Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Planning stages

I have some ideas for a Changeling chronicle, and decided to play it out on my own and write it down as a serialized story on this blog. I'm currently outlining the first part. If you want to follow the planning, here's a synopsis for the whole story.

Click for spoilers

Charlie was abducted as a child, but only spent a short time in Arcadia. He has since blocked out his memories of the True Fae, but they still visit him in nightmares. Through most of his life, he's been half changeling, half human, living with one foot in the Hedge. He has bouts of incredible luck followed by the worst luck imaginable. He works his way to the top, only to fall all the way to the bottom.

One day he recognizes a grove in a park he's never visited before. He steps through a gateway to the Hedge and is recaptured. After what seems like an eternity, he escapes, forever changed.

In his life as fully fledged changeling, Charlie has trouble finding a place in his new world. He lacks any clear memories of Arcadia, and thus can't identify with the other Lost. Everything is so very strange, yet it all feels strangely familiar. He changes courts roughly every year, seeing from the inside how each court rules during its season.

Following his instincts, Charlie suppresses his memories of Faerie once again and falls for the allure of the Spring Court. Having lived a most magical life, he regales his fellow courtiers with tales of poetic justice, echoing his own experiences in the mortal world. He grows fond of another Lost in the Spring Court, and joins her motley. They go to various functions throughout the year, introducing him to the other courts and the various Freehold members.

His motley is wiped out, and gripped by sorrow and paranoia, Charlie goes to ground. He finds solace when a member of the Winter Court takes him under her wing. He learns to blend in and returns to living as a mortal under an assumed identity. He starts to blame himself for his motley's unfortunate fate; he should've known better, recognized the danger and warned his friends. While remaining unseen at the edges of the Hedge, he learns a secret that piques his interest in the art of magic.

Charlie decides to stop repeating his mistakes, and to face his greatest fear: his memories. He turns to the Autumn Court, who find that his newly acquired secrets make him the perfect candidate. Charlie learns that his memories weren't suppressed, they were blocked by his Fae Keeper, to use him in an attempt to destabilize the changeling courts. After finding his true changeling identity and doing some soul searching, Charlie begins to disagree with the Autumn court's methods. He is shunned.

Fear gives way to wrath as Charlie regains his confidence. He wants revenge, and he has no patience for anything other than a direct conflict. Shedding his borrowed mantles, he unlocks new abilities that manifest during a Summer test of strength. The Summer court recruits him due to his newfound physical prowess, but will they help him in his campaign against his Keeper? Can Charlie convince the four courts to band together against the greatest threat they have ever faced?

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