The Patrician’s Circle

Brainstorm

• TPC original brainstorm

  • Going from basically running a gang to taking on a global conspiracy
  • Need to recruit gang members and canonise them
  • A rival gang is helping a Circle front business
  • Edward creates elite wing to do more sneaky political subterfuge stuff
  • The gang expands until going against the thing that made dad get blacklisted
  • Someone/something allows Edward to ascend into that level where big, conspiratorial decisions can be made
  • As ever, the question is how to thread the growth in power thing with the revenge thing and/or the fighting the circle thing
  • Second act Edward stripped of all power

• Spend a lil bit with John, and Edward helping with scheming

• • Edward offhandedly mentions he’s expanding somewhere/doing something that we later find out The Circle explicitly told him not to do
  • Unlike previous incarnations, maybe John is a lot more jolly and fun

• • • However show a flashback of someone talking to John before his death that actually he’s an asshole

• Graded expansion of Edward’s power

• • City, region, nation, continent

• Maybe a trial of some kind for Edward’s crimes
• Gabriel, at his most unethical point

• • In a church, reminiscing
  • Priest there knows who he is
  • Is chastised for what he’s done

• Someone/something gives Edward the low-down on how to be a high level schemer after he hits a brick wall

• • Taking on a consortium of some kind, like the hanseatic league?
  • First rule: Know EVERYTHING about everyone you’re seeking to butt heads with

• “There is no chain that binds stronger than the crown that rests upon a monarch’s head.”

• • ALT: “There is no prison cell stronger than the crown that rests upon a monarch’s head.”

• The Patrician’s Circle gets more desperate as Edward continues racking up power?

• • A race of some kind to get a different pope elected?

• “Chase not the signifiers of power; gain power eternal.”

• • Motto of The Circle

• Assassination attempt on Edward

• • Think it’s from The Patrician’s Circle but actually it’s from a disillusioned citizen under his thumb

• Introductory overarching antagonist/problem Edward has to solve that ties in in some way with The Patrician’s Circle

• • Antagonist is big bad until they get fucking demolished by The Circle?

• • • Maybe Edward only survives by the skin of his teeth

• • Some representation on the circle present initially (kinda like the suited representation of The Shadows from Signs and Portents)

• Lord Baron
• Edward confronts Judas

• • The woman who betrayed his father?
  • Now old and sad

• “It’s called The Patrician’s Circle” “Are they Venetian?”
• Edward joins a revolution against a city government but betrays them to curry favour with said government
• Make this a story of change, like Babylon 5

• • Edward starts out as a cheerful, if naive, rogue, and his path turns him into a cold, calculating schemer
  • Gabriel starts as a devout Christian with a firm sense of right and wrong to indulging the worst excesses of money, lust, and power
  • John starts as a gregarious and charismatic lad you could have a beer with, but over the course of the story is found to be a tightly-wound manipulator who blows his top when things don’t go his way about the only thing he cares about: gaining more power and prestige

• • • Factors into his punishment by The Circle (rumours spread about him, on the run, all assets seized)

• • The Patrician starts as a perfect, cold, calculating robot…until he meets Edward

• A section of the story where an antagonist to Edward disappears, he’s acting coy about it, and it’s implied that Edward killed them
• The big arc

• • The first rumblings of the conspiracy are a wave of arrests, and one of Edward’s lot get swept up
  • Stoke popular discontent with the monarchs and replace them with Circle-favoured candidates?
  • Edward hears that one of the monarchs knows somewhat about the existence of the circle

• • • VERY cagey about giving Edward the time of day, thinks he’s a Circle agent, only relents after …
    • Belgian king or equivalent

• • People think there’s just a natural ebb and flow of kingdoms/empires rising and falling but really it’s the influence of The Circle

• Christopher Columbus disappeared and wound up dead
• The lord is incapacitated/dead and his domain is secretly being run by his court
• Edward goes to his father’s estate office and it seems to have been left in a hurry/ransacked
• Have where John’s money went be the big carrot for the audience until the last third or so
• Fair stuff

• • (Gabriel) “It’s a holiday, Edward. I can’t make you do anything, lest I be hauled into the stocks for all to see.”

• The fair was being held in that town due to a dispute between two barons, (one of whom is the puppet baron being weekend-at-bernie’s’d) which Edward will interact with later
• Villegard and the lord’s staff made a deal where Villegard doesn’t get arrested.

• • (Upon Edward finding out, from steward) “So, how much do you want?” “I don’t want money”

• “Edward! You have more money now than you possibly could have gotten from your father’s estate. Hell, you have more money than you could need in a thousand lifetimes. What more could you want?” “Your head.”
• A character is a poet by trade, maybe the hunter?
• Either make the lord just a generic lord or a duke
• Edward uses his gang to escape the king’s wrath
• A scene which is a homage to that bit in Breaking Bad where Walt finally sees all the money he has (Gliding Over All)

• • But this time it’s Edward realising the avenues this opens up

• Don’t forget about Lord Baron
• While escaping England, Edward’s ship sinks and he is captured by someone?

• • “You know the riots in London and the murder of the King’s Steward?” “You were in the riots?” “I orchestrated them”

• Edward and co really don’t know high society rules

• Explain later in a flashback that John got burned for trying to expand beyond London

• “So why’d you take me in in the first place, Gabriel?” “For the Bartum name? I would be willing to take you in for ten lifetimes.” “What, for a spice merchant?” “You clearly don’t understand how powerful your father was.”

  • Starts with a conversation about Gabriel’s relationship with John

• Use Edward’s father not being murdered as part of the proof that The Circle don’t kill anyone

  • As part of The Patrician’s angry monologue to Edward

• In London, Gabriel talks about wanting to spend the night with another man, Edward nods his head and says go for it

• The guild’s most powerful wants to petition the lord for Gabriel to be replaced with his son

• Eda returns with knowledge

  • John hella dead
  • Finds only a note that says “London, The Patricians’ Circle”…somehow

• “You’re not secretly a lord, are you?” “Absolutely not. I simply have had a lot of business in London over the years.”

Characters

• Edward

  • Cheeky petty crim to high level schemer
  • Wants to exact revenge on those who wronged him and his father

• John

  • Jolly stiff upper lip brit
  • Wanted recognition beyond England

• Gabriel

  • Reserved lumberjack
  • Wants the simple life, but swayed by those above himself (God with spirituality, Edward with money and power)

• Eda

  • Cheeky thief, foil to Edward
  • Wants mischief and fun with friends

Outline 1

• Part 0 (Tea and Conversation)

• Part 1 (John and Edward)

  • Edward and John burned
  • Spat with the guild
  • Fair/Meeting Eda

• Part 2 (London and Judas)

  • Edward controls town

  • Go to London

  • Form a gang

    • Stumbles upon shakedown, wants to make friends
    • Maybe it’s EDWARD who’s getting robbed
    • “How can one not appreciate the artistry?”

  • Face off against Judas

    • Fight reveals how Judas is connected to The Circle

      • Did the one thing for The Circle and now is super successful

  • Reunites with mother?

  • The Circle first appearance

  • Edward repeats his father’s mistakes

    • Attempts to expand beyond England

  • Assist from Lord Baron

  • This happens here and/or during the fight against Judas

• Part 3 (Wrath and Discovery)

  • Edward escapes English king’s wrath

  • Getting shown the ropes

    • “You’re still worrying about getting money, but money doesn’t get you power. Power gets you power. Let others chase the signifiers of wealth, while you cut out the middle-man.” “People don’t work for power, though.” “Are you sure? Have you ever seen the church?”

  • Repeats something John said from the first chapters

  • Flashback to John being an asshole to the expert to prove he’s not a great guy

  • Shady deals with banks

  • Allying the Belgian king

  • Meeting The Hunter

  • Tracking The Circle

  • Attending a Circle meeting

• Part 4 (Patricians and Christ)

  • Deal with The Hanseatic League

    • Uses his connections with the guild at the beginning

  • Kidnapping a Patrician

  • Discovering The Patricians’ Circle’s pacifism

  • Offing a Patrician

  • Race to the Holy See

  • Excommunication of Edward

• Part 5 (Lord Baron and Europe)

  • Edward sprung by Lord Baron

  • Spreading over Europe

    • Sending own bankers across Europe?

  • Drawing The Patrician’s Circle out

  • Europe burns

  • All dead except The Patrician

• Part 6 (Edward)

  • Running the show
  • On a pilgrimage
  • Talking to The Patrician

Outline 2

Tea and Conversation

• A chill breeze blowing over the grass on a hill

• The black sea on both sides of a man, who’s currently standing on said hill

• The deserts of the before lands never felt so far away, and he is dressed for THAT occasion

  • Dressed in clothing for hot weather, and cold as shit

• He seems to be shivering against his will, he’s determined to get somewhere

• Scanning the landscape and…THERE it is, a squat farmhouse, rickety and in the middle of nowhere

  • Fields overgrown with weeds and in disrepair

• The distant sounds of galloping from behind him, ripping up packs of dirt and grass

• The man grinds to a halt and hurriedly hops off his horse

• “Edward, most highest, the pope has passed. There’s due to be a new election at the college of cardinals.”

• A beat, Edward looking thoughtfully back and forth between the farmhouse and this fella.

• “Edward…” Another beat. ”…Who will be the next Bishop of Rome?”

• Edward now looking hard at the farmhouse. “I entrust you with this responsibility. You can make them a dog for all I care.”

• Man taken aback, but nods dutifully and rides off, the gallops fading out under the sound of the sea

• Arrives down at the farmhouse, up close the fields are clearly dead and the air stinks of silence

• The distant city of Sinop sat sprawled out in the distance, any semblance of civilisation drowned out by the roar of the sea and the crusty smell of sea spray

• Enough looking around, time to journey down the hill, apprehensiveness being exhaled

• CHAPTER BREAK

• A bald man, sitting on a chair, staring out at the sea

• To his back the dilapidated farmhouse(!), seems too small to contain this man, garden seems to have sucked away all of the life that the fields around him are missing

• Also beside a conspicuously empty chair, tea ready to go but he hasn’t drunk it yet, two cups

• Guy (different guy from the one talking to Edward) goes to the bald man, confirms that they’re all gone

• Patrician nods and thanks the assistant for the heads up, but as the assistant leaves he asks if “he” has arrived

• Assistant makes a lame attempt to feign ignorance, but baldy persists that, even in his state of ruination he knows what the assistant did

• The assistant relents, says he should be here any second

• Patrician nods for a beat, and pulls a dagger out from under his frock in a wide arc, is he going to stab the assistant?

• Nope, he flips it around and hands it to the assistant, handle-first, both of these people know what’s happening but the audience doesn’t

• “I’ll permit you to pray in the farmhouse before you do it, but don’t take all day.”

• The assistant nods and disappears into the farmhouse, right as Edward appears around the corner

• Wordlessly, Edward plops down on the chair, exhausted but determined

• “Tea?” “No.” “Have you come to kill me?” “Also no. I do not need to be here for that.”

• Staring out at the ocean, the push and pull of it all, a constant battle against waves that build up and end up crashing into each other and cancelling out

• “That makes a change. Wasn’t the whole point of this never-ending campaign to kill me? Hasn’t that always been the reason?”

• END: “Once. ” The calm, unstirred water of the Black Sea stretches off…

John and Edward

• Beside the waters of the Thames, on a windy, depressing day, Edward cuts the purse of a man while a girl watches, but a visiting fancily dressed man accompanies by a more soberly dressed woman shouts him out

  • “Merde! Un pickpocket.”

• Edward bolts, wider description of London as he runs

  • “Sorry, buddy. Maybe put it under your tunic next time.”

• Edward splits from Eda, saying he’ll see her later to divvy up the reward, she insists on being paid as they run so he begrudgingly does it

• Arriving at the spice workshop, waiting for John to finish serving as Edward stands with arms behind back.

• John immediately clocks him and demands the coin purse, he hints at what he REALLY does

  • “Hand it over, Edward.” “What…how?” “Nevermind that. Edward, my boy. You have such potential, yet you waste it on such petty acts like this.”
  • “I’m just trying to make my own way in the world. I don’t want what you have. I want what the monarchs have.” “Funny, I don’t remember any monarch starting out as a cutpurse.” He kneels down, “Edward, there’s a lot about me and my life you don’t know. But this thrill seeking for thrill seeking’s sake will get you hurt. Direct your energy away from ventures that carry such risk for no reward.” “So, what, straighten up and never push the boundaries?” “Ah, did I ever say that? I simply said that if you’re going to break the law,” He bends down, “Go big with it,” he smiles and yanks the purse out of Edward’s hands.

• Edward stares out the teeny window at the River Thames, the winds are starting to pick up and the waters are choppy

• Opening of the door, Edward still facing John, “Ah, perfect timing, come right in.”

• Edward flips around, oh fuck, it’s the fancy guy from outside accompanied by Judas

• John asks, after a pause and awkward silence, if they’ve met, but the duke, in reverence of John, says no

  • Pause, awkward silence, “Edward, this is Duke Charles of Orléans,” more awkward silence but with Edward’s eyes wider in horror, “Have you two met?”
  • “That depends. Is this your son?” “Yes.” “Then no, we have not.”

• “Shall we?” John says, “Yes, sir,” Judas says, “I’ve got the perfect place sorted out on London Bridge”

• “Great, Edward, can you hold down the castle?” John says, gesturing to the shabby spice store, Edward nods still confused

• Just before they leave, Edward leaps forward and grabs John’s arm, asking what the fuck he’s doing talking to a French duke

  • “Wait, father, what is going on? Why are you having a meeting with a duke? HOW are you having a meeting with a duke? What does this have to do with selling spices?” “My boy, there’s more to my life than putting cinnamon in a jar. Far more. I will tell you more when you are ready.”

• Just as they leave, a man walks in who is suspiciously looking around, Edward, still grappling with what he was told, barely notices

• The guy grabs some pepper, plops it down, and just as John rings it up, “Your father is in danger”

  • Plops coins on counter, “Your father and the duke are in danger, boy,” “Wait, what?” “You need to warn them now, or they will die”

• Edward chases after the guy after he leaves, “What are you talking about?” “Maybe I’m not the one you should be worrying about,” he nods back at the store

• CRASH, the door splinters open and leather-bound guards rush in shouting about “Finding John”

• Edward’s stomach drops, his survival instinct kicks in and he runs to a nearby alley, the guy is gone and Edward needs to run

• Runs to London Bridge, just caught his father before entering, runs a bit further and grabs John, informing him of everything

• The guards start marching and Edward grabs John, bowling the others over and running, “Sorry!” he shouts

• John and Edward jump into the Thames, the icy sharp water almost shocks Edward out of consciousness, but John grabs him and swims him downriver

  • “I’m so sorry, father,” “No, you did the right thing, thank you”

• END: The wind and gloom cover their escape, “Father, what have you gotten yourself into, they said that you’ve committed treason” “We need to hide, I know a place…”

Escape

• Guards swarming outside, asking around the town for John

• The two are sitting, clothes resting by a fire, describe the scene before describing the two

  • A sword sitting in the corner
  • An open fire
  • Clothes, covered in water and silt
  • The men, covered in the same water and silt

• “You know, when you talked about a secret hideout, I was more expecting an underground catacomb, frankly” “Shhh,” John says, as he sees something through the slits of the boarded up window

• The duke being led in manacles through the town, being harassed and having food thrown at him, led to the gallows

• The charges against him are read, explaining vaguely why this deal was so illegal, confusing John as none of that shit is close to true

  • “DUKE CHARLES OF ORLÉANS, you are charged with treason against the Crown of England and conspiracy to harm the stability of the realm. Your social status has been taken into account and you have been spared, through the grace of his highness the king of England, hanging, drawing, and quartering. You are instead to be simply hanged from the neck until dead.”
  • Last words: “You fil a putain may hang me, but I have powerful friends. You can take my neck today, but I shall have all yours in retu—”

• John looks away, not out of disgust but out of deep contemplation, “Father, what have you done?”

• John assures Edward that he committed no crimes in the course of what he did, and that there’s some hole in his plan he didn’t consider

  • “I can assure you, my boy, I did nothing illegal in the course of my deal. It was a simple transaction to start selling goods to the duke. That’s all.”

• Suddenly the door downstairs opens, John picks up a sword and goes downstairs

• It’s Judas! She’s so cool, Judas explains that she’s come alone and would rather John come by himself

• John, confused, what the hell? “It’s you”

• Judas ignores this and continues, it’s a matter of honour, he could never last on the run from the entire kingdom

• A carriage rides up the back of the alley, hidden out of sight

• John raises his sword again, it’s time for her to fuck off, the driver comes out with a few thieves to accompany and he herds Edward into a secret compartment between some barrels

• From his hiding spot, Edward can hear but not see John and Judas talking, John asks why but Judas says nothing

• A scuffle breaks out and Judas shouts, “I’ve got him, lads! I’ve got John Bartum, he’s over here!” John shouts “GABRIEL, LEAVE, I’VE GOT THIS”

• Gabriel barely gets going before Edward jumps out and sees what happened, but this distracts Judas enough for John to tussle for the sword, the thieves are completely bewildered

• John takes the sword and in one slash Judas’ arm goes flying, screams abound

• John drops the sword and hides with his son, still covered in blood, they race to leave London, Gabriel, hiding around the corner, whisles and the thieves come out in full force

• Edward only hears the chaos of it all and glimpses through a crack in the carriage the guards clomping after the thieves

• The carriage rolls up, and rolls out before anybody can chase after them

• Truncated explanation of the journey, days and nights spent in the carriage, inspections and tolls, occasional food and water

• Finally make it to a stop, Edward falls out and is shakily walking around trying to get his bearings, but John strides out as if it’s nothing

• Has a hidden conversation with Gabriel and Gabriel nods, John kneels down and talks to Edward

  • “Edward, I need you to stay strong. There are parts of my life that I have not even given you glimpses of. I need to sort out some business and it’s not safe for you to come along. Please, stay here, just for a while. I’ll be back for you. Be strong for me, I will always be proud of you.”

• Edward, fighting back stinging tears, nods and accepts this

• END: John hops atop a horse and rides down the hill, through the forest clearing and towards the rolling hills in the distance

Town

• TWO YEARS LATER

• Trees sway in the breeze, and that same clearing has been grown over from disuse

• Edward sits on a stump, snacking on a bread but barely giving enough brainpower to it to chew, looking out at the same clearing his father left through

• Gabriel calls him to the house, comes in to Gabriel resting a stiff, slightly mangled leg on a stool, reading his bible, asks about a word in his bible and Gabriel gives him a reading tip because he training Gabriel

  • “What is that, repaid?” Edward drops the bag and has a look, “Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” “Cheers.” “Next time, make sure you sound it out; it’ll make it easier to understand.”

• Edward asks why he was called in, and Gabriel asks him to take down a bag, Edward enquires if this is the last of the money but Gabriel says nothing

• Edward asks if this is why he was called in, but Gabriel says it’s his turn to go into the forest and chop, Edward protests but they have to get enough for the upcoming fair

• Edward sighs and leaves, seeing the cut marks in the tree, chop chop chop chop hands ouch chop chop

• Edward hears a horse whinny nearby, and he checks it out

• Gabriel greets the person on horseback, a rather well-dressed fellow, though not the dress of a noble

• They go inside and, though Edward knows he should be chopping, he takes one look at the WORK and decides to spy

• Gabriel asks how the trades and the guild are going, but the guild guy explains that, to ensure such a debacle as last time doesn’t happen, he would like his son to assist again

  • “The boy shows no aptitude in carpentry, but he may find a home here amongst the trees”

• Gabriel strenuously objects noting that his son shows no aptitude for the trees either, and the last time he was brought around he almost felled a tree on himself, forcing Gabriel to step in and save him but causing his injured leg, partly causing the delays

• The guild guy says that this was not a request, and that he has powerful connections, to which Gabriel promptly and carefully tells him to leave

• Edward hears the footsteps coming towards him and quickly acts natural, leaning on the wall, axe lazily in hand

• As the guild leader leaves he notices Edward and comments how lazy they all are before leaving, Edward’s grip on his axe tightens

  • “Ah, I see you and your new apprentice are putting in as much work as the last fair. I wonder how hard it is to tutor a boy to swing an axe into a tree, and how much of that is the fault of the boy.”

• He loosens it when Gabriel pops his head out, Edward asks if what he heard was true, and Gabriel simply says that he was hand picked by the lord himself and that nobody besides the king is unseating him

• They argue about what needs to be done, with Gabriel pointing out that, just because he had a traumatic event happen, doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily happen to Gabriel

• Gabriel sighs and tells Edward to finish up for the day, apologising for losing his temper

• END: Edward hikes back to the hovel he lives in (Describe it and its state) and begins composing the letter, “I need your help”

The Fair

• Lines of storefronts, including temporary ones built by the carpenters, sprawl messily in the town square
• People going from booth to booth looking at the wares, but one lame man with a younger lad is looking proudly at the timber frames they’re built from
• Gabriel notes how proud he is that they got all of this done on time, but Edward is distracted looking for someone
• The lord’s steward, in lieu of the lord, makes a speech during the fair, praising the virtue and hardwork of everyone, and rebuking Lord Eadwin for saying they “couldn’t put on a great fair” but she’s doing a pretty bad job with public speaking
• Two people in the crowd offhandedly talk about how the lord didn’t show up to the LAST fair either, but at least the herald could string together sentences properly
• While the chattering happens, he spots them, struck with a sense of relief and
• Eda says she’ll do what she can, but no promises
• ?- Edward speaks with Eda, interrupted by an argument being led by the guild guy’s son, Gabriel tells him to “deal with him”
• ?- Edward speaks with the arrogant prick son and learns about the plot
• Edward pulls Gabriel aside and tells him that the guild leader is going for his head, but Gabriel implores Edward to stay out of it, because even if the worst happens he doesn’t want Edward getting caught in the blast
• Edward protests that he doesn’t want to work with or for the prick, but Gabriel says, though it may suck, it’s at least a life
• END:

Speaking with Eda

Returning

• Edward staring into a corner building’s window, standing in the exact spot he was looking out at from the building: It’s the spice shop

Getting a mentor

• ?- “You owe me one. If it wasn’t for me, you would have been hanged with your father in London about ten years ago”

Why the mysterious man helped out John

• ?- Explains why he did it in narrated flashback form
• ?- Show John exploding and losing his temper
• ?- Up to the moments before he went into the shop to warn Edward

Edward

• ?- The Patrician explains the meaning of Sinop to The Circle
• ?- Edward enters the farmhouse, dead body of assistant, pauses for a moment and steps over the body carelessly