kate and lizzy live the dream

[odrseasonone]

@lizzysrps @wouldadepressedpersonmakethis ok but seeing

https://pin.it/5qX1InRoY this on Celia’s board

https://pin.it/5qX1InRoY and a gifset of the three musketeers w Evie I’m now like 👀 how fun would a plotline where they get caught up w a ragtag band of noble thieves or rogue knights or smth be for our girls and celia shows a surprising ability to get on w them bc of things James’s taught her and evie comes out of her shell a bit and they each end up where they ultimately need to be!! Idk how/when etc but yeah!! A thought

Evie’s https://www.tumblr.com/quillington/133067827252

kate aa

History AU: Henry Tudor & Elizabeth of York & The Musketeers 1620′s. At the death of her beloved father, King Edward, Elizabeth finds herse

[odrseasonone]

If we’re having cassius kill himself in order to stop Severax, we should give an example of how that works earlier in the series, in addition to simply stating it so that 1) it’ll feel like ~that’s the death we were foreshadowing w all that talk of it and 2) it’ll stick w them more abd thus maje more sense at the climax rather than just ‘wait why is he killing himself?? Omg abd now severax is dead wtf whyyyy ohhhh wait didn’t they once mention smth abt that’ etc etc so!! Yeahhh someone, say Ivette perhaps, should die/be killed in s2/3/at the v latest early s4, and then we watch her totally healthy dragon die as a result of her demise

Side note: Perhaps given this, to compensate for team heroes ti have a slightly less lopsided situation, Cordelia should have her egg hatch sooner (she does go north and we already have a northern egg — the thorel egg — but no outcome planned for it that i recall so that could be hers potentially if we go this route?) so she can be a dragonrider ~at the final battle (tho idk if we want it big enough to ride it not she’d stay least have magic/be immune to fire etc) and her conflict can be that 1) she’s a dragonrider w/o a master till she hooks up w roran and co at the v end 2) she’s been raised to hate/fear these guys for killing her fam etc and now she ~is one 3) she might not know abt the dragonriders take no part strictures bc she has no one to teach her and thus we can explore what it looks like when a dragonrider ~does try to be a queen even when that person means well etc bc literally flying off isn’t the best way to rule etc and come to an arc of — from having been an arrogant arrington to — (at the risk of quoting Kanye West) no one man should have all that power etc (which would all actually really neatly tie into her character arc too), and ultimately kneeling to Alex as king etc as og planned

[odrseasonone]

Been thinking a lot abt the death of Charles degrey today (thanks, brain) and I know you said you wanted Roran to feel guilty and I know I want cassius to feel that as well so I think I might’ve???? Come up w smth??? Idk and obv subject to change but lmk what you think!

Cassius is flying around on severax burning the crap out of things and the resistance is like NO BUENO and they decide they gotta draw him away to save lives etc. this requires a dragon

Charles volunteers to do this bc 1) he and cassius have this weird bond he won’t be able to ignore (yay shared trauma) and 2) he’s most experienced (and secretly sees himself as most expendable) but roran insists it should be him bc he’s the rider now and cassius won’t ignore him either. An argument results. The resistance decides to send Charles but roran has his own ideas

Now the logistics of this depend a lot on if other dragons are large enough to ride. If only arya is, Charles takes her and flies to confront cassius (also me shedding a tear bc his last dragon was aryas mom who looked like her and sfjjfddh anywAY). Alternatively he takes another dragon.

If Charles takes arya he engages cassius near a tower and basically roran climbs the tower or smth and then leaps onto severaxs back where cassius and Charles are fighting or whatever. Otherwise he flies up w arya. Fighting takes place.

Cassiud goes to stab roran so Charles tosses roran his own sword. Cassius beats roran. He goes in for the kill. Charles vaults across and grabs cassius’ sword by the blade so he can’t stab roran. His hands are now messed up and bloody. This is important

The battle continues w the two degrees tag teaming fighting cassius but charles’ hands are messed up. Finally, cassius knocks Charles off the side. He falls but can’t catch himself for long bc his hands are messed up and slippery w blood. Cassius tried to reach his hand to save him. I’m sure roran does too. Charles can’t reach and falls to his death

Obv there are kinks and when Charles leaves his dragon and jumps onto severax’s back is a slight ???? But anyway tis a notion!

[odrseasonone]

Isabella Quincy: I’m not stronger since [all the bad things thatve happened to her]. I’m just harder.

[odrseasonone]

3 Act Structure by Character Arc

(thought this could be a useful guide for us ;D all credit to author abbie emmons. i thought this might help us convert our character arc write ups to actual plot points ;D)

What is your character's/story’s truth? (Effectively, this is the lesson your character learns -- or sometimes rejects in some types of negative character arc/to be taken away from your character's arc/story's thesis statement, so to speak.)  State theme here.

ACT 1

HOOK

INTRODUCTION TO PROTAGONIST’S INNER CONFLICT

The hook is internal conflict, which is simple: desire vs fear. Despite popular belief, the internal conflict starts long before the inciting incident shows up to destroy your protagonist’s life. In fact, that conflict has been boiling just below the surface this whole time — otherwise, your inciting incident wouldn’t matter. See, external conflict (the plot) is all about what happens; but internal conflict (the story) is about why it matters. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- What does my protagonist think will bring her true happiness or contentment? And how is her fear stopping her from going after it?  asdfsdf

- What is my character’s misbelief and what happened in their past to create this misbelief?  asff

- How can I show my audience in the FIRST FIVE MINUTES why “what’s happening” MATTERS to my protagonist, given their desire, fear, and misbelief?  asfsdf

INCITING INCIDENT

PROTAGONIST IS PUSHED OUTSIDE COMFORT ZONE

This is the event that really sets your story in motion. Your inciting incident doesn’t have to be some big, epic, crazy call-to-adventure. It just has to be something that pushes your protagonist outside their comfort zone. A conflict surfaces — something the protagonist has to face head-on. It’s really as simple as that. Don’t overcomplicate it, as many writers do. If you know why the inciting incident matters to the protagonist and you let them react to it as a normal person would (running for cover because of their fear!) CONGRATULATIONS. You nailed it. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- Why does this inciting incident matter to my protagonist? How does it push her outside her comfort zone?  asfas

- What internal conflict is going to arise for my protagonist in wake of the inciting incident?  sfs

- How can I show this internal conflict?  sfsa

BUILD-UP

THE IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

            Protagonist is going to have to face this thing head on. The reader can now see what the protagonist’s internal struggle really is, and how this whole situation is going to be especially tricky for her to navigate. 

            PROMPT:

      Ask yourself: 

      - What is the “impossible choice”? Your protagonist must be faced with options: stay inside their comfort zone and risk NEVER getting What They Desire, or venture into the unknown and accomplish their goal while STILL avoiding their fear.

- How can I show this internal conflict?  sfsa

FIRST PLOT POINT

PROTAGONIST MAKES A DECISION WHICH DETERMINES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Your protagonist is a conflicted person — torn between desire and fear. So when the inciting incident steps in and shoves them outside their comfort zone, their fear takes over and they respond based on their misbelief, which sets up more obstacles for the rest of the book. The human brain makes decisions by avoiding the most pain — so what is the LEAST painful option, in the long run? Venturing into the unknown and risking some danger… but ultimately getting what you have always desired. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- How is my protagonist going to react to the inciting incident, given their fear and misbelief about the world? What decision are they going to make now to avoid the most pain? (And get what they want while steering clear of the thing they’re afraid of?)

- How can I show this internal conflict?  sfsa

FIRST PINCH POINT 

OPPOSITION/ANTAGONISTIC FORCE LOOMS IN THE DISTANCE

            You can have a pinch point even if you don’t have a “villain” character in your story. It doesn’t have to be a villain — it doesn’t have to be a person. It just has to be something that is ultimately going to come back to haunt the protagonist later. (It can even be the protagonist’s misbelief.) 

            PROMPT: 

            Ask yourself: 

            - What is the opposition/antagonistic force my protagonist is going to have to face head-on later? How can I show the reader that it’s already looming in the distance? 

ACT 2

PRE-MIDPOINT REACTIONARY HERO

PROTAGONIST PURSUES THEIR FEAR-BASED GOAL

Thanks to the decision your protagonist made at the end of act one, they are now a man (or a woman) with a plan. They have a goal now that they are actively pursuing. Essentially, they’re going after the thing they think will make them happy while still steering clear of the thing they’re afraid of. Whether they’re running away from something or running to something, their motivation is the same: avoid as much pain as possible, and get to the finish line where (their idea of) happiness awaits. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- How is my protagonist going to execute their plan (achieve goal, avoid fear)? 

- What is their step-by-step plan for making this happen? (Even if they don’t know every step themselves).

- How can I show my reader the REASONING behind my protagonist’s actions (aka: how their every decision is fundamentally based on their misbelief)?

GAME-CHANGING MIDPOINT 

PLOT TWIST! 

A game-changing midpoint doesn’t have to be some epic and crazy twist of fate. In fact, the only thing a game-changing midpoint has to do is surprise the protagonist and shift their goal. (Bonus points if you can surprise the reader at the same time!) It can be as dramatic as “everything protagonist believes is actually a lie” OR as simple as “protagonist realizes they are falling in love with their nemesis.”

PROMPT: 

Ask yourself: 

- What unexpected thing is going to upend my protagonist’s plan (and entire life)? 

- Why does it matter to my protagonist, given their desire and fear? 

- How is it going to change the game for my protagonist?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

POST-MIDPOINT ACTION HERO 

PROTAGONIST APPROACHES THEIR GOAL FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE

 Figure out how your protagonist is going to handle the plot twist. It’s sort of like another inciting incident, shoving them further outside their comfort zone and presenting a new and unexpected challenge. Give your protagonist a plan going forward – and a sense of where this is going. Your readers want to know what happens next because they can foresee what MIGHT happen. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- What is my protagonist’s NEW plan going to be, based on the game-changing midpoint and what it means to them? 

- How does my protagonist think their new plan is going to actually work and bring them to their goal while STILL avoiding their fear?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

SECOND PINCH POINT 

OPPOSITION/ANTAGONISTIC FORCE GETS CLOSER

            Remember, your “opposition” doesn’t have to be an actual villain or even a person — it can be the protagonist’s misbelief always looming in the background, getting ready to attack them come act 3. Whatever the major “opposition” your protagonist is going to face off with at the climax of your story, that’s what you want to give the reader a taste of at this story beat. 

            PROMPT:

            Ask yourself: 

            - How can I show the opposition/antagonistic force now getting closer to disrupting the protagonist’s life?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

ACT 3

SUPPOSED VICTORY 

PROTAGONIST THINKS THEY HAVE OVERCOME

Making progress with their new-and-improved plan, the protagonist feels confident they will be victorious. Or perhaps they have already overcome the smallest of the challenges and feel pretty good about their plan. Little do they know, disaster is on the way. (NOTE: this plot point is optional, but awesome.)

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- Why does my protagonist think they will be victorious? 

- What’s happening to make them feel SO CLOSE to achieving their goal and finding happiness at last? 

- How can I show this?  sfsa

DISASTER 

EVERYTHING GOES WRONG

 Bring your protagonist to their knees by rooting the disaster in their greatest fear and misbelief. It might be something that’s terrible for anyone to experience, but go beyond that and make it something especially bad for your protagonist because of their fear and misbelief. Every decision they have made throughout the story has led them to this moment…which means they are to blame for their own ruin.

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- What does this disaster specifically mean to my protagonist? 

- How does it force them to realize that they’re the one to blame for this crisis? 

- How does it completely disarm them and make them face off with their fear and misbelief? 

- How can I show this?  sfsa

DARK MOMENT 

PROTAGONIST IS HOPELESS

It’s always darkest before the dawn. Your protagonist needs a rock-bottom moment in order to have an “aha” moment — and that’s what makes the revelation so satisfying. But right now, in wake of the disaster, your protagonist is feeling utterly and completely broken, confused, lost, and disappointed.

PROMPT: 

Ask yourself:

- How is my protagonist forced into the ring with their kryptonite? 

- How can I show this?  sfsa

AHA MOMENT

RENEWED HOPE

This is the biggest pivotal moment in your whole story. After your protagonist has been brought to their knees by the disaster, they have a revelation — an aha moment. They can suddenly see how their fear and misbelief has led them to make the wrong decisions about everything. They realize how wrong they were — but most importantly, they see that they’ll have to overcome their fear/misbelief and make the RIGHT decision in order to achieve their goal: true happiness.

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- How is my protagonist going to overcome their fear and continue to the climax, therefore developing as a character? 

- What lesson are they going to learn (and simultaneously teach the audience?)

- How can I show this?  sfsa

TEMPTATION - AHA MOMENT

ALTERNATIVE TO A DISASTER + DARK MOMENT

Instead of everything going wrong for your protagonist… everything goes right. They are given the opportunity to finally have the thing they’ve ALWAYS wanted (the misbelief-based goal they’ve been chasing this whole time.) But now, they turn it down. Because, after going on this transformative journey, they realize: they don’t want it anymore. They have found something so much better. They have found true happiness.

PROMPT: 

Ask yourself:

- What is it the specific misbelief-based goal that my protagonist has been chasing this whole time?

- How is my protagonist offered the chance to finally have this thing they’ve always wanted?

- How will my protagonist prove their transformation by turning down this offer?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

CLIMACTIC CONFRONTATION

PROTAGONIST FACES THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET

This is the moment everyone has been waiting for, where the protagonist is going to face their most difficult challenge yet. It’s a true test of their character — and how they respond to the confrontation is the proof that they’ve TRANSFORMED…as a result of their journey. So your protagonist has already won the internal battle (in their “aha” moment) but now it’s time for them to win the external battle (which of course will force them to face off with their greatest fears.)

PROMPT:

Ask yourself: 

- How does my protagonist prove their transformation by crushing their misbelief and facing their greatest fear with courage?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

VICTORY

PROTAGONIST OVERCOMES

This doesn’t necessarily mean the protagonist wins the external battle or that things turn out exactly how they hoped. But the protagonist does experience a personal victory — because they overcame their fear and destroyed their misbelief. Here’s my rule of thumb: if your reader doesn’t know how the character has transformed as a result of their journey, you need to rewrite your book until they do.

PROMPT: 

Ask yourself: 

- How has my protagonist changed as a result of their journey? 

- How can I show this?  sfsa

RESOLUTION

WRAPPING UP LOOSE ENDS

This is the part where all the loose ends are tied up. The reader should be left with no missing information or silent questions. If the book is part of a series, then you may want to end on a cliffhanger by swapping out the “victory” story beat with another “plot twist.” If the book is a standalone, make sure the reader’s questions are answered when they reach the final page. 

PROMPT:

Ask yourself:

- Where will my protagonist go from here? 

- What does their life look like, now that they have overcome their misbelief?

- How can I show this?  sfsa

[odrseasonone]

Other oppressive/tyrannical things rowena can do as time goes by in addition to the book burning’s and loyalty trials:

First, she starts by oppressing the southern isles, then it spreads to aragoth…

Suppressing the language/dialects, forcing everyone to speak capital aragothese in the name of unity

Loyalty/inheritance tax paid by those coming into power to the throne kind of like tribute but it gets so high they have to start selling off the v thing they’re inheriting to raise the money or just straight up hand it over to her (plus now giving these lands to those who please her is in her power etc)

Suppress local governance and strengthen central power aka placing her authority directly over everything rather than allowing for her vassals to oversee their own jurisdictions—good if Jon valles is their leader…bad in almost every other respect

Rather than vassals swearing loyalty to their lords who then swear loyalty to her, everyone swears directly to her

Direct control over other ppl’s households aka Alex fir example can’t choose his own servants/knights/retinue, now rowena does that ~for him, w ppl who answer to her, giving her power over ~him

I had other ideas but now I’m blanking — basically tho she’s gonna have everyone jockeying for her attention/spying on e/o etc so they can’t join together and fight her bc they’re too busy bavk stabbing e/o for a leg up

[odrseasonone]

DMITREI MASSARD / ALYMAR MERIET

I look at you and all I see is a dead man.

THE BASICS: 

Character’s name: Dmitrei Massard (Born: Alymar Meriet)

Physical description: Aidan Gillen

Age: 42

MBTI: INTJ - The Architect

PLOT POINTS:

1.01: Introduced via council scenes

1.03: Council gossips about Alex and DMITREI or CASSIUS reply that he isn’t going to raimbeaucourt to rule, he’s going there to die - and ALEXANDIR knows it. Highlight ALARIC vs DMITREI anti-parallels subplot throughout (ex. both are excellent lords, but ALARIC clearly cares and knows everyone personally whereas DMITREI does not, etc)

1.05: Advises Avelina against becoming a sorceress

2.02: Jon is murdered

2.03: We learn the truth about #teambeaumont

3.02: Dmitrei orders Vincent to befriend dragon riders and Dmitrei reveals to Rowena where the Degreys are

3.03: DMITREI presents himself as a friend to the S RESISTANCE (and never reveals his connection to VINCENT)

3.04: DMITREI leaves #teambeaumont in favor of ROWENA

3.05: #BRITTAdead - after all, she knows both DMITREI and ALYMAR…and recognizes the difference when she arrives in the east

3.06: DMITREI tells ROWENA of LYNESSA’s betrayal just before she annihilates the south, so she goes east instead. DMITREI takes credit for saving the south w the S RESISTANCE

3.08: LYNESSA is put to death. as the executioner raises his axe/sword to behead LYNESSA, we cut to DMITREI - at the moment her head comes off, he smirks - end of scene/ep?

4.04: ROWENA has DMITREI “leak” info to lead THE RESISTANCE into a trap

additional plots:

DMITREI fineds out about CELIA and EVIE before the escape is through - and does nothing to stop them

I think Dmitrei will also plan for Cordelia to overhear some convo between Arthur and Avelina where she accuses Arthur of murdering his parents and so Cordelia will have that going on and be even more likely to listen to Dmitrei who may even go out west with her to give her council (aka rule in the west)

dmitrei becomes warden of the east after arthur

dmitrei - disappears ‘who is alymar now?’

TRAJECTORY:

Overall Arc: The Fly on the Wall to the Man with a Plan to the Nameless Man Becoming Nameless Again

Season 1 Arc (Step 1 of 4): Season 1 Dmitrei is largely undeveloped, purposefully. He seems the most rational of Rowena's advisors (Alex aside) and he does seem to advise Avelina ... but lord knows girl needs it

Season 2 Arc (Step 2 of 4): Dmitrei's biggest plan yet has gone into action and it is revealed that he was the mastermind behind the wedding/most of teambeaumont's plans

Season 3 Arc (Step 3 of 4): Not only is Dmitrei a schemer and a murderer, he's a disloyal one, too. Dmtirei proves he's willing to shift his loyalties (and his plans) to whatever best currently suits his needs

Season 4 Arc (Step 4 of 4): Ultimately Dmitrei saddles himself to the wrong horse and Rowena and Dezod are both defeated. Dmitrei lives to die another day, but in a weird way, he's pleased b/c he wasn't betting on the resistance pulling this off and he does like being surprised (it doesn't happen often); Dmitrei survives (or does he?) and no one quite knows what becomes of him

ENGINE OF CHANGE:

Internal goal/desire: To Be King (not because he wants that job, but in this world where everyone is playing the game of thrones, he wants to throw his hat in the ring and see how far he can climb! It's not the destination for him, it is the journey)

Why can’t they get it? At the start of this journey, he is the son of a disgraced lord who betrayed his country and lost his title and lands, leaving dmitrei with nOTHING and he couldn't have been farther from his goal. When he meet him, he's made progress and now sits the Queen's own council, but he's still a far cry away from being king, himself.

What are they afraid of: Failure! Dmitrei is honestly not afraid of much, but failure is the closest thing. I think he would hate to discover he's not as smart as he thinks he is? But at the same time, if he had just been played all along, there would be some kind of satisfaction in that for him, too?? Like I think he lowkey has been wanting to find his match in this world and the greatest joy would be to outsmart them, but second to that, it would almost be to be outsmarted himself??? idk he's a weird guy!! He doesn't fear death; he doesn't fear pain; he doesn't fear loss (even for those few people he has some resemblance of affection left click clacking around in what I guess would be his heart!)

How character views the world: A chess board!!! He views everything he (and everyone else) does as a strategic move tbh

How character views self: He's definitely arrogant when it comes to himself -- he's smart, efficient, charming, and knows exactly when it benefits him to speak and when to listen.

INTERNAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

Inner motivation: Proving himself!!! HE knows that he's the greatest, but no one in Aragoth knows this (yet) and one day he will have his story told

Kryptonite: his literal name!!! and tbh, he knows it!! It has always been a liability, since he literally stole it from a dead man easily three times his age, and sooner or later, there may come a day when someone from the south finds out who he is and just might expose him!!! Taking Dmitrei's name meant he got his job/connections, but there was also great risk involved in it, too. The longer this goes unchallenged, the less worrisome it is, but it has been one of the riskier choices Dmitrei has made. And while he does pride himself on being exacting in all of his decision making, to avoid such pitfalls, there is something exciting about being a little dangerous and just seeing how much he can get away with? Sometimes, being smarter than everyone else gets so boring, you have to help the idiots out a little, just to make it fair, y'know?

What is his/her misbelief about life (to be challenged ~this season)? His greatest misbelief about life is probably the idea that he doesn't need anyone and doesn't care what happens, as long as it is part of his grand plan? I think the only thing that really starts to challenge this, is seeing James again and there is that flicker the friendship that once was?? As well as his developing relationship w/ Lynessa, because I do think he does enjoy, for a time, having a partner in crime that he actually respects on some level??? Ultimately, however, none of this ends up mattering to him and he would sell either of them to the devil for (1) corn chip

Lesson he/she needs to learn (this season): #teambeaumont is too crazy to be helpful, even with his ~guidance~

What is the best thing in his/her life? Sometimes Lynessa Beaumont; sometimes the memories of his friendship with Harrion, but ultimately the best thing is outplaying, outlasting, and outwitting every single person he's ever met!!

What is the worst thing in his/her life? Dealing with Avelina Beaumont on the daily lbr

What does she/he most often look down on people for?

What makes his/her heart feel alive? That single moment when it all comes together!! Dmitrei is a plotter, a schemer, a master of manipulation and while he accounts for many different factors and has lots of different back up plans, even he cannot take credit for the workings of the entire universe and every plan he makes, he knows that there is always a risk of failure -- of it not going exactly to plan. And while I do think he thrives under pressure and he enjoys the challenge of rearranging and plotting in the moment, there's nothing quite so satisfying as some great complex plan, panning out exactly as he foresaw.

What makes him/her feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? Dmitrei doesn't often feel loved, nor is that an emotion he often craves. His relationship with Lynessa Beaumont, which is certainly the closest thing to romantic love he's ever experienced, isn't exactly love. It's a relationship built upon lust, but also a strange sort of respect for her abilities of manipulation/deception and scheming -- but ultimately he'd rather defeat her than possess her???? I feel like the last time he felt genuine real love and returned it, was honestly when he was a kid ngl that relationship he had with harrion at that time in their lives was the purest sense of love he's ever felt!!!!!!

Top three things he/she values most in life?  His accomplishments!!!! (His literal pride and joy in his life is the fact that he was able to reconstruct himself from the ashes of another man tbh and rise to such a position in life)

[odrseasonone]

E Resistance in S1

ok so i just finished watching robin hood (1935) and first off omg! it'd been sooooo long since id seen it and its so fun <3 but!! it gave me hella thoughts abt the resistance (and also some celion feels <3 but anyway)

so!! i was thinking

we should maybe consider treating the resistance like that does -- there's clearly quite a few of them but we get the chief handful fleshed out, so we feel like we know them, and its clear they all have relatinships etc but we don't really go into them, we just see this big mass of ppl and we get the idea. this would help w a lot of our 'why is our evil empire worried abt this' if its quite a few ppl etc

however!! it could be kinda cool if it starts out as a few and slowly they get more and more ppl joining (hence rowena being like 'who cares' even tho some ppl are concerned until she's like 'kill it w fire' etc) but esp as 1) things get worse and worse and then esp 2) when ppl learn there's a new dragonrider out there!!! and he's fighting for them like the dragonriders are supposed to!!!!

this would also help w the final bit w taking the castle in the final eps of s1 -- like maybe the resistance has dozens or hundreds (idk?? how big is aragoth? whatever the 'its a small uprising sure but its def an uprising and its gaining numbers everyday we should nip this in the bud' situation yknow) of members atp but it realllly gets going at the v end of the season when the castle is taken in their name by the mistreated servants on the inside (w/ or w/o the resistance's help) who then welcome th resistance in and set up shop

bonus points if the castle in question is the de montfort castle overthrowing usurpers bc their lord has returned, or if its the servants of fontaine casting off jon's shackles (which would deffff backfire bc he has an army and also an evil sorceress who wants her daughter in control of that castle but you feel me -- and that could actually contribute to the drama of that ep or the next one too idk). if its fontaine, this could also lead to the burning of fontaine but it might be too early to do that. fontaine w jon them besieging the storming the castle could also be an interesting parallel to the hall of the dragonriders situation too. de montfort would pit dmitire and alaric against one another in a more open way which could also lead to some really interesting foiling both as a climactic season end AND drawing those parallels more obv going forward which could be really interesting to play with in upcoming seasons. either castle de montfort or fontaine would also tie the court intrigues plotlines to the resistance plotlines too at the end of the season which would probs feel really satisfying for our viewers.

[odrseasonone]

Why Rowena Kills

imma put a list of potentials here and probs continue to reblog as i think of new motives etc (some of these can probs be combined too)

MY GODS WHAT HAVE I DONE: she did kill them -- but it was an accident: rowena's dark powers weren't fully in her control and she decided to do smth taht was bad (idk? use it to hurt/intimidate her dad or smth idek) but it got out of control and killed them or smth/and/or someone tries to assassinate her or smth and, tryna kill the assassin, she kills her dad instead or smth

I WONT LET YOU DO THIS TO THEM: her fam wanted to pass a controversial new law or ally w a bad dude or smth that rowena truly believed would hurt aragoth etc

I WONT LET ANYONE HURT ME AGAIN/I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE: she is contracted into a jon valles-esque marriage and takes matters into her own hands when her family insists they can't end the marriage or whatever (probs bc they've been manipulated by dezod <3) and then probs crushes and subjugates that country...maybe in this scenario her hubby was king ~valerian or whatever his name is of the shouthern isles and that's the origin of the war etc

MY PRECIOUS: possession of the one ring dark magic drives her half mad and she kills them

I CAN STOP IT: rowena is motivated by a vision of the future, of her own: she loves her family but she knows that ~apocalyptic future~ will occur if they survive (possibly bc it'll take someone whose willing to be utterly ruthless to get through ~whatever~) so she makes the horrific sacrificial choice to spare aragoth by killing some of the ppl she loves most

I WILL NOT BOW: as above, rowena has a vision but instead of some apocalypse...she sees her own death and makes the ~selfish decision rather than the selfless one to kill them to save herself

I SERVE ONLY YOU: she's a true blue devotee of the demon god and she legit just wants to murder ppl to serve her god

ORDER OVER CHAOS: she believes the only way forward is to instill order...and that droyn is sowing the world w chaos (whether by his tenderheart rule or some other way) and knows he's gotta go -- her mom and bro get in the way

CHAOS IS A LADDER: the same thing but w reverse reasoning

I WILL SAVE YOU: rowena is dangerously convinced that what she's doing is the right thing and she will stop at NOTHING to do what she believes in -- downside/potential upside, this is sort of what is going on w cassius (kind of) but if we do that deliberately and treat them as foils, that could lend greater insight into both

[odrseasonone]

combo the first three perhaps (an argument abt the controversial marriage alliance to valerian results in her accidentally killing her family and then having to cover it up etc)

note: maybe, bc of the vysovan history w magic (and dezod), valerian was also gonna tighten up laws against magic as part of the pact -- and perhaps have dezod sent to him by droyn, so perhaps rowena was ~also protesting against this?

[odrseasonone]

since severax is so powerful, if he's going full evil a the end, perhaps taking himself out is actually a goal of cassius' in order to stop his maniacal dragon (since if the rider dies, so does the dragon)

what if cassius survives the fight w rowena -- he's messed up but he can pull through and be happy after this!! but, if he ends it, he can stop severax and save everyone...

[odrseasonone]

Severax Season 1

THE BASICS: 

Character’s name: Severax

Role in story: Nemesis

Physical description: Smaug w/ Drogon coloring

Age: Unknown (his egg finally hatched when cassius was around 16/17ish??)

MBTI: ENTP-T (the campaigner)

Enneagram: Type 4 (the individualist), 4w3, 478

Zodiac: Leo

PLOT POINTS:

season one:

1.01: gathering dragon more egg(s); a dragon egg hatches (can he sense this?)

1.02: severax sets charles and his barn on fire (and possibly smells/senses arya?)

1.07: dragon fight! probs including severax @ arya w a 'we're not all that difference/join me and together we can rule the galaxy world' kinda speech (either that or a 'lol these humans are so much drama just do whatever' one -- he ~is a chaotic being after all)

misc: presumably asp severax realizes that helena is also able to hear him and he FINALLY has someone else to talk to (besides arya who he knows probs hates him bc yknow he killed off basically their entire species alkdjsflkjsdf)!!!

future plots:

s2: burning of the eastern woods; goes north w cassius; rescue of helena; other eggs hatch and continue to do so for the rest of his life etc

s3: fighting in the south alongside rowena and army; death of charles

s4: final showdown w arya; final battle w various other dragons; severax dies trying to save cassius and/or with cassius if killing riders still kills dragons? (note: unless we keep the dragons die when riders do thing, severax turning to fight for cassius is his last selfless act and he dies for it)

TRAJECTORY:

Overall Arc: goes from a deluional being intent on recriminating everyone else in order to obfuscate blame from himself to someone rejecting fear and applauding himself for his achievement of embracing his flaws (yet still internally grappling w this choice bc all of these are choices made from fear), coming too late to the revelation that he hates the monster he's made himself into -- and can still change

Season 1 Arc (Step 1 of 3): from a delusional being intent on recriminating everyone else in order to obfuscate blame from himself, to someone staring down the darkness in themselves

Season 2 Arc (Step 2 of 3): from someone staring down the darkness in himself to someone embracing it as the only way to survive in this savage world

Season 3 Arc (Step 3 of 3): from someone embracing their inner darkness as the only way to survive in this savage world to someone -- who now that he finally has the ability to escape his loneliness! -- isolating himself to protect himself from getting hurt again now that he is emotionally investing in his greatest fears (it is true that i am flawed beyond change etc)

Season 4 Arc (Step 4 of 4): from someone isolating to deal w the embracing of his greatest internal fear, to someone rejecting fear and applauding himself for this achievement yet still internally grappling w it bc all of these are choices made from fear. he comes too late to the understanding that he hates himself for being a monster -- the monster he's made of himself -- and he can still change

ENGINE OF CHANGE:

Internal goal/desire: To find himself and his significance (to create an identity); to be unique and to experience deep, authentic emotions; to prove himself an individual worthy of respect and appreciation

Why can’t they get it? Severax's whole world is defined by something that he helped bring about 15 years ago -- smth that also doomed him to be, in all the world, only able to speak to cassius and dezod (and possibly rowena, depending on how all that works idk) -- possibly until helena appears in the east, which def makes it tough to prove yourself in any way!! also the 'i killed most of my own species' isn't really the authentic him and is def not the identity he wants (tho he will deF lean into that persona and its ferocious aspect esp when he's feeling frustrated...which is most of the time, and can be quite cruel as a result) plus he just really feels super alone in general and he's v depressed its fun being him <3 fortunately he'll always have his snark and his sweet style ;D

Internally-motivated external goal: to reestablish and protect dragons in this world -- but this time not in a servile relationship to humans -- this time, he wants that the other way around tbqh -- since the dragons extend human lives and give them magic etc, they deserve more respect right!! (esp if they have to die when the rider does!)

Why can’t they get it? there aren't any other dragons (except maybe some wild ones somewhere but lbr they probs despise him ngl) since he killed them all oops

What are they afraid of: Being too flawed to function

How character views the world: Hopeless -- hedonism is the only joy so take what you can get and give nothing back

How character views self: This is a complicated question. If you asked him, he would say that he is the perfect being, marvelous and glamorous in every way and utterly above all these insects around him. This is smth that, in his arrogance, he does absolutely feel. However, he also deep down believes that he's profoundly flawed and can never overcome that bc he's got some hole inside himself where good things ought to reside. TL;DR: self image: god complex vs self-hatred

INTERNAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What is his/her greatest fear?  That he has no identity or personal significance, that he is fundamentally flawed; that he is too alien to ever be loved or appreciated by others and/or seen as anything other than a curiosity

Inner motivation: Want to express himself and his individuality, to create and surround himself with beauty, to maintain certain moods and feelings, to withdraw to protect his self-image, to take care of emotional needs before attending to anything else, to attract a "rescuer"

Kryptonite: Being told what to do

What is his/her misbelief about life (to be challenged ~this season)?  His insecurities are due entirely to the fact that he is alone and this is the only thing wrong w his situation not yknow the genocide of his own race or anything like that which HE helped enact,no its just his loneliness which is btw the entirely beyond his control and he's frankly such a martyr to put up w all of this hell just for cassius' sake

Lesson he/she needs to learn (this season): He's responsible for himself, his own actions, and his own pain, and thus he's just as responsible for that slaughter as cassius and rowena are -- it wasn't some misplaced noble loyalty, it was his own decision: smth rotten inside of himself that he will have to face down in season 2

What is the best thing in his/her life?  for all that he whines about him, it is cassius and their connection, toxic as that has turned, (partially bc cassius just accepts all the wrongs of the past as his own burden from both rowena and severax, but that's neither here nor there)

What is the worst thing in his/her life?  The Purge honestly and the host of awful emotions that come out of it as well as the profound loneliness that has been, for severax, the ~unforeseen consequence~ in the aftermath

What does she/he most often look down on people for?  Honestly a lack of personal style -- and im not just talking appearance, im talking vibes(tm), this dragon thrives off drama (you can see why he and cassius were paired bc severax is the type to set the spot cassius is standing in on fire just for the drama and cassius is the sort to grimly walk out again and dramatically fling his still burning cloak off before him and then make some understated comment as the flames billow behind him etc for a combined bamf moment for them both ;D)

What makes his/her heart feel alive?  Inside jokes, shared warmth and laughter, drama <3, excitement and action, fire <3, ppl being impressed by him tbqh

What makes him/her feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? Being understood, feeling seen -- really seen -- and appreciated for who he is, being sought out just for some shared quality time, not simply impressing others with his majesty (smth he always enjoys immensely) but also to share deep and meaningful moments w others. Cassius was the last person to make him feel like this

Top three things he/she values most in life?  Cassius, dragonkind, the drama genuine and true moments of connection with others

EXTERNAL: NOT NECESSARY, BUT GOOD TO KNOW AND SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What’s his/her favorite book, movie, and band? God, I honestly feel like it'd be Paradise Lost or smth dramatic af like that alkdsjfakjdsf he'd identify w Lucifer sdlakfjdksjf, fav movie would def be an action movie, preferably one w lotsa fire ;D ummm imma say The Dark Knight Rises but I also gotta list the last two Hobbit movies bc all the Smaug moments would def be his style ;D, Is Imagine Dragons too on the nose for fav band? ;D, he'd also really enjoy Zayde Wolfe. Linkin Park. Queen.

Is there an object he/she can’t bear to part with and why? Cassius umm honestly not really? but he probs would enjoy hording gold old school dragon style but idk that he'd get attached to any one particular piece or anything

Describe a typical outfit for him/her from top to bottom.  He mostly goes around naked bc he's a dragon dslakjflksdf he does often have a saddle on tbf -- between his and cassius' fashion sense, it is def 100% black ;D

What names or nicknames has he/she been called throughout their life?  Sev, the black dragon, the last dragon

What is his/her method of manipulation? omg he's dramatic af and snarky af and demanding af and if that still doesn't work he will def be giving smaug style threats ("my claws are spears" etc)

Describe their daily routine.  Severax doesn't really 'do' routines except whatever cassius' need for routine demands of him (he won't admit it but he'd do anything for cassius, they're def codependent but esp on severax's side ngl) this boy's here for the chaos, but he's def a night owl so usually when cassius appears in the mornings he has to wake the dragon (heh) bc severax is def sleeping off his night of revelry which probs includes hunting and then devouring a whole herd of deer and then rolling around in their charred carcasses like a dog smdh (this is btw another reason for the starvation of the ppl bc severax's artificially massive size -- thanks rowena -- sees him eating a tonnn just to live etc), anywayyy he then groggily flies around and annoys cassius w his every thought and irreverant quip while cassius is just tryna get in some good brooding time; mostly he just sort of goofs off and annoys cassius all day till its time for the moon to appear and then he starts a differenct kind of obnoxious, not just oversharing, but also looking for distractions

Their go-to cure for a bad day? A feast! probs hording stuff, lowkey pranking others, snark!!!!!

CURRENT CHARACTER GOALS:

How is your character dissatisfied with their life? He feels utterly alone and blames the one remaining person he loves for it so that he doesn't have to blame himself

What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment? Connections with others! Not simply a restoration of dragons but a revolution of them wherein they take over the world basically w human pets sdlafjsdjkf

What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? Since dragons only hatch for humans (so dumb, he hates it), collect all the eggs and subjugate all the humans and then file them through etc! This way he can prove hs own importance and mastery by reestablishing the order of things and freeing his kind, thus proving that his action of destroying it was really for the greater good (bc deep down he knows he's responsible for it too)

How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? If he really is as flawed as he fears, he truly will destroy both his race and humanity by going through with this! plus, he knows cassius would set himself against this, seeing it as the enslavement of humanity, and then he really, truly would be alone...perhaps forever

How does your protagonist feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? If he takes his time and simply gathers up all the eggs, ppl will come voluntarily to them, surely, and thus cassius will have nothing to set himself against! its the perfect plan!

THE BACKSTORY SCENES THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

moment #1: the purge

What does your character go into the backstory scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome? i think severax thought that they'd submit after a lil persuading! he wanted, even then, a new dynamic and felt rejected etc by the others and he wanted to prove that he could take them all down. what he didn't expect was that he'd have to go through with it. o ver. a nd over. a nd over again. i mean, couldn't the other dragons seee why this was a good thing even if their silly humans couldn't????

How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs? Severax is frankly still lowkey tryna do that to persuade himself that he was in the right when so many so violently ojected!

What is their conclusion/new belief? That he did all of this out of loyalty to cassius! a nd not at all for himself!

[odrseasonone]

This is more a trivia/rewatch thing for avid fans or whatever unless this all ends up in the same ep but asp Charles talks abt how wylymot whatsit the great dragonrider was still lucid when he first joined the order and Charles learned ~whatever skill he’s abt to pass on~ from him and names him as perhaps ~the greatest hero of his age~ and certainly hailed as such while Charles and will (who may have eclipsed him had he lived longer) were growing up, or whatever etc and maybe roran’s like ‘what happened to him? Did he go out in a blaze of glory?’ Or whatever and Charles just gets his look on his face and says stonily ‘there’s was no honor in what was done to him’ and of course we later learn twas jon valles did the deed adhjhdd I had a larger point here but now idr it…

(Clerebold Wylymot is his name I looked it up)

[odrseasonone]

Rowena burns books (perhaps leading to burning of raventree?) a la hitler and does loyalty trials a la Caligula while partying it up a la Tiberius?

Gets her distopia on basically ig

[odrseasonone]

What if the dragonriders had a kind of ~baptism by dragonfire~ consecration they would perform on newly bonded dragon and rider were they step into dragonfire together to sort of cement their bond and make them like ~officially part of the order or whatever — if so cassius accidentally does this for roran and arya when he burns the barn which also kinda furthers the ‘both the first and the last of his order’ prophecy a bit too

[odrseasonone]

Charles Degrey

THE BASICS: 

Character’s name: Charles Degrey/Charles Drake/Char

Role in story: Mentor

Physical description: Chris Hemsworth

Age: 30

MBTI: INFJ-T (the advocate)

Enneagram: Type 8 (the challenger/the protector), 8w9 (the defender), 816

Zodiac: Aquarius

PLOT POINTS:

season one:

1.01: rescuing alaric, meets helena

1.02/3: charles meets arya/reveals backstory, leave the farm

s1-3: training dragons and riders

future plots:

s1-3: training dragons and riders

s2: charles helps rebuild both literally and symbolically

s2: abduction of helena

s3: head south to train the southern dragonriders

s3: charles and roran argue about the need for their order to remain politically impartial

s3: charles gives roran his blessing as a better rider and man than himself after realizing roran was right about vincent being a spy

s3: falls to his death saving roran from cassius

TRAJECTORY:

Overall Arc: goes from a chipper, impulsive boy w a good heart (flashbacks) to a strict, impulsive curmudgeon (s1) to a wise, if sardonic, leader who believes in hope and idealism, again (s3)

Season 1 Arc (Step 1 of 3): from a strict, impulsive curmudgeon to someone able to trust in at least some aspect of the hope for the world that is represented by roran and arya

Season 2 Arc (Step 2 of 3): from someone beginning to believe in someone else again, to someone able to see that perhaps he, himself, can still make a difference

Season 3 Arc (Step 3 of 3): from someone beginning to believe in hope again -- both for himself and for those around him -- and thus to realizing that the world isn't terrible just its oppressors who can still be defeated, to a wise, if sardonic, leader who believes in hope and idealism, again

Season 4 Arc (Step 4 of 4):

ENGINE OF CHANGE:

Internal goal/desire: Truth, to protect himself and others, to be in control his hiw own life and destiny, justice and autonomy and freedom for all

Why can’t they get it? His world is currently in the grip of an oppressive regime...and Charles blames himself since, as a dragonrider, it was his duty to protect everyone from this

Interally-motivated external goal: to cast out and defeat rowena & cassius, to restore the order of the dragonriders, to give roran his best chance & his best life, to free aragoth, to set the record straight about the purge & the dragonriders & his brother, to regain his own sense of idealism & worth & hope

Why can’t they get it? nyria is dead & severax isn’t, all the riders are dead & all but 3 eggs gone, protecting roran fromt he world is in conflict w the greater good & roran’s happiness but so is letting smth happen to him, aragoth is held firm in the clutches of a witch queen who is heralded throughout the land as goodness herself, the riders heralded as the ultimate evil who though sworn to take no part attempted a coup to rule aragoth themselves, all he’s known is contrary to peace esp as he struggles w some form of ptsd & is haunted constantly by the ever-present reminders & popular hatred of his dead - murdered - loved ones, his survivor’s guilt & feelings of uselessness & self-loathing for that prevent the last

What are they afraid of: Of being harmed and controlled by others, both for himself and for others, loss of control

How character views the world: Helpless, in need of saving, fragile, atp kinda hopeless, dark, cruel, kill or be killed kinda place, fantasy!mad max vibes in his head tbqh atp

How character views self: A washed up failure who had one (1) job and just wasn't up to it!! and got everyone he loved killed bc he was such a colossal failure!! honestly he sucks so bad he's almost as bad as cassius and it def should've been him and not his bro and dragon who died -- the world would def be better off rn if that had gone down that way! which is why he has to be so, so careful abt roran!!! he cannot get him killed too!!!!! but he needs to realize that 1) its not his fault and 2) he can give roran the tools roran needs to protect himself and thus help save the world!

INTERNAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What is his/her greatest fear?  Of being harmed or controlled by others, both for himself and others, loss of control

Inner motivation: To be self-reliant, to prove his strength and resist weakness, to be important in his world, to dominate the environment, and to stay in control of his situation

Kryptonite: Having his trust betrayed

What is his/her misbelief about life (to be challenged ~this season)?  It's all gone to shit and there's nothing anyone can do about it and no matter how hard you try you're just gonna get shot down and ground into the mud again and againa and again and maybe its not even worth trying anymore, maybe all that idealism was misplaced all along, and everyone he loves and everything he holds dear is doomed <3

Lesson he/she needs to learn (this season): There is always hope for a better world as long as there's even just one fool left willing to fight for it (ngl cedric might say this to him point blank asp if someone else doesn't and then he promptly dies oops -- charles: 'guess i gotta be that fool now -- again' and im only ~kind of kidding) /// at first he'll be fighting just to protect roran and his friends but he's gotta learn to let roran fly (literally) on his own two wings but by the end of the season he's 1) tryna let roran have some of that autonomy he, himself, so craves and has been ironically denying roran in an effort to protect him and 2) fighting not just to protect his loved ones but also to try and save the world etc

What is the best thing in his/her life?  Roran (even if he is sometimes ALSO the bane of his existence alskdjfkjdsf #fatherfigureproblems) and later Arya, the Resistance (tho he feels he's failed them), hope (eventually, atm he's more 'local man loses last additional shred of hope he didn't even know he had' oops), his memories (tho those are also incredibly painful -- you can see why he's depressed and the town drunk tbqh)

What is the worst thing in his/her life?  The Purge!, Cassius, Severax, Rowena, Dezod!, the current oppressive governmental structure of aragoth, blaming himself for things that were literally outside of his control <3, ptsd flashbacks etc (what's the quote from daredevil 'this isn't something that ~happened to frank, it's something that's ~happening to him')!

What does she/he most often look down on people for?  Dishonesty/untrustworthiness! betrayal! cruelty! injustice! (you can see why he's such a loyal citizen of the crown ;D)

What makes his/her heart feel alive?  Loyalty, truth, justice, shared warmth w ppl he cares about/good ppl, looking out for others!, lively discussions and debates where two peopl can come to better understand each other and appreciate one another's pov w/o rancor!, shared laughter, mischief

What makes him/her feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? All the above, and almost certainly Roran but shhh his crusty shell isn't quick to admit this

Top three things he/she values most in life?  His loved ones, the greater good of all aka his ideals aka freedom/truth/justice (he views those things as effectively synonymous bc how can you truly have one w/o having the others?), dragons

EXTERNAL: NOT NECESSARY, BUT GOOD TO KNOW AND SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What’s his/her favorite book, movie, and band? lotr!!! and frankly all things tolkien he'd def love tho he's probs a book purist and probs complains abt the various changes esp gimli's personality and he cannot ABIDE the hobbit series...except he'd love the smaug visuals a whole lot so he'd have lotsa mixed feelings abt actually watching it, eragon, star wars!! esp the og trilogy, daredevil, the watchmen, v for vendetta, spn, honestly he probs likes classic rock a lot im realizing modern!charles and will selznick probs have a lottttt in common ngl laksdjfkjdsf anyway he'd also probs like mcr

Is there an object he/she can’t bear to part with and why? That'd be his ~dragonsword/armor tho he def ends up giving them to roran and ngl that is a HUGE moment for mah guy tho he absolutely tries to downplay it as much as possible bc of who he is as a person smdh this might even be a good way to close out his ~giving roran authomny~ arc

Describe a typical outfit for him/her from top to bottom.  Honestly he just throws on whatever allows for easy movement bc he never knows when he might have to fight and is relatively comfortable/free of holes etc he aint super picky he's all about utility (tho young Char was probs more aware of his appearance etc)

What names or nicknames has he/she been called throughout their life?  Char, young Degrey, Charles, Sir Charles, Degrey, Drake, probs Master Derake by "Cora" (Charles: wtf)

What is his/her method of manipulation? honestly he's mostly super domineering and like YOU WILL DO X ngl, confrontational, insensitive, controlling, possessive, intimidating, rebellious

Describe their daily routine.  Tbh he's not super into routines but it def involves a lot of getting drunk spiced up by as much 1) help as he give to those around him 2) farming and 3) doing his best to actually raise roran

Their go-to cure for a bad day? Atp every day is a bad day and he just gets drunk abt it so clearly v healthy (honestly him tryna stop should probs be a subplot for him too), but it used to be laughing w his loved ones and helping others and generally joy and celebration ngl -- young Char was a loT healthier needless to say

CURRENT CHARACTER GOALS:

How is your character dissatisfied with their life? How isn't he! this is basically his worst nightmare!! he has no autonomy, he's failed everyone and everything he ever believed in finally even abandoning the eastern and southern resistances to take care of his dead brother's kid who wouldn't be an orphan if he'd done his one (1) job etc etc etc

What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment? Nyria finally freeing aragoth from its shackles and thus saving both roran and everyone else!

What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? Killing Cassius and overthrowing Rowena

How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? Welp, he tried that one already and it did NOT go super great -- it resulted in their current nightmare situation as far as charles can tell

How does your protagonist feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? Helping the Resistance and hitting the evil empire right where it hurts -- in the dragon, honestly his overall plan at the start is probs ultimately to draw cassius out and duel him and die doing it like at the start charles is lowkey suicideal he just can't do that to roran. over time this will shift tho and it'll be not tryna get dragon eggs to get cassius to come to him and kill him, but rather to grab dragon eggs in order to build the order back up and restore justice etc as his hope arc progresses

THE BACKSTORY SCENES THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

moment #1: becoming the youngest ever dragonrider

What does your character go into the backstory scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome? charles 100% idealized the dragonriders esp bc his big bro was one and one of the most celebrated of them!! and then when he ~himself becoame not just one but the youngest ever he felt like the king of the clouds!! he was walking on water!! it ~def made him cocky ngl but at first it def felt unimaginable to him surely ~he wasn't the stuff of legends bcdragonriders are living legends etc etc etc

How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs? At first it felt like unreality -- he couldn't be a living legend -- but then it became arrogance bc if he was a dragonrider, and a notable one for being the youngest ever, surely he was destined for insane greatness!

What is their conclusion/new belief? He is undefeatable! obv this belief will never come back to bite him <3

moment #2: the purge

What does your character go into the backstory scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome? He believes the dragonriders are the single greatest organization to ever exist! And untouchable -- literally blessed by the gods, saviors to all, etc etc. Surely they cannot be defeated!! Oh, they'll be tested as in all great stories, but in the end, they will surely triumph! There's no other way!

How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs? Honestly he lowkey thinks this right up to the moment that Cassius throws Will's sword down by him and he realizes his brother is dead that's when the horror sinks in and blind fear anf fury consume him and he strikes hopelessly at Cassius and swears his oath to destroy him -- this is still him fighting, even knowing. But then Cassius just throws it back like 'how?' and the bloody blade is still gleaming and Char just looks at it and looks and knows his brother would NEVER give it up. not ever

What is their conclusion/new belief? This world is broken and cruel. He's still fighting w the moysaunts etc at first but its as much for revenge and protect those he still can as. t is out of idealism. W will gone, there's no real hope and his arrogance has cost him everything -- even his beloved brother

moment #3: helping to found and interacting w the resistance along w mama moysaunt etc

What does your character go into the backstory scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome? Sure, the world isn't the golden, good place he believed, but there's still hope of changing it! his brother didn't die for nothing! they can still do what the dragonriders were always meant to do and save as many ppl as they can!

How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs? By fighting the good fight! By telling himself his brother didn't die in vain! By helping everyone he could and telling himself that as long as he was working this way, he wasn't letting will die, not really

What is their conclusion/new belief? That there's still hope for this wretched world just as long as they keep fighting the good fight -- as long as there's at least one dragonrider out there to do it, the order isn't dead and there's still hope!

moment #4: becoming roran's not!father & the death of mama moysaunt

What does your character go into the backstory scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome? he believes the above, but then as soon as he's recalled, he has to look what's left o his brother in the eye and acknowledge for absolute certain that will is dead bc he would NEVER, NEVER abandon his boy and, sure, roran's what's left of his brother but he's also living proof that will's dead and w him so many other good ppl and THEN when charles abandons mama moysaunt, she is KILLED by cassius like obv charles is just fucking up left and right, will died protecting him and now his friend is dead bc he abandoned her etc

How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs? honestly atp it just...it collapses he just can't believe in anything anymore and he has this darling little boy he loves but feels doomed to fail -- and already has bc he deprived him of his father etc and the best he can possibly be to little roran is a poor facimile of will of whom he's already deprived the little boy

What is their conclusion/new belief? his current world view that everything is ugly and terrible and doomed and there's no hope <3

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Get Abbie's Writing Templates

this is all good stuff -- her breakdown of the enneagram is esp helpful imo

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Why Rowena Kills

imma put a list of potentials here and probs continue to reblog as i think of new motives etc (some of these can probs be combined too)

MY GODS WHAT HAVE I DONE: she did kill them -- but it was an accident: rowena's dark powers weren't fully in her control and she decided to do smth taht was bad (idk? use it to hurt/intimidate her dad or smth idek) but it got out of control and killed them or smth/and/or someone tries to assassinate her or smth and, tryna kill the assassin, she kills her dad instead or smth

I WONT LET YOU DO THIS TO THEM: her fam wanted to pass a controversial new law or ally w a bad dude or smth that rowena truly believed would hurt aragoth etc

I WONT LET ANYONE HURT ME AGAIN/I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE: she is contracted into a jon valles-esque marriage and takes matters into her own hands when her family insists they can't end the marriage or whatever (probs bc they've been manipulated by dezod <3) and then probs crushes and subjugates that country...maybe in this scenario her hubby was king ~valerian or whatever his name is of the shouthern isles and that's the origin of the war etc

MY PRECIOUS: possession of the one ring dark magic drives her half mad and she kills them

I CAN STOP IT: rowena is motivated by a vision of the future, of her own: she loves her family but she knows that ~apocalyptic future~ will occur if they survive (possibly bc it'll take someone whose willing to be utterly ruthless to get through ~whatever~) so she makes the horrific sacrificial choice to spare aragoth by killing some of the ppl she loves most

I WILL NOT BOW: as above, rowena has a vision but instead of some apocalypse...she sees her own death and makes the ~selfish decision rather than the selfless one to kill them to save herself

I SERVE ONLY YOU: she's a true blue devotee of the demon god and she legit just wants to murder ppl to serve her god

ORDER OVER CHAOS: she believes the only way forward is to instill order...and that droyn is sowing the world w chaos (whether by his tenderheart rule or some other way) and knows he's gotta go -- her mom and bro get in the way

CHAOS IS A LADDER: the same thing but w reverse reasoning

I WILL SAVE YOU: rowena is dangerously convinced that what she's doing is the right thing and she will stop at NOTHING to do what she believes in -- downside/potential upside, this is sort of what is going on w cassius (kind of) but if we do that deliberately and treat them as foils, that could lend greater insight into both