Instant Story

Challenge #04971-M222: An Ash For Ashes

Due to a dryad's curse, an estate staff must tend the gardens with flamethrowers, lest the manor be overrun with foliage... -- Deathshead419

If there is a universal truth to society, it is that those with a lot of money and power simply have to show it off. Only the well off and the highest strata of the world could get away with building things just to look at. Artificial ruins of an imagined lost civilisation. False caves or hermit huts, replete with a hermit hired for the purpose.

And vast swathes of perfectly-maintained lawn.

The lands surrounding the Palace of Archduke Tirerrava Iossophine Cavennys Rezlynraung were constantly spewing smoke. The castle itself was pitch black and possessed few windows. As for the gardens, they were repeatedly tended by fire mages and fire-breathing folk, spending most of their waking hours turning the grounds into smouldering cinders. Anyone unfamiliar with the Rezlynraung history would conclude that the reigning forces were evil. Or at least, up to no good.

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Challenge #04970-M221: I'm the Badguy?

No more villainry -- Luna

Master of the Shadow Arts, Bai Niyurufanthur, had joined many other citizens of Wolklippenstadt in the circus' audience. It was a rather excellent show. Bai lingered for the sideshows and games, seeking some games to reveal as fraudulent or rigged.

A Master of the Martialist Art of Shadows could not fail at a carnival game unless it was truly rigged.

He never got to try them, since he found a scene that distracted him entirely. One very

Challenge #04969-M220: More Money Than Sense

My favorite obsession -- Luna

Fairytales always have things in three. The first and second son only exist in the tale to try and fail, whilst the third wins it all with his kind heart and willingness to listen to advice.

Horseshit.

It makes third sons believe in winning it all in spite of their brothers. That's not at all realistic. What really happens is that the first son gets everything, including the father's adoration. The second son is kind of... kept

Challenge #04968-M219: Heroic Placement

The legend that wasn't -- Luna

The story is told of the hero who wanted to be a legendary one. Ze had read a great deal of legends and was immediately disappointed to find hirself lacking supernatural guardians. Let's call hir... Wannabe.

No Faerie Goodparents. No Eldritch entities interested in hir prosperity or demise. No devils wanted to deal with hir and no gods decided to warp hir fate.

No mysterious entities at crossroads, either. Which was the greatest disappointment of them

Challenge #04967-M218: On My Honour

What honor have you? -- Luna

Boatswain Laurantz knew in his soul that having a Hellkin on board was bad luck. He and Captain Haaloch had both witnessed a cat following the nameless blue devilborn onto the ship. Any man followed by a cat was supposed to be good luck. Therefore, the argument went that the luck cancelled out and he was no better nor worse than any other man.

There was one thing a Hellkin couldn't stop being, and that was

Challenge #04966-M217: Unbreakable?

I haven't forgotten my promise -- Luna

Some things have unbreakable sticking power. A Hellkin's loyalty to someone with a kind heart, for example. The Faekindred's general prediliction towards duplicity and double meanings. And, of course, a heartfelt oath that includes the shedding of blood.

The blood of the oathtaker, of course. Anyone's or anything else does not count. That is how the gods know that it's serious.

That's what put the gods onto watching the oathtaker in question. Readying disasters and

Challenge #04965-M216: Holy Trickster

Where calamity reigns -- Luna

"Maybe you should check what the transit sigil is before activating it," Halek the Druid shouted to Poik the Magnificent. Their voice was lost to the howling wind and thunderous eruptions. He could have amplified his voice, but all his energy was devoted to shielding the Adventurers from the concatenating disasters around them.

The little Kobold Wizard was busy scribing notes. "Poik learn for next time." Ze could make everyone heard, since ze had the spell slots

Challenge #04964-M215: Her New Pet

I love your monster -- Luna

[AN: This accidentally got me thinking of the followup to Purchased Loyalty ]

Alle devoted herself to learning everything she could about animal care. How to feed, train, and care for a Hellkin. Or a Human, which Hellkin came from.

Wars were still raging between Elvenkind and many others about how Hellkin came to exist. Amongst other nonsensical objections.

Some of the books were contradictory, so Alle chose the kinder options and blended them with her babysitting

Challenge #04963-M214: Purchased Loyalty

My life for yours -- Luna

Beware walking alone in the wild places, the elders warned. And if you must go, give no food nor drink to any creature that finds you there.

Alle presumed it was a caution against bears and wolves. If they viewed someone as a source of food, they might view that someone as food. It was better that the wild things of the wild places feared those who walked upright, and may have blades in their favour.

Challenge #04962-M213: Impossible Law

In the Post Apocalyptic United States, the remaining industrial cities of the North trade with the last regions of arable land in the South. No one can sleep, everyone does speed, on these Drug Trains rolling up and down the ruined highways, byways, and wrong ways. -- Deathshead419

[AN: Humans can not stay awake forever. It has mental consequences]

Humanity cannot end the world. Humanity can only end itself. In the era of devastation, it came pretty darn close, I tell you

Challenge #04961-M212: The Ultimate Weapon

Humans accidentally create a weapon that can speed up a black hole's dissolution. Come to find out, black holes have enough material in them to nearly create a second universe. -- BKF

[AN: This has to happen in a different universe to my usual one. It just doesn't fit]

If there is one thing true about Humanity, it's that there's an intense desire for a bigger, better weapon. Not always to use against their eternal enemy - other Humans - but to

Challenge #04960-M211: Conceptually Cursed

This.

[Image of an anthropomorphic hotdog with Nicholas Cage's face raising both its feet to expose it's lower pinchpoint to the sun. The sun shows a dubious, doubtful expression] -- Tergon

[AN: I don't normally take picture prompts, but I don't have many to spare. You can give me more in the Emergency Prompt Supply of my Discord once I make sure you're not a bot]

"All art is political," said Professor Balend as they put a conceptually cursed image on the

Challenge #04959-M210: Made With Feeling

“I was taught that what you approach your work with, it will be infused by. Food made with love, clothing woven with care.

“I think I may have too much fury in me to make what is good for others, for all I care for them.” -- Weirdlet

Rage. Wrath. Fury. There is not much time between when I wake and when I encounter something to be mad about. Not that I'm looking for it, it just... happens that way.

News from

Challenge #04958-M209: A Grab at Destiny

Eons after the Kingdom fell into ruins, a lost and bastard line scion feels called to return. What will this lost branch of a dead family find in city which became the overgrown crypt of the line? -- Deathshead419

This was where hir dreams lead hir? A set of ruins almost overwhelmed with the invading wilderness. Empty windows or doors peeked out between trees or had trailing vines in the place of ancient curtains. Some streets were throttled with weeds. Some buildings

Challenge #04957-M208: Our Mistake

This new race, level 3 deathworlders, were skittish of humans. Their first encounter with them were, unfortunately, dereggers, who nearly got killed. This first contact with Alliance humans was going to be difficult to say the least. -- BKF

First Contact is always a crapshoot. You never know who is going to meet whom nor what kind of person is going to be the first official representative of their people. Things like that happen when the first to meet the Alliance becomes

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Challenge #04971-M222: An Ash For Ashes

Challenge #04970-M221: I'm the Badguy?

Challenge #04969-M220: More Money Than Sense

Challenge #04968-M219: Heroic Placement

Challenge #04967-M218: On My Honour

Challenge #04966-M217: Unbreakable?

Challenge #04965-M216: Holy Trickster

Challenge #04964-M215: Her New Pet

Challenge #04963-M214: Purchased Loyalty

Challenge #04962-M213: Impossible Law

Challenge #04961-M212: The Ultimate Weapon

Challenge #04960-M211: Conceptually Cursed

Challenge #04959-M210: Made With Feeling

Challenge #04958-M209: A Grab at Destiny

Challenge #04957-M208: Our Mistake