[Thanks to Aeavenne's player who logged all this when my own log got messed up, I have everyone's entries and am posting them in order. I've snipped out crowd noise, recitations that have no particular mood assigned to them and the enthusiastic applause that followed every entry (and yes, they all got a great reception). I've kept in any actions and speech tones from the contestant. The actual event was a good deal more fun with all the shrieks and laughter and applause from a nice-sized audience.]

[Up first: Silverthorne!]


Silverthorne recites:

"In a far remote shack free from your prying eyes
Lived a Withycombe gnome who was shunned for his size
Now you know and I know that all gnomes are small
But this gnome named Grimlich was tiniest of all"

"And in his frustration began he a quest
To build a machine that would heed his behest
He built his own forge from the heat far below
Gushing fire to craft veil iron in a red glow"

"Fusing great plates of metal with toggles and gears
He panted and sweated and worked through his tears
The great creature took shape, a mechanical man
His creation stood taller than any gnome can"

"The mechanics he twisted the creature arose
Then fell to the floor in an awkward repose
Chagrined by the outcome Grimlich formed a plan
He knew that he had to steal legs from a man"

"Making his way back to town civilized
He found one who made fun of diminutive size
With butcher knife handy and night closing in
He committed what we'll call his first evil sin"

"The legs they did twitch neath the cool linen sheets
Two quick lops from the knife and a deafening screech
With blood pooling red on the wood floor below
Grimlich left town with two cleaved legs in tow"

"Now some say that man and device will not bind
But those legs ran by gears in the torso's behind
I know you can see where this tale might head next
Yes it needed arms too that could grasp and could flex"

"Back to town went gnome Grimlich again in the dark
Finding arms worthy of his machine and its spark
With another loud wail of flesh torn from bone
Grimlich headed from town with the arms to his home"

"Affixing flesh biceps to great iron core
With sinew to gear pins and bone fused to ore
Creation complete now machine bound with man
But something was missing to complete the plan"

"Grimlich read from tomes that were written by quill
For dark magic to bind this machine to his will
The spell he did conjure from manuscripts old
Green smoke from the forge all around did enfold"

"With a massive explosion they could hear from town
Grimlich and contraption were finally bound
The townfolk they gathered in terror and fear
Through the cold dark of night two eyes did appear"

"Metal wrenching and churning and sputtering noise
Panicked townspeople wailed, mothers scooped up their boys
And in the town gates the creature stood tall
A frightening sight was in front of them all"

"Metal and gore clung together through rust
Flesh arms and flesh legs with mechanical bust
But as they looked close they saw Grimlich's demise
Perched upon torso Grimlich s head, evil eyes"

"He ripped through the town putting torch to the homes
He ripped apart townfolk tearing flesh, crunching bones
A path of destruction, malevolence lashed
Until nothing was left save for buzzards and ash"

"Revenge was now Grimlich's as he towered high
But something still missing, he picked up an eye
Then a heart and a liver, a finger, a brain
Weaving magic and metal he grew from the slain"

"And I know you may wonder where Grimlich has gone
He is always nearby and you should hear my song
He comes in the darkness, flesh and metal he hexed
Cleaving parts from his victims and you could be next!"