The Publisher OCT
is an Original Character Tournament hosted by RainbowicReverie with judges MacabreAustereRelume, VanillaStarburst, AngelAndChangeling, and DragonHT on deviantArt. The contestants in-universe are actually representations of the competitors themselves. At the start of the tournament, these artists and writers have received a mysterious invitation signed by "The Publisher," inviting them to an interview that promises to be "the opportunity of a lifetime." Hoping to get their work published, the contestants travel to The Facility, where they are locked inside and receive wristbands that allow them to turn into any one of three of their characters at their will. As it turns out, the interview process is a tournament between the contestants with their newly given powers, competing for a chance at the ultimate goal of publication. But who is The Publisher, and what does he want? Is the prize too good to be true, or could it be actually real?
The tournament roster was released August 26th, 2013. The tournament ended on September 10, 2014, with Hisiheyah taking first place and ireny-octs taking second. Kitsune-Klepto and An-san were the third place winners.
General Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: The "Publisher," really an entity of pure chaos, is vanquished, but at a price... all the contestants forget their beloved characters. In the end, they have to work with each other to piece their memories together again.
- Captain Oblivious: Who would work at such a creepy facility with such suspiciously high security? Most of the staff at the Facility are portrayed as actually too obliviously wrapped up in their respective jobs to question it (See: The Janitor, The Editor, The Illustrator). The rest just seem kind of creepy enough to handle themselves in the situation (See: The Doctor, The Secretary).
- Cooking Duel: Although the tournament was usually interpreted to be fighting-based, a notable number of the contestants chose alternative ways to settle their scores, including an eating contest, laser tag, multiple races, and, of course, a cook-off.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Publisher's staff only go by their respective job names ("The Secretary," "The Illustrator…") rather than their actual names - including, of course, The Publisher himself.
- Hearing Voices: Technology that allows a person to transform into a figment of their imagination often comes with some unsettling side effects.
- Sinister Surveillance: Wherever the contestants go in The Facility, they can be sure that The Publisher is watching.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Enforced by the tournament rules. In-universe, it is justified in that the competitors are mostly ordinary citizens who would be unlikely to murder, and that even if they do get injured, The Doctor is one of the top medical staff available.
