Bradly in front of his goldfish pond

The Jeweled Palette of Artists and Artisans
Just as Sages of the Santharian Kingdom can be awarded medals to commemorate their scholarship and academic ability, and bards gain rings as they acquire new skills, so too, can great artisans and artists be recognized by their peers. The Santharian Compendium has been foremost in championing the cause of both recognizing and designing tokens of recognition in these areas, and are now pleased to announce, that for the first time, in this year we are presenting the "Jeweled Palette" to honour our Santharian artists. The full palette of four hues is shown here, each stone and its characteristic colour representing a season and a different virtue or achievement in the field of art:

Spring - Emeraud - Creativity & Inspiration / Summer - Topaz - Craftsmanship & Skill
Fall - Ruby - Productivity & Heart / Winter - Saffire - Dedication & Perseverance

It is our sincere pleasure that the Compendium presents
Seeker, Fire Mage & Wanderer
with the full Jeweled Palette, in recognition of his competence, creativity, energy, and passion for the Dream!

The Sage of the Year Award 2009
The clear winner in the most prestigious category of the Santharian Awards was no other than Seeker, our gifted artist contributor, and as of lately also Moderator of the Miscellaneous Forum. His fantastic illustrations range from eerie bone trees over large Places pictures like the Starcharts Astrendum in Ciosa or the City of Elving, to orc portraits, even to Goddesses, a buch of weapons and extraordinarily beautiful herbarium stuff - our 2009 hero's diligence and dedication are unending. Seeker's co-operative efforts and his enthusiastic encouragement to others have made him a truly valuable addition to our Dream, which we cannot afford to miss. Seeker, your talent for artwork is equalled only by your gift for friendship and you have thus won the admiration and respect of many of your fellow Dreamers, so we can only say: Congratulations on your brillantly done job in 2009!

The Best Newcomer Award 2009
One of our brightest stars this year, the richly deserving Seeker was this year’s winner. Not only a brilliant artist but also willing to work with others and able to accept comments and critiques with appreciation and respect, Seeker soon surpassed many others by the sheer volume of work that he put into Santharia. His meticulous research and commitment have been clearly demonstrated in all of his illustrations. Well done, Seeker, it is an honour to have you working with us!

The Best Innovation Award 2010
Winning Work: "An Overview for Almost Everything"!
"An Overview for Almost Everything", as we must term Seeker's grand and sweeping series of reforms, perhaps does not deserve praise for innovativeness so much as it does for sheer vision and effort. From one end of the Compendium to the other, from library stacks to sculleries, from greenhouses (true bravery!) to the armouries, Seeker has been striding with mage-staff in one hand and a fresh broom in the other. Dusty old entries were routed out and brushed off, ancient piles of disorganized parchments were set to rights, weapons were counted, supplies taken inventory of, gaps duly noted and orders for purchase sent in... Such a reorganization, from the bottom up, was sorely needed and greatly appreciated. Seeker has worked with the extant and the existing and gotten it into a readable, usable format, without imposing his own dictats or attempting to change (literally hundreds of) other entries to suit some artificial concept. He has created boundaries and clear demarcations which show us far more effectively what we have - and where we have gaps - that do not set demands or restrictions on future developers; rather, they provide guidelines and suggestions for continuity and consistency.

In a project so vast and encompassing, the passion and control of a fire mage was needed, and Seeker rose to the requirements nobly... all this while indulging his brush with our requests for more of his art and illustrations! - Praise, kudos, laurels, appreciation and as much krakalimari as he can eat in one sitting, to our wonderful... Seeker!

The Best Artwork Award 2010
No less than 46 (!) pictures were uploaded to the site in 2010 done by our artist wonder Seeker alone. Many of these pictures were done in top-notch quality as well which might take others years to accomplish! For that alone Seeker deserves a special award this year... er... sorry, wrong laudation... er... I promise to get back to that somewhere else. Forgive me, it's easy to be carried away when looking at such numbers. Anyway, one of these grand pictures by Seeker was actually a three-parter with top, center and bottom of a gigantic tree representing the Tethinrhim capitol, the Ría. And at whatever part you're looking, it's just full of atmosphere and fascinating details, a forest that is fully alive in that tree building, breathtakingly representing a part of Santharian elven culture to the T. Looking at the picture one gets easily immersed in its beauty and it's almost as if you suck in the tranquility and peacefulness of the place instantly. Just look around: Do you also smell the brush, the mosses, the dew on the leaves, can you hear the birds chirping? All that conveyed so convincingly in a single picture - outstanding work!

The Best of the Rest Award 2010
Winning Work: "The Enemy Stirrith" (Santhworld Module)
Hark as I sing this saga, of harrowing and sinister adventure!

Frightening, full-flavoured, fear-inducing, and fully fascinating:
this is the sophisticated new module for Santhworld as seen by Seeker.
His tale-telling talent thoroughly terrifies and transfixes,
while worryingly wicked warrens wreak war and weakness
on poorly prepared players, who pout upon pursuant
death or dismemberment. Do not doubt, dither, or delay:
Play 'The Enemy Stirreth'...today!

The Best of the Rest Award 2011
Winning contribution:  "The Mysteries of Nepris, Part II"
The Best of the Rest in Two Thousand Eleven Has been voted by people's acclaim,
And declared to be Santhworld - mysterious heaven, That brings an entire group fame.
We must praise our dear sage first and foremost, of course, Who invented the conceptual game,
But also the artists who've worked like a horse, To visualize all of the same.
For Nepris the Second has outdone the First, Though the First surely could not be called 'lame',
Enthralling and frustrating, our heads fit to burst, Entrapping both master and dame.

The writers have laboured on twists and on turns, To make a mysterious plot,
And soundmen and actors and sketchers of ferns, We truly do owe you a lot,
Plus hugs to the Grinch, who's a techie at heart, And helps us all out of a spot!
So thanks to the many who've made this success, A bit of the whole in the pot,
Santharia distilled, like delectable stew, Good whether you finish - or not!

Best Masterwork 2009 - The City Hall of Elving, Best Artwork 2009 - The Baych Tree & The Frozen Tombs of Gourdynn, Best Artwork 2010 - The Temple of Grothar, Best of the Rest 2010 - Digital Paintings: Seekerets, Best Artwork 2011 - The Aerelian Lakes