to Überwald and (hopefully) back again
is a Discworld fanfiction by flaggermousse. When a letter warning of vampires in Überwald mysteriously dying (and even more mysteriously staying dead) William de Worde, Sacharissa Cripslock and Otto von Chriek travel to Überwald to investigate. The trio is engaged to be married, and figure they can feed two birds with one scone by also taking the trip to visit Otto’s parents before the wedding.
Things quickly take a turn for the worse.
This fanfiction provides examples of:
- Asshole Victim: Geraldine von Ruthven
- A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Elizabetha von Ruthven
- Cannot Cross Running Water: Otto and Elizabetha cannot cross one of the rivers. Apparently, Otto doesn’t have this problem back in Ankh-Morpork, because the Ankh barely qualifies as running water.
- Classical Movie Vampire: The Chriek-family.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Bram von Chriek, Otto’s great-uncle.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Bram sensed that something was wrong long before anyone else. When the family didn’t believe him, he contacted his great-nephew in Ankh-Morpork, hoping he and his colleagues could figure it out.
- Cute Monster Girl: Elizabetha von Ruthven, Otto’s cousin.
- Dhampyr: Elizabetha
- Dramatic Thunder
- Driven to Suicide: Lenore, Otto’s aunt, walked into the sunlight and died after her husband Jonathan passed away.
- Empathic Environment: This is Überwald after all.
- Fantastic Racism: Several vampires in Überwald are prejudiced towards humans. It is mentioned that back in Ankh-Morpork, where humans are in the majority, a lot of humans are prejudiced against vampires.
- Footnote Fever: Just as in the source material.
- Frozen Fashion Sense
- Gruesome Grandparent: Geraldine von Ruthven
- Half-Human Hybrid: Elizabetha
- Haunted Castle: Chriek Castle
- Interspecies Romance:
- William and Sacharissa with Otto.
- The vampire Lenore and the human Jonathan; Elizabetha’s parents.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: Otto’s parents are not pleased that he wants to marry humans. Especially since he’s not planning on turning them into vampires.
- Mayfly–December Romance:
- William and Sacharissa with Otto.
- The vampire Lenore and the human Jonathan. When he died of old age, she committed suicide.
- Meet the In-Laws: William and Sacharissa meet Otto’s parents for the first time.
- Murder in the Family
- Must Be Invited: Vampires must be invited in the first time they visit a new place. At the ball, the Count welcomes newcomers at the door. This becomes a major plot point when it turns out vampires can also be uninvited, and Elizabeta forces all the guests out into the sunlight.
- Obvious Villain, Secret Villain: Geraldine is obviously evil from the moment she appears. Elizabetha not so much.
- Polyamory: William, Sacharissa and Otto are a throuple.
- Sdrawkcab Alias: Discworld vampires thinks that no one will recognize their name if they spell it backwards. The mysterious letter that kicks off the plot is signed Maharba. Otto is surprised when William and Sacharissa figure out at once that the writer’s name is Abraham.
- Secret Underground Passage: The Chriek Castle has several. According to Otto, every castle ought to have them. William and Sacharissa escape from their cell in the dungeon by finding a secret passageway out.
- Suicide by Sunlight: Lenore
- Sympathetic Murderer: Elizabetha.
- Tears of Blood: Vampires cries blood.
- Überwald
- Vampire Dance
- Vampires Hate Garlic:
- At the in the trio stays at in Bonk, the innkeeper sets garlic braids up at the counter to ward off vampires. It is mentioned that after the events of The Fifth Elephant, growing garlic has become legal again in Überwald.
- The local humans have planted garlic right outside the entrance to the secret passageway from Chriek Castle. When Otto stumbles right into them, he starts coughing.
- In the room where the Count and Countess was staked, there is a faint smell of garlic ...
- Vampire Vords
