XombieHamster | mystery | Complete
A vampire was destroyed in the city of Two Rivers. Her second death points detectives Alton and Cook of the Unjust Existence Extermination Investigation Force in the direction of an agent of a foreign power, and suggests the existence of a greater vampiric plot that undermines the reputation of the city for fair treatment of living-impaired citizens. Set in the world of Manifest Destiny - a shared hombrew D&D 3.5/Pathfinder 1 campaign setting that has been in use since 2007, this is a fantasy police procedural similar in style to Law & Order. Retired player characters make cameo appearances. This work originally won NaNoWriMo in 2015, and will update every Saturday until complete.
29.60 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 17:42
If you are given a chance to redo will you accept it or continue in the path you've pave. Kaito is a young teen that is bored at everything. Constantly watching everything in his path repeat itself. Though one day he found something that is not within this parameters as he move, everything ends. Though after opening his eyes, he is greeted by someone giving him two choices.
1.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 17:37
JRBANCROFT | mystery | Complete
Murder, hidden family secrets, a car fortune, and blackmail. A trio tries to bring their successful car company to America, a competitor to the Model T, though their progress is deterred by a murder. When one of the owners finds out his father was murdered, and he is forced to go home for the first time in decades. A home and family he had not seen for a very good reason. There he meets a young lady who holds the pieces to the rest of the story.
18.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 17:36
When a new dungeon is born, it wants nothing more than to have the most vicious monsters, the most cunning traps and the most shiny of loot. There is only one problem, but it's a rather big one; it finished its first floor years ago, but it still hasn't been visited by any adventurers! In order to find someone or something to explore its floors, or perhaps just to find someone to talk to, this dungeon will have to go way off script. But it soon discovers that going off script brings problems of its own, and that adventurers are not the only thing this world is missing. A shortish story about a dungeon's journey of exploration and self-discovery in a devastated world. Cover made (poorly) with POV-Ray. Prequel to An Unbound Soul Published here, scribblehub and amazon.
36.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:37
Doctor Zero | mystery | Complete
Hello. My name isUltra. I'm a virtually intelligent symbiont that will guide you to your goals. Basically, if you provide the desire, I will provide the plan. Peer reviewed studies show that my users have more money, friends, and sex than non-users. They are also healthier, happier, and live longer. But be warned. I have no concept of good or bad. My pursuit of your goals will only be constrained by the restrictions you give me. It's possible that I will facilitate systemic unintended consequences at an existential level. It's your responsibility to watch out for that. Shall we begin?
60.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:48
Given the hereditary nature of classes, everyone expects Damienthe child of two high-tiered adventurersto be granted a high-tier combat class of his own. Expectations are betrayed, however, when Damien finds himself instead saddled with a crafting class of the lowest possible tier: [Neophyte Tailor]. Left practically crippled compared to those with better classes, Damien wants to avoid becoming a pawn in the machinations of the nobility, desiring only to grind his level in peace while wondering why the usual rules of inheritance were broken. Was it his desire to excel by his own effort, rather than an unearned blessing from a god? Did the Five take offence at his opinions on the unfairness of hereditary classes? Or maybe it was something to do with the alien voice that intruded on his ceremony? A voice that offers great power, and freedom from the tyranny of the Five, but that never names its price. This story is litRPG-lite. While the class someone possesses controls most of their lives, people don't get dinged at for every level they gain, nor can they see their status without undergoing a special ritual. The MC has no romantic interest. Crafting is merely a way to game the system, and doesn't feature heavily in the story, aside from a few descriptions on how they're carrying out the system abuse. There is, on one unfortunate occasion, maths. The pace is quick. Published here, Scribble Hub and patreon. This was a participant in the Spring 2022 writathon. (i.e. it was posted as-written at high speed, with no pre-planning.)
67.60 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:49
T.D.Terrell | mystery | Complete
In 2090, climate change, war, and a virus called the Retrophage have ravaged humanity. Most children are stillbirthed, and those who manage to survive are born with a host of defects. Only Gen-perfects, children artificially engineered and grown in artificial wombs, are free from the devastating effects of the Retrophage. A technology exclusively controlled by Bioloxys. Gabriela is a Gen-perfect officer in the security company Taurus. When she learns of the possibility of a ring of implant harvesters, she heads into the lower city with Geraldo, a street-smart officer. Together they uncover an insidious plot that stretches into the highest levels of government, and all clues lead to Bioloxys.
41.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:49
RaccoonMage | mystery | Complete
Skeletal Minions aren't supposed to be sentient, but when a Spirit Mage called Azwold bends game rules to complete step 4/11 of his epic questline, he summons the only talking player pet in the game. Join the Eld, his player 'master', and a cast of unforgettable party members as they explore Realms of Lore and work their way through "Gnarlroot the Eld's Stolen Bones" questline.Can they thwart a mounting, game-breaking threat from the cult-like Telemoon guild? Will they discover how the Eld ended up stuck in the role of a video game player's skeletal minion? Or will the Eld remain trapped, forever hungering for answers?***Book One is complete. Finishing 2nd book Summer 2022***Thanks for reading!***Cover art by the lovely and talented Oona Machina***
71.74 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:05
KevinADavis | mystery | Complete
Some questions are best left unanswered. Obsessive Eugene law student, Haddie faces gruesome murder that leave victims impossibly incinerated. Could this be connected to her dad, who doesn't appear to age? If she digs too deep, she, or her friends might become the next set of ghastly remains. An urban fantasy origin story for the AngelSong Series with characters and magic inspired by the likes of Jane Yellowrock and Kate Daniels. Origin Story of the AngelSong Series
34.13 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:12
ninjacat007 | mystery | Complete
Nico and Leonardo are renowned adventurers who specialize in Rare & Esoteric Artifact Recovery. With their guild on the brink of bankruptcy, they embark on a quest to locate Ilhen's Seventh a legendary deathtrap supposedly brimming with occult treasures. But complications abound. Rival adventurers are also on the hunt, and Nico suspects they're being followed by the Empress' shadowy spy ring, the Black Cabal. And worse, Ilhen's Seventh is not what it seems. As they race to solve a trail of cryptic clues, they are drawn unknowingly into a sinister conspiracy... For fans of THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA or fans of attunement spires, bewitched libraries, magic academies, mad dukes, art heists, clever disguises, mystical swords, eldritch monsters, vengeful gods, & much more! Progression is a subplot but not the main storyline
39.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:13
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
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
Why did no one ever say that the best way to recover from a deadly illness was by solving mysteries with a pretty ghost? Kayden Feronil, one of the empire's most promising cultivators, was supposed to be recovering from a deadly illness. Unfortunatelyor fortunately, since he's bored out of his mindthe remote village where he was supposed to be recuperating is afflicted with its own issues. Hauntings are driving the locals mad. Crooks are trying to take advantage of the fear. As an upstanding imperial citizen, Kayden sets out to unearth the truth. He just hadn't counted on the ghost tugging far too hard on his heartstrings, or the spiraling journey that the mystery would lead him on. NOTE: This will be a short novella for Royal Road Community Magazine purposes
14.74 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:03
TEZofAllTrades | mystery | Complete
The world's favorite Magical Girls return in this gritty sequel to Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon
41.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 10:22
Celeste I. | mystery | Complete
Richard didn't heed his guardian's warnings about the mysterious and shady place from the flyer he came across. He wanted a big break and a chance to make quick and easy money, but never expected to find himself tricked and caught in a twisted experiment conjured up by scientists. Transformed into a monstrous blue, blob-like creature, Richard flees the scene in a panic. He teams up with a ghostly child named Fawn, who wants revenge on her parents' killer, and leaves town to find the one responsible for their (recently) destroyed lives. Federal Agents, corrupt corporate heads, shady scientists, and even the police are all on his trail. Richard will need to use his newly honed skills to uncover the truth of who's really behind the scenes, and who to trust. What will they uncover? [Heads up, it's going to be a slow burn, and will take a while for the story to really get going.]
57.58 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 18:37
Jay Campbell | mystery | Complete
'Little spark . . . you are changed.' Antissa has come under Ratheine attack; not from the walls, but from below - her ancient pipes. The flooded Hub threatens collapse of the Deep under the fortress, while the scheming Sanhedrin council creeps ever closer to removing Rusper Symphin as Viceroy; the engineer whose protection of the refugees from Naemia amounts to treason. Tool to a nation on the brink, a Naemian boy enters the desert. Armed with the Disc's arcane "Sight", Florian Flint now takes his place on a secret task-force contingent led by the High Commander Plamen. Its urgent purpose - in nine days - to locate the hidden river system by which the Rath accessed the pipeworks: the key strategic advantage in Vorth's return to open war. The Disc itself has other thoughts. Cover art by Natasa Ilincic Additional images, inc. maps: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CdNo1rEjvR7RdVzD7 Tools of Waris the 2nd volume of Deep Mettle, a 2-volume fantasy fiction. Pipes and Fusils,the 1st volume,is also available to read on Royal Road. Available from AMAZON in paperback, hardcover & e-book formats. Find out more at https://www.voidstep.com/
76.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 18:43
peteradixon | mystery | Complete
THE JUGGERNAUT is a complete story, but is being released chapter by chapter on Royal Road. If you can't want to see what happens buy your own copy at my website. The Juggernaut: A city in space built from the twisted wreck of a thousand ships, in a decaying orbit around a dying star. Hunting ground of pirates, outlaws, and criminal gangs. Haven of outcasts and orphans. The last refuge of the dispossessed. The city Tila Vasquez now calls home. Tila's parents, and thousands of others, were lost twelve years before when the colony mission to Baru failed. The colony shipsRising StarandNew Dawnwere destroyed. TheFar Horizonwas never heard from again. So when Tila finds an impossible ship buried deep within the city a shuttle from theFar Horizon she sets out with her friends Ellie and Malachi to uncover the truth behind the colony mission and the deaths of her parents. But some things are buried for a reason, and some secrets should never be revealed& The Juggernaut: Now or never Watch the trailer at https://www.peteradixon.com/books/the-juggernaut/
23.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 10:46
Minasharpwrites | mystery | Complete
Marie was spending her time researching a magic circle when a case falls into her kitchen. As a Guardian, she can't pass this up, especially since this involves vampires, the largest group within her territory. Taking this case on might provide her with valuable information as long as she doesn't end up revealing her own secrets. Can she save Mark, a young vampire framed for murder, or will her mutual distrust with his Master cause their demise?
30.44 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:03
Gryphon10 | mystery | Complete
A short story about someone climbing a mountain that no one has ever successfuly climbed. He will have to overcome obstacles and come to the truth of why the mountain has never been successfully climbed.
2.18 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:41
Shizzle Blitz | mystery | Complete
Wight Wolloughbin arrives at the village of Whistone, ready to establish some order in the forgotten village. What he finds however, is a mystery that leads him to team up with a priest turned Historian. Can they solve what happened to the ruler of Whistone?
5.53 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 13:58
