Gaslamp Stories

In a city where the steam network remembers your secrets, the revolution begins with a wrench. Thomas Li-Harrison is a mixed-heritage engineer fixing the pipes that keep Shanghai warm. When impossible readings start appearing in the network - and his body starts doing things he never learned - he discovers the infrastructure he's maintained for years is hiding something vast, watchful, and alive. Now every pipe whispers a question he can't ignore: who built this system, and what is it really for? ⚙️ THE INTERACTIVE EXPERIMENT: This is an iterative serial. Your comments and votes shape the plot and the romance in real-time. ⚡ JOIN THE RESISTANCE: Sign up for the Substack (link in bio) to get the secret Marco prequel story and vote on future chapters!

𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬! A pact with the darkness left her twisted and deformed. Strange noises and flashes of light have been coming out of her basement at night, and her pet monster stalks children from the shadows. 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. Eliza Scaggs (not Scraggsies, thank you very much) is tired of all the rumors about her. Sure, she's looking a bit haggard as of late, but she's been working herself to the bone on a secret government project to prove that she, the only woman in the wizard's guild, belongs there. So, maybe she's got some gray in her hair, but she's not old, not old-old- and the only thing she's made a pact with is her purveyor of rot brew tea. Okay, the pet monster thing is true, but Throat Ripper hasn't caught anyone, not yet. She's even taken on a new apprentice. Mentoring a teen, that's not something a twisted hell spawn would do, right? Still, there is something off about the boy, Oliver. He's a good kid, but he's quiet, too quiet, and she's worried that when he asks if she can "fix" people, he means himself... Witches, Boys, and Other Monsters is about: A witch who's not really a witch, A boy who's not really a boy, All the "monsters" who are regular people, All the regular people who are monsters... That, and a bunch of fireballs.

13-year-old Ermin is a gifted mechanic and the worst student at St. Anselm's Training School for Orphans. She's just failed her exams for the third time, something nobody's ever done. Worse, Ermin's been running her own repair business for money, something that's expressly forbidden. If the headmistress finds out, Ermin will go to prison. Her future will be over before it's even begun. But that's not her only secret. Her best friends, Colin and Georgie, are wizards in a world where magic is strictly controlled. Ermin worries that her friends will be captured, drained of their power, then banished. When Georgie's caught aiding the Wizard's Resistance, Ermin repairs a broken flying carpet so all three of them can escape. Hesitant to join the Resistance because of her lack of magical power, Ermin steals an experimental device from a wizard hunter that could destroy every wizard in the Creek. She's faced with a choice: either smash the device or convert it into a different kind of weapon-one that not only helps wizards but just might get her an apprenticeship at the prestigious Guild Academy. Ermin's got one chance to get it right. If she fails, she risks losing her two best friends... and her dreams.

The veil between the human world and The Otherworld has been sealed for hundreds of years, but that all comes to an end in one night. Suddenly, all sorts of creatures are let loose upon citizens who have no means to protect themselves. As bodies pile up, the people will have no choice but to rely on the magic users who they treat like servants. If, that is, they are willing to help. ____ GENRES: Gaslamp Fantasy/Horror Mystery ____ STORY MOOD: Fading of the Veil has a Victorian-inspired world that is suddenly filled with creatures from Scottish mythology, which is where the mystery come in. The magic users (Flickers) must figure out which creature is attacking, and learn how to stop them. ____ TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Blood/Gore, Confinement, Scary Themes, Death ____ POINT-OF-VIEW: Third Person Limited

An orphaned fey must find a means to survive despite the crown's ruthless hunters. This is the first encounter of Effie of Glen Coe and the fey hunter, Edmund Glover, set years before the events of the novel, THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN. To align with THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN, the following version of "Effie of Glen Coe" has been revised since its original publication in Stories in the Ether. For starters, Effie wasn't Effie then, she was Aelfie, and the Fey Finder, Edmund Glover, only a land surveyor working for the crown. But the heart of the tale, that of a young, orphaned fey lost in a larger world of prejudice and propaganda, remains. When writing the first novel of the Fey Matter series, I had first thought to leave out all of the action of this short story. It is a separate tale, after all. But my editor rightly convinced me parts of it were needed as backstory, so into the novel they went. For not only do these scenes depict the first encounter of Effie and Glover, but more so, they show the brutal reality of Effie's childhood and what drives her toward adventure.

I thought I was used to bad things happening. Until I ended up dead. Red makes a humble living in the fog and muck of Bedlam as a cat burglar. But when a job goes wrong, she attracts the attention of a malevolent assassin. Death comes calling, and her life is turned upside down. Red is pulled into a raging war in the Above, her father is missing, and worse yet the children of Bedlam are disappearing. Hunted at every step, it's up to Red to discover their fate and confront her own mysterious past. But some secrets should remain buried. And the dark should be left alone. A thrilling Gaslamp fantasy with a strong female lead, sky pirates, and elementals set in the realm of imagination itself.

Take two of the original rp.

Who is Elle Black? Elle Black, an unconventional psychic detective in an unconventional Victorian marriage, leaves her lovely lesbian wife to answer a desperate plea. Guests are vanishing in a mechanical hotel known as the Sundark, and Elle must use her 'anomalous perturbationist' gift–the ability to move objects with her mind–to save herself and the remaining hotel residents from malevolent, sidereal powers. But with apparitions appearing, magnetic lines disrupted, and clairvoyant guests lurking, who is the true murderer . . . or murderess? Add to your collection of female detective mysteries: A gaslamp fantasy in a steampunk, paranormal London, follow the telekinetic Elle Black, a twenty-two year old, happily remarried widow, as she solves mysteries in the same alternate world as the Dark Victorian series by Elizabeth Watasin. Where Secret Commission agents Artifice and Jim Dastard haven't time to tread, Elle Black will take up the lead and follow. Learn more about this thrilling, lesbian historical fiction series: Deep in London's Chiselhurst lies the Sundark, a magnificent, mechanical manor built in earlier times by a master illusionist and his occultist wife. Its guests have been known to stay, only to never be seen again. Now converted into a hotel, is this rumor some publicity lure or a cover for fleeing, non-paying residents? Elle Black, a housewife and telekinetic among London detectives and Secret Commission agents, is summoned to solve this mystery as more victims vanish, faster than before.

After gaming all night, he died suddenly-only to transmigrate into the game as its infamous villain.​​ He confessed to the noble duke's daughter, only to enrage her father into plotting his death. Victor thought he had just one enemy, but when he came to his senses- Everyone around him craved his demise. The icy Valkyrie boss vowed to claim his head; The all-powerful heiress would gladly bury him alive; Even stray dogs on the street snarled at his shadow! Trapped in this doomed ending, with players poised to farm his EXP- He chose a different path: ​​"If every last one of you wants me dead..."​​ ​​"Then I'll just pledge myself to the Evil God."​

In the fantastic world of Orb, Alchemist City is a rising metropolitan power and the epicentre of a dramatic industrial revolution. Ruled by the Technomages, a guild of wizards committed to the exploitation of magic and technology for their own hegemonic ambitions, the sprawling city is an urban arena of political intrigues and ruthless predation. And still culture and society thrive. Humans, dwarves, orcs, elves, gnomes, vampires, ogres, giants, trolls, mushroom men, magically sentient objects, and various forms of machine people, all dwell here together. It is a place of fierce competition but also wonder, adventure, and romance. This story, Airship Luxury Express, follows the arrival of two affluent guests from the nearby land of Mundany who have journeyed there via a newly built steam powered zeppelin. Eager to disembark and see the famous city for themselves, they have little idea what's in store for them.

Elias and Kristen, two teens who have dreams of exploration are unexpectedly taken by pirates and are shoved into an adventure across the Cloud Sea. Aided by a mysterious book from centuries ago, the two will learn to adapt to these new surroundings and try to find their way around the situation.

The Magicians' Republic of Benkrav is a divided country of silent conflicts, slow-roasting resentments and well-nursed wounds. In Kontrek, the capital, skilled thief Jack Behck and his unpredictable friend Freaky Pietr lead tolerable, unattractive lives as younger members of a minor gang. They usually stick to slummier areas and the kinds of trouble powerful people won't notice. Until Jack finds an urgent need to save his gang, and Pietr finds his freakishness eroding the few connections he has. Enter Jo'sook from Piro: a strangely-dressed, "not-noble" magic-wielder who doesn't get the basics of how Benkrav works. She has plans of her own for which she needs a skillful, compliant thief who will not ask questions; and a Benkravi commoner who will learn magic from her. Jack and Pietr normally wouldn't dream of approaching her, but they're getting desperate... And Jo'sook likes how they fit her plans so nicely. What looks like a straightforward, easily executed deal ends up nothing like what they negotiated. Their lives and their country will never go back to what they were before. **This story is recommended for ages 15+ due to mature content (criminal activity, substance abuse, references to prostitution). New updates at least weekly! Votes and comments are very appreciated. :)

William Latimer has an unusual experience on the staircase...

Zbigniew Piech discovers he has a magical talent - which ends up working too well.

Even as she opens the letter, Aurelia knows it is already too late. Still, she has no choice but to answer the summons, though she fears she already knows what she will find. High in a cold and crumbling castle, a bitter man discovers the secret substance of life. A hideous creature opens its eyes. A mechanical golem finds his heart. This pair of abominations of science know they were destined for each other, but they continue to live only at their maker's pleasure. Only Aurelia can save them from the fractured mind of her former friend. But first, she has to save herself. And far away, an ancient feud draws closer.

When Liam Bromswell sneaks aboard a pirate airship to prove a point, he thinks he's in for an adventure of a lifetime. But life sailing through an open sky turns out to be much harder than he ever imagined, and he'll have to survive a boisterous captain, a cold-hearted quarter master, and a wild array of other adventures before he can make it home again. In this tale of fantastical journey, one boy will discover the art of being a slightly better cabin boy, as well as what it means to find one's family... ***Currently editing*** Featured on the Adventure reading list, Voyages and Sea Epics. Winner of the Amby Awards Punk Stories genre NOTE; This book's gorgeous cover was made by @Monelo_Aurum ! Make sure to go check out their profile! ALSO NOTE; This book is intended for readers 14 and up :)

The celebrated detective, Mr. Roderic Llewellyn, has been inundated for far too long with interesting problems, sticky situations, and suspicious characters. It's...well, frankly, it's becoming a bit dull. And so, putting his massive intellect to work at solving the situation, he makes a decision. A decision that will impact him in ways even he cannot predict. He decides to take the day off.

“Way will open.” She is Artifice. A resurrected criminal and agent of HRH Prince Albert’s Secret Commission. An artificial ghost. A Quaker. He is Jim Dastard. The oldest surviving agent of the Secret Commission. An animated skull. A mentor to newly resurrected agents. In a mechanical and supernatural London, agents of Prince Albert’s Secret Commission, their criminal pasts wiped from their memories, are resurrected to fight the eldritch evils that threaten England. Amidst this turmoil, Jim Dastard and his new partner Artifice must stop a re-animationist raising murderous dead children. As Art and Jim pursue their quarry, Art discovers clues about her past self, and through meeting various intriguing women—a journalist, a medium, a prostitute, and a mysterious woman in black—where her heart lies. Yet the question remains: What sort of criminal was she? A new beginning, a new identity, and new dangers await Art as she fights for the Secret Commission and for her second life. Experience female detective mysteries with a Victorian superheroine: A gaslamp fantasy in a steampunk, paranormal London, follow the dangerous adventures of an uncanny female sleuth and her senior skull partner set in the same alternate world as Elizabeth Watasin's Victorian Gothic series, The Elle Black Penny Dreads. Learn more about the debut of this intriguing, steampunk lesbian series: It is 1880; black arts sorcery had its time to grow in England and to battle the eldritch evils threatening, HRH Prince Albert's Secret Commission is born. Executed criminals are brought back to life without memories to fight as agents, and among those resurrected is Artifice, a six foot tall strongwoman, Quaker, and artificial ghost, guided by her senior partner, Jim Dastard, the animated skull.

Emery, Captain of the Shadow Guard, has dedicated his life to one purpose... ...to preserve the three realms of the Cosmos from the dominion of Chaos. But when one of his soldiers is killed on a routine mission into the mortal realm, everything changes. Something is wrong, and he is the only one who seems to notice...or care. Atan, the Splendor of Light, should be content with his gilded existence...but fragmented memories of a forgotten past return to haunt him. What would he risk to uncover the truth? Therrei tol Dana is an ordinary human girl raised in obscurity, which is exactly where she prefers to be. But when she manifests unexpected powers, sinister forces take notice. Is there any way to hide without also hiding who she was meant to be? As a nefarious plot to awaken Chaos intensifies, fate draws the lives of these three toward an unlikely intersection...

Rich, ennobled men are dying across Mayfair. It begins with a Duke's heir and soon the murder has trickled into Miss Christine Downing's life. She has only been married a matter of days before her husband's elder brother is found dead at the opera. The Magisters, responsible for the regulation of magic in country, place the blame on Enchantresses, the female sorcerers. Though England does not recognize any official Enchantress, women are still able to practise their domestic arts. Christine has long entertained hopes of being able to call herself an Enchantress one day. But, the murders in Mayfair dim that chance with each passing day. The murders reek of a scandal that haunted the halls of Versailles years ago and Christine soon decides there answers lie in the past.