Where a youthful dream in a world of opportunity begins, so too does a harrowing tragedy.
Adam, Brenden, Desmond, Tells, and Rowan are five well-to-do dudes in the fantasy world of Rhial. Adam is big, green, not to mention the hero. Brenden isn't sure if he's more of an alien or an elf. Desmond is a regular human and happy about it. Tells is terrified of not being a guy. And Rowan is a vampire with an insatiable thirst for blood. They have an interesting mix, but discovering all those things about themselves is really terrifying, especially since they aren't in their bodies, or in their world. These five college-aged guys got dropped into their new bodies in the middle of the woods with no warning after a tragic highway accident. They don't even know what they look like until they tell each other. Then they get woken up by none other than Vetia the Vampire Hunter.
It's a slow burn, a fun story of venturing into the unknown. Let the fun pull you in. It makes the tragedy all the better.
Two of the reviews are a bit outdated, as the final draft was published in late 2023. The grammar and style issues they mention have been fixed.
This is a grimdark tragedy. The content will be sensitive and disturbing to certain readers. If something is too much for you, don't force yourself to keep reading. It only gets darker as it goes. Make sure you've checked the tags to see if this is the kind of story for you.
🔥 What to expect: 🩸
- Uncertainty as you explore this new world through the characters' eyes.
- Fast-paced action sequences with heavy focus on realistic combat.
- Contemplative, introspective, emotional moments.
- A character-driven story that matures with its characters.
- Stronger focus on internal conflict and dialogue.
- Literary elements.
- 5 first-person POVs that switch each chapter.
- Shorter early chapters and longer later chapters (ranges from 900 words to 20k words).
Act I: The First Steps | 1-19
Act II: Grappling with Reality | 20-29
Act III: Vehfirn's Finest | 30-43
Act IV: Burnout | 44-50
Act V: Fire, Blood, and Ashes | 51-55
| View | Series | Vol | Chap | Extra | Group/Host |
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To Rhial | 2 | Book 2 Announcement / New Reader Info | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 55 | 55: Desmond | Free Bird | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 55 | 55: Pompeii | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 54 | 54: Never Learn | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 54 | 54: Vetia | Never Learn | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 53 | 53: Brenden | graves | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 53 | 53: Graves | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 52 | 52: Adam | Break | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 52 | 52: Break | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 51 | 51: Tells | Stupid Deep | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 51 | 51: Stupid Deep | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 50 | 50: Vetia | Dream On | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 50 | 50: American Girl | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 49 | 49: Desmond | Turn the Page | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 49 | 49: Lonely Boy | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 48 | 48: Tells | Get your Wish | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 48 | 48: Get your Wish | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 47 | 47: Adam | Heads Will Roll | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 47 | 47: Waiting On the World to Change | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 46 | 46: Brenden | In The End | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 46 | 46: In The End | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 45 | 45: Modus | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 45 | 45: Adam | Don't Treat Me Bad | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 44 | 44: Tells | Mother | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 44 | 44: Black Butterfly | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 43 | 43: Desmond | That Smell | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 43 | 43: LA Devotee | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 42 | 42: Island in the Sun | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 42 | 42: Brenden | Photograph | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 41 | 41: Desmond | Ain't It Fun | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 41 | 41: Ain't It Fun | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 40 | 40: Brenden | Island In The Sun | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 40 | 40: One Headlight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 39 | 39: Blinding Lights | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 39 | 39: Desmond | Stay | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 38 | 38: Brenden | Tonight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 38 | 38: Tonight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 37 | 37: Tells | Take On Me | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 37 | 37: Remedy | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 36 | 36: Adam | I Found Your Heart | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 36 | 36: I Found Your Heart | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 35 | 35: Vetia | Fractures | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 35 | 35: Fractures | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 34 | 34: Tells | Everybody's Changing | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 34 | 34: Everybody's Changing | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 33 | 33: Vetia | Give Me A Sign | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 33 | 33: Give Me A Sign | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 32 | 32: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 32 | 32: Adam | Give 'Em Hell, Kid | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 31-2 | 31: Dreaming Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 31 | 31: Tells | Smoke Signals | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 30 | 30: Dreaming | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 30 | 30: Adam | The Pale Moonlight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 29-2 | 29: Paradise City Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 29 | 29: Desmond | Runnin' With The Devil | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 28 | 28: Paradise City | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 28 | 28: Brenden | Highway to Hell | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 27 | 27: Tells | Glory Days | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 27 | 27: Chicken Fried | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 26 | 26: Human | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 26 | 26: Vetia | Human | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 25-2 | 25: Breaking the Chains Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 25 | 25: Adam | Tell Me Lies | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 24 | 24: Breaking the Chains | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 24 | 24: Brenden | Our Lips Are Sealed | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 23 | 23: Desmond | Heat of the Moment | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 23 | 23: Heat of the Moment | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 22 | 22: Brenden | Talk Dirty to Me | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 22 | 22: Talk Dirty to Me | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 21 | 21: Adam | Sell Your Soul | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 21 | 21: End of Time | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 20 | 20: Tells | When You Were Young | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 20 | 20: Plz Don'T Waste My Youth | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 19 | 19: Desmond | Paralyzer | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 19 | 19: Paralyzer | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 18 | 18: Vetia | One Foot | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 18 | 18: One Foot | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 17-2 | 17: Tells | What's Your Name Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 17-2 | 17: People Are Crazy Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 16 | 16: Brenden | What's Your Name | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 16 | 16: People Are Crazy | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 15-2 | 15: Adam | Down the Road Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 15-2 | 15: Mountains Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 14 | 14: Brenden | Down the Road | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 14 | 14: Mountains | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 13-3 | 13: Line of Sight Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 13-3 | 13: Desmond | Shine Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 12-2 | 12: Tells | Shine Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 12-2 | 12: Line of Sight Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 11 | 11: Line of Sight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 11 | 11: Adam | Shine | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 10-3 | 10: Vetia | Not Warriors Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 10-3 | 10: Street Fight Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 9-2 | 9: Brenden | Not Warriors Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 9-2 | 9: Street Fight Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 8 | 8: Adam | Not Warriors | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 8 | 8: Street Fight | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 7-2 | 7: Another Day part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 7 | 7: Tells | Bridge Over Troubled Water | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 6 | 6: Desmond | Blinding Lights | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 6 | 6: Another Day | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 5-5 | 5: Vetia | Wake Me Up Part 5 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 5-5 | 5: Wake Me Up Part 5 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 4-4 | 4: Tells | Wake Me Up Part 4 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 4-4 | 4: Wake Me Up Part 4 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 3-3 | 3: Brenden | Wake Me Up Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 3-3 | 3: Wake Me Up Part 3 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 2-2 | 2: Wake Me Up Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 2-2 | 2: Desmond | Wake Me Up Part 2 | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 1 | 1: Adam | Wake Me Up | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | 1 | 1: Wake Me Up | RoyalRoadL | |
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To Rhial | Glossary of Recurring Characters | RoyalRoadL | ||
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To Rhial | Glossary of Known Plants, Creatures, and Races | RoyalRoadL | ||
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To Rhial | 0: Weavers | RoyalRoadL | ||
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To Rhial | 0: Would You Go With Me | RoyalRoadL | ||
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To Rhial | Glossary of Known Concepts, Places, and Things | RoyalRoadL | ||