AFlawedKing | drama | Complete
The Philosopher King once conquered the known world, his power seemingly unlimited and his armies inexhaustible. Since that time his might has slowly unravelled, and his once steadfast empire has begun to crack, splinter and devour itself. In the isolated Southern Realms, where even magic has abandoned them, none of that matters. For years it has been filled with warring kingdoms, where as many kings die to the blade as to old age, and constant battles tear apart the land. When one such kingdom invades its old enemy, the King and his heir, Prince Caden, are killed. Unable to accept the loss of his family Prince Arian is broken, and when the Philosopher King stretches out his hand in aid, Arian takes it without a second thought. When Caden wakes from death, he's different. His eyes and soul have changed, and he finds a world filled with friends who no longer trust he's even human. Suddenly thrust onto the throne and indebted to the Philosopher King, Caden has no choice but to keep going - he must finish what his father started, and try to survive the machinations of the figure who now owns his fealty. Meanwhile something beyond death stirs for him, desiring nothing more than to drag him back into its embrace. Author's Note: This story used to be known as "A King of his Own", but after some consideration I have decided to rebrand it. The first reason is that I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with the title. The second is that I have come increasingly to view this story as a 'saga' containing multiple 'books' rather than one long, continuous publication, and as I did so I realized that as I was quickly getting to a point in the story where I wanted the first 'book' to end. This doesn't mean I'm going back on the things I said below - they're just going to continue in the next book of the Saga of Fallen Kings. :) Also, be aware that I do plan to edit this at some point. Though I take care to squash out any obvious errors when I proof-read, and do simple edits in that process, at some point I'm almost certainly going to do large edits that might significantly change parts of the story. Old author's notes: This started as a completely random writing session. There was no purpose or direction, but as I kept typing an entire world began to form in my mind that I knew I had to write about. My plan is to turn this story into a veritable medieval fantasy epic that spans an entire world, follows multiple character and storylines, and takes place over many years. The story has quite a grounded, almost 'realistic' start, but many more fantastical elements will be introduced, expanded upon and become central to the narrative. I have ideas for this story that make me genuinely excited and I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy writing it, and join me on what will hopefully become a truly massive fantasy epic. If you do enjoy this story please consider following, rating and leaving a review. I'm also happy to answer any questions or comments you have. (Cover image is an edited version of free stock art found: here.)
58.29 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:33
isnt_it_pretty_to_think_so | action | Complete
In an archaic empire that rose from the ashes of past wars, 14-year-old Ko is committed to supporting his family by any means necessary. When Ko's sister falls ill, he travels to the realm's black market for affordable medicine. On his way there, Ko encounters General Killi醤, divine leader of Lady Death's formidable army. When Ko saves a child who turns out to be Killi醤's heir, he's offered an intriguing contract. To make good on the deal, Ko must survive until the end of the month. It's easier said than done. Bloodstained is a coming-of-age story with rich characters, extensive world-building, and plenty of humor. Cover art: Modified Andracor armor image used with permission.
55.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:39
NoMeTokken | psychological | Complete
Time stood still when all the cogs of society meshed well enough. There were those who tolerated less, but still, life and work were monotonous for the most part in the gruelling megapolis of the Hub. Those who stood opposed would be met with an unpleasant visit from the no-nonsense authorities of the country's overruling, tyrannical Syndicate. And so, where there was law, there was simplicity. But every decade, this grey atmosphere would crash as hell itself came to bang on their door. Join the awkward Tokken, a strangely unknowing teenager who's finally getting the reality check he needs, as well as the rowdy and reckless Emris, the alcoholic military mess that sees no grey lines between life and death, as they try to abide by the hailstorm that looms over them. Join our podcast on Youtube! (link is in the profile). Join our Discord Server! discord.com/invite/6xcFHmf4HX � 2019-2020, All Rights Reserved.
72.85 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 17:23
Not_Important | contemporary | Complete
Ray is an aspiring artist trying to live the best he can after he became persona non grata from his rich family and after two dramatic events of his past. Sadly for him, a particular evening where he decides to go out for a drink on his own brings him truths that a normal human being should not have to face, and one particular truth that decides it'll just eat him. This is the story of his survival, and of the fallout of chaos it brings (Version 2, Proofread)
69.67 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:31
Elbowsnapper | drama | Complete
Aiden Neve, a CEO of a construction company wakes up inside an Attack Ball that is headed on a course straight back to earth, and it only gets stranger from there. Complete. Young Justice. Dragon Ball Z. OC.
53.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:17
J3P7 | historical | Complete
Planet Earth is broken. Civilisation was plunged back into the Dark Age when the Sun spewed forth the largest solar flare in recorded history. But amidst the ashes, a lone physicist made humanity's greatest scientific breakthrough time travel. A decade later, the fledgling technology is ready to send a pair of daring pioneers on a one-way journey into the past. When the portal shuts there will be no communication. And no coming back. Even then, Matilda and Harry were enthusiastic volunteers, eager to impart their futuristic knowledge so a subsequent civilisation might mitigate the inevitable celestial cataclysm. But when the inaugural mission goes awry in its opening heartbeats, Matilda finds herself trapped and alone in 12th Century England . She is Chronomad One. Humanity's first time traveller. Check out my website to pre-order a physical copy and see how the book was written, how the cover was designed and how physical copies were hand-bound.
70.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:35
A modern-day young woman somehow gets trapped on an alien planet, transformed into an amalgam of human and something more. With no way home and all the survival skills of an average upper-middle-class shut-in, how will she possibly survive let alone find a way home? Turns out, she needs to learn how to help herself... figuratively and very, very literally. Evelyn, meet Evelyn. You're going to do great things together. Updates Sat/Mon
92.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:47
J P Koenig | action | Complete
What do you do when you find yourself the sole survivor of the complete destruction of Earth? Nikola winds up in that position, disembodied in a half-built asteroid outpost, the last remnant and only hope of the human race. Nikola exists now only in digital form, controlling drones and cameras to interact with the world. ButNikola's memories are fractured, and there are endless obstacles between awakening as a glorified computer program and saving the species. Is Nikola even human anymore? Is it even possible to resurrect humanity?
51.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 18:12
Etzoli | contemporary | Complete
Revised version now available! Amazon paperback, ebook, audiobook, Kobo, B&N, Google In the war-torn land of Cyraveil, four heroes strove to overthrow an empire. By cold steel and elemental sorcery, they brought peace to a warring land on the brink of destruction. As the flames died, the realm needed strong leadership, and who better than the champions who had saved the kingdom? But when the people sought out their saviors... they vanished. Matt, Blake, Jen, and Carl: the four mysterious companions, who together had deposed an insane ruler and saved countless lives, were gonespirited back in a whirlwind of magic to a sleepy suburb in Mellbridge, Oregon, never to return. The friends found themselves home inthe real world, exactly as they'd been the night they were taken, as if no time had passed... except only threecame back. Hi there! This was my entry for National Novel Writing Month, because why only write one series at a time? The more the merrier! (meanwhile, my keyboard bursts into flames...) I'm also the writer of The Last Science, an ongoing low-fantasy/speculative sci-fi series. If you're familiar with that, you know what to expect here: lots of character-focused drama and dialogue, not a whole lot of traditional action. However, I'm writing a bit differently than usual here, and in a very different structure, so there should be some surprises for returning readers. I hope you enjoy it! [Discord] for those of you who want to hang out and chat. Cover art (fullsize): Path of Revelation, by taenaron (Tobias Roetsch), modified by Etzoli. Normally I like to do my own cover art from scratch, but I was in a rush for the contest. Might be replaced down the line if I get time. [winner of the NaNoWriMo Royal Road 2018 challengeMost Favorites]
53.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:38
Cheis of Veraleigh the Necromancer is a hero renowned throughout the realms, but that doesn't mean her social life is doing all that well -- she'd rather hunt monsters and write new spells than deal with the unpleasant reality of her impending middle age. But when an ancient evil awakens, she just may have to make up her mind about what she wants out of life -- and deal with what life wants out of her.
99.72 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 13:57
AMBLE | contemporary | Complete
The arch-wizard Orton hasn't been an ordinary human for many years, but traveling back into his own past for a fifth chance at defeating the evil magus Gentry puts him back in the year 1997, in his teenaged body as punk-rock dishwasher Dennis Wilkerson. Now he must retrace his steps through his adventure yet again -- recruiting his allies, defeating his enemies, and accruing his spells and powers all over again. But this time, one thing is different -- he's not alone.This novel takes place in the setting of Entangled Shadows, an urban fantasy quantum-physics magic system in development for use in Tabletop RPG play!
77.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:33
Mercs are causing trouble in my city. They are hunting someone, whatever the cost. It's not like I care that some lowly humans died, but if I don't act now it would set a bad example. So what would the hero do? Probably he would save the victims and protect them while the enemies keep coming& Yeah, as if I would ever do something so troublesome! They aren't calling me the demon lord for no reason. I suppose I'll just shoot the victim and be done with it. Reading Order of the Multiverse-Books Author's Comment: If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.[/window] Author's Comment: I was asked about reading my work on other sites. The answer is simple: Currently, I am not active in any other networks than royalroadl.com. Only here, I correct mistakes and errors. If you read it anywhere else and have to pay for it or have to deal with an annoying amount of advertisement, You Are Being Betrayed. You would do good if you make other people in that network aware of it. This is a free project of mine for the purpose of having fun. And if people try to make money with it you shouldn't bother visiting their website. I have no problem with translation and reposting of the story, as long as the person in question isn't doing it for money or stealing my identity. The only one whom I actually allowed to have my work on his website is Armaell who invested the time to compile them into pdf. (http://armaell-library.net/author/andur)
79.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:57
Exterminatus | comedy | Complete
The universe was a vast, empty, dark, and uncaring place. Then life happened, and the universe was changed forever. Only a teeny-tiny bit, but definitely different. Then again, the universe changes a teeny-tiny bit every second of every day. For instance, if someone were to get off the couch and randomly drink a glass of milk? Bam! One less glass of milk in the universe. Changed forever. Well, excluding any time-travel shenanigans, but anyone who puts a big old hole in the time-space continuum just to un-drink a glass of milk should really reevaluate their priorities. Unless, of course, they were attempting to prevent some massive catastrophe vis-a-vis said glass of milk. Such a scenario is by no means impossible, as one should never underestimate the importance of calcium. Another important tip for any life forms out there is to keep things in perspective. Some look at the vastness of creation in relation to themselves and go, Man, this sucks!' These people really need to narrow their focus. Sure, they will never affect anything happening on the other end of the galaxy, but so what? That's way the heck over there, where it doesn't matter. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy mindset, it is important to narrow one's perspective to the things and people that affect them, and that they can affect in turn. But what happens if one is an unfathomable cosmic being from beyond the veil of reality? What happens when such an existence is capable of influencing entire swathes of the universe just by its presence? A creature such as Magh'rathlak the Observer? That particular entity is only about average as far as reality-warping creatures from the dawn of time go, so its influence over the fabric of reality is rather limited. And it still struggles to keep things in perspective. That, among other things, is why it decided to narrow its worldview a bit by compressing the maddening vastness of its being into a single corporeal form. Magh'rathlak had never tried such a feat, but that wasn't about to stop it. After all, how hard could being human possibly be?
93.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:13
J.M. Clarke (U Juggernaut) | action | Complete
The land is conquered. A thief and a demon killer run afoul of its new overlord and the wizard that serves him. Now the wizard seeks his life's ambition, an artifact that will make his word law. Hearing this, the demon killer and thief begin to have ambitions of their own. The race is on for who will reach the artifact first, and an entire barbarian horde is in the running. Yet the prize lies within the Forest of Giants, grown from the corpse of an empire. There are tales of things that stalk the trees. Tales of those that hunger endlessly. Tales of those that feast on human flesh. Tales of ogres. A fast paced, dark fantasy adventure! Complete.All stories and characters - including The Ogre's Pendant and The Rat in the Pit -written by Traitorman are created by and are the intellectual property of J.M. Clarke
84.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:00
beddedOtaku | contemporary | Complete
A story of two people in their early twenties, an always expressionless(?) Aya, and cool(?) Tyson. Loves, friendships, and the small moments pile up in this odd(?) love story. Tyson, suffering from long-lasting unrequited love, meets Aya, an odd, expressionless girl from his classes. As the curiosity about each other draws them together, it slowly sparks a friendship founded on honesty with which the two deal with one another. It is a story about two ordinary college students with their own, small circumstances, and love which blossoms between the two of them. Check out 1 page comics titled Ay's and Ty's Daily Lives for some funny moments between the two:http://fav.me/dc4q2wf COMPLETED
66.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:31
Authors Dread | sci_fi | Complete
Angelina Julie was a normal girl, content in leading an ordinary life. But when her loving father mysteriously disappeared into a Ghoul Graveyard, she was forced to take matters into her own hands and become a Tomb Rider. With her cunning and guile, she will risk life and limb to search for her father and uncover the secrets of the unknown graveyard. But the journey won't be easy, for the Ghoul Graveyard holds many terrors and surprises. Will Angelina survive the perils of the graveyard and find her father? Or will the dark secrets lurking within consume her? Read along to find out in this action-adventure novel filled with buzzing motors and the supernatural. All in one: Novel List Update
81.31 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 14:43
InadvisablyCompelled | adventure | Complete
Book now available on Amazon! In a world of lightless skies and endless secrets, humanity is a vigil of light against the eternal darkness. Under the imprimatur of the Illuminated King and the nefarious endorsement of the Reflected Council, a veteran explorer assembles an expedition to the far east. A place that no sane and god-fearing man would ever go. Jonathan Heights will, and must, for he claims to have seen sunlight. A laughable myth and fairy tale, but he will not be stopped on his journey to find it again. Wonders and horrors both lie between the human lands and his ultimate goal; things long-forgotten and long-dead, that which could not be recorded on any map. They are temptation and terror to the wise and foolish alike, but not to Jonathan. His purpose is clear, and he has but one goal, yet the truth is shrouded and motives remain uncertain among the agents of both crown and underworld as they join Jonathan aboard the airship Endeavor to sail the strange and exotic lands out there in the darkness. Chasing Sunlight is a pulp airship adventure serial inspired by Sunless Sea, HP Lovecraft, and a little bit of Moby Dick and The Odyssey. It will be a single book, somewhere between 25 and 30 chapters. The first five chapters will be uploaded once a day, Mon 28 - Fri 1, at which point it will be uploaded every Friday at 5PM. Join our Discord!
83.42 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:08
Fresh_Pursuit | contemporary | Complete
Completed Story. Texas Lawman Cash Renshaw gets pulled into a world of magic and mysticism that he never knew existed but finds himself uniquely suited to handle. Alhambra Sheriff's Office Detective Cash Renshaw is about to wake up. He learns that there is another world out there where all the creatures of nightmare and magic are real. Not only that but he finds that he is a special type of person called an "Archetype" that derives powers from the collective power of human imagination. Now he will join his new partner in the Agency for Metanatural Investigation to investigate a strange new type of Runic Tattooing that allows normal humans to tap into magic powers, at the cost of their lives. Cash will learn that his new reality is as deadly as it is mysterious, and his first case might be his last.
51.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:16
tenqui | contemporary | Complete
Normal over 30 science teacher is "abducted" and tested by the GREAT GAME as a beta trial inductee. The GREAT GAME will eventually be implemented and remake the world. Our protagonist however is the only one that actually passes the beta test, which was not designed to be survivable, through sheer dumb luck and thus has an extreme head start on all other citizens of Earth. Follow the journey of our hero as he tries to walk a thin line between preparing to save as much of his family and friends as possible while also trying to make sure that he will have enough power to make other people do most of the work while remaining safe and sound. Poor guy is just a proto-hermit who wants to be left alone but also realizes the importance of others and family. The new reality just complicates things.
96.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:38
T. A. Cambel | contemporary | Complete
Keep Breathing follows lung cancer survivor Eury as she returns to her sleepy hometown, dreading coming home to her parents and the complicated past that still haunts her. Even with every amenity afforded to her by modern society, Eury has a hard time staying alive. But when the townspeople are driven insane and begin attacking one another at random, Eury is cut off from everything and everyone she holds dear, and left with a dwindling supply of oxygen. Hardships and heartaches, bloodshed and violence, once she's through it all, will Eury be able to Keep Breathing?
53.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:25
