothes are a bit different. Not quite as dark as he wears as an adult and much plainer.

He is a very cheerful, kind hearted, and adventures as a child. His wings change to black after meeting the Red Demon.

Reference Pictures, including a bit more about him:



Gim: Creature in the hole

Gim is a disgusting creature that lives in a hole of the wall of a dark hall. He is placed there to guard an important room. He is a very smart and wise creature despite living in a hole and he gives Kuro advice when ever Kuro is unsure of something. If you would like to read his intro please message me and I will send it to you.

Reference Pictures, including a bit more about him:



Aden: Emperor of All Good

Aden has long blond hair, green eyes and large white wings. He is very kind hearted and is Kuro's mortal enemy. Pretty much your typical, angelic character. He disagrees with Kuro's tactics to change the world and attempts to force Kuro to change his plains to fix the world. Failing at this Aden has no choice to go to war with Kuro.

Reference Picture:


Caelia Sarette: Fairy Queen

Looks
She has long bright blue hair that reaches her thighs. Her eyes are a bright silvery, white and her skin is a bright peach. She is very tall and slim making her very pretty. Upon her back are two blue butterfly wings. She wears a big white dress, and fancy crown upon her head. When in the forest she sparkles at sight. When out of the forest the sparkles fad.

Personality
She is a very soft spoke person who is always willing to help anyone hurt or lost in her forest. She cares mostly of the forest and all the creatures in it. However she does not like dwarfs. She says they are too rough on her woods.

Small Blurb
She ends up getting kidnapped by Kuro’s Black Nights. Her life is then traded for Aergan/Rhys. If she is to die then all of the other fairies living in her forest would die as well. The magic in that forest would then fad away and the trees and plants would die leaving all the other creatures living there homeless.

Reference Picture:
[link]


Alexander: The Hero

Looks
Dark brown hair, and brown eyes. His body shape is thin with some muscles. He wears the typical blue “hero” armor with brown boots. He carries around a fancy long sword given to him by his father.

Personality
He has the typical hero personality. Head strong, adventurous, caring, and revengeful.

Small blurb
Alex began his quest after the Black Emperors men killed his father and mother. Now he is looking for revenge on Kuro for the death of his parents and town. Along the way he makes a few friends. He also ends up falling in love with Azalea.

Reference Picture:
[link]


Harkin: The Red Demon
Looks
Bright red robs with a fancy black trimming, black curled horns on the hooded head, and Long demon like, blood-red wings.

Personality
Dark, Evil, straight to the point, power hungry, and deceiving

Small blurb
Also referred to as the “Red Demon”. Goes to Kuro as a boy right after Pinto dies. Tells Kuro he has been watching the boy for some time and that he has a “great power” With in him. Promises to help Kuro bring out that “great power” Ends up beating and training the boy until Kuro is a young man and turns on the “red demon”. Is the reason why Kuro was able to become the Black Emperor.

Pinto: Wise Centaur
Looks
A young blond hair Centaur. Golden tail and hair to match. Light golden brown coat. Bright green eyes to match the “Wealth of the forest”. Thin and well in shape.

Personality
Adventurous, very wise, caring and respects the forest and it’s creatures with a deep passion.

Small blurb
He finds Kuro just after the young boy has lost his parents. He understands right away that Kuro's family is dead. In order to explain this to Kuro, Pinto tries to teach him about death and life. In the end Pinto ends up ding and Kuro is taken in the by the Red Demon.

Azalea: The Strong, The Loved

Looks
She has long brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Her lips are a very deep red and her skin is tanned from working out side. She wears boy medieval adventure clothes. She is very strong for a woman, and carries around a long sword.

Personality
She is very adventures and tom-boyish. She enjoys going on quest and never settle for less then her own way. She is very head strong yet caring. She loves her sick father and brother very much. She is easy to make mad and will often show this anger if teased or doesn’t get her way.

Small blurb
After coming back from an quest she finds out that the black emperor has sent all the able men off to war and demanded that everyone in her town leave the area. Mad and worried for her sick father, she goes on a quest to seek out the emperor and demand there land back. When she goes to Kuro she gets teased and told no making her very made. Yet she wont give up and ends up making close friends the hero, Alex. Kuro falls deeply in love with her but she wants nothing to do with him, and never feels the same way. In stead she falls in love with Alex.


Lora: Kuros partner

Looks
A small White cat with glowing pale blue eyes. Has a well groomed coat that seems to have a light shin to it.

­ersonality
Quite, unnoticed, always watching over Kuro

Small blurb
Lora is found at the leftovers of Kuro’s home after his parents have died. Her blue eyes remind Kuro of his mothers and so he lets the small kitten fallow him. In secret she helps Kuro throughout his life and seems to always be “watching over him”

Other characters:
Bathle: Kuros Adviser, Yahto Azalea’s Father, War Trolls: Killers of Kuro's family and part of his army, Kuro’s mother and father, Snake Gang.

If you would like to use any of these characters or want to learn more about them then please message me or post here. ^_^

Also, if you want to learn more about any of the characters or have any questions feel free to message me or post here.