On the Subject of Death

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

The Saga of Geir Røshjert

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

Love Among the Gifted

Dr_Nemo | historical | Complete

Pride & Prejudice & Superpowers! In this England the gifted have ruled since the Norman's invaded. How will a series of unexpected attacks in Meryton shortly after the Assembly impact Elizabeth and Darcy? This is a different look at canon with the addition of powers, politics, adventure, and espionage. But the heart of our story is still the rough road to romance for our dear couple. The story is complete.

55.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:40

For My Next Trick...

LynaForge | historical | Complete

At twenty-four, Mason Chamberlain had it all. When scandal leaves him with a broken heart, not much could make him believe in love again...until the new governess for his eight-year-old sister arrives. He's drawn to her. Despite Mason's good lucks and coveted status, he can't break through her chilly facade. She wants nothing to do with a duke's son. It slowly becomes clear to him that she's running from her past. Her secret puts his family in jeopardy, but is this love worth the risk?

28.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:39

Lolly

JoyceMatula | historical | Complete

[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Lolly lives in time. It is where she has always lived...for now. Now is a peculiar state of existence because one now leads to another now. Lolly is not quite sure where the next now will take her, but it will take her somewhere.Now, Lolly lives in Texas. It is where she has always lived. It is 1975. She has her own quiet dreams and her own personal challenges, like we all do.

58.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:39

Ravyn's Nights - Book 2

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

Reverse Reincarnation

Tejoka | drama | Complete

Returning to a previous life she doesn't remember, Tori wakes up in a fantasy world as the heir to an empire. One where magic called cultivation rules. While doing research and kickstarting an industrialization, she has to deal with a family of transmigrators, politics, and spirits. Maybe she'll even figure out why some of them keep trying to kill her. Life in a different world has its challenges, even if it's the life you're supposed to lead. This is a slightly tongue-in-cheek take on a transmigration/cultivation novel. The story will be more focused on characters than action. A few characters, including the MC, are LGBT+. Updates: Mon. & Thurs.

296.81 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:37

Echoes Of Memory

M-Anthony-Harris | historical | Complete

Vealand's jewel twin cities of Portin and Brinhold fell to terror fourty years ago. During their fall a man rose up and saved them. He took the survivors of the fall of the Veaish coast and brought them inland, setting up his new empire inland in the mountain stronghold of Fiell. The Emperor singlehandedly saved the people of Vealand. Everyone knows that and everybody in Vealand adores him as a hero and the savior of their nation. Dren though, says differently. As a Memory Mage and the leader of the Rebellion, he's desperate to prove that the Emperor is a false savior. He bets his life on it. He fails that bet and fails in his last attempt at transfering his memories into the mind of one of the Emperor's Inquisitors. Now it's up two the two most unlikely people, Aris Ravenscroft, the head of Fiell's city guards and Kestrel, a street rat, to save Vealand from a monster that it worships as a savior. Notice, this is a High Fantasy novel, there are no LitRPG or Cultivation elements in it.

92.03 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:35

Prometheus

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

The Soul Engine - (Isekai/Fantasy)

Cambrian | drama | Complete

Summary: Being summoned to another world is supposed to be fun. Or at least exciting. Either you find yourself in a Church being given a divine mission, or you wake up in a forest and have to survive off of the land. And if you're lucky, you get some sort of System as well, or at least a handy Cheat/Power-Up. Waking up in a prison cell with nothing but a pair of pants to your name is NOT the way things usually go. Unfortunately, nothing about Mikael's adventure in another world is going to be 'normal'. An attempt at taking a bunch of well-trodden tropes and ideas and putting my own special twist on them that will hopefully be engaging and exciting! Warning: This story has erotic scenes sprinkled throughout it. Based on feedback I received, each lewd chapter will be marked as such going forward. Update Schedule will be every weekday MONDAY-FRIDAY, with Saturdays and Sundays off!

101.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:32

The Oresteia (Modernized)

HAXX0RZ | historical | Complete

All three of the great Greek Tragedians have written plays about the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. Yet theirs is in fact not a story of tragedy, but rather one of redemption. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration to be heard throughout the ages. Forming a discourse set against the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, the Orestian plays are compelling stories of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society. In the beginning, we witness how a king's decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution. In the aftermath of regicide, we behold how a son must set out to avenge his father's death by committing a most egregious sin. In the end, the sinner is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased, but ultimately finds redemption and ends the curse on his house once and for all. Woven through all of this is the story of a friendship so close that it elevates itself to brotherhood - Where the blood of the covenant is shown to be indeed thicker than the water of the womb. In this very brief twelve-chapter modern rendition of the Orestian plays, I have chosen to place my focus mainly on the lives of the characters Orestes and his best friend Pylades. The chapters, each around 2000-2500 words, are split up evenly between them in first-person narrative. I hope that you will come to enjoy reading this heartwarming story, but more importantly, that you see how the conflicts portrayed in the story, whether human or institutional, are still much very relevant to our societies today. Note on Sources: The details of this story is very loosely based on The Oresteia by Aeschylus. And I mean very loosely. Other sources that I referenced for detail and inspiration are Mythology by Edith Hamilton, Electra by Sophocles, and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides. You may also find that I have quoted some of these works, and others (such as Shelley's Ozymondaeus), without citations (average of 1-2 such quotes per chapter). I did this because I do not have the ability to describe certain scenes nearly as well as some of those writers. If you read a particularly beautiful piece of prose here, chances are it's probably stolen lol. Also, I wrote this during the summer between my high school senior year and my college freshmen year. It was the summer of 2020, and being quarantined apparently gets my creative side out lol.

15.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:30

Satisfaction Earned

KimberlyEAB | historical | Complete

Blood is spilled in 17th century France as a nobleman confronts the man he believes defiled his sister. However, the culprit is not who he seems. A tale of bisexuality, gender nonconformity, and polyamory inspired by the infamous life of Julie d’Aubigny, a duelist and opera singer who breached the social norms of her time to express herself and love those she wanted.

1.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:29

Other West: Diablero [Completed]

T E Branco | historical | Complete

A complete Otherwest novella. What if the life you want is taken from you? After surviving the brutal slaughter of his naval squadron, Van Bran believed he could escape the world of empires, war, and magic by forging a new life on the American frontier. As a rancher, Van's life was simple, quiet, and far more peaceful. But when Van and his drovers come face to face with an ancient evil vying for control of the New World, a life of peace may be forever outside his grasp. Unless Van can take up arms once more and face the terrors of his past, he and his friends will serve as spiritual hosts to demonic skinwalkers. Enter the Other West... Follow, read, and comment today! Thank you for reading.

26.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:29

Fallout: Vault X

FourPin | drama | Complete

An original novel set in the Fallout universe, written to be accessible to all, featuring unique people and places. Vol.IIl (3) out now Fallout: Vault X tells the story of John. A vault dweller, who spent every day of his twenty five years underground. Like his father, and his father before him. Proud to live in the last remaining bastion of humanity, all that survived The Great War of the atomic age. Hidden deep below the surface of the earth, toiling under brutal conditions. Year after year, decade upon decade. All to expand into the natural cave system the Vault occupied, building for the future. However, John knew what his forefathers did not, that everything he'd been taught was a lie. After finishing school at the age of ten, John received his standard issue pipboy. An arm mounted personal computer, worn by everyone in the Vault. Used to coordinate the relentless pace of expansion, needed to work as an apprentice. To learn the craft that would be his life's work. A noble calling to ensure a future for all that remained of the human race. A quirk of fate saw John equipped not with the crude, clunky, pipboy model his father wore. That almost everyone around him wore. His looked smaller, sleeker, finished in a jet black sheen. And capable of doing far more than its drab counterparts. The world above had been ravaged by atomic flames, yet life clung to its bones. The Red Valley fared better than most in the century since the bombs fell. The clean water and rich soil protected by rolling hills. All spared from direct strikes, for the most part. Life survived here. Trees spawned from charred ground, misshapen, green leaves turned red. Along with simple crops, grown wild at first, then cultivated by the survivors. The scavengers of the old world were inventive, hardy people. All determined to rebuild in the ruins of a world they never knew. In the decades that passed settlements emerged. They grew, spreading along the valley floor. Reclaiming the pre-war remnants of the once industrialised heartland. Salvaging the robotic wonders of a bygone age to build their walls and work their fields. To protect them in the dark of the wasteland. But such things are uncommon in this world, and the rarer something is, the greater its value. And the worth of pre-war technology had not gone unnoticed. The last, real, power in this world rested in the mechanised hands of The Brotherhood of Steel. Forged from the mortally wounded old world military. The Brotherhood used its access to the weapons made for a conflict no one won to strike out into the wastes. Men and women were equipped with advanced armour, aerial transportation, high grade weaponry. Accompanied by the training, strength, and will, to put them to use. They established chapters and set up outputs far and wide. All dedicated to a single purpose. To ensure the technology left abandoned by its long dead creators didn't fall into the wrong hands. Namely, any hands that were not their own. This is the world John escaped into. A place of horrors brought forth from atomic fire. A place where survival meant battling against the darkness. Fighting a war each day to get to the next. And war...war never changes

332.17 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:28

One Hell Of A Vacation

Wave Of Wire | drama | Complete

Joseph had been given a pretty rough hand in life. Barely able to hold down a job, relationship history that he would rather not think about, and now his year-long vacation ended prematurely when his cruise across the stars was met with a bang.Stranded on a planet of yellow flora and delicious rocks, he finds himself using the opportunity to make something that he has always wanted: Family. Galactic Government conspiracies, abandoned soldiers, and mysterious insectoids all stand between Joseph and a peaceful realization of his efforts to make a home. - Story is a mix of perspectives starting at Chapter 10, focusing on our Human lead until then. - This story is my first attempt at writing, and as such, improves greatly as chapters progress. I would appreciate if you would power through the first 9 or so chapters where i'm still learning how i want to write.

467.03 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:26

Boneclock

Quickman | drama | Complete

[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Dying a sudden death, a man finds himself unwittingly making a deal with mana itself. Through no fault of his own, the newly dead soul finds its personality in life traded for the power of a lich, and thus must build its identity from what remains. A Clockpunk (Steampunk but with more gears and the like) Litrpg with Western flavors. Also gender bender that has no romantic or sexual consequences. Updates will be sporadic for a while, but plans are in the works to have 7 chapters per week at max (Normal chapter length 1500-2500).

225.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:26

Altura’s Defiance [ A Transmigrated into a Villainess LitRPG with Kingdom Building, MC befriending and Xianxia Politics]

The Random Cat | drama | Complete

[I have not published this work on amazon at the moment] [Participating in Royal Road Writathon] [Volume cover by Aslikova] [Fic cover is a wombo] A lonely girl finds herself transmigrated into a book she had dropped as a villainess. Now she must play Xianxia politics, run a duchy that really doesn't want to exist, handle an overzealous MC with far far too many love interests', make sense of a System that really shouldn't work all while making sure she doesn't die because of simply existing. Are we sure dying is not an option? What you can expect from the book 1) Kingdom Building 2) A person becoming a book villain 3) Xianxia Setting 4) System, stats and skills with Xianxia realms as levels 5) Weak to Strong 6) Female MC 7) Light Comedy, not the focus of the story 8) Non-Loner MC. 9) Action is a sub-theme of the fiction but is not the mainstay.

115.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:17

Warhund - A Mind-bending Cyberpunk Noir Thriller

TheDeliciousMeats | drama | Complete

Cyberpunk meets alternative history in this dark mind bending story about an enhanced canine cop with nothing to lose. Warhund explores identity, family, love, loss, rage, and what it means to be alive when technology blurs the lines between life and death. Kerner Braverhund was used to being the underdog. After the Second Continental War ended Kerner decided to put his life as a Jagdkommando behind him and leave his homeland of D鯾i. It was an adjustment, going from being an elite soldier to an anonymous beat cop, but he managed. He hid his past and his anger, tried to integrate, tried to forget. Years later when a chance run-in with the mob ends in a bloody shootout Kerner knows that his days are numbered and he can't hide who he is anymore. So if he's going to die, he's going to go out on his own terms with his head held high. The mob might have numbers in their favor and the police in their pocket. But Kerner is a warhund with a head full of cutting-edge military hardware, unresolved anger issues, and nothing to lose. Whoever said that all dogs go to heaven probably never saw Kerner use a flamethrower. He's not a good boy, he's not dead yet, and he's going to make that everyone else's problem. COMPLETE What to expect: An enhanced canine anti-hero and his psychotic body-jumping war criminal father fighting an uphill battle. Explorations of Identity, purpose, morality and family. Also dog jokes. So many dog jokes. This book was originally called Death by Chocolate but it was later changed to Warhund because it conveyed the idea and tone much better.

46.17 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:13

Time & Tied

QuasiTemporal | contemporary | Complete

A war in the future is spilling into our present. Enter Carrie Waterson, a teenage girl who ends up witha time machine. In using it, she learns thatshe istied to a future destiny. What does that mean for her now? Who in her high school can be trusted to help out, given how some of her friends have their own agendas and mystic connections? Most importantly, how might Carrie fight against the future, when the future is herself? (ASIDE: Cover was an old commission from Sabrnyan.)

205.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:07

WEAKLING

Faenon | contemporary | Complete

A geeky highschooler develops superpowers and is recruited to an international peackeeping unit at the same time as struggling with mental health problems. * Gonzalo Lopez, nicknamed 'Weakling' by his bullies, is just a normal teenager except that now he has superpowers. Ever since that fight with the bully where his powers first manifested and he broke his attacker's hand by accident, everything has been spiralling out of control. Now all of a sudden he's getting invited to parties, his psychiatrist's started dating his Mom, and at least two different international organisations are trying to hunt him down. Then there's Ali--the new girl at school, the only other person who believes any of this is happening to him, who seems to be hiding a secret of her own. Is she really his friend like she says she is, or does she have some sort of ulterior motive for being so nice to him all the time? Should he tell her about Miracle Force, the superpowered United Nations peacekeeping unit he's just been recruited to? And is any of this really happening, or is it all just going on in his head? * You can read deleted scenes on my Patreon.

54.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:07