spellblade/plans.md

# Spellblade Plot

https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/

## One Sentence

A woman realizes the gap between two opposites and their place in the middle.

## Kick in the Pants

> something I feel is missing from this set-up is, what is Alicia's overarching
> motive? What is she doing this for? Why the army recruiting process, and how
> would an underground school help her further her goals
>
> what is it that _moves her_?

> This whole thing is meant to be an allegory for coming out as nonbinary. Her
> goal is to not be so afraid of herself.

## Cover Idea

Use the palette of the nonbinary pride flag, yellow sky, white clouds, Alicia
in purple holding her locus to the sky, black ground w/ yellow highlights. 

## One Paragraph

Alicia is a student at the Zhalram School of Bladecraft, one of two schools
owned by a shadowy organization that oversees the Zhalrami army recruiting
process. Alicia is troubled in her schooling and tries to suppress her innate
magical talents with little success. Alicia finds a spiritualist in town and the
spiritualist encourages her to use her magic in battle, making her team the
cream of the crop (with various social consequences). Alicia gets caught by the
schoolmasters and confronted to admit she is a spellcrafter, leading Alicia to
disagree and mention the term "spellblade"; arguing that she has a unique gift
and she wants to see where it will end up. Kala backs Alicia and reveals xe is a
spellblade too. The teachers have never seen this happen and deliberate before
accepting Alicia and encouraging them to continue down that path.

- First battle
  - Cover the setting
    - Introduce the bladecraft school
    - Introduce spellcraft and frame it as an "other"
    - Introduce Alicia undergoing a magical awakening
  - Accidentally uses powers on the field
    - Leads to victory
    - Puts herself in the line of fire
  - Tongue-lashing for the absurdly crazy strategy
  - Meal hall
  - Bed, idle thoughts about her magic
- Refusal of the Call
  - Zekas is told about Alicia's glowing hands and suspiciously fast healing.
    He keeps a closer eye on her.
  - Alicia decides to shelve the issue of her magic and completely ignore it.
    Discusses dream with Tistus.
  - A battle with green team, they have the high ground.
    - Zekas watches one of the battles to see if Alicia does anything. Zekas
      notices a glint in the distance after Alicia gets struck.
- The threshold and the mentor
  - Alicia meets Kala by pure chance in the quad, Kala is tending to a beautiful
    garden. Discussions about magic happen. Kala is smoking a joint while doing
    xer work. Idle talk about magic and how it can blend with bladecraft,
    leaving Alicia to be confused.
  - Tistus gets mortally wounded in a battle after someone illegally uses a rock.
    Alicia grabs him and consciously decides to risk healing him.
    - Flashbacks to her father noticing signs of this happening and teaching her
      how to suppress her gift
      - The magical side would effectively kidnap her from a young age and her
        father wanted to be with Alicia as a kid, the Zhalrami army desperately
        needs spellcrafters for battle with Usill.
      - Father died in the aftermath of an avalanche.
      - Alicia enrolled in the bladecraft school to get away from home because it
        reminded her of her dad.
    - Tistus is saved, the enemy doesn't know they made that wound.
      - The threshold is crossed.
  - Tistus and Alicia talk in secret about this.
- Magic tutoring from Kala
  - Alicia goes to Kala in secret to learn healing magic from Kala. Kala is
    confused at first, but things add up and xe becomes more than happy to mentor
    her.
- Getting Caught
  - Terrible anxiety
  - Discussions with teachers
    - Risk of explusion
  - Kala steps in and references the face that spellblades aren't as uncommon as
    they think and being an asshole about it won't change the face that it
    happens, it'll only make it harder for people that are spellblades.
  - Teacher deliberations
    - Alicia is crying
- Breakthrough experience/rebirth
  - Alicia has a horriffic nightmare during the deliberations and that pushes
    them into accepting their life scenario.
  - Alicia is given an option to speak on their behalf before the verdict is
    given.
  - Alicia is a spellblade and they are not alone.
  - Maybe end it here???