Contest Winner

So it's finally time to reveal who our contest winner is! The process was rough, like really. As I was reading through the many comments, I had a tough time choosing because they were all so great and inspiring. I'm going to take a trip to each one this week and try and get a picture of the place described in my top 7. I meant to narrow it down to five, but it couldn't be helped. As promised, though, I put the seven through a random number generator and came out with one winner. I regret that I couldn't have multiple winners.

The winner is Ellemerr, whose writing style captivated me and won a spot in my favorites with their description of Ashford Abbey/Sardelac Sanitarium/Lakeside County. The RNG chose their number, which makes them very lucky. Their story is as follows:

"The sun is so weak, clouded in this red sky, that there’s hardly any light left at all. This is a world of shadow. But how much more cherished, then, isn’t the light that’s left? From a distance it seems to be glowing scarlet, a fire that doesn’t flicker, reflecting on every surface it can find – and there are many of them. Discarded metal lies forlorn in the dust; torn fences raise their rusty fingers to the heavens, and even the ash that covers the ground is glittering like grey snow, hiding microscopic diamonds in its charcoal caress. Even the huge crystal that made this land what it is now reflects the rays of the sun, shining with a morbid, mesmerizing vitality. It, too, stretch spikey arms in prayer into the clouds, parting them gently as it grasps for the stars from which it fell. Hanging low in the sky, the glowing sun-disc can only light up one side of anything, and so everything is a play of light and dark, beings of yin and yang… but when you look at the dark side, you can never shut the light out completely. It hugs your frame like a caring mother, giving you an aura of stars, making you almost saint-like despite all darkness. It doesn’t matter that your face is a mask of black, futureless and anonymous. This has always been a holy place, where the Goddess of the Heavens used to smile down on lush grass and smiling irises. You may think she’s abandoned us because her statue is torn down, her wings broken, but the sky is still here, and the eye of the sun is still smiling at us, and one day the grass will grow back. One day the sky will lift its red mourning veil and allow the light back into this place in full, and irises and children may once again grin and laugh at one another. But until that day, do not shun this place. Come, and look at the play of the light and shadow. Come, and tell me if this place can ever be more beautiful than it is right now… 
(Of course, it could, because of enhanced graphics. But I’m still going to love that place outside of Ashford Abbey/Sardelac Sanitarium and the light it showed me, forever.)"

I was so excited to revisit when I read this, and I did. Here is screenshot of exactly what I had pictured when I read this entry!

Our runner's up were (in no particular order):

• jjpt-photo@msn.com
• Sgx_d
• George Bullen
• Paani
• RoseofGilead
• Diint Siorus

Thanks again to everyone who entered, and I really love your writing (even if you didn't make it into the top)! I hope I can offer more contests in the future, and I will try my best to. Thanks again to ArenaNet for supplying me with this hefty prize!

Ellemerr, please contact me so we can discuss shipping information.