I'm planning to roughly draft 5 x 10,000 word novellas (?) set in this same universe and with the same cast. Given that I've mostly written short stories so far, I thought this would be the best approach easing my way into NaNo. The best way to describe my project is 'the RPG is over, how do we settle back into the real world?'. Despite the solemn-sounding tone and political elements, I do hope I can get some comedy into this piece as well as heartwarming slice-of-life moments.
P.S. I'm currently planning either third-person omniscient narrative voice (because it's an ensemble cast) or third-person limited. Any opinions on this (strong or otherwise) are very much appreciated.
General Premise
After his bloodline's rule for nearly 200 years, a tyrant king has just been toppled. With the coronation of a new queen, the kingdom enters an uncertain period. Minor nobles are jostling for power and favour with the new monarch, especially with her promise to give ministers a fair hearing. However, the people are not keen to have another dictator come into power, hence there brews chaos and new factions of opposition, such as former heroes vying for the crown. Their claims are convincing to the populace, since the new queen has a weak bloodline claim to the throne anyway.
The Heroes' Guild is an organisation which utilised volunteer labour to fight the king's army. Having birthed many legends, it has secured a powerful place at the queen's court. Now that the battle is over, though, flaws in its system are starting to resurface, including the problematic law that allows any methods in order to fulfill quests. Its favour in court has also made it possible for friends to secure the pardons of many rogue heroes attempting to challenge the crown for their own ends. Because of this, the long unbroken love for the Guild is coming into question.
Against this backdrop, a new folk hero contends with bureaucrats and a blundering populace as she attempts to reform the Heroes' Guild, foreseeing the unpopularity of the Guild as well as the overall damage it does to the population at peace. She requests an audience with the queen to overturn the aforementioned rule in their Guild law.
The society of this world is highly superstitious and dominated by personality cults. On the one hand, this gives an advantage to people who are more pragmatic. During the war, pragmatism helped peasants fight as well as nobles, as they could debunk the 'fake' elements of the nobles' alleged prestige and power. On the other hand, the power of the personality cult itself makes people stubborn when it comes to questioning their status quo. Pragmatists are not popular.
Aided by an early retiree and her band of former miscreants, Golzar must learn her way in the world without resorting to solitude and vigilantism. She has only recently been elected to the Guild council, and many challenge the legitimacy of her appointment. Guild council members are xenophobic and distrust the youth, considering themselves an 'Old Guard' of heroes. Furthermore, they have their own traditions of heroism and camaraderie that contradict Golzar's more universal values.
Severe social inequality has bred grounds of support for Golzar. With the new queen retaking land from peasants who had won it from the king's army, some are rising up against the feudal state altogether. However, Golzar will need to balance performing in the political circus with staying true to her and her friends' ideals. Golzar needs a reason to show she's not just another charismatic tyrant and that her ideals won't become the new superstition . . .
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