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.

## 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 attempts (and fails) to hide
her natural talent for magic; she tries to use her magic skills to assist her
team in the battle drills but gets caught. Alicia gets monitored more closely
and comes out to Tistus about her magical powers, Tistus is concerned for Alicia
but accepts her and they work together to make the suspicion go away.

- Cover the setting
  - Introduce the bladecraft school
  - Introduce spellcraft and frame it as an "other"
  - Introduce Alicia's powers
  - Get caught by Tistus
  - Use powers on the field
  - Gets caught
- Teachers deliberate and propose a magical vivisection, something that would
  purge someone of their magical powers
  - Alicia argues she didn't ask for this
  - 

Alicia gets expelled and then roams
around the marketplace she talks with a spiritualist named Kala and ends up
getting roped into their underground school of mixed arts. 

## Slightly Longer

Alicia is a student at the Zhalram school of Bladecraft, she is on the Red Team
and works with her teammates to get through various battle drills. Unbeknownst
to most people, Alicia has a talent for spellcraft as well (a large taboo for
someone in the school of bladecraft) and is desperately trying to hide it from
others, but slips up and is discovered. The school elders have discussions about
this and then decide to put Alicia under academic probation. Alicia roams around
the merchant district of Zhalram and happens across a spiritualist that offers
Alicia a magical locus that is shaped like a sword and hints at the bladecraft
and spellcraft schools being operated by the same person. Alicia experiments
with it and then hides it in her room. 

## Old Chapter Checklist

- [ ] Introduction to the school of bladecraft. Alicia is shown to suppress
      her magic and tensions between spellcraft and bladecraft are hinted at.
      Zekas starts to get suspicious of Alicia.
- [ ] Alicia has a chance encounter with a spiritualist that points out Alicia's
      twin aura and pulls her into an alley to talk about magic. Alicia refuses
      an offer of a spellblade locus for her magical talent. Another battle,
      another narrow victory, another scolding. Zekas talks with a teacher about
      Alicia.
- [ ] Alicia meets with the spiritualist again and accepts the locus, getting
      shown how to wear it as a bit of jewelery. Alicia wears it into her next
      battle and her team wins, but Alicia is called out for cheating with
      magic.
- [ ] Interrogation by the school's headmaster, threats of expulsion for daring
      to mix bladecraft and spellcraft. Alicia attempts to come out as a
      spellblade to the headmaster and is laughed back to her barracks. Various
      drama ensues. Tistus offers support to Alicia and they cuddle to sleep.
- [ ] Another battle day, Alicia uses her locus to empower herself and takes
      point to defend the flag point.