Wraithvine's Wanderings

A 101-post collection

Challenge #04075-K057: Heavy the Heart...

The young, inexperienced, king made some serious mistakes and now his lands are in chaos. He begs for his people to send for Wraithvine and friends, so he can get advice on fixing the mess. His worst problems? He's young, inexperienced, and his advisors are not exactly always honest with him. -- Anon Guest

A child king is loved by his advisors. Mostly because those advisors can shape him, direct him, and coddle him from the truth. You almost never find a regent who tells their royal charge to beware a power-hungry flatterer. Nor one who gives advice on how to spot such venal creatures in their court.

An heir to any given throne may take their seat as young as twelve, but most have regents until they come of age at twenty. Takakura Navaro had taken rank, crown, and throne at twelve, though he had technically been king since the age of seven.

Of such circumstances, rotten realms are made.

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Challenge #04060-K042: A Challenger Appears

A rare person it is that can out-stubborn a wizard, rarer still is one that can out-stubborn a cat.

But what happens when a stubborn wizard meets a stubborn feline wizard? -- Anon Guest

Some wild magic areas are more amenable to life than others. Nothing about that previous sentence means that the life is anything near ordinary. In one particular chain of islands, scars of an ancient magical war have made intelligent life from the less intelligent.

More or less.

Everyone

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Challenge #04057-K039: Kind and Gentle Help

A stranger stumbles out of the alleyway, tired, tear-streaked, and sore. Seeing Wraithvine, they give them a hug and begin to weep. Then they apologize for that, but they desperately needed a hug today. -- Anon Guest

Sometimes, all that two kind hands can do is wrap gently and give comfort to someone who is suffering.

The person who collapsed into Wraithvine's arms and soaked hir shoulder with tears took their time shuddering to a halt. They were still clinging to Wraithvine

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Challenge #04053-K035: Help Where Possible

Wraithvine was deep in meditation when the humans shook hir roughly awake. Nearly dragging hir before ze could land. "Hurry, hurry, the cave-in was bad! No one's dead, but there's a lot of people badly hurt, we need you, NOW, my lord!" -- Anon Guest

"Not your lord," Wraithvine gently rubbed hir backside as the people dragged hir out and into the caverns. Where four teams of people were overwhelmed by the casualties at hand. This part of the area was stable.

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Challenge #04049-K031: The Dawn of Engineering

A kind human teaches Wraithvine and friends how to properly use spinning wheels. Then gifts them enchanted ones that can become pocket sized, or full sized, as needed. -- Lessons

The denizens of Nanogh had never had to make things by hand. They could weave anything they liked out of raw magic. So when the Faekindred invaded the Mortal Plane, they had some difficulty. Setting up magefonts, manafonts, moon pools, and the like had been their priority. They opened doors they should

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Challenge #04046-K028: A Portentious Offer

My name is Vizmo, and I am a god-king of cats. Gentle Wraithvine, I offer you a gift for your furry friend, Lilbit here. That they remain youthful and healthy for as long as you live, and breathe their last when you, yours. In this manner, even in your darkest, saddest, moments, you'll never be alone. -- The New Guy

[AN: Y'all really don't like the idea of the cat passing on, do you?]

Live long enough, they say, and you will

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Challenge #04045-K027: In the Darkest Years

A rumor was going around that living unwelcome peoples were Good Luck Charms. People were hunting hellkin to knock out and cut off their horns, capturing kobolds to steal some scales, and other such actions. -- Lessons

Ward off unwelcome fate with that of unwelcome form, -- Old Human Superstition.

It's honestly amazing how simple statements can turn to misinterpretation. The origin came from a distant settlement that paid host to the Unwelcome. They found their troubles almost halved at first, and

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Challenge #04044-K026: Hoard, Lair, Hat

A small, intelligent, dragonling lands on Wraithvine's hat carrying its treasure, a single gold coin. It looks quite pleased with itself, Lilbit the cat, however, is indifferent to the new arrival. -- Anon Guest

Wraithvine thought it was an insect at first, hitting hir hat and resting there for a moment's ease. What alerted hir to the truth was the fact that Lilbit glanced up, and went back to sleep on Wraithvine's shoulders.

Lilbit was absolute death on anything insectoid. She would

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Challenge #04043-K025: Just One Story

"Unty Wraithvine, I don' feel so good, read me a story, please?" -- Anon Guest

The book was thick, and may have been weight training for the small child. It had been read many times and handled by many readers. Generations had added to some pages. Some scribbling illustrations in the margins, others colouring in the woodcuts. At least one baby had teethed on the hard cover. It was a relic of many generations.

Wraithvine handled it with the reverence it was

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Challenge #04040-K022: With Great Gratitude

A village got together to make a gift package for Wraithvine and friends. New ever-lasting boots that would be warmer in winter and cooler in summer, new clothing again, warm in winter, cool in summer, and bags of holding enchanted to not only hold.. ... well a lot, but also so foodstuffs could never spoil while within, and drinks could never spill while within. -- The New Guy

The thing about immortality is, even when something is made to last for centuries, those

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Challenge #04035-K017: Conflict Resolution Strategies

Two individuals are arguing fiercely. They are so close they are nearly twins. A powerful wizard forces them to be chained together until these two are able to realize they are more alike than they think. Before blood ends up spilled. -- Lessons

Of all the things to argue about, this had to be one of the more ridiculous ones. One was shouting "Mustard!" while the other responded, "Mayo!" Since they were both Harukh, the argument was about to have an area

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Challenge #04028-K010: Orphaned Plotline Adoption

A creature, once evil, cruel, corrupt, now greatly changed, comes up to Wraithvine offering a white rose. A peace offering. -- Anon Guest

It had been at least a millennium since the last time they'd met the immortal Wizard. Zygorguk the Imp had received hir mercy and had their entire existence changed. For a start, they could never go back to the Plane of Torment.

Demons could not return to their origin realm if they appreciated kindness. It's all about the relativity

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Challenge #04025-K007: A Kinder Poison

A very elderly magic user has gotten a bit senile. Their grandchild begs Wraithvine to limit how much magic the elder can use so they're no longer a danger to themselves or others. -- Anon Guest

It's never nice to see a loved one fall to pieces. Watching Odasorin the Wonderous become lost in time and thereafter coming apart had not been something Aqirax had been willing to acknowledge until it got dangerous. After all, he loved his grandren[1]. And in

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Challenge #03997-J345: One Spell From Concerning

A mage, a very strong one, sought out Wraithvine and asked, very politely, if they would be be willing to spar her. She wanted to see how well her abilities matched to the legendary wizard's. Of course, this was a sparring match, not a full-blown wizard's duel where one was trying to kill the other, so while tiring, it would be safe enough. -- Anon Guest

For training purposes, no Wizard of a higher level is permitted to use harmful spells on

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Challenge #03989-J337: Oath Check

They came to us to swear an oath so long ago. Now we're going to go down and visit our old friend, our oathsworn. It will be good to see Wraithvine in person again, even if it's just a short visit. -- Anon Guest

In all the world, in all the planar realms, there is little so powerful as a heartfelt oath. Heartfelt prayers must be answered, of course, but an oath... Beings like Us exist for oaths like that.

We remember

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