Unlikely Heroes

A 166-post collection

Challenge #02949-H026: When You Assume

They were a HERO! That is what everyone said they were. They crushed nests of kobolds before those imps could spread, destroyed dragons for the gold freeing the kings that sent them after the dragons from their scaly wrath, cut down teiflings where-ever they were found to ensure those demons could claim no souls.

They were a hero, everyone said they were... right?

So when they entered the city to cleanse it of the blight said to exist there, seeing all that existed there, why did it feel so... wrong? They had a job to do. They raised their blade to strike when someone grabbed their hand from behind. Face to face with the elf..... everyone said they were a.......... but... were they?

A premise - a "Hero" comes to New Hope with the intent of wiping out the "evil" inhabitants. And learns a lesson they never forget.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02868-g311-to-change-the-world -- Lessons

Everyone is a hero in their own narrative. Nobody sets out with a sword and a hope of being a great adventurer with plans to cause as much chaos and devastation as possible. Things just... tend... to happen that way. Mostly because Adventurers have a solid streak of 'dumbass' in their makeup. Ardin the Protector set out to eliminate all evil in the world. To him, that meant all evil creatures.

Through his eyes, every Tiefling was a devil-spawn waiting to drag innocent souls into the assorted hells. Every Orc was a savage Barbarian destined to destroy an innocent village or to become part of a rampaging horde. Every Kobold was a sign of an infestation that was a sure sign of rot and corruption. There was no other way to see it. If you did not agree with him, you were allied with evil.

He was a great hero. Especially if you listened to his Bardic sidekick. He had liberated so many places from evil creatures. He wore a bugbear's fur as a trim on his cape. He had dragon teeth on his necklace. He had rings and bracelets made from Tiefling horn. And worse, he had heard of New Hope. Through his eyes, it was little more than a nest of pure evil. It was crawling with Bugbears, Goblins, Orcs, Kobolds, and assorted halfbreeds. There was even talk that it had been founded by a Tiefling. How it had been allowed to prosper was beyond him.

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Challenge #02935-H012: Our Little Monster

Could we have a story of how Anthe and Wraithvine met the little bugbear Rawr? How he lost his eye? And how they rescued him? Please?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02854-g297-here-s-one-we-made-earlier -- DaniAndShali

"Hate the cold, hate the cold, hate it hate it hate it hate it hate the cold," Anthe grumbled. She was bedecked in a yeti fur coat, if 'bedecked' fit the fact that she was in there somewhere. Boots of Insulation and a Ring of Warmth seemed to

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Challenge #02868-G311: To Change the World

The life of tieflings and kobolds has never been an easy ones. Discriminated against, trodden upon, mistreated practically from the day they are born, it is not unusual, though heartbreakingly cruel that it is, to find an infant of one of those races either deceased or weak, thrown upon midden piles or abandoned in the forests. But that was to change. At least a little.

A new village was starting to form. The alone, the abandoned, the lost, all gathered here. Tieflings,

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Challenge #02866-G309: Turn Around Twice And...

A: please help me

B: ok ok hold up a minute

A: there is not time! Please hurry

B: give a me a sec

A: now it-

B: I NEED PANTS GODDAMIT -- Anon Guest

[AN: Aw man, if that isn't a cue for Early Days Marvin, then I don't know what is. Start blasting Let's See How Far We've Come out there, folks]

There's a time for multiple disasters and it's always when they're least wanted. Anthe was more or less

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Challenge #02854-G297: Here's One We Made Earlier

They had left Marvin with the village he had saved through the adventure he'd done on his own. As much as it hurt Anthe to do so, and even Wraithvine felt a tugging in his heart, they knew it was the best thing for him. That village needed the young man, and he needed his home there. Him and his new wife. He'd met her when she'd joined him, Wraithvine and Anthe while they were adventuring together.

Then a message came as

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Challenge #02788-G231: A Pearl in the Mire

That moment where one goes to soothe a fussy baby and finds a surprise handful of bare bottom. -- Someone's Mum

[AN: Worse is a handful of messy bottom. Been there, done that, had to disinfect all on sundry for an entire hour]

Long before Wraithvine met Thief, later renamed as Chrysanthemum and Anthe for short, Wraithvine stole a baby. Technically. It's not theft if the article in question has already been thrown away.

The child in question was a paradox in

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Challenge #02650-G093: Graduation Epiphany

https://alligator-sunglasses.com/post/40203065345/hobbes-winnie

"Even when it makes you feel lost and confused; every good soldier, officer, teacher, or parent dreams of seeing the day they aren't needed anymore." -- SilverRey

Every little bird flies from its nest. -- Elven saying.

Marvin hadn't noticed when Lady Anthe and Wraithvine left. They didn't bid him a farewell. He had just been busy with Steelfoot and improving the lives of the people in Lower Petraine. Marvin realised they were gone when he

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Challenge #02641-G084: A Significant Choice

I don’t really drink alcoholic beverages, mostly because I don't know what kind of drunk I am. I’m not willing to find out based off my parents, let’s just say alcohol was the reason why I was born. -- Anon Guest

"Small ale," said Lady Anthe.

"Rivenmont wine," said Wraithvine.

"I'll have a young cider," said Marvin.

Elf and Kobold alike looked to their Human compatriot. "Er," said Lady Anthe. "You remember you're of age now, yes?"

Wraithvine added,

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Challenge #02633-G076: For Best Results

you were hired by the local baron to hunt a beast in the forest of veils. you armed yourself with the proper tools and weapons, gather information from the locals about the beast, that when you came across new information from a witch that guard the forest. when you learn the witch location you bolted there. the witch wasn't hostile, friendly even. the witch didn't tell you much, most of it you already know. although there are things that not even the

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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

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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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