quote:


The tang of brine, the ruffle of a sea breeze, and a force not unlike the tide of some faraway ocean pulled at the crowds. Sands shifted slightly, rippling silently towards the coral statue, which BUBBLED and turned, for one instant, into a pillar of crystal clear water. Then it crashed to the sands below, seeping deep into the crimson tide until only a dark, damp shadow remained to mark its place. Voices rolled out, starting soft as a gentle whisper across a still pond and growing until they roared with the gathered force of a hurricane. "As a river always returns to the sea, so to does Water recede once more. The Elemental Lord has withdrawn their favor from Dalavar, and we now stand to bear witness to his choice."

quote:


A single fracture, and diamond shattered. A slight crack, and opal splintered. Stone alone stood tall and enduring, the trembling beneath rising to a fever pitch as its roots spread slowly beneath the crimson sands. Above the raucous cheers of the crowds - thunderous and all-consuming - echoed a single, solemn voice. Its rumbling tones rolled out over the Arena, a declaration from on high: "The tournament has ended. The Champion is revealed. By the Will of the Arena, and the Elemental Lords above and below, Earth has claimed victory. Though his bones are burned and broken, Oz stands as Champion. We now bear witness to their decision, should the Lords see fit to grant their boon."