Michael Plot 002

  1. Prologue For Planetary Romance 001
    1. Part 1: Introduction of Jayana.
      1. Is 12 years old and lives in palace
      2. Is betrothed to the prince of Tyka
      3. home is attacked
      4. flees for Uncles home in Dhundhlar
    2. Part 2: Introduction of Jonathan and Edgar
      1. Battle of Yorktown, Jonathan helps defend a redoubt in vicious melee combat.
      2. Edgar takes a bit of shrapnel to the head.
      3. Jonathan visits Edgar after battle in the infirmary, Edgar has an eye patch.
  2. Main Story
    1. Part 1: Eikolok
      1. Chapter 1: A meeting in Hartville
        1. On his way to Uncle William's farm—in Hartville, Massachusetts (Modern-day Washington, Massachusetts)—Jonathan witnesses golems issuing forth from a portal in the midst of a bunch of people (what do people gather for in rural 1790s US?). Jonathan starts helping people evacuate the area and loses his horse to a fleeing man. Jonathan sees someone captured by the golems and placed in a giant vat attached to the back of another type of golem. Jayana is recklessly battling a golem using a relic that allows her to convert crank motion through the Chulchinor into a blast of energy. The energy burns the golems but seems to only be keeping them at bay. Jonathan uses his knowledge of the terrain and tactics to disable the golem.
        2. Jonathan discovers the fierce young woman that was beset by the hulking automatons doesn't speak any English. She makes a big deal about her crankshaft blaster canon thing coming apart when Jonathan tried to save her when using it. Jonathan has started hearing a sleepy voice but internally refuses to face the fact that he might be going insane.
        3. The survivors go to check out the wreckage from the battle and discover that the broken golems are gone. Apparently, someone returned to recover the demolished beasts, and on top of that, even more villagers are missing now. They are ambushed by new golems. Jonathan sees a vision of the Kulinor, which offers to help him with the golems. Still, he refuses, and uncle William is taken. Additionally, the portal seems to be inoperable.
      2. Chapter 2: Coming into Riok
        1. Jayana leads the two through an oak with a hole near the roots which transports them into a dense wood. Jayana finds that the Chulchinor will not come off of Jonathan's arm.
        2. The three make their way north to the home of Jayana's uncle. Jayana tries to explain, but is unable to due to the language barrier.
        3. Several days pass as the company finally reaches the heart of the woods, where they are greeted as friends of Jayana.
        4. The three stay in the woods for several months. While there, Jayana asks her uncle if there is a way to remove the Chulchinor from Jonathan's arm. As well, the people of the forest attempt to teach Ned and Jonathan their language. Jonathan has a hard time with it. Ned, whose mother is French, has a better ear for languages, and so learns some of what is taught. They are told that the wood they are in is called Dhurndhlar, and that it was once the seat of a great empire.
        5. Jayana's uncle explains that the Chulchinor cannot be removed unless the warrior who wears it is dead, or the limb it is attached to is severed.
        6. One more night passes, and Jayana speaks with Jonathan about what her uncle said. Jonathan tells her that he will not die until he gets his uncle back, and until then, he will help her however he can. Jayana is comforted by this.
      3. Chapter 3: Flight from Dhurndhlar
        1. At dawn of the next morning, the three are treated to a rude awakening as golems attack. The warriors gather and prepare a defense as civilians are evacuated. Jonathan and company are led away with the civilians at the command of the king, who joins his warriors in the defense. The large band does not get far before they are accosted by more golems. The warriors escorting the civilians form a defense, but Jayana, Jonathan, and Ned are separated from the group, and Jonathan is separated from the other two.
        2. Ned fights to defend Jayana, who is being chased by the golems. Many are killed, but Ned is wounded.
        3. As it appears that Ned will die. Jonathan bursts from the brush and attacks the golems, slaying many in his first assault. He tells Jayana and Ned to flee while he continues to fight. Ned, however, will not leave his friend, and a small skirmish ensues.
        4. A warrior dressed in black robes appears and attacks Jonathan, who at this point has taken several blows form the golems. Tired, but still fighting, Jonathan manages to severely wound the warrior, but at the cost of his sword being broken.
        5. Jonathan thrusts the stub of his sword toward the warrior's throat, but the warrior deflects the blow and beheads Jonathan.
        6. Ned, in a rage, attacks the warrior, who cuts the haft of Ned's axe in half. Ned jabs the lower half into the wound which Jonathan had given the warrior, granting Ned time to swing hard with his axe, cleaving the foe's face in two. The warrior falls dead. With Jonathan dead, Jayana takes the Chulchinor.
        7. The two flee, eventually meeting back up with the band of refugees. Ned and Jayana mourn Jonathan's death.
      4. Chapter 4: Jonathan the Immortal
        1. As Jonathan lies dead, his body is lifted up in a beam of light. Suddenly, his head his back on his shoulders, and he is in front of a woman of radiant beauty.
        2. The woman says her name is Eirintar, goddess of light and life, and that Jonathan's death for the sake of his friends has moved her heart. She reaches into her breast and pulls out a pearl of light, placing it in Jonathan's breast. The vision disappears and Joanthan bursts back to life surrounded by slain golems and the corpse of the warrior who had killed him. There is no sign of Ned or Jayana. Jonathan begins to fear the worst.
        3. Wandering aimlessly in the direction that the refugees had been traveling before the ambush, Jonathan finally comes out of the woods and into a vast, open plain. There are no landmarks for miles, so Jonathan takes a look at the sun. Knowing that - following the refugees path - he was headed east, Jonathan guesses the sun is setting and puts it on his right.
        4. For several days, Jonathan continues, surprisingly not losing any stamina or feeling very hungry.
        5. Jonathan finally decides to rest - after many days of travel - on the top of a hill and sleeps for the night. Though he did not feel tired, the sleep is very welcomed.
        6. When he wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by a strange band riding steeds that look almost reptilian.
        7. The band of riders leads Jonathan to a large camp of nearly ten-thousand riders. The gathering is a sight to behold.
        8. Jonathan asks why they've brought him here, but the riders simply say that they will take him to the Fair One. He is able to understand some of what they say because of the gift of Eirintar.
      5. Chapter 5: Arrival at the village of Fwaynel
        1. Ned and Jayana stop with the rest of the refugees outside a small village. Ned, who was a corpsman with the continentals, helps the surgeons. Jayana simply sits in silence.
        2. One of the noblewomen from Dhurndhlar sits by Jayana and begins to talk, asking her why a princess is sulking. The two begin to form a mentoring relationship as the noble explains practices which become a noble, practices which Jayana had not learned since she fled her home.
        3. Jayana and Ned begin to talk that night, and Ned shares stories of life with Jonathan. Ned tells Jayana that Jonathan was always a selfless fighter. Ned tells Jayana, "Not even age could take him, save that there was someone who his death could serve."
        4. Jayana tells Ned that she had felt something for Jonathan before his end. She had confronted Jonathan about it, but Jonathan had not reciprocated; and that she had been surprised that Jonathan would not want to be with a princess. Ned explains that Jonathan never had his sights set high, he would marry for love, not status.
        5. Ned tells Jayana a bit about Jonathan's life surrounding the war, that Jonathan had been a lover of fantasies when he was younger, but the war had changed him. It had robbed him of optimistic idealism and turned him into a realist. Still, it had never taken away the one thing which made Jonathan who he was, his love for people.
        6. Several days pass, and the head of the guard comes to speak tot he refugees. He tells them that their original plan - to go to the capital of Eikolok - was now impossible, with the news that the city had fallen. This causes a panic in the crowd, but Jayana steps up and calms everyone. She tells them that there would be a fallback for the people of Eikolok, a fortress to the north called Hiltinar that was meant to serve as a temporary capital. It is at this point that Ned learns that Jayana is the princess of Eikolok. The guard agrees to have Jayana lead the way while the princess gets a kind smile from her new mentor.
      6. Chapter 6: The Durchanin
        1. Jonathan is brought into the tent of a woman who calls herself Faolimidh, the leader of the riders who are called the Durchanin. Jonathan asks as best as he can why she brought him here, to which Faolimidh replies that she sensed the presence of another immortal. Jonathan is rightly confused.
        2. Faolimidh explains the history of immortals, that her mother was the first, and all the gifts which come with the status. She explains that Jonathan can understand her because she is speaking the language of the first immortal, but he cannot understand the others as well because their language has changed much since the days of her childhood. She explains to Jonathan that, because he died for that which he loved, he was made an immortal, since such sacrifice moves the heart of Eirintar.
        3. Jonathan asks about Eirintar, and Faolimidh gives a brief explanation of Eirintar, the goddess of light, and Arvintar, the god of darkness. She then tells Jonathan to get some sleep, he may not feel tired, but he does need his rest. This is one of the changes he will need to get used to.
        4. In the middle of the night, Faolimidh wakes Jonathan and takes him to the top of the hill. There, she tells him that when the skies are clear, immortals can speak to Eirintar, though it takes practice and discipline. From that point, Faolimidh begins to train Jonathan as an immortal.
        5. After a week of camping, the rider break and move north. Faolimidh explains that the scouts had found a band of refugees heading north to the fortress of Hiltinar. Jonathan tells Faolimidh about his uncle, and about Ned and Jayana. Faolimidh tells Jonathan that there was a prison train spotted heading to Voros, and if the Duchanin hurry, they can cut the enemy off at the northern pass.
      7. Chapter 7: Ambush on the northward road
        1. Ned walks with Jayana as the refugees make their way north. As the train crests a hill, Ned sees a cloud of dust in the distance. One of the guards calls out that they are under attack.
        2. Ned goes with the refugees because of his broken axe, and because he wants to protect Jayana for Jonathan's sake.
        3. Jayana leads the civilians north while the guards intercept the golems.
        4. Several golems break through the line, and Ned grabs the upper half of his axe to kill them. Just then, a group a cavalrymen rush in and sweep over the golems. a fierce battle ensues as Ned and Jayana try to lead the refugees to safety.
        5. Many of the refugees are borne down upon by the golems, and a few even come after Jayana. Ned, however, kills them with his axe.
        6. Jayana points out the mountain gully where the fortress of Hiltinar is. The refugees attempt to make their way through the chaos, but despite all the soldiers fighting to protect them, only twenty or thirty make it through. Jayana's mentor is killed before Jayana or Ned can reach her.
        7. The last of the golems are killed as Ned and Jayana come through barely unscathed with a handful of other people.
      8. Chapter 8: Battle of the Northern Watch
        1. Faolimidh leads the Durchanin north to a large knoll crowned with a ring of ruins. Faolimidh says that the place was once the northernmost fortress of an ancient empire, built to keep northern barbarians from raiding the countryside. It is a fitting place for them to free the prisoners. Several scouts come from that direction to tell Faolimidh that a large army of Golems is coming lead by a man they call Andarian the Black. Faolimidh seems frightened, but after looking at Jonathan for a moment, she says they will hold their course.
    2. Part 2:The Siege of Hiltinar