Just Add Prompt

Challenge #04941-M192: Slow, Slow Progress

A person who studies plants, but is not a druid, just a normal human, works with her elven husband to develop Harukh'ai crop plants that grow more quickly, grow larger, and are more nutritious. Others may sneer, but they truly believe the way to world peace, is by making sure no one goes hungry. -- BKF

[AN: Possibly in relation to Had a Bad Day ]

Hard-root in its natural form is a slow-growing tuber that, like most things that grow in the Harukh'ai steppes, is hardy and tough as rocks. It takes quite a lot of work to actually kill the plant that grows it, as the Elves once driven out of the plainlands testified in their records.

It was also very slow to grow and necessitated the nomadic lifestyle of the Harukh'ai tribes.

A mature hard-root tuber is roughly the size of a firkin¹ and weighs close to seven hundred pounds. It is not merely physically dense, but nutritionally dense as well. No wonder that the Haruk'ai are muscular.

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Challenge #04940-M191: Give Your All

They were poor, but at time of offering at the temple, they gave their very last coin with a wish. Not for wealth for themselves, but, of all things, for the children of the local lord who was not unkind, would survive their illnesses. And the poor who gave their very last? The gods always know. -- BKF

See a copper, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck. So the saying goes. The truth of the luck of

Challenge #04939-M190: Justice in the Snowfall

A child’s tradition- the shadow dance, to summon and welcome Kinderfreund and Helpmeet -- Weirdlet

Kid culture is a heck of a thing. Nobody knows who invented the floor being lava. There's no recorded instance of step on a crack. Nobody knows who first determined how to use a dandelion clock.

Nobody knows who created the Shadow Dance.

Just like nobody knows who thought of leaving out offerings for Greatfather Langeven and the unicorn that draws his sled. All around Alfarell,

Challenge #04938-M189: Chosen Heir Test

A dying deregger oligarch, wanting better for his people, doesn't bequeath his fortunes and worlds to his descendants. He uses his will to give them to the only man who has never lied to him. An Alliance member who made their living astroid mining. -- BKF

Pax Humanis isn't the only reason why Deregger Oligarch's compounds are heavily fortified. There's also the descendants and seconds-in-command who are on the impatient side. Sharpening knives or preparing undetectable poisons when they weren't pricing assassins

Challenge #04937-M188: War Adapts

Alliance observers watch the boot camp where future human space Marines are trained. -- BKF

They say war never changes. Some aspects of it do. Such as, how badly the opposing sides can ruin the landscape they're fighting over. Or how nefarious or nasty the tactics can get. Or the tools employed in battle.

What surprised most of the Alliance was how Humans - the most reckless of Deathworlders - agreed that nuclear weapons were not on.

Turning contested territory into an

Challenge #04936-M187: Domesticated Predator

The havenworlders look upon the scene in shock as a normal house cat chases away a full sized bear from the camp. -- BKF

Human Yen loved to take her friends camping, and that included her cat, Dinky. Dinky, on harness and leash, did not do any of the hiking. She preferred to ride on Yen's backpack, chattering and chittering at the little creatures beyond her reach.

Yen was no slouch. Dinky was firmly attached with a harness and leash. Kept safe

Challenge #04935-M186: Legal Rites

Invited to a dwarven wedding, and you’re not sure if this is a joining ceremony or a courtroom proceeding. Either way, you hope you brought the right gift. -- Weirdlet

The ceremony was in a beautiful cavern, where stalactites and stalagmites were decorated with glowing crystals and fungi. The surface world had its traditions. Flowers. Manner of dress. Vows. On the surface, the marrying partners met each other in the middle and there were portents regarding how quickly they did it.

Challenge #04934-M185: Had a Bad Day

this is as close to a princess as the orcs reckon, and she is not amused -- Weirdlet

For untold centuries, the Harukh'ai were seen as the most Unwelcome People. Often cast as villains. Stereotyped as instantly aggressive or prone to violent outbursts. What people generally neglected to think about was that the Harukh'ai were nomadic folk with centuries-long migration paths and oral histories to match.

They needed them, because the crops other species failed to recognise took decades to grow to

Challenge #04933-M184: As You Wish

In an alternate timeline, Earl Valiant Whitekeep catches wind that the elder God Wothyn is regaining strength thanks to the return of his son and his rival. With his wife heavily pregnant, he begs the elder God for help averting the curse. As he's made a deal with the hangman god and worded his request foolishly, this can only end well for everyone not named Valiant Whitekeep. -- Deathshead419

Whitekeep owed allegiance to Tyr by long and ancient tradition. The ancient Warlock

Challenge #04932-M183: Suspicious Coded Messages

While transcribing her grandmother’s old handwritten recipes to send to a friend, a girl finds out that the ratios and measurements by pure coincidence match up to a heavily-restricted code, and is immediately flagged for red alert investigation. -- Tergon

Tell me you're in a highly-monitored fascist polity without telling me you're in a highly-monitored fascist polity...

Okay. So. Gamgam's actually my great-great gramma on account of the CEO's Breed 'Em And Weed 'Em policy. Basically have the kids as quickly

Challenge #04931-M182: One Little Slip

A human decides to go and learn tons of languages. Ends up using the wrong whistling trill and accidentally insults a saurian's ancestors and has to do a dance-style apology ceremony! -- Bridget Kielas-Fecyk

Humans are versatile vocalists. Many are excellent at imitation. A rare few are creepy at being that excellent. Those are the Humans who are encouraged to become linguist, ambassadorial aids, and First Contact consultants.

It's encouraged, not mandatory. Mostly because of Human Zif.

He was one of the

Challenge #04930-M181: Trees in the Way

Wraithvine suddenly loses access to all hir powers for no discernible reason right when it would be very convenient to have them, forcing hir to lean on an alternate source of power. -- Deathshead419

[AN: Considering how Wraithvine has had millennia to multiclass... I might go with anything. This is tangentially related to Important Developments ]

Good news, bad news, good news. Good news, the children were safe and far away from whatever this was by technicality. Bad news, ze couldn't open hir

Challenge #04929-M180: In Daydreams of Daisies

"I disassociate for one afternoon and now I'm MARRIED?!" -- Your Humble Author

Princess Felicitee Miette Trajydiegh Parleighview de Maunterazz had a habit of retreating into her rich fantasy world and letting her body do what Lithonesse trained it to do. It was much more pleasant in her fantasy world, where she did little more but weave daisy crowns for a long, long queue of creatures happy to wait for her next daisy crown.

Everyone who was schooled in Lithonesse had their

Challenge #04928-M179: Important Developments

Wraithvine and Bibrid take their two young family members to a beautiful lake for swimming lessons, and they get to meet the fly-dragon. Lilbit isn't impressed with water, but loves sunning herself. -- Bridget Kielas-Fecyk

[AN: Callback to Deserved Reward ]

Children need the best protection in the world - knowing how to survive various situations. How to find good food. How to cook it safely. How to preserve some for travel. How to truly use their gifts.

This day, it was how

Challenge #04927-M178: A-Hunting They Will Go

There are ten stuffed heads in my trophy room right now. Two Game Wardens, Seven Hunters, and a Pure Bred Guernsey Cow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyoSLOlglw -- Deathshead419

They say, when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. And it's a very apropos statement on the Terran Colony of Libertaria. Where every man is an island and all the homes are bulletproof.

They need to be bulletproof, because every spring is hunting season.

Where

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A 4896-post collection

Challenge #04941-M192: Slow, Slow Progress

Challenge #04940-M191: Give Your All

Challenge #04939-M190: Justice in the Snowfall

Challenge #04938-M189: Chosen Heir Test

Challenge #04937-M188: War Adapts

Challenge #04936-M187: Domesticated Predator

Challenge #04935-M186: Legal Rites

Challenge #04934-M185: Had a Bad Day

Challenge #04933-M184: As You Wish

Challenge #04932-M183: Suspicious Coded Messages

Challenge #04931-M182: One Little Slip

Challenge #04930-M181: Trees in the Way

Challenge #04929-M180: In Daydreams of Daisies

Challenge #04928-M179: Important Developments

Challenge #04927-M178: A-Hunting They Will Go