• Main article with contest rules and short story entries.
  
• Interview with Swords author and D2 artist Ben Boos and sample images from his new book.
  

Fan Art Winners!

There were a lot of great images submitted for this contest, but only two could win. We narrowed the field to the best dozen shots, and Swords author Ben Boos made the final selections, with the assistance of his wife and daughters.  The winners are:

The two winners will receive a signed and personalized copy of Ben’s book, due to hit stores on September 9th, and 1 WWI card each, with codes good for a spot in the WWI beta, and a Tyrael mini-pet. The random winner just gets the card, though he should probably feel duty bound to buy Ben’s book, too.  All the winners have been sent a PM; once they reply to it their prizes will be on the way.

Art Honorable Mentions:

• King Leoric. If we’d had three winners in the art section, this would probably have been #3, since Ben said he liked it a lot. Sadly, there could be only… two. (Ben wished he had 10 books to give out, but the four he sent us were from his personal advance copies, and others went to media outlets for review, family members, etc.)

• Werewolf Druid, by Kokomander.—We liked this one, and Ben singled it out for praise. Unfortunately, it does not feature a sword, which was one of the stated requirements for the contest. (Possibly the goatman is holding one in his left hand, but 1) it’s not prominently featured, and 2) even if so, it would break canon, since goatmen wield only halberds, or sometimes bows and arrows in D1.)

• Female Necromancer Summons the Dark Lord. Another great shot, and it even incorporates D3-appropriate green lighting, but like the Goat vs. Druid shot, it does not (prominently) feature a sword.

• Well friend, what are you waiting for?, by Cowguin. Nice color scheme on this one and one of the more evocative, story-like works submitted.

• Appetite for Destruction, by novaumas. Pencil sketches are valid entries too; even though this is D3 time, we didn’t only look at the ones with pretty colors.

• Sword Barb, by johntorrio.

Eleven Word Short Story Winners
Judging this one was much harder than the art, since there were nearly 500 entries, each with just 11 words to stand out from the crowd. There was no shortage of good “stories,” though. If anything, there were too many. I copied out the best ones as I read them, and had nearly 50. Further refining was required to get down to about two dozen, and at that point it was almost a random roll to pick the two winners.

The two winners will receive a signed and personalized copy of Ben’s book, due to hit stores on September 9th, and 1 WWI card each, with codes good for a spot in the WWI beta, and a Tyrael mini-pet. The random winner just gets the card, though he should probably feel duty bound to buy Ben’s book, too.  All the winners have been sent a PM; once they reply to it their prizes will be on the way.

*click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click* *click*
--Nuptraptor

I staggered, every breath burning. Spitting blood, I walked towards death.
--Greyjaei

Nuptraptor’s is funny, and it’s the most perfect encapsulation of the Diablo series possible, in 11 words. Greyjaei’s is the best “serious” entry, and with dozens of funny ones splitting the vote, that strategy paid off.

The third winner was picked from the honorable mentions.

Act II,
Arcane Sanctuary.
Four choices, but always the last one.
--Kaeros

Top Honorable Mentions:
All of these were just a hair from being one of the top two. You could call them a huge tie for 3rd place.  There were ten, and the random winner was picked from them. So now there are nine.

Sometimes there was this slightly uneasy atmosphere between me and Jamal.
--Luhrg

The color purple: great for Oprah, not great for witch doctor.
--stillman

Sorceress and Barbarian once drank too much. Someone is overburden now.
--triplex

“Take it!” he pleaded, “Look what the CDs done to me!”
--Bob_TheMadCow

“No,” Charsi purred, closing the tent flaps. “Leave wolf form on.”
--NinjaDiner

In his spare time, Baal would find work entertaining the Japanese.
--Jerakal

Barbarian boy seeking
barbarian girl with sword.
Send stats of sword.
--Dalai_Lama

“Bro be careful. In hardcore mode you--- Well that was fast.”
--shmob

Tyrael, servent of Light, become my little dancing Level 20 companion.
--evilchicken

Luhrg: You could have picked a different, more admin-flattering merc name.
Triplex: Yours was one of the funniest; if you’d only spelled “overburdened” correctly…
Bob_theMadCow: if only you’d had 1 more word. “look what the CDs have done to me!”

More Honorable Mentions:
Also very good, but we had to draw the line somewhere.

Egomaniacal angel seeks demon for vacation in alternate realm. Call Inarius.
--phlegethon

“Ahh. Fresh Meat!”
“We can take him.”
“****.”
Restart in Town
--arodriq

The summoned raven seemed to be calling his name, thought Caw.
--Modulus

Fearful of color, yet compelled forth. Adventuring onward after ritual blinding.
--Apathy12

“You are pulling my leg” said Wirt, hearing the Butcher’s joke.
--triplex

Something wicked this way comes… and it is definitely Lightning Enchanted.
--mistressvanilla

Level conquered, the weary javazon sighed. “Too bad I’m a vegetarian.”
--SuperSpork

“I’m out of meat” said the Butcher. “I think you’ll do.”
--Tadrith

“I need more mana."- Last words of many a hardcore sorceress.
--Curwen

Diablo Three beta key can’t get.
Gladly take tyrael mini pet!
--Mizantrop

My Master feasts on fear! Craves hatred! Come, Hero, satisfy him!!!
--ZSiegfried

Not much chance of winning, but it’s better than farming Baal.
--WingsSplit

Skullcrusher grinned, he loved to admire rainbows after a long day.
--stetsonblade

as the door opens, “Blinkbats. Why’d it have to be blinkbats?”
--inviso_boy85

Trudging behind the colossal adventurer, Mini Terror mumbles, “****ing Collector’s Edition.”
--Jerakal

Hyperventilation, heart palpitation at the metallic ding of a looted ring!
--evilchicken

Just once the necromancer thought, I’d like to ressurrect a woman.
--Kaid

Stalking through the jungle,
dread fills my heart.
The Fetish come.
--Zareni

Thanks to everyone for playing, and if you didn’t win this time… there will be more contests coming up soon.