Trials of Fire

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A fanzine starring Kaveh and Alhaitham, and their Pokémon journey through the Pyro-blessed nation of Natlan.

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About the Zine

Trials of Fire is a crossover of Genshin Impact and Pokémon, where Teyvat is its own unique region.This zine will focus on Kaveh and Alhaitham's journey through Natlan and is a spiritual successor to the Truth & Ideals zine. Our two trainers will visit each of the six Natlan tribes, exploring the region, discovering the joys of Ride Pokémon, overcoming each tribe's trial, and perhaps even solving the mysteries of the hidden Legendaries lying in secrecy within the realm.This zine is an unofficial fan project and is not affiliated with Hoyoverse or GameFreak.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a pairing zine?
Yes, the zine's main focus is on two characters: Kaveh and Alhaitham, as well as their Pokémon team. There are no defined Top/Bottom dynamics, hence why it is not tagged solely as Haikaveh or Kavetham.How many artists/authors/merch artists will you have?
This zine plans to have 24 artists, 5-6 authors, and 4 merch artists. This number may increase based on Interest Check results.Will you have a physical/digital zine/other merch for sale?
Yes to all of the above! The main goal is to release a final zine that will be an A5-sized booklet printed in full color. Physical merchandise will also be part of the bundles, with stretch goals for expanding our selection.Is this zine SFW?
At the contributor's application launch, it is fully Safe For Work. We will not offer a NSFW version unless there is an overwhelmingly positive response on the Interest Check form, and even then, it will not involve Pokémon or Saurians.Is this zine for profit?
Yes.* Any excess after the printing, manufacturing, and shipping costs will go towards the artists and authors involved in the project.* Contributors in the project will be polled between March 8 - March 21st on their preference of being a charity zine.Where can this zine be shipped?
We will be shipping from North America and will try to accommodate as many international fans as we can. More accurate information will be released when preorders are released.Do I have to read "Truth & Ideals" to understand the story of "Trials of Fire"?
No, this zine takes place in the same universe but can (and should!) be read as a stand-alone work. You do not need the previous zine knowledge's to enjoy Trials of Fire.Is this zine running concurrently with "Truth & Ideals?"
T&I's production and shipping period overlaps with ToF's applications and first month of the creation period. After that, all social media themes and information will point solely to Trials of Fire updates.I still have a question. (?)
Please use our anonymous Public Question Intake form (Google form). We do check social media regularly, but submitting a question guarantees that we will see it in a timely manner. Twitter/X in particular does not notify us when we receive a DM request.

Schedule

Mods

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Doge

Head Mod, Art, Finance, Production/Shipping ModAlhaitham and Kaveh are the first Genshin ship I've drawn anything for. I'm often on the outside looking in as far as fandom goes, so I'm excited to release a full-fledged fanzine! I hope you're all looking forward to their Natlan Outfit redesigns.Experience:
♦ Head/Graphics/Formatting/Finance/Production/Shipping Mod // Truth & Ideals (ongoing)
♦ Graphics Mod // Burning Grace (ongoing)

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Q

Writing ModThe Q stands for questionable. They may be new to the community, but they're very excited to work on this project with so many talented creators!Experience:
♦ Writing Mod // Truth & Ideals (ongoing)
♦ Chat Mod // Reverse Haikaveh Bang
♦ Writer // Reverse Haikaveh Bang

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Ribbon

Social Media ModRibbon is a diehard haikavetham fan and is honored to be part of the mod team for this zine! She grew up watching the Pokemon animated series and collecting cards from kids at school; she loves learning of all the new Pokemon that have been added since then and hopes everyone enjoys this fantastic crossover!Experience:
♦ Social Media Mod // Truth & Ideals (ongoing)
♦ Writer // Kaeluc Reverse Bang
♦ Writer // Haikaveh Reverse Bang
♦ Head Mod // Hellbent Con 2024

Available Applications

What we are looking for in a Moderator...

‣ All applicants must be at least 18 years old when they apply.‣ All Moderators are expected to be reasonably active over the course of the zine (a sign of life at least once a week).‣ All Moderators are expected to be behave in the same manner as a mature and responsible adult. This includes being able to communicate in politely and professionally in any circumstance.‣ * We are looking for a Writing and Art Mod with previous zine experience. You don't have to be an expert as you'll be modding alongside our current Writing and Art mod.‣ We are currently limiting acceptance to 2 Mod Interns in total. You may shadow for any role, even those not listed in the application.‣ Moderator roles are compensated. Please visit the Application Link for further elaboration on the compensation and each role's responsibilities.Link to Moderator applications

What we are looking for in a Contributor...

General requirements:‣ All applicants must be at least 18 years old when they apply.‣ All applicants must have a portfolio of at least 3 recent works (we recommend pieces completed within the last 6 months). We will not look at more than 5 samples.‣ All portfolio links need to be publicly viewable. (Check if your link is functional by opening it in an incognito window.)‣ If you’re applying to multiple contributor roles (IE Merch Artist and Page Artist), please use a separate portfolio link for each role.‣ Applicants with no previous zine experience are welcome to apply.‣ Applicants will be chosen solely based on the skills displayed in their portfolio. Applications will not be influenced by social media following.‣ Accepted contributors are expected to join a private zine Discord for organization, creative team announcements, and collaboration. Please create a Discord account if you do not yet have one.‣ All contributors will be compensated (eligible for a free zine contributor bundle guaranteed, and a portion of profits made). Please see the compensation document in greater detail within the application form.‣ Plagiarism, submission of art assets not owned by you, or use of AI image generation will not be accepted in applications nor zine submissions, and will result in immediate disqualification from this zine and any future zine projects managed by the same mod team.Page ArtistsPage artists will complete a minimum of one full 5.5" x 8.5" page, print-ready digital art submission, created specifically for this project. Page artists are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the design process, where we finish the world-building, details, and outfit references over the course of the zine.‣ Provide 3 examples of your recent works (fully illustrated, colored, with a background) via a portfolio link. We recommend using a sharable Google Drive link, but any site where you can curate and organize your art is acceptable. WE WILL NOT LOOK AT MULTIPLE PORTFOLIO LINKS, ie. multiple links to 5 separate social media posts.‣ You may optionally include up to 2 of your 'best' pieces created at any time. We will not consider more than the first 5 images presented in your portfolio.‣ You may include artwork of any fandom, however portfolios that feature Genshin Impact characters will be much stronger in the application process, and even more so if they depict Kaveh and Alhaitham in some capacity.‣ Both SFW and NSFW works are welcome (the Head Mod will manually tag DD/NSFW submissions before team review). Please note that the zine will very likely remain SFW.‣ Ensure you can commit to the final deadline of submission as outlined under the zine's schedule.‣ Be communicative. This is a zine collaboration project and we do our best to organize everyone. Be willing to let us know if you will be absent during check-in and other project input dates.Link to the Page Artist's applicationWritersWriters will complete a 1,000 - 2,500 word count original piece that will be featured in the zine. Writers are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the world-building process with the Writing Mod to establish a universal setting and lore to the zine.‣ Provide up to 3 examples of your recent works (between 800 - 3200 words in length in the most recent 6 months) that best showcase your writing style, ability to convey a self-contained story, and faithfulness to the canon characterizations of each character.Please compile one single link. We suggest pasting your samples into 1 Google Document, or a series of Google Documents inside 1 single Google folder as a portfolio. WE WILL NOT LOOK AT MULTIPLE PORTFOLIO LINKS, ie. multiple links to 5 separate AO3 fics.‣ You may provide up to 2 additional examples of past works that meet the same word count criteria. We will not look further than the first 5 works submitted.‣ All samples must be related to Genshin Impact fandom, with a minimum of 3 samples featuring Kaveh and Alhaitham, OR any of the main Natlan cast in any number of combinations.‣ All writing samples must be rated a maximum of Mature. Explicit entries in your portfolio will not be considered.‣ Ensure you can commit to the final deadline of submission as outlined under the zine's schedule.‣ Be communicative. This is a zine collaboration project and we do our best to organize everyone. Be willing to let us know if you will be absent during check-in and other project input dates.Link to the Writer's applicationMerchandise ArtistsMerchandise artists will design a unique, physical piece of merchandise other than the paper fanzine. Examples include acrylic keychains, embroidery patches, tote bag designs, and multi-piece acrylic standees.‣ Provide between 2 - 3 examples of past merchandise you have designed and/or created. Please do not submit examples of 'prints' unless they have additional transformations (such as gold foil, UV highlights, 3D embossing, etc).‣ Each example must include the name of the product, the finalized design (any resolution), and a product mock up. The mock up does not have to be from a manufacturer and can be hand-drawn. Sample photos or videos will also greatly assist your application but are not necessary.‣ Ensure you can commit to the final deadline of submission as outlined under the zine's schedule.‣ Be communicative. This is a zine collaboration project and we do our best to organize everyone. Be willing to let us know if you will be absent during check-in and other project input dates.Link to the Merch Artist's application