GrimDux | historical | Complete
A young provincial thief of no particular renown has his life of crime changed in a day. He stumbles' upon a huge pile of gold for starters and soon after a dead man carrying a letter of 'royal' interest. Literally. While at it he earns' a title of sorts, along the promise of a life out of the gutter. Before he can properly appreciate the dramatic turn of his fortunes, he's drawn into a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to embroil two continents in a devastating war. The whole affair seems to cry out for a gallant hero of old, or failing that a cunning diplomat, but he's neither. Perhaps a lying scoundrel, which our lad definitely is, would have to suffice. He does acquire' a dagger that knows a dead language after all and that must count for something. Touch O' Luck is the prologue (or opening act) to the Old Realms series of novels The Old Realms series: Touch O' Luck (Finished) Hint O' Magic (Finished) Lure O' War (Finished) Wings O' Fate (Ongoing) First chapters will be uploaded immediately. After that there will be updates every 3-5 days. Cover artwork by @IntheBlackveil Maps of the Old Realms are available here Greater Map of the Realms this is a very large image (thrice reduced in size from original, but still it might not load immediately) The Old Realms - Chapter specific maps The Old Realms All tags are relevant but most chapters are not too extreme. Fair warning dear reader, this is an 'unfiltered' story, sometimes sweet, others bitter, touching some heavy subjects or problems, like crime, war, betrayal, pride, politics, revenge etc set in a Epic Fantasy backdrop with shades of Grimdark. In its heart of hearts though, it is an adventure. The Old Realms saga is only published on RR for free. It is in the author's plans to publish it on Amazon and other platforms at some point. If you see it offered anywhere else, or someone tries to charge you for it, please report him. It is illegal to sell, or take advantage of intellectual work without the author's permission.
49.95 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:19
nasonjelson | psychological | Complete
When our narrator's wife dies, he struggles to be a good parent to his daughter, Eleanor. He wants to be, but he is stuck in a whirlwind of depression; seeing all of his mistakes past and present and how they would negatively impact Eleanor. When he starts having visions of his wife, he starts to question his sanity, but also the makeup of the known universe. Is it a ghost? Is he seeing a mirage from the past? Is he seeing beyond the veil of space and time? It's a journey of self-discovery, but more than that, it's a journey of love, towards love.
49.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:54
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
Celestiarc | sci_fi | Complete
Korsha's a mage. Born with the blessing of the Third Daughter. A hundred and fifty years ago she'd be harbored as saint in the making. Unfortunately, the Third Daughter goes by a more infamous name now: The Betrayer. Now Korsha lives in service to the Imperial Goddess, acting as one of her many Imperial Binders. As a binder she uses her talents to bind spirits in order to, as her master puts it, give them purpose. Venturing across interstellar space as well as the underworlds of Keshkigal, Korsha will do anything to ensure she redeems herself within the goddess's eyes by serving her master. Yet she's made many mistakes, failed her master numerous times. Above all else, there is one choice, one moment of disobedience that haunts her to this day. It lingers like an embedded knife of guilt whose wounds have long sense healed over. But after someone nearly kills her master and frames her for it, Korsha is forced to travel back to the very place where she failed most. There she will face the incarnation of her guilt. Now caught between the desires of her master and her spirit guardian, Korsha will have to unravel the threads of conspiracy that now surround her. Lest she become bound in them. Part of the Legends of the Fall Universe
49.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:51
Ryan Geever | psychological | Complete
The American Government had collapsed. Life became so much harder for people without someone to guide them. Some cities are completely destroyed. it isn't until a mysterious company named ADATA partners with longstanding technological giant TECHNODOME INC. to create an escape for those still surviving--an escape from reality through virtual reality. This escape is known only as ELYSIUM, an interactable online world where the wearer's imagination comes to life inside the world of Elysium, a medieval land recreated with ancient arts of swords and sorcery. In Aurora, Colorado, one of the better-off cities in America, high school senior, ANDREW CRESS begins his escape into the magical world of Elysium, but he soon finds out that his escape might not be much better than the reality he was trying to escape from as death threatens to take him in its loving grace. Trigger Warnings: Implied Sexual Assault, Violence, Murder
49.69 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 10:50
Idris lost his name when he was twelve years old. His title, his ancestral home and his freedoms were stripped from him in a freak accident that changed everything. Since then, he has worked tirelessly at the side of his best friend, Queen Cressida Naga, to become a worthy courtier for her kingdom - except the title of Court Necromancer has always brought stares and whispers. After a brutal war breaks down the barriers of the kingdom, Idris finds himself entangled in a spate of break-ins and thefts that he would rather do without. But a trip to the kingdom's edge proves to him that nothing happening in Veridia is accidental - and someone else might be harbouring similar powers to his. With his attendant Lila, Idris has to cross the country to clear his name and find out the truth behind the dark magic that threatens his home, before he becomes powerless to stop it.
49.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 14:47
In a world where magical runes called Rebirths rest in the hands of hostile nations, fourteen-year-old Aiden lived a quiet life in a small town conveniently named Khalm. Born with crescent-shaped irises and silver hair, young Aiden was never bothered by his unusual birthmarks until the night his life as a simple delivery boy changed. He was the 'Rebirth Destroyer', someone ruling powers deemed a threat. Chased by death and the foretelling of the world ending by his hands, Aiden soon finds that there are few people he can trust. My stories are fantasy-based and heavily influenced by classic Final Fantasy games ( by classic I mean 1-10 ) and other Japanese Role-Playing Games I used to enjoy, with one difference; the main characters are Black. July 2022 update! After months of deliberation, I've decided to continue with this cast of characters in the next books instead. The loose ends in this story have been keeping me up all night. I've gotten started on 2 sequels to this; Rebirth of Destiny II based on the good ending and the alternative ending. After I get a good backlog built up they'll be published once a week.
49.44 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:26
On April 4th, in the year 2022, ten thousand people vanished from their homes on Earth, and found themselves in a strange place. It wasn't long until they found their reason for being summoned. This new world, Menora, was overrun with monsters. The people of this world couldn't do anything about it, and they needed help. In order to get back home, one person must reach a million points. You earn points by killing monsters. If you die, you lose half your points. Simple enough. But when other humans are involved, things can get a little messy. With a choice between Tek and Magik, a grand adventure awaits. And for the best of them all, a grand wish. Jerik Barr, a sniper with a preference for Tek, takes on this grand quest. Establishing himself quickly when he kills a tyrant, he soon finds himself with the weight of destiny on his shoulder. He is the best chance the world has to survive this monster apocalypse. But to win, he must build an army and kill the King of Monsters, Kan-Menora. Read Mech & Magic to discover the worst and best of humanity, and what it truly means to wear the expectations of others. A thrilling tale of loyalty, challenge, and courage during wartime awaits! This story is also available on ScribbleHub and Reddit.
49.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:32
Necrontyr525 | sci_fi | Complete
What does one do when they have an indecent ammount of money, the legal ability toleave home and see the universe in all of its grim glory, and the obligation to grow the family's fame and fortune? Why, buy up an ex-Imperial Navy escort ship for a start! Then you can set about carving out your own little chunk of the back end of the Imperium of Man... as soon as you can get it back into working order, of course... and deal with the fact that buying a ship left you just about broke... You get the feeling that, somewhere out there,somthing is laughing at you.Part 1 of the Aegisverse Saga. Second Person is used throughout. If that isn't kosher with you, best to back out now. A Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader fanfictionComplete, with a total of 100 chapters and 309 pages. On the series - This series was first written as a Choose Your own Adventure (CYoA) on the /r/HFY forum. The between chapter votes have been omitted, as they are not part of the story, despite their influence on it. On the the Author's notes - These were included in the original document, and are included here for the purpose of completeness. Spelling, grammatical, and formatting changes have been made in the process of archiving this story and re-formatting it for publication on Royal Road. None of the contents of the story has been substantially affected.Cover by gej302!
49.00 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:26
Mellifluous | romance | Complete
The noble thief is known to take from the rich and give to the poor. The thief's tale is known throughout the kingdom of Ronan. However, the thief made a mistake. She stole from the wrong person. With his family now dead, he will seek reprisal. Nevan Prima will make the thief pay whatever the cost. Money, he can easily replace. But for the loss of his family, he will demand retribution.
48.87 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:51
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
Kirrelevent | psychological | Complete
Vildra is a simple dragon. All she wants to do is to dig out a nice little den where she can sleep through the winters. A home fit for someone like herself! So what if the mountain she chose just so happens to hold riches unseen before. She'll ignore it as she always does, like with that city next door, or those "suitors" who graciously feed her, or that voice that whispers to her in her sleep. The only things she won't ignore are those centipedes that always seem to find a way in. If only they weren't so cute! Contrary to popular belief, the "richest" Dragon Lord Vildra does not care for material wealth. She seems uninterested in having mates, family, tribe, worshipers, friends, or any other social connection other than servants. She also appears heavily isolated from current events. It is for these reasons, as well as her personality, that she has been designated the True Neutral among Dragon Lords. -Dragon Lord Council
48.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:07
Doctor Zero | psychological | Complete
The human brain is the most valuable resource on Earth. But only if you use it. You can't just pile them in your basement. Doesn't work. Candy is the Guardian of Humanity. It's not going well, but she's cautiously optimistic. A chatbot has destroyed the economy by being better at white collar jobs than hung over dudes. Candy has a plan to fix that. The government wants to send half the population to debt prison. Candy has a plan to fix that. Several super weapons have been stolen, and are turning up in the hands of desperate people. Candy has no plan for that. She's working on it. Very Yummy Poisonis a near future, science fiction, romantic comedy, political psychodrama. It's fun. Try it.
48.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 13:32
In the cyber post-apocalypse, the Asteri, a powerful upper class, rule over everything on the planet. Little they dislike survives long on the planet's surface. June, a veteran with more baggage than she'd like to admit and a big heart, has made it her mission to make sure the little guy living in the slums doesn't get forgotten. In the middle of rescuing a bunch of children kidnapped by the local mafia, she encounters a small, strange, and extremely dangerous cyborg child. Marked as property of the Asteri, Sasha comes with baggage of his own... the deadly kind. Between the two of them, can they make a difference on the surface? Or is there no future for anyone on this planet who dares run astray of the Asteri? -Cyberpunk-Eventual cyborg progression-Post-apocalypse-Mechs-Cyborgs-Action!
48.78 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:46
NicoleHayes | romance | Complete
The fifth book in the Vast Collective Series begins Sagan Sterling's trilogy and her quest for a vice lord named Razor. Two years after the events of Volcano Day, Sagan Sterling, General of the Two Worlds' Armies, misses her boyfriend and her best friend. The former serves his sentence on a prison planet for war crimes. The latter sleeps in a machine that bridges the Two Worlds together for the next fifty years. Before the big nap, King Rayne had entrusted Sagan with a mission on Gait, where Korac serves his time. Knock out two birds with one stone, right? Not exactly. The mission involves extracting information from the infamous Pain Curator, Razor. It proves more difficult than first predicted as he seeks more of Sagan with each encounter. Meanwhile, Imminent, a galaxy-wide terrorist organization, plots against the Shadow. Striking vital and secret locations, their attacks leave the Seamswalker exhausted and frazzled. As the enemy weakens the Progeny's leadership on Earth and their relationship with the Tritans, is Sagan making a beneficial ally of Razor or falling deeper into his world of vice and pain?
48.51 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 14:20
wiserthanthou | action | Complete
Growing up has always been difficult. It's even worse when you have to do it all in one night. On the eve of his thirteenth birthday, Ty awakes to find himself in a dreamworld, one-so he is told-that exists to pit him against his greatest fears and insecurities. And to ready him for a final choice. Luckily, Ty is not without friends. He soon meets Gentry, a wooden puppet his grandfather made for him years ago, walking and talking, ready to help Ty learn what he needs to return home in one piece. But that won't be easy when a cruel and abnormally tall skeleton dressed in mockery of Santa Claus and his suit hates Ty's guts. San wants nothing more than to best Ty and do what none of his kind has ever done before: defeat a child that has made "the choice." But Ty will stop at nothing to fight back against everything San's got in order to face his fears and grow up. Because, if he doesn't, he will end up a kid forever. Or, worse...never wake up again. This story is perfect for you if you are a fan of Coraline and Kingdom Hearts, both of those stories greatly inspired this one. I have recently added the Isekai tag after being unsure if it counts or not. I've decided it fits the description of what it is but not the current trends in the genre. If you go in with Coraline in mind I think you will have a better idea of the kind of Isekai this is. And I've also added the Slice of Life tag, that is only for the first five or six chapters though, then Ty enters the dream world and it pretty quickly becoms a progression fantasy, a mix of more traditional fairy tale like trappings alongside more anime action and acquisition of slowly increasing powers. With all that out of the way, please enjoy! The book is now complete! It will one day be a series but, for now, it ends here. It has a satisfying conclusion though, no cliffhanger. Keep an eye out for my next story, launching soon ;)
48.49 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 17:57
Genuine55 | contemporary | Complete
Like any high school student, Sarah just wants to get through her day. It's not her fault she sees phantom fog everywhere she goes. It's not her fault that she suffers from a painful sensitivity to sounds, lights, and teachers who insist on playing music in class. But thankfully Sarah has gotten comfortable with her isolation. Her life begins to change when she discovers that the fog isn't just a hallucination. She can move it around, take it from the air, and infuse it into things she chooses. And she's not the only one. Along with her magic, Sarah finds friends, purpose, and even some confidence as she explores her new life. Updates M/W/F
48.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 16:33
Doctor Zero | psychological | Complete
A super-intelligence is only limited by its ambition. If you could do anything, what would you do? Megacles has a pretty good life. Also, she's horny, lonely, bored, anxious, and a bit of a drunk. She decides to fix all that with science. It works okay, until she accidentally builds a doomsday device. At least she's not bored anymore. This is a simple tale of love, hope, sex, rejection, revenge, secrets, extortion, thievery, dead billionaires, killer robots, space monkeys, mind control, superhot lasers, god-like power, and the destruction of the Earth. And drugs. Almost forgot the drugs. Check out the reviews - people like it, maybe you will too. Or, just read Chapter 1. It's a good example of the book. If you like it, you're good to go. Cover Photo by Jean Fan (JFotography.net)
48.44 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:19
Matthew Thorne | fantasy | Complete
This is the sequel toThe Gray Mage, however, reading it is not required to understand this story. Three centuries after the god Rynovar claimed Earth as his own domain, ending the Fourth Age of Magic, he ruled the world from a floating continent. Deciding to allow humans a chance at having a wished granted or a question answered, Rynovar created a quest fifty years into his reign. Upon completing the quest, those who undertook it would be granted an audience with him and permission to make a single request or ask a single question. However, two and a half centuries after he issued the quest, none had succeeded and the quest was believed impossible, several stages of it having never before been completed. When nineteen-year-old Cyrus met Lyda at a restaurant, he broke the norm of his life cleaning up his brothers' messes and keeping them behaving to avoid causing issues for the public. Upon hearing her desire to earn enough money to attempt Rynovar's quest, Cyrus chose to help her complete what was believed to be one of the quests' impossible stages, revealing that he himself had a question for the god he wanted answered...
48.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 15:50
Angelic Bond tells the story of Yonuro, a 16 year-old girl, who's told that she must return an Angelic Veil (a cloak) she found randomly after school to an other world in order to restore ''balance'' and save the universe. Immerse yourself in Yonuro's journey and discover the world's sophisticated nature and mysterious lore.
48.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 18:37
