"We of the Council of Imperium are saddened to report the loss of one of our number, Amadeus the Kind. His reign was long and fulfilling, and his many exploits will be remembered for all time in the Hall of Records. However, his passing has left a seat empty at our table, and we would like to offer every citizen of our great city a unique opportunity. We would like to bring one of you, an ordinary citizen, into our esteemed number.

Now, not just anyone can fill the void created by our late High Councillor Amadeus. Only one of great strength and knowledge can possibly hope to live up to his exalted position. And so, to ensure that his replacement meets - nay, exceeds these requirements, we propose a test.

You must make your way to the Council chambers, beginning on the ground level of Imperium. Only those who have seen the entire city, from its lowest point to its highest reaches, can possibly know enough of its workings to rule fairly. And so you must begin below the clouds and away from the protection of the sky. You must find your way from the darkness and despair and into the light of triumph. And once you are here, before we Councillors, you shall be welcomed among our ranks with the highest prestige available to us."

Councillor Artemis disappeared from the holoscreen of the Councillor's Chambers, to be replaced by the real one standing below where it had been. "The new High Councillor should be as easy to control as Amadeus was, if we play our cards right. It's just a shame that the citizens require us to have one at all." He spat the word 'citizens' as if it were a poison he didn't want in his mouth. "Now, let us make our preparations..."


---Auditions---
Casus Belli is a tournament open to both artists and writers, and the audition sequence for either is simple.

First, create a character reference sheet with your character's basic information on it. This should include:
-Name
-Physical Description
-Personality
-Weapons/Fighting Style/Abilities
Artists should give at least a few pictures of their character in different poses, and writers should describe how the character looks in detail. This will save time and patience for everyone later!

Then, create a short comic or story to show how your character got to Imperium and how they became involved in the tournament.

Finally, note the tournament with a link to your reference and audition! They will be chronicled in a future journal as they're recieved, and the tentative deadline for auditions is March 1st.


---Battles---
Each round will take place on a different level: the first in the Ratholes, the second in the Grinders, etc. Battles will generally be one-on-one. Entries will be judged on story, quality, fight, and entertainment value, so make sure you make the battle interesting!


---Levels---
Imperium is divided into five levels, each distinctly different from the last. You will begin in the Ratholes. Your goal is to reach the Halo. If you manage to defeat your opponent there, you will be granted a place of power among the city's elite and a home in the Halo. What you do with that power...now that is your decision.

The Ratholes
The lowest levels are the Ratholes. Constantly shrouded in darkness, its inhabitants never see the sky past the shadows of the buildings and the Smokes. The abandoned, the mad, and the damned live in the darkness here. The primary drive here is survival; every individual fights and steals just to find food and shelter from the mutated creatures that may have once been human or animal or machine. The roads are in complete disrepair and it is impossible to tell what is ground and what is a pathway created between buildings by any means possible.

Tarsico the Wise is the Councillor for the Ratholes - but to the citizens of Imperium he is Tarsico the Paranoid. Tall and lanky, he has a fragile look to his body that belies the unwavering hold he takes on ideas and opinions. He has done extensive research into genetics and it is rumoured that his two bodyguards have been genetically modified.

The Grinders
The next levels are the Grinders, and only on the rarest of days is it possible to see the sky. The darkness has now become a grey light. The buildings are farther apart, here, and the pathways between them fewer. There are some working machines here, but the primary danger here is from the gangs. Without the allegiance of one of these gangs, no one can hope to survive for long.

Josephine the Just - better known as Josephine the Cruel - is Councillor of the Grinders. Sophisticated and beautiful, hidden below her smile is a cruelty matched by few. She is willing to sacrifice whoever she needs to - with a smile - in order to get what she wants. Her two thuggish bodyguards are always by her side.

The Smokes
The third levels are the Smokes. This level is defined by the thick smog that permeates it; what may once have been clouds. Sight is impossible past a few meters. People who live here must protect themselves from the smoke or else would choke shortly after being exposed to it. Many machines are in working order here, their purposes varied and many unknown as they pour out smoke and steam and feed the smog.

The oriental beauty Jaoqin the Gentle is the Councillor of the Smokes. Living up to her nickname of Jaoqin the Silent, she rarely speaks and is usually a no-vote on matters of the Council. Cigarette always in hand, she has no bodyguards, but rumours have circulated of her recieving cybernetic enhancements.

The Brights
The levels above the clouds are the Brights. Here are the people who can afford to protect themselves from those few who escape from the Smokes. The light is true light, here, and there are plants, but only the hardiest can survive. Vehicles pass frequently along true roadways, and some hovercars. The hardscrabble, cobbled-together living of the lower levels is uncommon, but not unheardof.

Councillor of the Brights is Ranulfo the Prosperous. The commoners call him Ranulfo the fat, and this enormously obese man rarely leaves his hoverchair. He has one android bodyguard that is more often used as a servant, and it's a well-known fact that his hoverchair has a number of weapons and defense systems installed in it.

The Halo
The highest level is the Halo, home of the Council. Only the richest live in the Halo, high in the sky, living lives of luxury and beauty. There are no solid pathways between the buildings, the rich instead passing between them in streams of flying vehicles. The highest technology is prevalant here; lasers, holograms, force fields, hoverpads, teleporters. However, the altitude is so high in the Halo that outside the buildings it is freezing cold and the air is too thin for a normal human to survive for long without assistance.

Artemis the Proud is the Councillor of the Halo. Every bit as arrogant as the citizens accuse him of being, he considers everyone not of the Halo to be subhuman. Few people ever live up to his expectations, and his cold manner doesn't bother to hide this fact. His one bodyguard is always by his side.


---Prizes---
1st Prize
1 year DA subscription
a fully coloured picture of the winner's OC by ~Chima

2nd Prize
3 month DA subscription
a greyscale picture of the 2nd-place winner's OC by ~Chima

if you'd like to donate a prize, note the tournament and it will be put up here!


---Judges---



---Credits---
major thanks to ~TheCureOCT and *Endling for making their tournaments, The Cure and EndZone, and inspiring Casus Belli!

Huge thanks to these guys for helping get the word out: