12 beats from Wyrmfeld IV: the Legend of Dragonfield
Opening image. We open in the 11th century castle where the lone survivor of a dragon attack recounts the tale to her fatherless son.
Introduction. The events of the legend tell of the love of Wyrtgeorn and Rowena. The wizard Myrddin attempts to take Rowena but is cast down by Wyrtgeorn. In response, summons a great wyrm to devour all. Rowena was horribly burned, and struggled to survive, only to return home months later to find the dragon still there. She provoked the beast, but it ignored her and slithered into the nearby lake to hibernate. She resolved to endure once she realized she carried her lord’s child.
The legend is passed down through the generations until the present day, where the aging baron Atlas Wyrmfeld sees his family legacy under threat by Phryxus, a ruthless Georgian industrialist that is encroaching on his estate. His only recourse is to make peace with his estranged son, whom he hasn’t seen in decades.
The story comes into focus through the eyes of the two adult children. Jason is a 19-year-old slacker living in the shadow of his 21-year-old sister who is a spoiled brat and daddy’s girl that seems to get everything she wants. Their privileged life changes forever the day they meet their grandfather and learn of their heritage.
Statement of theme. The inherent conflicts in a family when children reach adulthood, the power of forgiveness, a critique on empire and how powerful men are destroying the natural world.
Catalyst. The estranged son’s life-long secret is exposed when a letter is hand-delivered to his home with the cryptic message: “Death is near, come home”. The prodigal son returns with his family, expecting to commit an agitated old man to a facility, settle his estate and to confront the demons of his past. Instead, the family must come together in a fight for their very existence from a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to possess the priceless artifacts from this ancient legend which are buried on the site of the first attack.
Debate. Is it ever too late to forgive someone? What are you willing to sacrifice for your family? What will you fight for, regardless of the consequences? Does true love ever really die?
Midpoint. Lord Wyrmfeld suffers an apparent heart attack, and Alexandra must take action to keep him alive long enough to get to a hospital. She turns to the nearest person she could find – the baron’s foe, who sets about seducing her and charming the entire family.
New characters. In the second act, they find themselves in the care of Alois the 78-year-old Austrian friend of the baron who has been charged to ‘train them in the old ways’ as final wish of a dying man. Finding Alexandra churlish, Alois enlists Jiao, a shaolin master to train Alexandra.
B-Story or B-Plot. Behind the antagonist, Phryxus, a more sinister and powerful force is at work. After centuries of struggle, the wizard Myrddin had finally regained his physical form by devouring the souls of the living. Using Phryxus as his familiar, he is gathering his strength to raise an unstoppable army of the underworld and rule this middle kingdom.
Low point. The low point of the story is when Phryxus makes his move to ensure he acquires the remainder of the barony. During the night of their grandfather’s wake, an attempt is made to kidnap both children. Alexandra barely escapes but her brother is captured. When her parents confront their neighbor, they are arrested by corrupt police. Alexandra finds herself alone with her two mentors.
Climax. Theorizing her brother is being held in tower that is part of the original estate, Alexandra dares a rescue attempt. With a retired soldier, a Shaolin practitioner, and an old butler, they formulate a plan to ‘storm the tower’. The plan is simple: use the medieval weapons found in the armory to rescue her brother from a dungeon guarded by mercenaries and a terror they couldn’t have imagined.
Beginning of the end.
Her brother is rescued at great cost, they are told by corrupt police that Phryxus has gone into hiding and the parents are released from custody.
Finale. The final scene is the Westfield family, and its newfound-family members are celebrating their good fortune at being reunited safely at the castle, not realizing that their actions had consequences. The wizard Myrddin summons the dragon from the lake. The wyrm rises from the waters and rains fire.
Wyrmfeld Chronicles 