H F J Ballard | historical | Complete
A loose retelling of the story of Prometheus. They say that with the wheel and money the greatest thing man got was fire. The god we got to steal this funny red-orange burning wood or (pot) was tired of being comfortable alone and cried for cold men down below, and so he stole the warm-lit red orange glow& or tried or did, but all he got, for his effort was caught.
21.63 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:34
Janelle Walden | historical | Complete
Claire's life led her to love. Love led her to death. Death began her eternal struggle to retain both her love and her humanity through 5 centuries of endless nights. Book 2 covers the 18th century. "Ravyn's Nights" is a six book series, with each book covering a different century. Book 6 was actually started first, and it takes place in the near future, bringing the story to a final conclusion. I then started writing the rest of the series when I decided that I wanted to share the details of the life that made her into who she is in Book 6. At the time of posting the first chapter of the series, books 1-2-3 are completed and books four, five and six are in various states of completion. There is currently a novella following a side character that does include a few crossover chapters featuring the main character. The novella will be included in the completed versions of books 4 and 5.
79.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:38
Unraed | historical | Complete
"His name will never be sung, son. Skalds and bards like me will never tell his stories to the mass. But only us and us alone will keep telling his story, his actions, his saga. For he is the man who started all of this." This is a story no man in Lumenter will ever hear, no man except for an Arnesen, for his stories are dull and generic to the ears of the masses, except for us, because he is the very reason why our people traveled this far east, why kingdoms in Erisgi fell and rose, why I... even existed in the first place. He is Geir, son of Arne, called 'the Stranger' by the people. But what he truly is, is a fiery red heart that beats inside every Eyklandian, Arnesen, and me. R鴖hjert (My Submission for Royal Road's Writing Competition in June 2022)
10.97 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:40
S.nuffles | historical | Complete
Matthieu de Laval, a Capitaine in the Holy European Legions lies in hospital. After a heroic last stand at a stronghold along the Ninth Holy Crusade's front line, he escaped, missing his left arm and most of his Company. Despite a short-lived respite in the form of his nurse, Andrea Moretti, he is soon assigned a ceremonial position in rural former France. With a spare set of clothes, a toothbrush and a sidearm, he arrives in the sleepy mountain town of Melone, still skeptical of his new, Vatican subsidized life. There he meets a young girl, C閘ine Allard, the baker's daughter and the town's youngest Deathseer. As a shepherd of the dead and traveler of the many worlds along the Great Tower's spiral staircase, C閘ine Allard knows death intimately and more importantly, the truth behind immortality and salvation. As the war continues, the Great Tower destabilizes and the worlds fall into disarray, in turn only worsening the casualties of the Ninth Holy Crusade. C閘ine pleads for his help in its repair, and he begrudgingly obliges. Brushing close to death once more, yet in a completely different sense, Matthieu learns the value of such myths as immortality and eternity and distills them into a letter. On what, exactly? Well, it isn't very creative.
16.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:41
Michael Regal | historical | Complete
RELEASES EVERY MONDAY AT 18:30 CST ----- After suffering the torments of slavery, the destruction of his nation, and the massacre of his band of brothers, Rodion Kazansky craves revenge and yearns for the freedom owed to him as a proud Cossack. A lost horse and a chance meeting with the Catherine the Great set him off on a journey that will take him from the steppes of the Crimea to the beaches of the Gold Coast of Africa and back again. There he will face British slavers, pirates, and the ghosts of his past to become the bane of his enemies as the Czarina's Buccaneer. ----- DISCLAIMER: This novel acknowledges the fact that the Cossacks, and the Ukrainian people by extension, are unique and not simply a "different variety of Russians." The main character views the Russians as "moskal foreigners" and does not see himself as one. This also acknowledges the fact that the czarina deprived many of the Cossacks of their freedom, something that the main character resents.
49.81 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:44
Scripts_313 | historical | Complete
Thalon has been a monk his entire life. He worshiped and served the Gods whose magic wards off the dangers to the world of Vaelia. He believed their promise that the hardships of life will be rewarded with salvation upon death. Then he learns the truth. The source of their magic is the souls of the dead. Fueled with burning rage at this deception, he learns to evoke magic from his soul and, determined to reveal the lie told to all of Vaelia, he escapes their Palace. Now Thalon faces hostile priests seeking to maintain order; weary peasants who don't want to know about the machinations of the Gods; and daring legions wishing to use magic for domination, even at the cost of their souls. Thalon comes to realize that not everyone shares his idealism and that mortal ambition can be far more dangerous than celestial tyranny.
46.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:42
GhostImageArt | horror | Complete
Dave is not a happy man, But he is a man with a plan. After many years working as a Janitor in the College of Magic, he is finally ready to seize his destiny and become a mage. He has the knowledge he has overheard as he worked and a forbidden object as his focus... but that has to be enough. Who cares if his focus is a mirror? After all... Mirrors can't eat people.
5.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:19
Lack of Poochline | horror | Complete
My dear friend, I have sent you a transcript of a most curious find I bought from a street peddler. In this package you may find a weird, dateless diary where the most lively and mad servant of "Lady Scarlet" details his day to day working in her impossible palace: organizing balls that have a gender, using valuable wine to water the garden, and in general being at her beck and call. But soon after he started writing, he began to notice foreign messages were being written in it by a vandal: "Pierce the heart with the sword of gold! Set it ablaze and sear the wound with the blade! Kill the dragon, Francisco! Kill the dragon before it gets you again, before it consumes you." Armed only with his holy sword and the magic he learned before becoming a butler, he sets out to find who this individual is, what he wants, and which dragon they refer to, as such beasts were seemingly not allowed into the realm of Lady Scarlet. I hope you enjoy this find, and even if you don't, appreciate my work transcribing the pages, molded, stained with, or written in, blood.(This story is a Writathon project.)
30.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:46
DWinchester | horror | Complete
[June 2023 Royal Road Magazine Contest Entry] This story is a work of Lovecraftian horror set in the 1920s, detailing the inexplicable happenings at the Bergen Estate, and the only one Josephine can turn to for help is a 200-year-old vampire. Though she has thwarted many smaller evils, and is not without her own powers, sometimes only a monster can hope to defeat another monster.
6.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:43
The only thing scarier than being alone in the dark, is not being alone in the dark. Alice had always been good at keeping secrets. However, when a young man mysteriously disappears, a catastrophic series of events are triggered, threatening to upend Alice's seemingly quiet life. Haunting memories of her past threaten to make themselves known. A childhood protector turns predator, threatening to defend her from all threats No matter the cost. Can she navigate the dangers of the unpredictable present? More importantly, is her secret worth dying for?
21.53 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:48
In order for Alyssa to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, she was going to have to trust another kind of monster.
48.82 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:51
NolanConrey | horror | Complete
The Sapient Union city-ship Craton, twenty-five light years out from Sol have an encounter with a terrifying life-form. The giant entity, known as a Leviathan, has been asleep for deep ages of time, but now . . . they may have woken it up. Other-Terrestrial is a hard sci-fi story with cosmic horror elements.
15.57 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:53
The water level of Ystets Lake is rising without explanation. Maxie the hydrologist and her thrill-seeking companion are out to investigate; they've come prepared for the man-eating aliens in the surrounding forest, but what they aren't ready for is the lake itself. Also in the AUU-16 universe: Soulless (Apparently) The Departure Night Game Ystets Lake
7.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:53
Nefarious | mystery | Complete
Orion Zakari is an Ice Sorcerer, the last of his lineage. He's got no clue where he is or how he got there, but he knows one thing for certain: he is being hunted. His home and family are gone: razed and massacred. He will be next when the hunters find him. But if he can put enough pieces together, maybe he won’t have to follow his family down to eternal damnation. Maybe he can avenge them. And maybe, just maybe, he’s got a destiny waiting past that. Monsters and men, merchants and mages, hunters and the hunted. This is the story of the abandoned Sorcerer. What is the Pledge? Release schedule: Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 16:00 UTC. I created the cover using Adobe Illustrator.
44.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 16:04
Invictus21 | mystery | Complete
Jacob woke up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He realised very soon that he had lost more than his memories.His girlfriend, who was with him, was murdered. He is now out to find the person responsible and take revenge. But how difficult will it be when he can't even remember the person who he has lost or even anything about himself. Author's Note: This will be a short story, and I plan to finish it soon. I used to hate when stories were left incomplete. So I promise not to do that. This is my first story ever. So please provide your feedback in any way you can.Enjoy the story
25.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:57
Drew Walker | mystery | Complete
Matt Ramsay is a Graphic Designer with a gaming addiction, using virtual worlds to escape his real life. When Edict Corporation releases a new Virtual Reality Online game run by an advanced Artificial Intelligence paired with their full-immersion POD, he knows he has to try it out. WhatMatt finds within will challenge his perspective of what constitutes reality, and the real meaning of sentience. Fortuitous Mage is a LitRPG from the perspective of a straight male character. It includes Profanity and Violence, with light Romance. If my story interests you, consider checking out my others! Shadowstep is now a completed Second Draft! The Hunter Prince (Hiatus) is a newly started traditional fantasy.
44.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:56
JasonShyn | mystery | Complete
A crew of 5 aboard a spaceship bound for home.With 72 hours until earth, the crew receives their final message: "We are very sorry to hear about the death of your crewmate. Their name shall be recorded in our halls, rest assured, and they will get proper respect.” Together, ALL 5 receive the message. A lot can happen in 72 Hours... * * * Hey guys, new author here. I plan to release 1-2 chapters a week, and I'd welcome any feedback you could give me! And sorry about the size of the first few chapters- my word length will try not to go below at least 2k after chapter 2!
17.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:57
Four months ago, the death of his parents sent Elias Drake from New York City to the small town of Rosemont. Living with his workaholic aunt and trying to fit into a new school is no small task, especially not when a string of murders turns out to have potentially supernatural origins. With the help of his best friend, Zoe Chung, a wannabe witch, it's up to Eli to unravel and mystery and stop the killer... as well as deal with some serious, monstrous changes of his own.
39.33 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:59
A thousand lifetimes ago, Qiu Xuanwu stood atop the world as the King of the Underworld. He sealed the righteous deities and reigned alone--until the last remaining righteous deity, Kai Bailong, tore him from his throne, released the righteous deities, and restored order to the world. Instead of exterminating Qiu Xuanwu, Kai Bailong consigned his soul to enter the cycle of samsara, experiencing countless reincarnations until his soul purified. Kai Bailong followed him into the mortal cycle, watching over the evil deity. For eons, the two reincarnated together, locked in eternal moral combat. As orange trees, bees, cats and dogs, and a thousand other lifeforms, the two struggled endlessly. A thousand lifetimes later, Qiu Xuanwu awakens as the young Chen Wuya, finally reincarnated into a human form capable of cultivation. With Kai Bailong nowhere in sight, he sets out to once more become the strongest martial deity and finally complete the vengeance that led him to become the King of the Underworld in his first life. Though a thousand lifetimes have passed, nothing will keep him from his goal... unless that damned Kai Bailong finds him again! -Low-fantasy for Xianxia, high-fantasy in general -Lightly comedic, mostly action/adventure -Updates biweekly Mon/Fri, daily updates until I catch up to backlog!
23.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:00
SPOILER WARNING: This is a sequel to Tome of the Body. If you have not read it, please do before reading this story, otherwise, a lot of things will not make sense. It can be found here. ~SYNOPSIS~ Every great story needs an author. Samuel Bragg, now the chosen champion of Arcana, has returned to the world of Ahya after one hundred years of being presumed dead. He awakes in his old home village, tended to by his last living friend, now an old woman. He spends some time enjoying the peace he finds but finds that his time away from the world has weakened him. Struggling with his new purpose in life and the returned boredom of village life, Samuel sets out on a nostalgic trip back to the capital city of Milagre. He is surprised to see that much of the world remains unchanged in the past hundred years, with a few exceptions. Accepted back at the Mage's College with high honors, Samuel is offered the chance to teach his own class and educate future mages, but declines, deciding he needs more experience. Desperate to learn more about the mysteries of magic, he takes an apprentice and travels to the distant land of Zaban, where it is rumored that mages skilled in unique magic live. He is given a new title and permission to travel from the Royal Family of Gorteau and sets out for the natural nation of Zaban. On his journey, he learns new skills and discovers his talent for teaching. Powered by Arcana and guided by his influence, Samuel returns to the capital city Milagre, to find those small parts of his life that were lost. He encounters his old friends Shigeru and Grimr, each now well-known for their services to the world. But upon connecting with the world as he knows it, he also learns of a terrible war brewing beneath the surface, filling everyone with unease. With a god behind him and a new ally at his side, Samuel steps once more into the unknown. Can he continue to grow as a mage and find triumph again? Read Tome of the Mind, the second book in the Tomes of Ahya series, to witness the truly thrilling tale of a growing legend and the challenges he will face. This story is also available on Scribblehub.
50.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:04
