Heart of The Half-Dragon

This article will contain the plot outline for Heart of The Half-Dragon. It will obviously be filled with spoilers. I'm publishing this publically for the World Ember event. I'm hoping this may help other aspiring authors figure out how to organize their own plots.
This is a first draft. Please understand that it will be changed and updated as I continue to flesh out the novel. I might also be adding some 'flashback' chapters to help fill in the backstory for the readers. There are some hints about the second novel, Ember's Quest, towards the end of this book.
Plots Organized by Character

Act 1 - Kaesta Manipulates the Game World she has built while suffering from ISND.
Act 2 - Kaesta plans a Heist but is attacked by The Maurauders.
Act 3 - Kaesta has success with the first half of the Heist.
Act 4 - Kaesta runs into problems and is trapped by violent Androids.
Act 5 - Kaesta is Rescued by Friends, including two that she is not expecting!

Act 1 - The Oracle is Trapped in a Malaise.
Act 2 - The Oracle brainstorms with Marcus. The Oracle hears The Dreamer for the first time.
Act 3 - The Oracle explores Kaesta's universe through the ship's computer.
Act 4 - The Oracle Learns about Kaesta's capture from Arastoo and Asimov.
Act 5 - The Oracle Uploads Himself to Rescues Kaesta with friends.

Act 1 - Ember Goes to Loreweaver's Festival.
Act 2 - Ember is stalked and captured by The Voidbound Cult.
Act 3 - Ember is prisoner at The Demonheart Vault, failed escape attempt #1.
Act 4 - Ember's failed escape attempt #2.
Act 5 - Ember is rescued by Marcus and company.

Act 1 - Ambroze is traumatized by the attack at The Loreweaver's Festival.
Act 2 - Ambroze stalks Ember and Alikaine but has a change of heart too late.
Act 3 - Ambroze regrets the girls' incarceration and treatment at the prison, he joins Marcus' caravan.
Act 4 - Ambroze guides the caravan through Icewraith expanse but attacks a cultist, exposing his condition to the company.
Act 5 - Ambroze helps rescue the prisoners with Marcus.

Act 1 - Marcus is shipwrecked on Polar Continent.
Act 2 - Marcus Brainstorms with Oracle and accepts his quest to save Ember.
Act 3 - Marcus learns about the problems in The Great Valley and meets Ambroze on the road.
Act 4 - Marcus travles through Icewraith Expanse and has to deal with the fallout of the Vampire Attack.
Act 5 - Marcus and his company Save the Prisoners

Act 1 Chapter Breakdown

1. Aboard a high-tech spaceship named The Escapist's Fantasy, Kaesta, a skilled programmer, manipulates a complex virtual world named The Cosmos with Arastoo's help. Asimov returns to the ship after completing maintenance. Frustrated with her most recent loss, Kaesta sends a command to the game to redirect Marcus to The Polar Continent. Asimov laments that Kaesta can't join him in the game as he enters the virtual reality looking for adventure. Kaesta's hands are giving her trouble, the numbness worries her.
2. Marcus struggles to survive while adrift at sea. He mourns his life and the people he knew from his recently submerged homeland. He spots distant mountaintops that are now isolated islands. As he paddles against the tide, trying to make it to shore, a supernatural storm drives him away. He has to put his faith in Kaesta, The Dreamer, when his path is diverted back to the open ocean. We see the direct result of Kaesta's interference and begin to establish The Dreamer Religion for our reader.
3. Ember argues against going to The Loreweaver's Festival but her mother and best friend both convince her to go. Vallencia still mournes for her husband. She asks Alikaine to take Ember with her and bring back some happy stories. The pair set off despite Ember's recent loss of her father. The reader learns a little about Elves and Kyranos' objection to Ember joining The Defenders of Akir.
4. The Oracle suffers from his malaise. He is not taking good care of himself, much to Puddlefoot's chagrin. Puddlefoot attempts to pull him out of his depression by telling him about The Ruins he has discovered. The Oracle refuses to leave The Shrine of Insight. Puddlefoot sets off on his own. The reader learns about The Serpent and Shadows War and the fact that time repeats itself.
5. Ambroze and members of The Voidbound Cult attack The Loreweaver's Festival. Ambroze is traumatized as he recalls The Nightspawn Incursion and the terrible night that most of his clan was killed. To his horror, he realizes he is on the wrong side of the fight. Now he is killing Elves because of Vareena's commands and the watchful eye of Spite, The Demon Dog. Ambroze's hesitation allows the girls to escape.
6. Rastus leaves his little home in search of food, fearful of a repeat owl attack. He hears a strange noise and finds a man washed ashore. Marcus awakens in a strange land unlike his home. This is his first encounter with a Gnome. We learn about The Hatway and get hints about Rastus's past.
7. Asimov explores an exciting location, The Ruins under Copperhill. As he makes his way through the dungeon-like location, he finds Puddlefoot spying on The Voidbound Cultists who are searching for something. They decide to steal maps and papers from the Cultists to learn what the bad guys are up to. Together as a team, they succeed but Asimov has to suddenly disappear because of an emergency aboard The Escapist's Fantasy. Puddlefoot is shocked by this.
8. While investigating an abandoned shipyard to look for supplies, Kaesta and Asimov are chased by Captain Claw and his Marauders. The chase is broken when a presumed wreck containing androids activates, scattering all parties as a battle ensues. We learn more about The Syntax War and the scarcity of supplies. Kaesta is injured but does not notice. Asimov freaks out to learn that her ISND is progressing more quickly than expected. The implant is failing.
9. Ember and Alikaine make the fateful decision to chance the crossroads. They hope to meet a caravan. They meed Ambroze, unaware that he has been stalking them. They welcome him into their group and take his advice to get off the road. The girls learn Ambroze is a first generation Elf. Neither suspects he is a vampire or that Spite is a demon. We learn a little about The Ironpeak Line and how Dwarven caravans work, even though they do not come across a caravan at this time.
10. Marcus and Rastus head towards Miller's River, expecting to find humans there. Along the way, the plight of the Pixies becomes apparent. Both Marcus and Rastus give up all of their supplies to feed the little pixies. The towns along the river have been totally destroyed by flooding. They go to bed hungry and sad about the state of the world.

Act 2 Chapter Breakdown

1. Kaesta and Asimov plan their heist. We learn that a potentially life saving implant could be obtained from Xenobotix. We learn about Lunaris and their quest objectives. Both characters worry about going to the planet that Kaesta's father, Rylan, never returned from. When Asimov enters The Cosmos, Kaesta secretly communicates with Captain Claw.
2. After crossing the river, Marcus and Rastus are in unexplored territory, beyond Rastus's knowledge. They stumble upon The Shrine of Insight and surprise The Oracle. Marcus learns he is a fateless, and because of his experience with Kaesta's storm, he is inclined to believe The Oracle.
3. Ember and Alikaine realize they are being followed. Despite Ambroze's change of heart, The Voidbound Cult finds their group. Spite has called for help and the girls end up captured. Ambroze is unable to prevent this, but the girls believe he has betrayed them. The Cultists bring other captured Elves and force the group to march into Icewraith Expanse, a place of high superstition and fear.
4. Ambroze can't handle seeing the prisoners at The Demonheart Vault. Ambroze is hungry, he needs to feed. He regrets his hunger but has little choice in the matter. He accepts a prisoner from the Cultists but does his best to ensure they live. He has a cold reception from Vareena and Vrrosh who are suspicious of him. He leaves, off to hunt on his own. Spite is sent with him again.
5. The Oracle and Marcus brainstorm how to win The Serpent and Shadows War. The Oracle uses his powers and begins a very intensive series of queries based on Marcus's suggestion they do something that has never been tried before. The Oracle declares he knows what Marcus must do to change the future of Akir.
6. Arastoo receives a notification about a Data Breach. He contacts Kaesta. Kaesta assumes it is an outside force, but Arastoo explains it is one of the characters from Akir, The Oracle. Arastoo explains that somehow The Oracle’s data has been moved. It was originally in The Equitorial Zone, then later moved to The Polar Zone, but now he is stored in the Player Files folder. He has far more data saved in variables that NPC’s do not have.

Act 3 Chapter Breakdown

1. Asimov and Arastoo have a secret meeting in Althea's quarters. Arastoo suggests recruiting The Oracle to help him go over the heist plans. The Oracle arrives in The Eternal Library, as Arastoo's first house guest.
2. Ember is prisoner at The Demonheart Vault. Vareena bullies the girl, but Ember stands up to her. We learn about the death of Kyranos and why Akir has undergone a global catastrophe.
3. Kaesta has success with the first half of the Heist. She grabs seeds from HydroHarvest but diverts from Asimov's plan to free the FACs. She's supposed to meet him at Xenobotix to recover the cybernetic implant that will save her life, but she has to fulfill her promise to Captain Claw first.
4. Marcus learns about the problems in The Great Valley. He helps the caravan as they make their way along The Ironpeak Line. A mysterious stranger, Ambroze, joins up with the caravan.
5. Puddlefoot introduces Asimov to The Oracle inside the game. The two discuss the nature of reality and Kaesta's impending death. The Oracle explores Kaesta's universe through the ship's computer.
6. Ember's first failed escape attempt results in her recapture. Vrrosh tires of Vareena's emotional games and commands her to punish Ember. Alikaine dies by Vareena's hand.
8. After witnessing Alikaine's death, Ambroze regrets the girls' incarceration and treatment at The Demonheart Vault. Exhausted and hungry, he forces himself to feed on a prisoner but only takes enough blood to survive a trip through Icewraith Expanse. He leaves with Spite, The Demon Dog.

Act 4 Chapter Breakdown

1. While exploring Lunaris, Kaesta searches the StarCat Dynamics headquarters to find the warehouse filled with unactivated FACs. Unfortunately, an android's sensors detect her movements. Kaesta runs into problems and is trapped by violent Androids.
2. Ember's tries to escape The Demonheart Vault again. She makes it down to the lower prison cells and works to free the Elves, Humans and Dwarves imprisoned there but is caught by Voidbound Cultist guards again. She discovers that Alikaine is now a vampire.
3. The Oracle Learns about Kaesta's capture from Arastoo and Asimov. He feels helpless as he is unable to join their rescue efforts. The Oracle studies the computer records of The Escapist's Fantasy to figure out a way that he can contribute.
4. Ambroze guides the caravan through Icewraith expanse. He discovers a Voidbound Cultist hiding in the Dwarven caravan. He attacks a cultist away from camp but is caught in the act. He realizes his mistake, he has exposed his condition to the caravan.
5. Asimov discovers Rylan is alive on Lunaris. Kaesta's father is a brillian computer scientist who helped to create the first androids at CyberMind Systems's Quantum Computing Lab. Rylan is dismayed to find out that his daughter's condition is deteriorating. Asimov and Rylan head off to meet Kaesta at Xenobotix's surgery center, unaware that she has been captured.
6. Marcus travels through Icewraith Expanse with additional helpful information from The Oracle. Marcus and the caravan's leaders have to deal with the fallout of the Vampire Attack. They wonder if they can trust Ambroze. Shadow Demons attack their encampment after nightfall.

Act 5 Chapter Breakdown

1. After discovering that Kaesta has been captured, Asimov convinces Rylan to upload The Oracle to help save her. They make a detour to obtain an android body for The Oracle, despite Rylan's reservations.
2. When Marcus's plan to rescue Ember is revealed, some of the Dwarves agree to help as long as all of the prisoners are freed. Ambroze helps rescue the prisoners from the dungeons, he defends himself from Alikaine and wins her over.
3. After more assurances from Asimov that The Oracle cares deeply for Kaesta, Rylan uploads The Oracle into an android body. The experience almost breaks his mind again.
4. Marcus, Alikaine and Ambroze reach the top tower of The Demonheart Vault to save Ember. In a difficult battle, they manage to kill both Vareena and Vrrosh, The Last Goblin.
5. Asimov, Rylan and The Oracle defeat the androids in a difficult battle. Rylan is injured but The Oracle's new body is strong enough to fend off the violent androids so that Rylan can free his daughter.
6. The adventurers on Akir celebrate their victory at Harmony Heights and hope for a brighter future. Marcus and Ember contimplate the future of Akir. We receive hints about Ember's Quest - the second novel. Alikaine and Ambroze decide to hunt down Voidbound Cultists together. This serves as another clue about the contents of the next novel, Ember's Quest.
7. Kaesta awakens after surgery. She is shocked to see her father and a handsome man that reminds her of a character from her game. Asimov and The Oracle give Kaesta and Rylan time together to reaquaint themselves. The novel ends with Kaesta and The Oracle embracing their futures, determined to explore the mysteries of their interconnected realities together.
8. There's a preview scene for the next novel in which we see Kaesta negotiate with Captain Claw. She offers to give his crew a copy of her father's virtual world, Age of Musketeers and Chivalry.

Metro-Map: Kaesta and The Oracle

Kaesta and The Oracle by MelissaPlaysRPGs

Metro-Map: Ember, Marcus, and Ambroze

Ember, Marcus, and Ambroze by MelissaPlaysRPGs