Basically, I have a story that takes place in a society where prophecies are not really a bit deal, and are handled procedurally. Over hundreds/thousands of years, society has figured out how to identify Dark Ones and summarily execute them with great efficiency and speed (like any functioning fantasy society eventually would, IMO).
However, a new regent comes into power and wants to make a splash. He wants executions to be more brutal and show-y. He brags about how his executioners' axes are the biggest and the sharpest the realm has ever seen. So, he put his cronies in charge of handling prophecies, and they have the executioner (our main character) oversharpen the Great Axe -- the one weapon that can kill a particular Dark One that was just born -- against regulation.
Because of this, the axe shatters, and the Dark One will live forever, and go on to doom the world. There literally will never be another weapon that can kill it.
The whole story thus far is inspired by my work as a federal worker, and my frustrations with the current administration ignoring regulations, ignoring experts, and messing with systems. The theme is: systems are only as good as the people that uphold them. The story is meant to be a sort of love letter to civil servants, and show that the law and the experts need to be protected.
However, from there, my story kinda veers, and I'm worried that essentially changing my story's theme will turn readers off.
Essentially, the regent blames the executioner for the botched execution, and imprisons him. While imprisoned, the executioner learns that the crown has been holding the baby Dark One in the dungeons, testing... alternative ways to kill the baby. Being a good and moral person (the executioner is an academic who is writing a treatise on contemporary wooden block design, specifically in terms of making the cleanest cuts for moral optimization [i.e. reducing suffering]), the executioner can't take this, and ends up escaping with the baby.
And from here, he's no longer just an academic, or a public servant who wants to follow the law, but is ignored -- he's a man on the run with the Dark One.
I've thought about him struggling between turning the baby in (because the baby is evil, and shows as much early on), and protecting him. I've thought about having him raise the baby to use his evil proclivities for good (like teaching him to be an executioner, and teaching him morals). I've thought about him trying to find a way to actually kill the baby, and do so painlessly and morally. But I'm unsure if any of these are too big of a change in the story, and if readers will hate it.
I'm kinda just looking for ideas on where to go next, and see what you guys think about the ones in the last paragraph. This started out as a story close to my heart, as I was an illegally fired federal worker, and wanted to show my love to civil servants, but logically, I can't see any reason why my morally-sound executioner would do anything other than save this baby, so I feel like I can't really go any other direction.
Just looking for some advice here. What I've written thus far is good, and I know people will like it, but I'm stuck on plot right now.
However, a new regent comes into power and wants to make a splash. He wants executions to be more brutal and show-y. He brags about how his executioners' axes are the biggest and the sharpest the realm has ever seen. So, he put his cronies in charge of handling prophecies, and they have the executioner (our main character) oversharpen the Great Axe -- the one weapon that can kill a particular Dark One that was just born -- against regulation.
Because of this, the axe shatters, and the Dark One will live forever, and go on to doom the world. There literally will never be another weapon that can kill it.
The whole story thus far is inspired by my work as a federal worker, and my frustrations with the current administration ignoring regulations, ignoring experts, and messing with systems. The theme is: systems are only as good as the people that uphold them. The story is meant to be a sort of love letter to civil servants, and show that the law and the experts need to be protected.
However, from there, my story kinda veers, and I'm worried that essentially changing my story's theme will turn readers off.
Essentially, the regent blames the executioner for the botched execution, and imprisons him. While imprisoned, the executioner learns that the crown has been holding the baby Dark One in the dungeons, testing... alternative ways to kill the baby. Being a good and moral person (the executioner is an academic who is writing a treatise on contemporary wooden block design, specifically in terms of making the cleanest cuts for moral optimization [i.e. reducing suffering]), the executioner can't take this, and ends up escaping with the baby.
And from here, he's no longer just an academic, or a public servant who wants to follow the law, but is ignored -- he's a man on the run with the Dark One.
I've thought about him struggling between turning the baby in (because the baby is evil, and shows as much early on), and protecting him. I've thought about having him raise the baby to use his evil proclivities for good (like teaching him to be an executioner, and teaching him morals). I've thought about him trying to find a way to actually kill the baby, and do so painlessly and morally. But I'm unsure if any of these are too big of a change in the story, and if readers will hate it.
I'm kinda just looking for ideas on where to go next, and see what you guys think about the ones in the last paragraph. This started out as a story close to my heart, as I was an illegally fired federal worker, and wanted to show my love to civil servants, but logically, I can't see any reason why my morally-sound executioner would do anything other than save this baby, so I feel like I can't really go any other direction.
Just looking for some advice here. What I've written thus far is good, and I know people will like it, but I'm stuck on plot right now.
