From the lorn orchards of Earth to the refineries in orbit around Marzion IX: the end of a cycle, the long-awaited harvest, is a time of anticipation and change. Our minds turn to the season past, and our eyes open to the shadows. Tever say the voices of the dead whisper through the boughs of their trees; Skala trade tales of shed skins on silent pilgrimage to the burrows they were born in. Even aboard the Ardent, among the Alliance’s vanguards, there is a sense of suspension – a keening note added to the shriek of the FABREP, an uptick in requests made to T/OM to explain the unexplainable…
What do you remember, at the edge of all that is known? What has been forgotten? Or, perhaps: what are you trying to forget?
Is there a spectre that haunts the Ardent’s halls? Did you see the void pawing at the ship’s membranes? What lurks in the corner of the picture you took in the reactor chamber? Did something follow you aboard? Have you, in short, witnessed something that you can’t explain – something strange, something paranormal? Did you file a report about it?
If so, we want to hear from you!
🔶 What’s happening?
October is upon us – and before we know it, Halloween! In the spirit of the season, we wanted to put together an IC zine full of spooky player (and crew) submitted stories and art.
The topic is: Cautionary tales, urban legends, and cryptids caught on camera!
🔶 What kind of submissions are we looking for?
Submissions can either be:
- Written
Example: Short stories, SCP Foundation-style reports, poems, encoded findings, etc.
Submission format: .docx, .pdf or .txt!
- Visual
Example: 3D works, paintings, sculptures (that have been photographed)
Submission format: .jpeg or a .png.
You can also do a mix of both! (For example, an image and a tale to go with it!)
🔶 Dates
- Start date: 09/10/2025
- End date: 28/10/2025
🔶 How do I send my art/writing in?,
Email us at zine@ardentspacers.com with the subject line “Halloween Zine”, and then your name, with your submission(s) attached!
Example: Halloween Zine – Bob Example
Please also include your character’s name (or a in-universe pen name) – you can also submit anonymously, if you prefer!
🔶 Rules
- No generative AI
- No plagiarism
- No content that is forbidden by the code of conduct
- Have fun!
There is no minimum word count, nor any requirements in terms of style: this is a way to bond over scary stories and strange occurrences, and to kickstart your thinking about what haunts your characters while we get through the long dark of winter together.
🔶 FAQ
- Can I work with other people on a submission?
Yes – just make sure that the names of all contributors are included, so that we can give you all credit!
- Will we get OC credit?
Yes – OC names will also be displayed alongside your submissions!
- What if I don’t want my OC name there?
Let us know in your submission email, and we will make sure to accommodate your request
- Can I add a link to my Instagram/writing blog/website too?
Of course – just let us know in the email, and we can add that to your submission!
- How will this be published?
All entries will be compiled into an online zine and published on the Ardent Spacers website, so that everyone can access it (and so that anyone who is interested can print their own copy!).
- Will everything included in the zine be canon?
The zine will be formatted as an IC document, a collection of urban legends that is circulated both aboard the ship and within the Alliance. In-universe, it’d be treated as being about as accurate and reasonable as a paranormal magazine would be in real life – which is to say, some people might believe everything it says, while others would dismiss it out of hand! IF you want to use anything from the zine as a jumping-off point for roleplay, that is completely acceptable.
