Remember, feedback on writing is appreciated and encouraged.

Want a reason to boot up the 360 and Halo Wars again? Well this week's miscellaneous round will provide you a good opportunity, as the random choice selection has pulled something pretty obscure from the list of themes...

Theme:

Frozen Valley

Sources:

- Halo Wars

Details:

Frozen Valley is a rather nondescript Halo Wars multiplayer map, presumably located on Harvest during the nuclear winter which followed the Covenant's glassing of the planet. The map features exposed Forerunner architecture, as well as a few active devices, such as a Forerunner spire of healing.

Although the map is mostly a snowy tundra, it is actually riddled with small details which would fit wonderfully into a story. Textures, audio, and even AI dialogue all paint a vivid picture of one of humanity's fields of battle. Not sure how best to work this map into a story? Remember that submissions need only include the theme somewhere in the story; they don't have to be the sole focus of your writing. There's plenty of room here for telling any kind of tale you want. You could tell an in-fiction account of a multiplayer battle you've had on this map, or use this as an opportunity to write any Halo story you've wanted, having the location play into a character's past.

My recommendation? Pop in Halo Wars, load up a game against the AI at a difficulty of your choosing, and see what sparks your imagination over the course of the battle. Who knows what stories the game itself might choose to tell you...

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Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! Remember, your writing should be submitted with a thumbnail you'd like to accompany it on the main VTHU site, in two weeks.

And feel free to let your friends know about Visualizing the Halo Universe! The more people participate, the more great work we all get to enjoy!