Wraithvine's Wanderings

Challenge #04737-L353: A Different Kind of Bull

A trio of elves are using their longevity to rig long-term investments in a rather prosperous region, pretending to be a family of knowledgeable businessmen by taking turns as son, father, and grandfather with magic guises. Needless to say, they have amassed a fortune immiserating the humans of these valleys for generations. Though if Wraithvine were to show up it seems unlikely that their scheme would go unnoticed. -- Deathshead419

It was the kind of thing only a long-lived being would notice. Dragons or fellow Elves would spot it in a mere handful of decades. Humans on the other hand, with their much shorter lifespans and near-microscopic patience, missed it completely.

To the Humans, the Ambergris 'family' looked like market geniuses who were always one step ahead of the share market. And they certainly appeared to be regular Humans, like everyone they spoke to.

Following behind them only lead to ruin. Not that that stopped people trying. Anyone with a little extra money to spend on a little gamble trailed after the Ambergris family like an eager duckling. And their investment for their children or grandchildren always wound up as... birdseed.

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Challenge #04735-L351: One Head Under the Crown

A long reigning king has reached the end. The eldest has the strongest claim, yet his rule is unlikely to last long. The middle son is inclined to autocracy, yet, deft in international politics and likely to keep the kingdom at peace. The youngest is quarrelsome with his peers, yet, sympathetic to the plight of his people. And there is the bastard, a playboy likely to leave governing to the parliament except when he wants to indulge.

Wraithvine is called to choose

Challenge #04730-L346: Improvised Weaponry

The pirates caught the ship's human in their jammies and socks. The human captured them by shuffling feet on soft surfaces and touching the pirates. The touches leaving painful spots. Rumor spread humans could shoot lightning from their fingers. Those that knew better knew it was just static. -- Fighting Fit

Ships' night is normally a strategic time for space pirates to attack. Unfortunately for these pirates, normal and Humans don't mesh. Human Zorq was in their BVD's and socks when the

Challenge #04731-L347: This Will Pass

It's storming and the kids are scared. Wraithvine calls to Lilbit after confirming the kids have no allergies. The soft purring and pets soon have the children sleeping peacefully. -- Anon Guest

It was definitely a dark and stormy night. Between the lightning flashes, it was black as pitch out there. The wind raged against the mountains and the trees. The thunder shook dust loose from the rafters, and the children were hiding under the tables and shrieking at most peals.

Wraithvine

Challenge #04724-L342: Free as a... Prince?

Wraithvine and anyone ze believes will help with the task (possibly meaning no one) must infiltrate a ball and rescue a prince from the clutches of his evil (yet, alas, overwhelmingly popular and powerful) Queen Mother. All without being recognized or exposed during the escape, and before the clock strikes one in the morning, for some reason… -- Deathshead419

[AN: Pure evil requires dedicated choice, and I don't believe anyone living is pure evil. Not even in fiction. They have motives and

Challenge #04724-L340: One Weakened Link

Whilst in the woods, (alone or with someone(s) at the author’s discretion) Wraithvine comes upon a dying man, a double-crossed messenger with an arrow through his chest. He begs Hir to deliver his letter. But, a dying man is not necessarily a righteous one, not all treasons are unjustified. Wraithvine must decide if fulfilling the promise is correct, and ze does not have much time… -- Deathshead419

On a road less traveled, more of a deer trail, there's only a

Challenge #04720-L336: Learned Something Yet?

It's been twenty and one years. Wraithvine comes to see if the little turd has finally learned some humility. The allied Duke, a peaceful, and honorable elf, joins hir to see his future son-in-law as well. He would never let his daughter wed one who would mistreat her.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04581-l197-attitudes-adjusted-while-you-wait -- Anon Guest

One can wander very far on assorted quests during twenty years. Especially if a few Dragons or deities decided to relocate Wraithvine to different continents.

Challenge #04718-L334: Haunting Recall

An older elf, though far from elderly, spent their days deep in wine and dandelion. Their nights in tears and regret. They had done so many terrible things they were unable to forgive themselves for. The humans asked Wraithvine to help. This elder had only been a child when this all happened, they didn't deserve this kind of sorrow. -- Anon Guest

The Xenophobia Wars were not one war, as evidenced by the plural. They were not one event, nor between one

Challenge #04713-L329: Unseen Miracles

A farmer asks Wraithvine and Birbrid to come fishing with him. He needs a few more hands to pull in the nets as he's stocking up for winter. Crops are almost harvested, and he'd need help with that as well. He'd usually have help from his sons, but many have caught very bad colds, and the season for snows is fast approaching. -- Anon Guest

The autumnal weather should have been frightful. There should have been strong winds, threatening storms, and an

Challenge #04708-L324: From Menace to Midwife

Trudy the Goose-Girl has become obsessed with travelling to a mountain lake and will not take no for an answer. Alas, there is a terrible danger around the lake, one Henkar and Molys feel ill equipped to face on their own. So they seek out Wraithvine, begging hir to aid them in reaching this place of strange magic. -- Deathshead419

[AN: Most recent previous installation of Trudy the Goose is https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04636-l252-girl-goose ]

Trudy the Goose did not remain

Challenge #04702-L318: High Volume of Problems

A small child tries to grab Bribid to carry off what they thought was a cute little gnome. The parental was distracted by trying to help two other children who were very sick. Fortunately, he and Wraithvine are very patient people. -- Anon Guest

"Small" is relative when including children. Gnomes tend to top out at three feet high, so their children are terrifyingly tiny when compared to -say- Humans and Elves. Or the large Harukh'a offshoot from the verdant valleys, the

Challenge #04701-L317: Follow the Bouncing.... Orb

Some children try to get Wraithvine, Birbid, and anyone traveling with them to come play. They had balloons that one of the kids' parents had enchanted so they wouldn't pop, so they could play catch and bounce the toys between them. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Balloons take a long time to exist in Alfarell because latex takes longer to launch so I'm handwaving some magic]

Someone had cast several iterations Tinrak's Bouncing Orb in the plaza. The brightly-coloured bubbles easily rebounded off

Challenge #04696-L312: Important Gifts

A family gives Wraithvine a large pouch of catnip seeds for hir to grow the plant, not only as a medicinal tea, but a treat for Lilbit. -- Anon Guest

Gratitude comes in many shapes. Gifts as simple as a hug, or as complicated as an artefact that could prove useful in varied eventualities. This family could not spare much more than a small pouch of seeds. Of course they wished they could give more. Compared to how Wraithvine had changed their

Challenge #04687-L303: The Price of Prophecy

Divine clues convince a town that a boy and his friends must complete a daring quest to avert world ending disaster. That may be true. But the Hero’s parent knows the children will face potent foes none could survive without aid. So the parent, willing to pay well, begs Wraithvine to watch over the young heroes from the shadows and keep them from harm without being seen. -- Deathsead419

Langdon was born with the blaze. Prophecy declared that the boy born

Challenge #04685-L301: Slaughter Underwater

Well drat, Wraithvine’s unexpected island vacation will have to end sooner rather than later to help free the merfolk from having to make sacrifices to the Whijioght, though ze will likely have to get very damp doing so in this follow-up to:

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04588-l204-a-knack-for-finding-trouble -- Deathshead419

Obviously, whatever Whijiought was, it needed to be stopped. Sacrifices to something that needed a pronounciation guide were never a good thing. Wraithvine used every atom of hir acting skills to

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A 213-post collection

Challenge #04737-L353: A Different Kind of Bull

Challenge #04735-L351: One Head Under the Crown

Challenge #04730-L346: Improvised Weaponry

Challenge #04731-L347: This Will Pass

Challenge #04724-L342: Free as a... Prince?

Challenge #04724-L340: One Weakened Link

Challenge #04720-L336: Learned Something Yet?

Challenge #04718-L334: Haunting Recall

Challenge #04713-L329: Unseen Miracles

Challenge #04708-L324: From Menace to Midwife

Challenge #04702-L318: High Volume of Problems

Challenge #04701-L317: Follow the Bouncing.... Orb

Challenge #04696-L312: Important Gifts

Challenge #04687-L303: The Price of Prophecy

Challenge #04685-L301: Slaughter Underwater