Character plots plots Actor(s): guards, officials etc. goal: torture the heathens into submission motivation: defend the country and the faith opposition: strength of will of the prisoners/ desire to die as martyrs Actor: prisoner 1 goal: 1) prove faith by resisting torture, 2) convert guards/other prisoners 3) escape motivation: his faith opposition: 3)prison/torture/guards 2)guards faith/fear of torture, prisoners faith and hope. 1)torture actor: prisoner 2 goal: same as prisoner 2 (except 3) motivation: faith, desire to die as martyr opposition: same as prisoner 1 actor: prisoner 3(protagonist) goal: 1) survive and escape 2)find his faith motivation: life opposition: doesnt trust guards promise of freedom. actor: the prisoners' god goal: divine inspiration of prisoner 3 motivation:return his followers to the true path through a revival and reformation opposition: prisoner 3's doubt. martyrdom and oppression of the faith. Backstory (addressed in the story in dribs and drabs) 2 religions, 2 countries. 1 kachrin (kachrin), follows the god khaltr, conflict based religion, difference is bad, uniformity is good, war is essential for survival, led by a single man chosen at birth by a conclave of the chief preists. does not seek converts, outsiders are dangerous, followers of other faiths are the spawn of evil. 2 ehllagrin (Ehlagri), country of many faiths, focus on individual freedom but dominated by a single religion, elhoin which follows the god ..., progressive religion that seeks converts, great focus on missonaries and martyrdom. missionaries from Ehlagrin have been trying to enter Kachrin secretly and make converts, this has resulted in a massive military backlash. most Elhoin ae killed on sight, some converts are publically tortured as an example to others, some missionaries, etc. are kept as prisoners and tortured. in addition katchrin has been expanding its borders through force. Ehllagrin sent an ambasador with a high level priest to assure peace and attempt to secure the freedom of missionaries and converts. this was not recieved well, the priest was taken prisoner (prisoner 1) along side a missionary and an elhoin who lived on the border before expansion began. the ambasador was escourted to the border by armed guards and the rest of their party was killed. now the two countries are on the verge of war. timeline events: 1) prisoner 3 describes current situation in the cell 2) recounts story of how he was arrested/captured 3) arival in cell with prisoner 2 4) bonding through swapping experiences 5) prisoner 1 brought to cell 6) theological disagreement between prisoner 1 and 2, started by hymn 7) prisoner 3 tortured for first time 8) prisoner 1 starts a daily group prayer 9) prayer interupted and prisoners abused 10) prisoner 1 tortured 11) prisoner 1 attempts escape, fails, daily torture starts 12) description of daily routine 12b) growing health concerns for prisoner 2 13) starvation begins 14) 3 months later, prisoner 2 dies in torture 15) prisoner 2 offerd up as food, prisoner 1 eats 16) prisoner 1 starts to loose grip 17) prisoner 3 starts to loose what little faith he has 18) prisoner 1 gives in to torture, set free? 18a) torture stops 19) prisoner 3 alone, asks for quil and paper. narative catches up with current situation. 20) prisoner 3 prays one last desperate prayer for assistance. e.g."I've believed in you all my life, if you truly are real, and im not just wasting my time, please, give me some sign that you are listening." 21) white mouse in cell carrying bread, runs away in fear, leaving bread. prisoner 3 praises god. 22) uses crusts to tame mouse. 23) mouse becomes a secret source of food, sustaining prisoner 3, whose strength returns 24) guards stop bringing water, prisoner 3 forgotten about, no more guards 25) prisoner 3 prays for assisstance once again. e.g. "i thankyou ... for sustaining me as you have, for keeping me alive thus far, but my throat is parched, my lips are cracked and my head begins to spin, i have no water and fear death, i pray you will care for your servant in my hour of need." 26) violent storms wrack the building, the wals shift and the celing cracks, a pipe somewhere ruptures and water begins to leak from the crack in the roof, innitially in volume, less as prisoner 3's thirs decreases. 27) loud praise from prisoner 3. a young guard is attracted to the noise. 28) daily conversations begin with the guard who starts to bring supplies with him, supply of information on outside events 29) guard delivers news of his promotion to the battle field, probably will not return 30) prayer for the safety of the guard begins. 31) prisoner 3 begins to question himself as to his motives for prayer, leading to further contemplation of his beliefs 32) mouse brings strange looking bread, prisoner 3 prays and eats it anyway 33) prisoner 3 falls into a fever sleep and begins to have visions 34) vision of events beyond the prison, new developments 35) vision of false priests and prophets 36) vision of young guard/soldiers family 37)vision of discussion with an angel 38) prophesies 39) visions end, prisoner 3 writes letter to young soldiers family, gives to mouse to deliver 40) 3 prayers, 1 that mouse will be guided by gods hand to family, 2 that family will be sustained by god, 3 prayer for direction and guidance. 41) mouse returns with letter, startles prisoner who knocks over jar of ink, spilling last of it upon the floor 42) prisoner discovers that the jar has re-filled its self. takes this as a sign 43) prisoner reads letter from the family. corespondence begins. 45) mouse brings word of the conversion of the family. 46) mouse returns with letter un-opened ... as far as i have planned so far.
