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

Cecily Corbyn

The main character, she is a struggling young woman, making ends meet by selling secrets, who is bitter towards the city government, which denied her entry into the police force after finding out that she was a girl. Bears a striking resemblance to Miranda, as she is the half-sister of Miranda's mother.

Miranda Wyverstone

The young daughter of the governor of Victoriam. A headstrong teenage girl, she discovers that the City of Victoriam is unsustainable if they continue to stay separated from the world below. As the government families can't help, she runs away in search of someone or something that can help save the city

Nico Sapie

The third eldest child of the Sapie family. Highly intellectual, but appreciates more practical intelligence than the pedantic pursuits of some of his family. Dreams of one day becoming an airship captain, even though he knows this is impossible.

Allies

Radcliffe Wyverstone

The governor of Victoriam. Hired Cecily to track down Miranda, as well as pose as Miranda in public. Supports Cecily, but would not hesitate to denounce her if discovered by the rest of society. Funds her endeavors and provides her with as much information as he is able to.

Vertiline Wyverstone

Mother of Miranda Wyverstone and wife to the governor. Is also the sister of Dario Sterling, but left Essend many years prior to marry rich. Is begrudgingly allied with Cecily, and desires only to find her daughter.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Dario Sterling

The self-proclaimed Duke of Essend and the leader of a blackmail empire on Victoriam's finest.As Veriline Wyverstone's twin brother, he is given protection by the governor's family, and by paying the way for most of Essend to cross into the rest of the city, he enjoys a great deal of protection from his people.He has secrets on nearly everyone in Victoriam, for the right price.

Alianor Lexington

The youngest child of the Lexington family. She was never a friend to Miranda, or the rest of the court for that matter, but she is intrigued by the simpler nature of Cecily and others from the outer reaches of the city.If she had a choice, she would run off to Sussend and live as a simple farmer, preferably with a kind man to keep her company.

Archie Catchpole

A city policeman a few years older than Cecily. They were friends for a while, back when the police chief thought Cecily was a promising young lad. Still thinks of Cecily as a little sister, and tries to protect her. The governor tasked him with bringing Cecily to the estate, and was sworn to silence about the whole endeavor.

Competitors

Lew Vyner

A professional bounty hunter specializing in tracking down menial workers who skip out on their contracts, Hired by Alexander Glorian to find Miranda after he discovers that Cecily is impersonating her. He isn't above hurting people for information and is ruthless when crossed.

Helene Stalweymer

Heir to a large fortune from her family's business, and is very well-received in the City Center crowd. She is infatuated with Aleksander Glorian, and her family is attempting to elicit a marriage proposal from the Glorian family. She views Miranda/ Cecily as her rival, and makes petty attempts to sabotage Miranda's relationship with Aleksander.

Adversaries

Aleksander Glorian

The second eldest son of the Glorian family, with infinitely more vision than his older brother. Through a library of journals he discovered in Victoria Cathedral, he learned the secret of the destroyed surface world, and now wants to retake the broken society in the name of the new empire. The Glorianova Empire.

August Glorian

The eldest son of the Glorian family. He is trained in military endeavors, and is an excellent leader, but he lacks the vision and confidence to actually accomplish much. He backs up his ambitious younger brother in everything, and acts as Aleksander's muscle.

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

• Cecily Corbyn
• Dario Sterling
• Jothan Sixsmith
• Radcliffe Wyverstone
• Vertiline Sterling

Related Organizations

• The Denerson Family
• The Glorian Family
• The Lexington Family
• The Machinators
• The Sapie Family
• The Victoriam City Council
• The Wyverstone Family

Related Locations

• City Center
• Essend Main
• Nordock District
• The Atlas Asylum and Penitentiary
• The Victoria Tower
• Upper Essend
• Victoria Cathedral
• Victoriam City
• Wessend District