Story-telling

 Tryst (n) - a private romantic rendezvous between lovers

Pecuniary (adj) - of or pertaining to money

Brandish (v) - wave or flourish (especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement.

Haggard (adj) - having a wasted or exhausted appearance - as from prolonged suffering 

Swarthy (adj) - having dark complexion or colour

You look haggard 😴 

Total lunacy 🤪

Death by Misadventure

Onslaught of information 

Items Strewn about 

Something's afoot

Vignette (n) - a brief description/account/episode; small ornamental design filling space in a book

Circumnavigate (v) -  To proceed completely around: circumnavigating the earth.

Gastronomy (n) - practice/art of choosing;  cooking and eating good food.

Incognito (adj) - having one's identity concealed

Aficionado (n) - person very knowledgeable about an activity/subject

Forlorn (adj) - pitifully sad; abandoned or lonely; hopeless

Adorn (v) - make more beautiful or attractive

Seethe (v) - bubble up as a result of being boiled
Habitue (n) - resident or frequent visitor to particular place

Cornucopia (n) - An overflowing store; an abundance: a cornucopia of employment opportunities
Panache (n) - flamboyant confidence of style/manner
Mettle (n) - person's ability to cope with difficult situations in spirited/resiliant way (show their mettle)
Eugenics (n) - science of improving human population by controlled breeding to increase "desirables"

Acumen (n) - Ability to make good judgements and quick decisions (i.e. business acument)

Attrition (n) - A gradual diminution in number or strength because of constant Stress

Myriad (n) - a countless or great # (network a myriad of computers)

usury (n) ((usurious adj)) the illegal action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.

Enchanting (adj) - charming; captivating; 

Ensnared (v) - to capture or involve in

Orator (n) - a public speaker, with great elegance

Scion (n) -  descendant of a notable family

Synesthesia (n) - a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color. 
Affable (adj) - easy to talk to; friendly; congenial; cordial; warm; pleasant; likeable; agreeable
Atonement (n) - Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
Stonewall (v) - delay or block by refusing to answer questions or giving evasive replies

Usurp (v) -  To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force and without legal authority.

Pare (v) - trim; reduce in size/quantity

Jet set (n) - An international social set made up of wealthy people who travel from one fashionable place to another. 

Cessation (n) - a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance
peccadillo (n) - a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault exasperate / exacerbate (both) (v) - irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely; increase the intensity
Cadence (n) - rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words; rhythmic pattern nonmetrically structured.

Discord (n) - disagreement between people

Trifling (adj) - unimportant/trivial; little importance
Abate (v) - alleviate (storm was abated)
Egregious (adj) - outstandingly bad; shocking
Incredulous (adj) – Skeptical, Expressive of disbelief i.e. incredulous stare
Precarious (adj) - dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable tobe withdrawn or lost at the will of another; uncertain; unstable; insecure; having insufficient, little, or no foundation
Asinine (adj) - unintelligent; silly; stupid: an asinine  reason forquitting.
Inordinate (adj) - Exceeding reasonable limits; immoderate.
Fickle (adj) - Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability
Astounding (adj) - capable of overwhelming with amazement; stunningly surprising.
Altruism (n) - the principle or practice of unselfish concern for ordevotion to the welfare of others
Encroach (v) - to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits
(dictator encroached on rights)
Malleable (adj) - capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers.
Ostensive and Ostensibly (both) (adj) - clearly or manifestly demonstrative; Seeming or professed

Despot (n) - ruler with absolute, unlimited power
Cessation (n) - a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance

Venerable (adj) - commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignityVet (v) - to appraise, verify, or check for accuracy (i.e. Hillary has been vetted)

Lexicon - vocabulary of a particular language, field, social class, person, dictionary
Benefactor (n) - One that gives aid, especially financial aid.
Pedantic (adj) - ostentatious in one's learning/knowledge; overly concerned with minute details (esp. with teaching); finicky with language; A narrow concern for book rules i.e. pedantic attention to detail

Utilitarian (adj) (dual def) - pertaining to utility

Unsavoury (adj) - morally offensive; not pleasing to taste/odour
Proponent (n) - a person who puts forward a proposition or proposal.

Ridicule (n) - speech or action intended to cause contemptuous laughter at a person or thing

Crotchety (adj) - given to odd notions, whims, grouchiness, etc. 

Ambivalence (n) - mixed feelings or emotions 

Remiss (adj) - negligent, careless, or slow in performing one's duty, business, etc.: He's terribly remiss in his work.
Opulence (n) - luxury: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living

Epigraph (n) - an inscription, esp. on a building, statue, or beginning of book.

Languish (v) - to lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble  (plants may languish)

shanghaied (v) - To kidnap (a man) for compulsory service aboard a ship, especially after drugging him.

Shrew (n) - a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant

Penultimate (adj) - Next to last (one before last)
Duplicity (n) - deceitfulness in speech or conduct; speaking or acting in two different ways
Destitute (adj) - without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
Draconian (adj) - Excessively harsh and severe; severe cruel
Bravado (n) - a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

Pubertal (adj) - of, pertaining to, or characteristic of puberty.

Talisman (n) - a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm.
Abattoir (n) - slaughterhouse

Exuberant (adj) - effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant; extremely good; overflowing; plentiful
Mirth (n) - gaiety or jollity; amusement or laughter
Prostrate (adj) - to lay flat, as on the ground; Facedown

Vagrant (n) - a person who wanders about idly and has no permanent home or employment; vagabond; tramp.
Supine (adj) - lying on the back, face or front upward.

Sexcapade (n) - sexual escapade; illicit affair
Sullen (adj) - bad tempered; sulky; pouting; sour, morose; resentful; glum; unresponsive
Chagrin (n) - distress/embarrassment at having failed/been humiliated
Curtail (v) - reduce in extent or quality; impose restriction

Calcify (v) - harden by deposition of
Laggard (n) - person who makes slow progress and falls behind others

Curdle (v) - to change into curd; coagulate.

Grotto (n) - A small cave or cavern (artificial)
Astride (adj) - with leg on each side (i.e. sitting on the bike, he was sitting astride)

Etherial (adj) - extremely delicate/light too perfect for this world; heavenly/spiritual
Nape (n) - The back of the neck.

Translucent (adj) - allowing light but not detailed images to pass through; semitransparent

Burly (adj) - large in body, stout

Nuzzle (v) - to burrow or root with the nose, snout
Incubus (n) - an imaginary evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons;  nightmare (esp sexual w.women)

Knave (n) - an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person; (cards->Jack)
Harlot (n) - a prostitute; whore.
Vulgarian (n) - A vulgar person, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of wealth.

Epilogue (n) - a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel or play.Sentiment, as writings or speech.
Epitaph (n) - a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site.

collude (v) - come to a secret understanding for a harmful purpose; conspire.

Connotes (v) ((connotation)) - (of a word) imply or suggest (an idea or feeling) in addition to the literal or primary meaning.

Moratorium (n) - a delay or suspension of an activity.

Stiletto (n) - a short dagger with a blade that is think ( to stab with)
Palpable (adj) - readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity.
Mulligan (n) [golf] - shot not counted against the score, permitted in unofficial play to a player whose previous shot was poor.