"What resists the pattern? What threatens the network?"
Every system has its shadow. Every rhythm faces silence.
Please read all instructions carefully before posting your work or asking any questions.
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STEP 1: The Trace
STEP 2: The Landform
STEP 3: The Breathing Rite
STEP 4: The Keepers
STEP 5 : The Network
Synopsis
The network pulses. The keepers maintain their posts. The breathing rite continues.
But something opposes it.
This is your world's first sign of resistance, entropy, or threat — a force, presence, or void that stands against what you've built. It doesn't need to be evil. It doesn't need to be sentient. But it exists in opposition to the pattern.
Darkness that swallows the signal between sites
Creatures that disrupt the breathing rite
A decay spreading through keeper stations
Silence where there should be resonance
An ancient rival network pulsing a different rhythm
Natural forces that resist ritual order
Whether it's a predator, a plague, an idea, or the inevitable weight of time — the opposition reveals that your world is not unopposed. This is The Opposition — the shadow that defines the light.
🔹 Focus: Tension Through Contrast
What stands against the network?
It may not attack directly, but it threatens by existing.
Is this opposition conscious — or merely the nature of things?
Does it seek to destroy, consume, or simply reclaim what the keepers hold?
Are the keepers aware of it — or is it still whispered about?
Can the opposition be fought, negotiated with, or only endured?
Don't reveal the entire enemy. Let the viewer sense its presence through disruption, absence, scars on the landscape, or the fear in keeper rituals.
Color + Mood
Your visual language now includes conflict.
How does your established palette respond to the opposition's presence?
Does it drain color, introduce new tones, or corrupt familiar ones?
Let contrast show the struggle — light vs. shadow, order vs. chaos, pulse vs. stillness.
This isn't a battle scene yet; it's the moment before. The recognition that something resists. Please show us the tension, not the war.
Meaning and Intention
In 1–3 sentences:
What form does this opposition take?
Why does it threaten what the keepers protect?
How does it challenge the network you've established?
Keep the threat visceral but mysterious. The opposition isn't a manifesto — it's a shadow on the horizon.
⚠️ Avoid:
Showing a complete villain origin story or battle
Making it a simple "good vs evil" conflict
Over-explaining the threat — dread lives in the unknown
Creating a generic monster unless it serves your world's logic
Step 6 Checklist
✅ One image depicting the opposition, its effects, or evidence of its presence
✅ Consistent or evolving visual identity from Steps 1-5
✅ 1–3 sentence description
✅ Optional: affected sites, corrupted rituals, keeper defensive measures, traces of conflict
⚠️ Tag your post: Challenge Step 6
📊 Scoring & Timeline
Scoring & Timeline
Category
Points
Visual Quality
10 pts
Creativity / Concept
10 pts
Jury Score (avg.)
15 pts
Bonus Content
+3 pts
🔗 SPECIAL NOTE: Connected Challenge
Steps 6 and 7 are connected. The opposition you establish here will directly inform the next challenge.
🕒 Step 6 Opens: October 27, 5 PM CET
📅 Step 7 will be unveiled: November 12th, 5 PM CET
🎯 Step 7 Deadline: December 8th, 5 PM CET
Because these steps are connected, there is NO PENALTY for submitting Step 6 anytime before the Step 7 deadline (December 8th). Both steps flow as one continuous narrative arc before the holiday break.
Submission Instructions
One submission per artist
Upload to the Submit an IAMC26 Entry space
Use any format or dimensions
Include your written description in the caption
Tag with: Challenge Step 6
General Rules and FAQ, available here
Questions? Use the IAMC26 Challenge Q&A space.