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Unlikely Heroes

A 172-post collection

Challenge #02632-G075: An Interesting Truce

A rumor is heard of a palace where monsters were holding hundreds of kobolds as slaves. A large castle filled with treasure, all the kobolds that were seen going in and out wearing a silver, blue, and gold woven neckbands. Almost all the doors to the various servant areas were sized for the kobolds as well. Along the road outside the castle, the graves of failed raiders where, instead of gravestones, their skulls still sat upon the spikes where the heads once had been. Yet, it was not what it seemed. For the adventurer that found their way inside, these beings did NOT want to leave the palace. There were beautiful gardens, and lovely fountains. For all they were required to wear the neck bands, they were clean, looked well-fed, and those that had injuries, those injuries were neatly bandaged and tended to. But the surprise was in the throne room. Two humans, two kobolds, sitting side by side talking as they sat on small thrones. -- Anon Guest

Kobolds get a lot less cute once they learn Fireball -- Adventurer's Guidebook.

They had been getting funny looks ever since they entered the city-state. Lady Anthe was used to a lot of stares, being a Kobold and an Adventurer, but usually such stares were shared equally between herself and the team. This was one of the few times when the people were universally staring at her.

The fifth shopkeep that boggled at her giving orders was the one that made Marvin snap. "What's the matter with all of you? You've definitely seen a Kobold before. What's the fuss about?"

"She's not Protected," said the shopkeep, as if that explained everything. Further investigation and the mandatory we're-not-from-around-here conversation revealed an alliance with area Kobolds that sounded... more than a little icky at first glance.

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Challenge #02607-G050: This is MY Baby

The most dangerous place in the whole world is between mother and child.

A: She's not even a human!

B: You can take this child from my cold, dead hands. Don't worry, little one, I will not let them near you. -- Anon Guest

There are indisputable, largely unwritten, laws of the universe. Some of them are common sense like, Do not drink water that smells bad. Some are a little more specific like, Never eat the food at a place called

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Challenge #02559-G002: Needing a Hand

His name was Marvin. He traveled with a band of friends on various adventures. But his life had not been quite this pleasant before he met them. Abused, mistreated, made to feel stupid, even when he was with the gang, people he thought were his friends, it had been misery. Now, with the wizard, the kobold, and the others, he actually had a chance. But, on quiet nights like this, as they had set up camp and he was not on watch,

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Challenge #02499-F309: A Different Key

I have a highly adaptive tendency to assume that the people around me know better than I do. -- Anon Guest

Anthe had spotted the weakest link. It was hard to avoid, really. A beefy boy not nearly yet a man, perhaps twice the size he should be and clumsy with it. His tasks were always the ones with heavy lifting. Take things in, take things out. Take things up, take things down... and always, always, take the blame. They called him

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Challenge #02490-F300: Lich, Please

“So let me get this straight. We’re here to rescue a princess.”

“That’s right.”

“At the request of a princess.”

“Right again.”

“And you, who will be leading the expedition, are also a princess.”

“You’re very perceptive.”

“How big is your royal family, again?“

“We don’t have one.”

“But–“

“We overthrew our monarchy centuries ago, but we kept most of the titles around. The rank of ‘princess’ is held by the directors in charge of various civil service

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Challenge #02457-F267: One Link

I am not determined to be incompetent. I just want to feel safe. -- Anon Guest

Marvin nursed his arm, which he was told was only a sprain. He could only see out of one eye because his friends and allies in the Malitovs had given him one heck of a shiner for mucking up the capture of the wizard and their pet Kobold. Now, to prove his worth to his gang, he had to guard them. The wizard was bound and

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Challenge #02439-F249: All Perfectly Reasonable

Just because I have demonic powers doesn’t mean that I’m a bad guy, and I have valid reason murdering 36 people. -- Anon Guest

"Was it the voices?" said Lady Anthe.

The Warlock smiled. "You mock me, but you can't understand. Ardnassac can remember the future, so he bids me to alter it for a better world. There's so much disaster that each and every one of those people could have caused. Averted now." A smile that was so deep

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Challenge #02408-F218: To Prevent Apocalypse...

(Someone complaining about why the gods didn't handle [Sealed Evil in a Can (horror from beyond reality flavour!)] earlier)

[Person who has more insight into how the gods work than others]: It's probably a combination of [god in important relevant position who got the job because all the other gods eligible for it, including the one(s) doing it who knew HOW to do it, died fighting OTHER horrors from beyond reality literal aeons ago] not knowing how to do their job,

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Challenge #02398-F208: Choose the Light

"You have a darkness in you."

"Yes, we all do, along with God's light. It's what makes us the same. What makes us different is what we choose to follow." -- Anon Guest

"What?" said the Kobold who, at this point in her journey, didn't think herself worthy of a name. She would, in time, become known as Lady Anthe, but that time is not now. She is learning, and these are earlier, more painful days.

Wraithvine took a calming breath. They

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Challenge #02390-F200: Here There Be Dragon

"I will do it, but I will do it crying." -- Anon Guest

"You've had a bad day," said the Silver Dragon, currently disguised as an Elf, in an exhibition of galaxy-scale understatement. This, considering that Anthe had just been stepped on by an Ogre and thrown into a dragon-pit, only to be revived once in the Dragon's claws. She was now battling the instinct to genuflect in the Dragon's general direction and do whatever they bade her to do. The fact

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Challenge #02369-F179: A Big Choice

"You have a darkness in you, that’s all too clear. You can imagine yourself doing terrible things. But that's just your imagination. For all the looming intimidation factor, when you act, I can tell you still have standards... however few they may be... and there’s some lines I’m certain even you would refuse to cross."

"Hrmph... You can't know that for sure..."

"I feel it. I have faith in you. Maybe not to always do the right thing, but

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Challenge #02358-F168: Dramatis Personae

Reading a lot of these I noticed some recurring characters. Is there any kind of character bio for them, and if not would you possibly give us some? -- Anon Guest

[AN: Not exactly a story but this must be important so...]

Amalgam Universe

Rael

  • Species: Faiize, a gengineered version of the non-cogniscent, sluglike 'cleaners' with some massive feature creep and consequent legal battle in regards to their concealed-until-undeniable cogniscence. Each Faiize is named by a computer, using a random collection of
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Challenge #02341-F151: The Perils of Convenience

Imagine a Shop for Adventurers that sells nearly everything.

Including Scrolls to Talk to other Races and even with Animals and invokal Things.

Of course those Scrolls have a Price, however they can be found on Dead People or in the Dungeon. -- Anon Guest

The chain was called Infinite Needs, and catered exclusively to Adventurers. The secret was that each pokey little shop front lead to a pocket dimension of a warehouse that was, theoretically, endless[1]. The shop had already

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Challenge #02331-F141: One Quiet Evening a Long Time Ago

"I do not sleep. I Wait." -- AmberFox

Marvin didn't understand a lot of things. He certainly didn't understand how an Elf and a Kobold managed to sweet-talk him away from the gang. The gang who -they had said- he should be grateful to forever because they let him live. The Elf and the Kobold said he shouldn't have to be grateful for table scraps and daily beatings.

He was sixteen, and already taller than most grown men. Some folks whispered that

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Challenge #02328-F138: Recommended Serving Size

(I thought of this and didn't know what to do with it. My apologies if it is not your style.)

"If you got drunk ONCE by ACCIDENT then you CANNOT call yourself an alcoholic!" -- Anon Guest

Most intelligent creatures have something close enough to alcohol for Humans to drink it and find it close enough to get drunk on. Elves have a potent honey brew that, after a few beginning incidents, were served to the Humans in thimble-sized glasses. Elves drink

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