Gray. It was all gray. The sky was an endless stretch of gray. The ground
was an endless expanse of slightly darker gray. There was no sun, no moon,
no grass or animals; it was simply gray. Gray above, gray below, and gray
to all sides. Emptiness filled the void; it was all gray.
Suddenly, the air shimmered; it rippled like a pond disturbed by a stone. Two figures faded into existence on the gray plane. One was tall and lean, clothed in a simple white robe. He stood well above the second being, who was short and stout. The second was armed with a mighty iron battle staff; which went very well with his dark metal armor. The first nodded towards the second and strode off in an indiscriminant direction. The second glared at the first, then strode off in the opposite direction.
Taking a stance in the middle of nothing, the first made a sweeping gesture with his hand. Abruptly, the gray floor upon which he stood gave way to earth and soft, nutritious soil. From the soil sprouted long, healthy grasses, which gave way to great trees which thrust up into the sky. The sky itself shaded a light blue, with a sun peering behind a scattered assortment of clouds. The plane around the first was no longer gray, but a rich, thriving forest. But as quickly as it arrived, the forest began to dim, almost becoming a colorless shade of gray, but not quite. The forest remained, gray as it was, and from it emerged beings of true color. From the forest came a party of elves.
Not to be outdone, the second raised his iron staff into the blue sky, and the earth beneath him began to shake violently. The ground erupted into a mass of stone, rising far above the forest. It soared ever higher, a magnificent peak bathed in a dark, deep-seated red. The second was left at the summit of this grand crest and directed his staff downward. Then the mountain also began to gray, and from its caves burst forth savage, brutal creatures, green-skinned and feral. They ran down the mountainside with malice in their eyes.
The first swept his hand and moved his elves aside, then stared dead at the approaching invaders. They came at him with teeth gnashing and claws swiping. The first lifted his hands and the goblins were repulsed back to the peak, taking only minimal energy from his reserves. The first swept his hands once again, and beside the forest expanded a vast field of tall, reedy grasses. The forest was no longer gray, but a deep, vibrant green. The elves, however, did begin to gray as they gave their mystical energies to the forest. The forest then suddenly burst forth in a frenzy of growth. Trees spread out into massive redwoods and vines erupted from the bush, entangling all things in green, lush growth.
The second was infuriated by this. Angrily, he pointed his staff beside his peak and raised it swiftly to the sky. The ground shook as before, but this time it was not stone which came from beneath, but slime. Thick, dark slime oozed from the earth and from it came putrid, sickening fungi and swamp trees, twisted by dark forces. The swamp paled gray, spewing forth a disgustingly fetid creature, similar to those which were first summoned, but a rotten reproduction of them. The mountain paled again, also sending out a creature green of skin, but wearing a mining helmet and wielding a pickaxe. The second again directed his goblins toward the first for an attack, and they obliged more than willingly. However, the attack ended with the same result and the goblins were again repulsed.
The contest between the two continued similarly for quite some time. Eventually, the second had amassed a very large horde of goblins, some alive, others undead. The horde was teeming with viciousness, goblins devouring each other and slaver clerics keeping the rest in line. The first was weary, slumped against a tree in his lush forest. His elves were gone, his resources burned, but still he stood, ready for battle. The second grinned sadistically and sent his entire horde to decimate the first, to ransack his forest and burn the fields to the ground.
The first roused himself and waited for the end. But just as the horde was about to reach him, he dug his hands deep into the soil and whispered to the spirits within. A creeping mist seemed to rise straight from the ground, creating an impassable barrier of thick fog. The horde was lost, confused by the sight of nothing. Grudgingly, the second pulled them back to the peak, furious at being stopped by such an elementary trap. Now he could do nothing but wait for his troops to return.
The first stood now at his full height. He stretched his arms out, into the sky and called to the heavens. For a moment, all was still. Then, the heavens answered. Lightning crackled across the sky and thunder roared deafeningly. The clouds coalesced above the first in a single spiral. There was a blinding flash of light and the screams of the dying were drowned out by a thunderous roar. The light faded and roar ended, leaving the entire horde decimated. The second looked on in horror as he saw his peak soiled with the blood of a hundred corpses. He could only watch as he saw the mighty elemental was summoned from the forest. He could only watch as the elemental climbed the peak with ease. He could only watch as the elemental crashed right through his remaining energies. He couldn't even scream as he felt his body go rigid and fade into the gray. He couldn't see the corpses fade away, or the peaks and bogs dissolve into nothingness. He didn't see the first vanish in a ripple of air, or see the forests and the fields fade into gray. He was nothing in nowhere. Everything was gray.
Suddenly, the air shimmered; it rippled like a pond disturbed by a stone. Two figures faded into existence on the gray plane. One was tall and lean, clothed in a simple white robe. He stood well above the second being, who was short and stout. The second was armed with a mighty iron battle staff; which went very well with his dark metal armor. The first nodded towards the second and strode off in an indiscriminant direction. The second glared at the first, then strode off in the opposite direction.
Taking a stance in the middle of nothing, the first made a sweeping gesture with his hand. Abruptly, the gray floor upon which he stood gave way to earth and soft, nutritious soil. From the soil sprouted long, healthy grasses, which gave way to great trees which thrust up into the sky. The sky itself shaded a light blue, with a sun peering behind a scattered assortment of clouds. The plane around the first was no longer gray, but a rich, thriving forest. But as quickly as it arrived, the forest began to dim, almost becoming a colorless shade of gray, but not quite. The forest remained, gray as it was, and from it emerged beings of true color. From the forest came a party of elves.
Not to be outdone, the second raised his iron staff into the blue sky, and the earth beneath him began to shake violently. The ground erupted into a mass of stone, rising far above the forest. It soared ever higher, a magnificent peak bathed in a dark, deep-seated red. The second was left at the summit of this grand crest and directed his staff downward. Then the mountain also began to gray, and from its caves burst forth savage, brutal creatures, green-skinned and feral. They ran down the mountainside with malice in their eyes.
The first swept his hand and moved his elves aside, then stared dead at the approaching invaders. They came at him with teeth gnashing and claws swiping. The first lifted his hands and the goblins were repulsed back to the peak, taking only minimal energy from his reserves. The first swept his hands once again, and beside the forest expanded a vast field of tall, reedy grasses. The forest was no longer gray, but a deep, vibrant green. The elves, however, did begin to gray as they gave their mystical energies to the forest. The forest then suddenly burst forth in a frenzy of growth. Trees spread out into massive redwoods and vines erupted from the bush, entangling all things in green, lush growth.
The second was infuriated by this. Angrily, he pointed his staff beside his peak and raised it swiftly to the sky. The ground shook as before, but this time it was not stone which came from beneath, but slime. Thick, dark slime oozed from the earth and from it came putrid, sickening fungi and swamp trees, twisted by dark forces. The swamp paled gray, spewing forth a disgustingly fetid creature, similar to those which were first summoned, but a rotten reproduction of them. The mountain paled again, also sending out a creature green of skin, but wearing a mining helmet and wielding a pickaxe. The second again directed his goblins toward the first for an attack, and they obliged more than willingly. However, the attack ended with the same result and the goblins were again repulsed.
The contest between the two continued similarly for quite some time. Eventually, the second had amassed a very large horde of goblins, some alive, others undead. The horde was teeming with viciousness, goblins devouring each other and slaver clerics keeping the rest in line. The first was weary, slumped against a tree in his lush forest. His elves were gone, his resources burned, but still he stood, ready for battle. The second grinned sadistically and sent his entire horde to decimate the first, to ransack his forest and burn the fields to the ground.
The first roused himself and waited for the end. But just as the horde was about to reach him, he dug his hands deep into the soil and whispered to the spirits within. A creeping mist seemed to rise straight from the ground, creating an impassable barrier of thick fog. The horde was lost, confused by the sight of nothing. Grudgingly, the second pulled them back to the peak, furious at being stopped by such an elementary trap. Now he could do nothing but wait for his troops to return.
The first stood now at his full height. He stretched his arms out, into the sky and called to the heavens. For a moment, all was still. Then, the heavens answered. Lightning crackled across the sky and thunder roared deafeningly. The clouds coalesced above the first in a single spiral. There was a blinding flash of light and the screams of the dying were drowned out by a thunderous roar. The light faded and roar ended, leaving the entire horde decimated. The second looked on in horror as he saw his peak soiled with the blood of a hundred corpses. He could only watch as he saw the mighty elemental was summoned from the forest. He could only watch as the elemental climbed the peak with ease. He could only watch as the elemental crashed right through his remaining energies. He couldn't even scream as he felt his body go rigid and fade into the gray. He couldn't see the corpses fade away, or the peaks and bogs dissolve into nothingness. He didn't see the first vanish in a ripple of air, or see the forests and the fields fade into gray. He was nothing in nowhere. Everything was gray.