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A 4703-post collection

Challenge #03135-H226: Incitement to Heroism

Amatu is reluctant to leave his home, the farm, the village he grew up in. A place where he is loved and accepted despite his odd appearance. The immortal mage decides to stick around for a while, since things about this young man are more than a little interesting, but thanks to one form of magic showing in the bell, the next starts to show in his abilities growing stronger. He yells at a crooked trader from another land to tell the truth when the man tries to lie to a child about medicine that's supposed to help his sick pet, and the trader starts spilling his guts about every crime he's ever committed since he started his business. OOPS!

Amatu and the mage are from this story.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03088-h180-if-i-had-a-bell -- Fighting Fit

The traveling medicine show was entertaining, run by a Yuanti selling his personal oils as a panacea. Well, his personal oils and a special blend of herbs and exotic spices from the furthest reaches of Horseshittia. The slur for the man would be 'naga', since his lower half was that of a frighteningly large python. His head was more like a cobra's, and there was something about his smile that would make smaller creatures tremble.

Except for the residents of Merrivale. Who had far scarier locals. Exhibit A, an implausible Tiefling/Aasimar hybrid was watching the show with suspicious eyes. Exhibit B, the Ogre known as Pondermoore, was only a visitor. The surprise menace just blended in with the more ordinary audience.

"Snake oil," muttered Wraithvine, idly paging through hir spellbook to find something that Slithery Sam truly and utterly deserved. "Could it be any more obvious? He's shearing these good people of hard-earned coin for coloured water and moonshine." That, as it turned out, was the final inciting incident.

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Challenge #03134-H225: Caution - Humans Running

It doesn’t matter what species you are. If the ship’s engineer start running you better follow -- Anon Guest

Only Humans ever invented running as a recreational activity. Which is why places with a jogging track also have large volumes of warning labels. Before Humans joined the Alliance, even possessing something that could pass as a jogging track was never a priority. When one cogniscent was running, it was generally a good idea to run with them. They obviously knew

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Challenge #03133-H224: Learn From Mistakes

The four humans, on leave from the ships they work aboard, are sitting around a table with four boxes that simply read Dangerous Nuts High Scoville. Once known to humans as "The Death Nut Challenge". Grinning, and razzing each other, they're about to each see how much spiciness they can handle when a level 3 Deathworlder, full of arrogance, pulls up a chair and demands to join them. After all, these squishy, weak-looking, apes are eating what is just five little nuts,

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Challenge #03132-H223: The Temple of Love

They were a large temple with many followers, Humans, Elven, Dwarves, Faerie, etc.. They carefully watered the blooming cherry trees and tended the gardens, and they were seen always aiding others with food and medical aid. And, oddly enough, the temple was very wealthy. But then again it should not be so odd. For the women of the temple, for all every single one of them was of immense beauty, refused all suitors unless that suitor was a Tiefling. The men of

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Challenge #03131-H222: Artisinal Friend

They sat alone, quietly eating their meal. Their shoulders were slumped, their head was down, they had the forlorn look of a lonely, bereft, individual who'd completely given up on life itself. When a kind cogniscent tried to sit with them, they softly mumbled something apologetic and, quietly, obviously reluctantly, moved away to an even more distant, emptier, corner. The person went back to their friends, their eyes sad, filled with compassion.

"What did they say?"

"They said bad-luckers who cause their

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Challenge #03130-H221: But We Love Them...

The crew ends up getting stuck on a Level 2 Deathworld and the Humans tame a few of the large omnivores and train them to be ridden. At least until rescue arrives.

"No you CAN'T bring it with, Humans!" -- Anon Guest

Over half of the plantlife was generically toxic. The other half had to be processed in order to be edible more than once[1]. The wildlife was neither shy nor retiring. So, of course, the Ships' Humans flakking loved it,

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Challenge #03129-H220: Not the Intended Use

They'd been using the juices from a bright yellow fruit brought from the Terrans so long ago. They used it to eat away grease from engines and as an industrial-strength solvent, and to remove adhesives from various surfaces. Mixed another way, as a cleaning material that left a fairly pleasant scent. So imagine their surprise when humans were found to be plucking the fruit from the trees, mixing the juice with water and a little sugar, and drinking it! -- Anon Guest

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Challenge #03128-H219: It's Not Just a Cold

A Deregger escapee has an unusual quirk that makes them, of all things, immune to the immunoflu. Unfortunately, that means they're apt to contract the illnesses the immunoflu is meant to prevent, and catches a cold. -- Anon Guest

They told Pel he was lucky to survive. Once they discovered his truly peculiar genetic abnormality, those tellings doubled. The immunoflu was one of Humanity's Greatest Hits[1], since humanity could not contain or cure the common cold, they tamed it. Using the

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Challenge #03127-H218: Close Encounters of the Telegenic Kind

People of the Alliance go to the deadliest country on the planet Earth, Australia, and meet the happiest animal on the continent. The quokka.

https://bestlifeonline.com/quokka/ -- Lessons

This was odd for a Havenworlder tour of a Deathworld. They expected to visit the safer areas of Earth and thereby toughen up their genes via epigenetics. They were understandably alarmed to learn that they were visiting Australia. The one part of Earth that was almost at level five[1]. After the

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Challenge #03126-H217: War By Other Means

Two warring factions on a planet that had often been ravaged. The people were begging for help. The humans came and taught them a way to continue to fight in their war without bloodshed. Now, the battlefields were silent, all of the soldiers as grim as death, were in a large building where none were allowed to speak, other than neutral judges. The battles were as fierce and as aggressive as any war could be, pawns being captured, knights rushing to save

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Challenge #03125-H216: Save Your Gluthorpian Dollars...

So y’all are fine with killing other Xenos, but then some Humans do the same thing to other Humans and it’s suddenly immoral? At least we’re consistent with our genocidal policies. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I do not condone genocide of any kind btw]

The war was over, for certain. Not because any side had won, but because there was little fight with, or even over. Most of the contested territory was radioactive, no longer fertile, and, in fact,

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Challenge #03124-H215: Essential Enforcement

It's from this, but more from the prompts.

The lords of the realm now must face the wrath of their people. But rather than being killed, their people turn on them and drag them before the king in chains demanding the king teach these errant lords a lesson about mistreating the people they are supposed to care for.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03076-h168-freedom-by-the-press -- DaniAndShali

"Well, this is an interesting development," said the King. The people had revolted against their revolting

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Challenge #03123-H214: De-Escalation in Progress

On a planet where children just trying to survive are being mowed down, where soldiers were flown in to murder them, and their families lived hiding in tunnels to survive, those that knew of this could no longer sit idly by. Several large ships came, other humans, heavily armed. They were not going to try to take over the planet or overthrow the government, they were there to remove the bombs and rescue the kids, and the families, out in the wastes.

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Challenge #03122-H213: Congratulations, it's a Bot!

reboot initiated;

}

function boostpower = on();

parts check = var.ok();

vision wide = var.ok();

memory load = var.fail();

operating time = 48;

connecting..

}

{hello world/} -- Anon Guest

Runcheck RealLife().... ok. Runcheck JustFantasy()..... nul result ok. Soundcheck Output/Input.... ok.

"I hate it when they scream." Entity One had their back turned, tapping keys and generally being uninvolved.

Entity Two was kinder. Friendlier. Identify facial expression... smile. "Every new life cries. Get used to it. Hello H0D."

"Are You My MoTher?" said H0D.

Support

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Challenge #03121-H212: Call For the Doctor

They sat with popcorn and their best friends from the station and began with the earliest seasons. They had done this for quite some time, twice a month, since they moved here. Twice a month, on a weekend, they made popcorn, and invited friends for a couple of hours of watching Dr. Who, discussing the episodes, and enjoying themselves. And, of course, enjoying being fans of the show. -- HelloImTheDoctor

[AN: You know I can't sell my anthologies for potential money if

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