To commemorate the upcoming release of FINAL FANTASY XI's third add-on scenario, "A Shantotto Ascension," it is with pleasure that we announce a fan art contest inspired by everyone's favorite rhyme-spinning sorceress!

With her peerless mastery over the black arts and her sass in abundance, Doctor Shantotto has established herself as one of the most popular personalities ever to grace the world of Vana'diel. Now adventurers the world over have a chance to pay homage to this pocket dynamo by way of fan art! Ruthless, beautiful, nigh-omnipotent—how you portray the former Orastery Minister is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind, however, that the good doctor is nothing if not charming!

Entries will undergo a rigorous judging process overseen by our development and operations teams. Prior to submitting an entry, please ensure that you read and understand all the information below, and send in your masterpiece during the designated submission period.

All entries that fulfill the requirements to undergo judging will be posted for public display here in Topics at a later date, with the lucky prize-winners to be further awarded with the in-game item, the "Nomad Moogle Rod."

We look forward to viewing your submissions!

How to Enter

Requirements:
- Contestants must possess an active FINAL FANTASY XI account.
- All contestants must agree to the defined terms and conditions.
* Contestants under the age of 18 must obtain the permission of a legal guardian before submitting entries.

Submission period: Thursday, October 8, 2009 until Tuesday, November 3, at 06:59 (PST).

Theme: Shantotto

How to Submit Your Art: Submissions may be sent via email. The body of the mail should contain all of the required information listed below, with the illustration attached (see below for file format/size information). Emails should be sent to the following address.

Email Subject: Shantotto Fan Art Contest Submission

Required Information:
- Your PlayOnline email address.
- Your FINAL FANTASY XI World name, as well as your character's name.
- Your nickname or handle. (max. 40 characters)
- A title for your artwork. (max. 50 characters)
- A personal comment or caption for your artwork. (max. 100 characters)

*Should your illustration be chosen for display, the above nickname (and your real name, if submitted), artwork title, and personal comment will appear along with your artwork.

Submission Format:
Resolution: 1024x768 or 768x1024 pixels
File Format: .JPG or .GIF
File Size: Up to 750KB
*Entries that do not fulfill the above size requirements may be excluded from judging.
As a general guideline, files should conform to either the 4:3 or 3:4 aspect ratio.

* Illustrations must be original pieces of art.
* Please attach only one illustration per email. Contestants will be limited to only one submission.
* Contestants will not be notified directly of the contest results. Winners will be announced publicly in a Topics posting.
* For sculpted artwork, please take a photograph and submit it via e-mail.

Warning

To avoid any complications concerning submissions, please read the following terms thoroughly. We ask that all contestants understand and agree to these terms prior to submitting their artwork. Square Enix will regard all submissions to the Fan Art Contest as implicit acceptance to these terms, without exception.

Regarding prizes:
Winning contestants may not transfer their claim to a prize to another individual/character.

Regarding personal information:
The personal information accompanying contest entries will be utilized in sending prizes to contest winners. In all regards, personal information will be handled with the utmost security in the same manner as laid forth in the guidelines of the PlayOnline User Agreement.

Regarding inappropriate submissions:
Entries falling under either of the below categories will not be considered by the judges:
- artwork containing obscenity, vulgarity, discrimination, or any other offensive subject matter
- artwork containing any plagiarized or copyrighted material
The following factors may also result in disqualification:
- infringements upon copyright/intellectual property, personal credit, privacy, etc.
- counter to public order and/or morals
- submissions with content judged to be grossly deviant from the established theme
- depiction of characters not related to FINAL FANTASY XI
- entries not containing all of the required information, or containing erroneous information
Square Enix reserves the right to judge whether or not material is appropriate for public display

Regarding copyrights:
All submitted entries will become the sole property of Square Enix (in accordance with all rights stipulated by International Copyright Law, Articles 21~26, Article 27, and Article 28, together with all rights provisioned by future amendments to said Articles).

*SQUARE ENIX OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES
All entries and other materials (the "Entry Materials") (including all copyright, trademark, and other proprietary rights associated therewith) submitted by you become the property of Square Enix upon submission, and Entry Materials will not be returned to any contestant. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge that Square Enix will own all rights to use, modify, and make derivative works of the Entry Materials, without separate compensation to you or any other person or entity. You agree to take, at Square Enix's expense, any further action (including, without limitation, execution of affidavits and other documents) reasonably requested by Square Enix to effect, perfect, or confirm Square Enix's ownership rights as set forth above in this paragraph. Entry Materials may be used by contestants only for purposes of the Contest or for private, personal, non-public viewing. Entry materials received by Square Enix may be destroyed by Square Enix at any time following the Contest.