October 2021 Prep Docs (Adherennium)

October 2nd - Saturday - Plot: Premise

Where does my story take place?

This is going to be a fantasy setting, inasmuch as I am not going to aim for strict historical accuracy in my geographical or historical details.

Most scenes will take place in Albion (Britain). Boudica has her capital in Chester, this being considered central to the islands that constitute her kingdom. I need to reread some of the books I had on Mithras to remind me of what I had thought could be used to 'split' the belief. If I cannot find it I will have to devise something.

Some scenes will need to be placed in Mainland Europe, particularly those where the two seats of religious power are centred. Rome will be one of these, and the other in Warsaw.

The time setting is the later part of the 16th Century. I don't propose at the moment to create an alternate calendar, though obviously this would not be 16th Century AD, since Christianity is not the dominant religion. There was a Mithras Saviour, and he was born about 272 BCE, so I could calculate years from then, though of course the Celtic people's almost certainly would follow their own calendar. Perhaps this can be dated from when Boudica defeated the Roman army, and united the Celtic peoples as one nation. I rather like this idea.


Protagonist

My main protagonist is Queen Boudica III, as she will become early in the novel. The novel will open with her taking the Mindwalk Pavilion. This will allow me to describe the way that who is Queen, (or King), is decided, the significance of the council, but also importantly the idea that mind powers or psychic abilities are involved in the story.

Boudica is to an extent based on Elizabeth I. She is intelligent and well educated. Her ancestry is Welsh, and her father, half brother and half sister have all ruled Albion before her. This succession of a single family is uncommon, but the family is unusually gifted, and often throws up rulers.


Flaws

Elizabeth finds it hard to trust anyone, and she is especially awkward in dealing with romantic interest. Dealing with people takes effort on her part, and she is often terrified of having to interact with others, even those she knows quite well. Her major flaw is procrastination. Because she can often see all sides of an argument, she finds it difficult to choose a course of action. Occasionally fear of 'getting it wrong' will paralyse her and make her unable to act at all, often until it is too late. Her close advisors are aware of this and will help all they can.

Very rarely she will lose her temper, but surprisingly this is often when she acts decisively and deals with problems that have been building up.

Being young, she is still somewhat naive and may not realise the full ramifications of her actions.


Goals

At a simple level Boudica wishes to prove that despite her youth she is capable of being Queen, and of ruling her people wisely. This will involve dealing with the situations arising from the countries interactions with the wider world - developing her sea power, and establishing a strong foothold in the 'New World'. She will also face internal challenges caused by the spread of the Mithraic religion, which was accelerated by her half sister's marriage to the King of Spain. This was a plot by the Roman Mithras block, and it was derailed by the early death of Mary (will change the name). The plot to use Boudica in a similar manner will extend from this.

She desires to build her abilities, and develop the Mindwalk Pavilion so that she can remain Queen in the face of the inevitable challenges to her power that are allowed after the three year grace period has expired. Challenges can happen at any time, though they will be discouraged if a monarch is seen as being successful.

Her personal ambitions involve a thirst to know as much about everything as she can. This has been instilled in her by her tutor Roger Asham, and when time allows she works with him to extend her library and workshops. With Roger she conceives the idea of luring certain of Europe's intelligentsia to Albion with the promise of patronage and assistance.

Conflicts

Certain of the families represented on the Council are extremely displeased that yet another from the same family has assumed the throne. Despite the rules, these are not above plotting to remove her, and replace her with one of their own members.

This will lead to an early attempt to rape/murder Boudica by one of the young bloods, (Will have to devise names for these). This betrayal will further make it hard for Boudica to trust potential suitors and make her fervently against the idea of marriage.

Discontented families will also seek to undermine Boudica by creating problems at a more mundane level, opposing her decisions politically, and obstructing plans by failing to keep promises, bribery and covert violence.

The two power blocks of Europe both seek to hinder Boudica and her people, using threat, and, sparingly, conflict. Neither side can really spare the forces for major conflict, because of their own ongoing conflicts with each other. They use agents to try and spread the worship of Mithras in Albion. When they become aware of the plans to lure artists, architects, engineers, astronomers etc. to Albion they make passage between Europe and Albion more difficult, though trade still continues.

Antagonists

The Roman 'Pater' - head of the Mithraic cult centred in Rome is the equivalent of the Pope. He is served by various Helidromus, (Cardinals). One of these, Bernardo Filippo Bruno, will be the main instigator of plots and plans against Boudica. In this he will be aided by a secretary Niccolò Corsini.

The Warsaw block is led by Pater Matthias.

The young man who attempts to rape Boudica is named Dafydd Morus.

One of the main families who oppose Boudica is named Ffitzjohn.

The Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent seeks to control Albion through his son Bayezid.


One sentence description of the story

New Queen Boudica III seeks to negotiate the many threats offered by a world in conflict.