{"id":1022,"date":"2025-10-30T12:03:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T13:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/?p=1022"},"modified":"2025-10-30T16:16:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T16:16:42","slug":"iamc26-challenge-step-6-the-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/30\/iamc26-challenge-step-6-the-opposition\/","title":{"rendered":"IAMC26 Challenge &#8211; Step 6 \u2013 THE OPPOSITION"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<figure data-type=\"image\" data-version=\"v2\" data-id=\"y82kxEJ5Gi221osbf2izR\" data-size=\"full\" data-align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-id=\"y82kxEJ5Gi221osbf2izR\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/y82kxEJ5Gi221osbf2izR\"><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"8481ce78-e5ba-4160-944f-77a3aecad851\" data-toc-id=\"8481ce78-e5ba-4160-944f-77a3aecad851\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>&#8220;What resists the pattern? What threatens the network?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Every system has its shadow. Every rhythm faces silence.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"90e8fae8-d4d8-4f6a-b177-70dbaf452de3\" data-toc-id=\"90e8fae8-d4d8-4f6a-b177-70dbaf452de3\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Please read all instructions carefully before posting your work or asking any questions.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;ve missed previous steps, you can still enter. Catch up via these Links<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-1---the-trace-ZiBzDMiEWIDDsSS\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">The Trace<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-2---the-landform-vr4yGJ3LXrXvwn5\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">The Landform<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge-step-3---the-breathing-rite-ncJmRMkPDUubxtA\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">The Breathing Rite<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 4: <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---step-4---the-keepers-n38ekCKuu8ueWnN\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">The Keepers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>STEP 5 : <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---step-5---the-network-i2wLgPWno6qUB0s\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">The Network<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"5d53ca08-77ae-4f76-847e-0e5a3f7b1f5b\" data-toc-id=\"5d53ca08-77ae-4f76-847e-0e5a3f7b1f5b\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Synopsis<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The network pulses. The keepers maintain their posts. The breathing rite continues.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But something opposes it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is your world&#8217;s first sign of <strong>resistance, entropy, or threat<\/strong> \u2014 a force, presence, or void that stands against what you&#8217;ve built. It doesn&#8217;t need to be evil. It doesn&#8217;t need to be sentient. But it <strong>exists in opposition<\/strong> to the pattern.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Darkness that swallows the signal between sites<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Creatures that disrupt the breathing rite<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A decay spreading through keeper stations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Silence where there should be resonance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>An ancient rival network pulsing a different rhythm<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Natural forces that resist ritual order<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whether it&#8217;s a predator, a plague, an idea, or the inevitable weight of time \u2014 <strong>the opposition reveals that your world is not unopposed<\/strong>. This is <strong>The Opposition<\/strong> \u2014 the shadow that defines the light.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ac761df8-e00c-4a04-842a-8c30d9b0a80f\" data-toc-id=\"ac761df8-e00c-4a04-842a-8c30d9b0a80f\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>\ud83d\udd39 Focus: Tension Through Contrast<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"6b5037ef-b3df-4612-8358-9e801c4b7865\" data-toc-id=\"6b5037ef-b3df-4612-8358-9e801c4b7865\" class=\"text-lg\"><strong>What stands against the network?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It may not attack directly, but it <strong>threatens by existing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Is this opposition conscious \u2014 or merely the nature of things?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Does it seek to destroy, consume, or simply reclaim what the keepers hold?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Are the keepers aware of it \u2014 or is it still whispered about?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Can the opposition be fought, negotiated with, or only endured?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don&#8217;t reveal the entire enemy. Let the viewer <strong>sense its presence<\/strong> through disruption, absence, scars on the landscape, or the fear in keeper rituals.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"b71711e1-8277-440e-bd40-6c83ec24087e\" data-toc-id=\"b71711e1-8277-440e-bd40-6c83ec24087e\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Color + Mood<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"9d8844a1-4524-4fc5-bccf-4ef9103d1fbd\" data-toc-id=\"9d8844a1-4524-4fc5-bccf-4ef9103d1fbd\" class=\"text-lg\"><strong>Your visual language now includes conflict.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>How does your established palette respond to the opposition&#8217;s presence?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Does it drain color, introduce new tones, or corrupt familiar ones?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Let contrast show the struggle \u2014 light vs. shadow, order vs. chaos, pulse vs. stillness.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This isn&#8217;t a battle scene yet;  it&#8217;s the <strong>moment before<\/strong>. The recognition that something <strong>resists<\/strong>. Please show us the tension, not the war.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"200450b9-756f-485e-b437-6652d3a8642d\" data-toc-id=\"200450b9-756f-485e-b437-6652d3a8642d\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Meaning and Intention<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"a2ccc14b-09ad-4c4f-b531-48f0c8fe1ec4\" data-toc-id=\"a2ccc14b-09ad-4c4f-b531-48f0c8fe1ec4\" class=\"text-lg\"><strong>In 1\u20133 sentences:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>What form does this opposition take?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Why does it threaten what the keepers protect?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>How does it challenge the network you&#8217;ve established?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep the threat visceral but mysterious. The opposition isn&#8217;t a manifesto \u2014 it&#8217;s a <strong>shadow on the horizon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4dccb0b4-e8dd-4584-b47c-6905cef57c92\" data-toc-id=\"4dccb0b4-e8dd-4584-b47c-6905cef57c92\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>\u26a0\ufe0f Avoid:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Showing a complete villain origin story or battle<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Making it a simple &#8220;good vs evil&#8221; conflict<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Over-explaining the threat \u2014 dread lives in the unknown<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Creating a generic monster unless it serves your world&#8217;s logic<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"5ec49fca-88fb-4d26-93b1-ab63818e5e51\" data-toc-id=\"5ec49fca-88fb-4d26-93b1-ab63818e5e51\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Step 6 Checklist<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u2705 One image depicting the opposition, its effects, or evidence of its presence<br \/>\u2705 Consistent or evolving visual identity from Steps 1-5<br \/>\u2705 1\u20133 sentence description<br \/>\u2705 Optional: affected sites, corrupted rituals, keeper defensive measures, traces of conflict<\/p>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Tag your post: Challenge Step 6<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcca Scoring &amp; Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"78af000e-e365-432d-9f37-1a244209ed8d\" data-toc-id=\"78af000e-e365-432d-9f37-1a244209ed8d\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Scoring &amp; Timeline<\/strong><\/h2>\n<table class=\"w-fit min-w-(--thread-content-width)\" style=\"width: 240px\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 120px\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 120px\" \/><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" style=\"width: 120px;min-width: 120px\" class=\"relative bg-background border text-left font-bold p-2 [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Category<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" style=\"width: 120px;min-width: 120px\" class=\"relative bg-background border text-left font-bold p-2 [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Points<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Visual Quality<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>10 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Creativity \/ Concept<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>10 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Jury Score (avg.)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>15 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"isolation-auto\">\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>Bonus Content<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\" class=\"relative border p-2 min-h-6 align-top [&amp;_p]:m-0\">\n<p>+3 pts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"0c007132-63a2-4b49-86c5-5e9b8cef1b96\" data-toc-id=\"0c007132-63a2-4b49-86c5-5e9b8cef1b96\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>\ud83d\udd17 SPECIAL NOTE: Connected Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Steps 6 and 7 are connected.<\/strong> The opposition you establish here will directly inform the next challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd52 <strong>Step 6 Opens: October 27, 5 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcc5 <strong>Step 7 will be unveiled: November 12th, 5 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Step 7 Deadline: December 8th, 5 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Because these steps are connected, there is NO PENALTY for submitting Step 6 anytime before the Step 7 deadline (December 8th).<\/strong> Both steps flow as one continuous narrative arc before the holiday break.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"8863f9af-8db7-4a7f-94fc-727f9a55b68e\" data-toc-id=\"8863f9af-8db7-4a7f-94fc-727f9a55b68e\" class=\"text-xl\"><strong>Submission Instructions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>One submission per artist<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Upload to the <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/submit-your-entry-ax0xahgk\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">Submit an IAMC26 Entry space<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Use any format or dimensions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Include your written description in the caption<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tag with: Challenge Step 6<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/announcements\/post\/iamc26-challenge---official-rules-and-terms-of-participation-vH4GoVO1DWaC1Pu\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">General Rules and FAQ, available here<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Questions? <a href=\"https:\/\/iamagcommunity.iamag.co\/questions-wjrf61o8\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-interactive hover:text-interactive-hovered\">Use the IAMC26 Challenge Q&amp;A space.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What resists the pattern? What threatens the network?&#8221; Every system has its shadow. Every rhythm faces silence. Please read all instructions carefully before posting your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/30\/iamc26-challenge-step-6-the-opposition\/\" class=\"read-more-link\">[Read More&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1022"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1025,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions\/1025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.texasalcohollicensing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}