Menu

Subscribe

Inspired Desperation

A 21-post collection

Challenge #04828-M079: A Final Sacrifice

A God of Light, oddly allied with Mistress Dark for they knew she was not, in fact, a dark god but a god of balance and was of the few truly neutral ones, went to the isle where a dark god dredged from the sea resided. Through sheer effort they stole power away from the dark god through one command. "No longer give children's hearts. Starve the dark one, I will show you how to protect yourselves, properly." -- Anon Guest

[AN: May be in reference to https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04785-m036-the-price-of-paradise ]

Thalsom followed the dawning sun because of a dream he had once he was out of sight of his island home. He prayed to the moons when they formed an eye staring down at him. He refused to pray to Sanguicordus.

The vision led him to a boat. One of the large ones that the Outsiders used, but these were friendly outsiders. With a little effort and a lot of pantomime, Thalsom explained his woes. The sacrifices, the promise of the once-sunken god. The guilt. And the desperate, burning need to be able to kill a god.

"The Hostess of All will be pissed," said one of the Outsider sailors. "Best to beg her mercy first." Of course understanding had to filter through, but Thalsom knew what he had to do at the next island.

Support me on Patreon / Buy me a Ko-fi

Continue Reading

Prompts remaining: 19 Submit a Prompt!
Ask a question

Challenge #04805-M056: (Thunder) Roll Intimidation

A crazed warlord demands at a temple that God produce rain for a drought wracked region in three days or they’ll be consequences. When the time comes and goes, the warlord sets up an artillery battery around the temple and fires on the heavens above. The next day it begins to rain. If it’s stupid and it works… -- Deathshead419

While it is well known that the gods are in charge of things that mortals can't control, it is supremely

Read more »

Challenge #04663-L279: Desperate Measures

Lady Death goes by many names. The Goddess of Death, she listens to all. And when this Rogue, nearing the isle, called out her name and said At least you saw fit to let us through, she responded. "I have always watched over your kind. I am impartial, mostly. Though more of your kind deserve reward in the next life than many I have met, it seems. Allow me to be your patron, and I shall give you a boon."

To their

Read more »

Challenge #04642-L258: Books, Brains, or Boots

"What a tangled web you weave when first you choose to deceive."

The problem is, they got caught in their own web, and now had to come clean.

Fortunately, people were merciful. No magic use except for healing spells for a month, and having to be on dishes-duty for a month. Could've been a lot worse. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Nerd moment - the actual quote is "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." And yes I

Read more »

Challenge #04582-L198: The Nature of Miracles

Priest Robert has found his salvation in the Church and now blesses old pagan shrines into the light of the true faith. Until one day, an innocent is chased by a beast into an abandoned temple, and all of his prayers and symbols fail. All except the icon of a heathen god he ought to think a wicked demon and a little rhyme his mother uttered while tucking him to bed. -- Anon Guest

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not

Read more »

Challenge #04566-L182: Bonded Bargain

A student is close to flunking out of a magic school. Desperate, the student turns to the accursed woods where the fairies dwell, hoping to strike a bargain. It's said that there are consequences to dealing with fae magic, but, it can't be worse than flunking out, right? -- Anon Guest

Rin would never make it as a Wizard. Even if he went after forbidden tomes and allowed a powerful spell to reside in his head, he couldn't even be a Wizzard[

Read more »

Challenge #04302-K284: Desperate Need

They hated hellkin and others like them, and made it very clear, very publicly. Then the time came they were very sick, almost all healers had given up hope. It was a hellkin who saved their life. Sitting with them, talked with them, caring for them. It was then that the hatred learned at the knee of their parental, began to disappear beneath the weight of understanding. -- Anon Guest

There's many places like it. City-states, nations, minor polities all who made

Read more »

Challenge #04171-K153: Against All Odds

They were running with several of their friends toward the emergency escape vehicles away from a nasty, previously unknown, hazard on the planet.

Their friend starts to mention on how slim their chances are on escaping unscathed.

"Don't tell me the odds, just keep running, I always beat the odds!" -- Fighting Fit

Inspired desperation is one heck of a drug. When the chips are down, when it's do or die, incredible feats are possible.

So when the swarm burst forth from

Read more »

Challenge #03389-I101: Domino Choices

Havenworlders are planting dwarf fruit trees in pots so when the shipload of rescued humans - refugees from a Deregger polity currently in the middle of a civil war - arrives, can be given at least three plants per person. -- Anon Guest

They were hefty gifts for Havenworlders to carry, but even a weak Human could lift them with relative ease. The ship had said five hundred souls, so fifteen hundred pots now came with a very small tree. Free soil

Read more »

Challenge #03153-H244: Alternative to What?

A Pure Lifer, whose ancestors had been some of the earliest of the Pure Lifers had gotten very, very sick. They were still quite young, had very small children to raise, and none of the "medicine" on their world was helping them. In fact, they were getting worse quickly, and no one was willing to care for the children if their parent were to perish, and they had no spouse. What were they to do? Only option left, contact the Alliance, it

Read more »

Challenge #03095-H187: Only Among Siblings

Human: We're going to die.. it's over, we're done for.... I'm.. so tired.

Havenworlder: Stop that, we're NOT going to die, you're the human, you're supposed to be comforting me!

Human: I can't do this anymore.. I want to go home, this is hopeless it's over....it's over.. it's over...

Havenworlder: I beg forgiveness in advance for this! - gives the human a sharp slap! -

Human: -- startled --

Human: Sorry... sorry... yeah.. needed that... c'mon, little brother, let's go home

Read more »

Challenge #02927-H004: Flight of the Sandman

They were deep into enemy territory, surrounded, lost, and at a massive disadvantage. They were in the valley, their enemies had the hill and it was breezy, though the breeze blew away from them. They could use the sleep powder the havenworlders had invented for their insomnia-riddled human friend, but the climb was steep and they'd get noticed. Then the human had an idea. They made black string and took long strips of black sheets of matte plastic, and then put it

Read more »

Challenge #02670-G113: Inspired Desperation? Entertainment!

H: Did you know that you can use Duct Tape to patch your space space suit a pinch?

A: I believe you are trying to deceive me. To make me feel better about the situation you have got us into.

H: Aww. Don't be like that. It works, I promise, I've done it before.

A: That does not surprise me. -- Anon Guest

"We only have soft atmospheric livesuits. They're not rated for micrometeor impact."

"No worries," cheered Human Adam. "I've got

Read more »

Challenge #02631-G074: Desperate Measures

You’re not wrong but I don’t want you to be right -- Anon Guest

Phryx stared at her Human companion. "Did you mean that to be confusing as it sounds, or are you having one of your verbal shortcuts again?" Verbal shortcuts were always a problem with Humans, especially on the Edge. They had ways of expressing themselves that were difficult to translate at best and needed a seminar to understand at worst.

"Oh. Right. Whoops. Okay. Brief version: Yes,

Read more »

Challenge #01924-E100: A Tisket, A Tasket...

Coracle. Ancient form of water transport made out of sticks, cow hide* and waterproofing. *any firm waterproof material will do. -- Anon Guest

The human was messing around with the local vegetation again. They had already taken some fallen wood and whittled two paddles, and now they were making a positively enormous basket out of the long, bendy reeds that had once been growing by this lake.

"Is this a temporary shelter?" asked Thok.

"Nope," said Human Grif. Still lashing things together

Read more »