Graced by Gold

• Twitter
• Email

With news of the DLC right around the corner it's time to look back on all your adventures of the past 2 years in the Lands Between. Graced by Gold, (alternatively known as MAIDENLESS) is a for-charity zine revolving around the adventures of the lowly Tarnished who became Elden Lord...

> Will the project be physical?
We're currently planning to release a physical and digital version of this zine. However physical will depend on how much we raise.>Will there be merch?
Depending on how much interest it garners, we are open to making some affordable stickers, charms and more!>Which charity will proceeds be going to?
All proceeds after processing will be made to MSF: DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides emergency medical humanitarian care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.>How many contributors will be accepted?
With the uncertainty facing the art world at this moment, we want to try and accept as many artists as possible to showcase and celebrate their art. However of course, there will still be limits, as budgets are a thing. We will be aiming for 50 artists at this time as I continue to calculate costs and margins.>Will you be accepting writers or other media?
At this time I (Mod Dove) would like to only focus on page artists as I am not well-versed with text editing and would lengthen the timeline beyond what I am aiming for this project. Since I am maximizing as much space for artists, short-stories span several pages, and would increase page numbers. Of course I am by no means depreciating writers, but I would prefer to work with media I am efficient and familiar in!>Will there be guest artists?
Yes! We will be aiming for 3-5 guest artists, going off who was suggested most in the interest check. Ultimately it will be up to the mods choosing.>How will contributors be compensated?
All contributors are guaranteed a digital version of the zine. However! If we are able to meet budget goals, all contributors will receive a free physical bundle of the zine. All physical compensation is reliant on the number of sales.>How will communication be conducted?
All updates will be through the twitter page.
All contributors should have access to a Discord account as this is the easiest form of communication, and keeping track of everyone.

PAGE ARTIST PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES- Artists of all styles are encouraged to apply! We do search for a decent understanding of composition and color as full page space should be utilized.- In the application there will be a space for you to provide links to a google drive folder, or your artist website.- Please provide at least 5 illustrations in your portfolio. The more the better!- NSFW portfolios are accepted, however please state this (and any content warnings) beforehand! Can't risk opening up it up at work...- Contributors must be 18+.Portfolios will not be considered if:
- There are broken links
- Unfinished work
- Any usage of AI in any capacity
- Stolen, copied or plagiarized work

What's the vibe?While we're going to be pretty flexible with how you want to lay out your piece, we're looking for a sense of wonder and adventure. What did that first boss fight feel like? When you first stepped out of the Chapel of Anticipation? Dying over and over again to Malenia? We want the illustrations with your Tarnished to evoke emotion- other than that you have full reign! If you're stuck then, "my cool guy in a pose" is totally valid.Are you looking for full body or is half body and portraits ok?
This will be accepted on a case by case basis. We won't accept simple headshots with a blank background, however if you can make it creative and visually interesting (e.g a painting of your Tarnished found in the Roundtable Hold with an ornate border), then why not? We do ask that it be waist-up, at least.Do you want full backgrounds?
We do prefer full backgrounds, but also understand these are pretty hard to do. If you're not confident with backgrounds, we'll work with and suggest how to implement even a simple one!Can we collab with another artist?
A great question- since there are canonically summons in Elden Ring, then you are allowed to collaborate and illustrate your Tarnished with another (whether it be a helpful summon, or an invasion, or just chilling). However, it must be with the artist's Tarnished that has been accepted, and not an individual's character from outside the zine.Will the contributors be assigned pieces?
No, but they will be required to finalize their concept with a moderator to avoid major overlap with others! (e.g 20 people want to draw Morgott slapping their Tarnished).
Moderators will approve a contributor’s concept prior to them beginning work on their piece(s) for the zine. This includes checking for any potential themes/content that are not clear for print in the zine.

Are ships allowed for my illustration?
This is a bit of a grey area as the Tarnished canonically does not encounter any romantic relationships and should not be the main focus of the piece. However we also understand that relationships with other NPCs may be a big part of your character's story! Ideas for illustrations will be looked at and approved on a case-by-case basis.What's the word on NSFW content?
The mods anticipate that there may be limited nudity, similar to what is shown in-game. Bare chests are shown (Marika’s Tits!!!) however there are no presented nipples or genitalia- we would like to keep the zine the same way for this project. Artistic nudity will be accepted once again, on a case-by-case basis. The main zine will not feature any explicit sexual content however, as this is not the theme we're going for!How far can we go with gore?
Gore and body horror is accepted along the lines of what's depicted in canon. Extreme gore or graphic death (severed limbs, disemboweling, some guys head hanging on by a thread etc.) may be implied, but not a central or detailed part of the image. (So, no focusing on the wounds left from a limb being cleaved off, for example.)For both sexual and violent content, if it wouldn't be allowed in a PG16 work, it probably won't fly here. Feel free to tap a mod and ask if you're not sure!Are AUs allowed?
While your art can cover events that have been or are being depicted in the game, we will not be accepting AUs. Everything must be contained within the beginning and end of the game. As much as we want Varre to be a farmer.Can I be removed for social media posts?
The moderators do not police contributor's social media posts, as long as they are not engaging in hate-speech, speaking poorly of the project and/or their fellow contributors. We will not look at their social media accounts, beyond viewing example works.

As a disclaimer, we will of course try to stay on track of things and follow the dates that have been laid out. However, as planning big projects go, it is never 100% and roadblocks do happen, so dates may be changed or set back. The mods will make sure to clearly communicate this with all contributors and followers to ensure smooth development of this zine!