1. GalaxyEyes

    GalaxyEyes New Member

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    Having difficulty connecting/bringing my Protagonist and Antagonist together

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by GalaxyEyes, Feb 7, 2016.

    Hi there :)

    So, for a while now I have been stuck on a certain plot point that happens just before my story actually takes place.

    So, for some context, this is how my story begins...

    - My protagonist, Talon (about 17 years old at the time) awakens in a cavern, seemingly having been captured and held there. He remembers nothing about his previous life or how he came to be there, and wants only to find answers.
    - After an arduous journey through the cavern he finds himself in a makeshift room - bandits lie dead on the floor where a battle has been previously fought. He stumbles across a a plethora of weapons sealed inside a chamber (remnants of previous victims) - but there is one in particular that has a hold over him, an enchanted sword (of course, he doesn't know that).
    - He begins journeying on his own looking for an answer, a purpose, a family, the knowledge of a past life he doesn't know about. Along the way he meets two companions, Fletch and Angixelle - both with their own pasts and reasons for joining him (which I won't go into now).

    What the reader does not know at this point is that the antagonist, who we haven't yet met, is inexplicably bonded with Talon (who has no idea).
    Essentially the antagonist character lived many, many years before Talon (we're talking like hundreds - long enough where he is remembered by very few, and thought of as a mere legend by everyone else), and in his life did many cruel and terrible things. i.e. wiped out an entire elven civilisation (but again, not going to go into that as it's not really relevant to my issue)

    So the thing that we do not find out until much later, is that Talon and the antagonist are connected. They are sort of each other's alter ego. The easiest way for me to explain is that Talon is essentially a host, and the antagonist is a parasite that lies dormant inside of him (of course, this doesn't make the antagonist any less a part of him - they cannot be without the other, and are forever bonded).
    Due to Talon's stumbling across the sword in the cavern, the antagonist is awakened (as the sword was the antagonist's during his life). So on the course of Talon's journey, his further exposure to the sword allows the antagonist to take hold for short bursts, letting him prey on the innocent without Talon's knowledge.

    Sorry, a lot of backstory there.. ahah
    What I am struggling with is how they come to be connected.
    I want it to be in a way that is plausible and for a reason, rather than "just because", you know? haha

    I have thought about... Perhaps he is born with it? Maybe he is a descendant of the antagonist? Although, if he is born with it, it would be difficult Talon to be his own person - I want him to be a contrasting light to the antagonist; a separate person, with his own morals, beliefs, personality and mannerisms.

    I have thought about Talon perhaps accidentally breaking a seal that had kept the antagonist dormant for many years, and in that moment has taken Talon as a host. (That sentence might not make sense..)
    Although I feel it's probably been done before...

    Anyway, sorry if that was long and confusing and not really to the point.
    But any ideas for connecting these two would be very much appreciated :)
     
  2. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    Could the sword be the host, and when Talon picked it up (attracted to it because they are ancestor/descendant?) the parasite transferred into him?
     
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  3. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    "My protagonist, Talon (about 17 years old at the time) awakens in a cavern, seemingly having been captured and held there. He remembers nothing about his previous life or how he came to be there, and wants only to find answers."

    So ...why was he captured? Do the captors have something to do with this antagonist?
     
  4. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    Seems like you have a lot of options and not a lot of barriers. I would go with something that feels that is not incidental or that happened in the past. That allows it to be more emotionally interesting in terms of the their interaction. But you should do whatever best fulfills the feel you want for this. What setup best reflects how their interaction works, gives it layered aspects and fits well into the plot? Pick that one.
     
  5. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    Sounds like it's time to get back to basics...

    Protagonist and antagonist come to odds because:
    • they are competing for the same goal, or
    • they have mutually-exclusive goals.
    Find that simplicity in your story and everything else will start falling into place.
     
    GalaxyEyes likes this.
  6. GoldenFeather

    GoldenFeather Active Member

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    First of all, this story sounds very interesting. Please keep me posted with how it goes, I would love to read it.

    As for your dilemma, the first thing that comes to mind is that your protagonist possesses a special quality about him that awakens the antagonist, and this special quality is why no one before him woke the antagonist. You could even go as far to say that the strength/courage/a noble quality is so strong in your protagonist that the reason your antagonist awakens is because he becomes so extremely jealous. "No one else can be as strong/powerful as I!" And thus he begins to 'invade' (for lack of a better word) the protagonist for his own benefit.

    I like your idea about having been born with this connection. It's kind of like our journeys in life. We are all born into different families, different cultures, to different problems in the world, but each of us are unique and so is our journey.

    OR (this just popped into my head), the antagonist was meant to be reborn WITH the protagonist. They were twins in the womb, but like many species, in the very early stages of pregnancy (before we can monitor with technologies), often one twin can be absorbed into the other. And maybe that's why when the protagonist touches the sword, the spirit of the antagonist is awakened and automatically attached to him, because they were meant to be brothers. This could also play into the jealousy and give a reason for the antagonist not to feel bad when influencing the protagonist.

    Hope that helps!
     
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  7. MelFyre

    MelFyre New Member

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    What if whoever in the past put the antagonist 'in check' per se did it through some kind of magical binding - the antagonist has been connected to many but none were the right fit ( the right soul at the right time in the right place etc ) - the attraction to the sword awakend both characters to the situation in some way.

    Or

    Maybe (building into your backstory a bit here) before the protagonist awakened in the cavern he had some crucial experience (magic / supernatural/ paranormal) that opened his soul / being to the antagonist (who had been stuck in some ether type place waiting for the protagonist to be 'vulnerable'). When the antagonist makes his move to join with the protagonist ( maybe even take over ) he forces the protagonist to fight / kill all those bandits. During this time is an ensuing spiritual battle for dominance which by some miracle the protagonist wins but the struggle and the 'spiritual violation' of the actions the protagonist was force to do by the antagonist caused the protagonist's memory to wipe as a kind of safety feature (protecting himself from whatever horrible things he did while the antagonist tried to ursurp).

    Don't know if either of those even made sense but there ya go ; )
     
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  8. ddavidv

    ddavidv Senior Member

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    This is the identical thought that I had before reading the replies. Whether or not that makes it a good choice for a solution I leave up to you.
     
  9. Holden LaPadula

    Holden LaPadula Member

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    The sword idea is great, if you're alright with the fact that it's been done many times before. Which, if you are, there's nothing wrong with that!! Personally, I'm a fan of interconnectivity and "coincidence" that expresses larger ideas. Perhaps the backstories of Angixelle and Fletch are intertwined with the antagonist instead of Talon. Like their ancestors were part of an evil plot to destroy the world, and although the two of them are good now, the antagonist has leeched through their blood and attached themselves onto Talon, as to not sacrifice "their own." That's not necessarily what you're after, but you get my point; interconnectivity is a great way to connect characters in an original way while also creating meaning.

    Good luck!!! :D
     
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  10. Feo Takahari

    Feo Takahari Senior Member

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    The bit about not having prior memories makes me imagine that in one way or another, Talon was made to be the host to the parasite. The parasite's followers targeted someone who was (potentially?) a host, erased his memories to get rid of loose ends, and left the sword for him to find. Maybe they leave hints that he might find his identity in a specific place, because the parasite needs to reach that place, or that a specific artifact might help him to know more, because the parasite needs that artifact. If you really want to hammer it in, Talon's outward personality and characteristics could even be things the followers came up with to play into the parasite's needs. (Either he'll retain aspects of who he used to be that subvert the parasite's plans, or else Fletch and Angixelle will inspire and change him in ways the parasite didn't expect.)
     
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  11. GalaxyEyes

    GalaxyEyes New Member

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    Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the thought and input of all the responses I've received! And so quickly too, I wasn't expecting that :)

    I wanted to reply individually, but I feel there isn't yet an idea that I can choose as a favourite - as now I'm torn between which I like most XD (certainly better than being without a single idea though!)

    There are a lot of ideas here that I really like, and many that hadn't even occurred to me! I'm finding myself with a LOT more inspiration to work with now, and it's given me a craving to continue delving into developing that part of my story.

    So, a big huge mega thankyou to all you guys! :D I appreciate you taking the time to help me with my dilemma
     
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  12. Shadowfax

    Shadowfax Contributor Contributor

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    Late to the party as usual...

    It's a bit like Data/Lore in Star Trek Next Gen, where the "evil" twin was dismantled, but the parts are detected by the Entreprise's sensors.

    So, Talon is the good twin, Claw the evil twin. Claw is magically confined (his mana is too powerful to be killed by human means) but Talon is drawn to it by fascination with the twin that he feels but does not know about. And Claw doesn't take over Talon, so much as trick him into allowing him control.
     
  13. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    I'm curious, was the antag human before? (since he had a sword?) So is this the antag's soul that's latched onto Talon?

    Is the battlefield Talon finds related to why he's captured, and is the battle related to the antag?

    Why is Talon in the cavern in the first place? How did he end up there?

    Who is the antag as a separate character? You call him a parasite but I'm struggling to imagine a form for him.

    Do they have to be just fated to be bonded for eternity? This sounds like a fantasy novel. If the antag is magical or has powers, could he not just be looking for someone to parasite, unlike other souls that may not be powerful enough to actively attract a host to come choose their weapon? Eg. if the antag is powerful, he could just be actively trying to draw the first person who comes to pick his sword in order to take a host. And once the parasite is in, it is irreversible because [insert your own reason that would be logical within your fantasy world].
     

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