In Season 1 of Banquet OCT, guests murdered one another in a dining-room struggle to become the last one standing. Guests died from their own hubris, stabbed each other in the back, led each other into traps, and sacrificed key components of themselves like coyotes gnawing their legs off to escape the trap. See it all unfolded here, in the Season 1 archive: https://banquet2024.gothvix.com

 Is this an OCT for beginners?

     For those who are absolutely new to this genre of art competition, please review the definitions here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OriginalCharacterTournament and https://originalcharactertournament.miraheze.org/wiki/About_Original_Character_Tournaments

     Normally I would say no, but then again… why not? The premise is simple: create comics that interact with NPCs and other characters. The difference between typical tourneys and Banquet is not just in themes; Banquet encourages horror, body horror, psychological horror, and themes of cannibalism, elegance, and metaphors made real. Banquet also functions on prompts. Most OCTs serve prompts as optional guidelines for those needing some direction for their rounds, but in Banquet, the prompts are set goalposts. Participants must achieve the objectives of the prompts as part of their qualifiers. Please see the rules here for more clarification: https://banquet.gothvix.com/faq/#16

     Also, and I wish to be very clear on this– but participants should expect their characters to die. This is an OCT about death, sacrifice, and cannibalism. If your character does not survive, they will die within the narrative. How they die is up to your opponent — but fear not, ALL competitors are held to the same rules: character deaths must NOT humiliate, misrepresent, or disrespect the victim. Such motions will disqualify the author. For more information on these rules, please see the FAQ: https://banquet.gothvix.com/faq/#04

     If you are an artist/writer looking to flex and express their abilities within the horror/psycho horror/body horror genre (and also to get weird and horny*, lol) then by all means… please audition! You may yet find yourself a seat at the table. For more information on how to audition: https://banquet.gothvix.com/how-to-enter/

     *but not too horny, at least not on main. We’re civilized here.

What should I expect?

Banquet OCT is a year-long commitment. Auditions will begin on March 1st, 2026, and the rounds will tumble through straight to April 1st, 2027. There will be many breaks in between, as well as extensions for competitors who need them. For those who do not pass the auditions stage, they are encouraged to linger in the Discord to take advantage of annual artist/writer events, as well as to become members of a growing community of like-minded creatives. Every event features a prize to be won, and anyone who participates in Banquet OCT from the audition stage straight to the finish line will also have the opportunity to win prizes as well. This OCT encourages folks to submit their works even in the unfinished stages in order to qualify for their prize — so no effort is ever wasted. Prizes range from books to prints to art commissions. There are no cash prizes (god, I wish, lol), but all prizes do have monetary value. You will not be leaving empty-handed. For more information on prizes available, please see the Prizes section on the website: https://banquet.gothvix.com/prizes/

Who are the Judges?

This season’s judges feature none other than the winners of last season’s Banquet! Introducing THE WINNER(s) of Season 1, MarsUmbra and CarniMari, as this year’s BUTLER judge, and that same round’s ex-survivor Clover as this year’s MAID judge. With myself as the HOST, I endeavour to deliver the same high quality of constructive critiques and guidance for my precious guests, and to go above and beyond for Season 2. For more information on this year’s judges, please visit the Judging page on the website: https://banquet.gothvix.com/judging/

Why is this OCT rated 18+?

As specified earlier, the content rating of this OCT is rated R. This is because this OCT focuses on themes of horror, body horror, psychological horror, as well trauma, abuse, implied sexual undertones, cannibalism, and assorted topics unsuitable for discussion or exploration for certain ages. This is not to say teenagers shouldn’t be allowed to explore dark themes, but Banquet OCT is NOT the venue for that. This is an OCT for adults ONLY. Underage guests will be escorted back out, for their own safety.

What else?

Above all else, we are a community (albeit a very small, niche one). Please join our Discord and chat with us! You can also find us on Tumblr, Shitter (we’re not Twitter fans here, unfortunately), Bluesky, and Pillowfort.