Victoriam: Cecily Corbyn's story
Structure
Exposition
Cecily is summoned from her home by the Victoriam police on the orders of the Governor. Wary of the police since unwittingly being involved in a fencing operation in her past, she runs, but is quickly caught. To her relief, the two police officers are actually old friends, and aren't their to arrest her. They bring her to the Governor's estate in the center of the city, and he gives her a task- to impersonate his missing daughter Miranda, so the city doesn't question the strength of the rulers. He also wants her to find Miranda, and bring her back to the estate as soon as possible. She has no choice but to accept, as the promise of money and living in the luxurious City Center estate are too tempting.
Conflict
The initial conflict stems from Miranda's disappearance, but gradually shifts from her disappearance to the larger problem, the sustainability of Victoriam and the future of the broken world beneath. Aleksander Glorian wants to send an army to colonize the broken society and create a new empire, where Miranda Wyverstone wants to share all of Victoriam's knowledge and create a free world.
Rising Action
ON cecily's side of the story, she struggles with keeping up the appearance of being Miranda and trying to find her during the nights. She visits several people who might have seen her, including Dario Sterling, and learns that Miranda may have been sneaking around the Victoria Cathedral. Cecily goes there, and discovers a hidden library of journals, most of which are burned, but it is obvious that some were taken. In the rubble she finds a letter reading, "If you're looking for me, this is all you will find of me. Do not search any further, if you value the lives of all of Victoriam. -Miranda." IN days following this, she must act as a prper lady at a gala, where Miranda's engagement to Aleksander Glorian is announced. After the announcement, Aleksander questions her about impersonating Miranda. He says that he won't reveal her secret, as long as Cecily tracks down Miranda soon. Later, Cecily has a run-in with a skiptracer named Lew Vyner, who was hired by Aleksander to find Miranda first. Cecily is also targeted, albeit very pettily, by Helene Stalweymer, a wealthy girl form Wessend who has eyes for Aleksander.
Climax
Cecily finds Miranda and they share their knowledge of Jothan Sixsmith, and the potential failure of the city. Miranda leads Cecily to the Victoria Tower, where the immortal Sixsmith lives and maintains the Engine. Unbeknownst to them, Aleksander tailed them to the tower, and murders Sixsmith with the same gun that Cecily owns, which is presumed to be unique. Cecily is blamed for the murder and taken into custody in the Atlas. It is here where she learns that the Atlas couldn't be a functional ship even if it was disconnected from the city. Aleksander makes preparations for his wedding to Miranda, and she is powerless to stop it lest she get blamed for the murder as well.
Falling Action
In this, Cecily is broken out of the Atlas by Alianor Lexington, as part of a ruse by her in that she is going to "complete her training" as a judge from her family of lawkeepers. Cecily races to find Nico Sapie, who has tracked down a working ship, but they need a Lexington to open the storage hangar where it is kept. Alianor volunteers to get into it, but tragically falls from the docks while fending off a city guardsman trying to stop them from taking the ship. Cecily and Nico get the small ship working, and keep it moored off of Essend Main, where Dario Sterling will hide it. With that taken care of, they attempt to stop the wedding of Aleksander and Miranda, but Miranda has developed a cunning plan of her own. She will marry Aleksander, and destroy him from the inside. THe grudgingly, and with much cnvincing, leave her behind.
Resolution
The end of Cecily's story follows her and Nico Sapie heading to the surface world on Jothan Sixsmith's airship, just ahead of an invading Glorian force. Miranda, confident in her plan to marry Aleksander, is torn apart after it is found that he has murdered Radcliffe and Vertiline, leaving her as the governess, and her soon-to-be husband as the governor. Against her will, she goes through with it, and is forced to stand by as the invasion begins.
Components
Goals
The protagonists are all in the pursuit of knowledge, from Cecily pursuing the knowledge of Victoriam, to Miranda pursuing knowledge of the past, to Nico pursuing knowledge of the outside world.
Relations
Protagonists
Allies
Neutrals/Bystanders
Competitors
Adversaries
Backdrops
Locations
Cold wind whipping around the spires of Victorian buildings. The click of hard-soled boots against cobblestone streets. The quiet, ever-present rumbling of the Erythrine Engine under your feet. The metallic tang of fuel and factories in the air. Secrets untold. This is the city of Victoriam.
Threats
At night the air drops to freezing temperatures, and the treacherous height makes for a deadly surprises for the unwary drunkard that plunges into the unforgiving sea below. The erythrine fumes of Upper Essend make the simplest exploration into a life or death situation, and traveler beware the desperation of Essend Main, for desperation turns the best of men into monsters.
Past Events
The creation of the City of Victoriam was marked by several intriguing individuals. All who left their mark on the city left it for a reason, and all of them wanted the next generation to learn from them. The machinators in particular left behind journals and codes leading to secret places and discoveries.
Plot type
Book Overview: Victoriam
Related Characters
Related Organizations
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