Hero’s Journey with 5 Act Story Structure Outline — Terra Firma: Awakening

Outline spelling Jalandhara is the same person as pack spelling Jhalandra. Wording below is the novel outline, with PDF line-breaks joined so it can be read.

Act 1: The Exposition

Setting (time/place), characters developed, conflict presented form an event/circumstance that disrupts the status quo and sets the plot in motion, leading the protagonist to act.

Setting: 5,000 AD on Earth; Shiv Home Planet and Earth’s ring (Indra’s home)

Characters: Val, Dea, Indra, Jalandhara, Military Unit and few others

Conflict: 7 plagues are infecting Earth and other planets; Indra and his corrupt ways; eventually unleashing Jalandhara that leads Val and his team to act and save the universe.

Prologue

The ancient race, the Shiv, used the last of their powers, entrapping Jalandhara, who wanted to recreate the world to his liking. They needed to stop him from doing so. The Shiv needs to restore their powers and balance back to the universe. The objective is to free earth from Jalandhara’s clutches (*side stories) and certain people can integrate Shiv abilities.

Indra has deep hatred toward his brother, a result of his father and the jealousy it breeds. It manifests into something more sinister and darker. J, who lays dormant and caged at the science facility, senses his feelings, and plays on them. He telepathically converses with Indra, telling him what to do and how to express that hate through mind control and manipulation, causing Indra to wreak havoc onto the universe and doing his bidding. Indra begins to infect Shiv mutants on Earth and elsewhere on J’s behalf. J tells Indra where he is located, hence why he sends the team out that way.

The Ordinary World

Valerik, a soldier lives on Earth. Earth has fallen under plagues/sins and corruption for quite some time. It is set in futuristic times (5,000 AD) and is needed a hero to save it from evil forces that want to destroy it.

Call to Adventure

Valerik receives some form of sign of body transitioning into Shiv but does not understand what is truly happening. He seeks out military to prepare a journey ahead of him to seek out artifacts to help him understand what and who he is. Dea, a scientist and who he has been romantically involved and engaged to being betrothed and asks for her to do some research but not to assist on the mission. He accepts the miliary proposition. While finishing a side mission, he finds an artifact about himself – it integrates within his body and causes a chain reaction within himself that leaves him hospitalized.

Refusal of Call

Val is in a coma while Dea watches over him in a clinic. She declines the mission for him due to his critical state and informs Indra, her foster father (God of Lightning) and (dark) mentor of what has happened. Val quickly heals and declines that mission due to having second thoughts of seeking artifacts that could kill him.

Meeting the Mentor

Indra seeks Val and consults him about the journey ahead even though he declined it, convincing him that he will be of guidance and help along the way. He also informs Val that Dea has accepted a mission behind his back and against his wishes. This propels Val to accept the journey. His first wife died on a mission and Val is adamant that Dea’s involvement is slim to none so she does not have the same fate. Indra hopes to use Val to acquire his lost powers.

Crossing the First Threshold

At departure, Val commits to leaving and crossing into this adventure via ship with a few team mates. They venture out to explore the vilest places and Earth, seeking out artifacts and for Dea. Once entered new territory, they stumble upon some guardians of these territories (sub-bosses: Kali).

Act 2: The Rising Action

The action of this act leads the audience to the climax – complications will arise or protagonist will encounter obstacles.

Acceptance of the New World

Val accepts the territory, the commitment to facing challenges ahead and objections are set – the find artifacts to figure out who he is and to find Dea.

Tests, Allies and Enemies

Val and the team explores territory, undergoing tests and trials within unfamiliar setting. He finds some artifacts along the way, wins a few battles, and loses men as well. Does he meet any new characters – are they friend or foe? Any new friends help the team to find Dea and rescue her.

Meeting the Soulmate

Val has rescued Dea, intensifying their love for each other. As a couple, they decided it is time to bring their relationship to a higher level. Hot, passionate sex allows both to find out late that they have created life (a boy who will be filled with darkness – later in series).

Temptation

Finding out that they are pregnant with child has them considering abandoning the quest and to merely focus on each other and raising their family. Talks of baby and wedding plans surface. Val starts questioning himself about being a good husband and father due to being unable to protect his first wife.

Act 3: The Climax

The turning point of the play where acts culminate in the climax, characterized by the highest amount of suspense.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

Val, Dea and new friends from along the way face greater challenges, difficult obstacles, and more baddies to take down. Doubts and insecurities start to surface between one another and the task at hand; questioning their sanity and morals. [Cinematic Script] They leave for the Shiv home planet due to no communication from a facility on that planet. There, Dea and her unit releases Jalandhara back into the world, while Val went venturing off to explore another part of the planet.

Ordeal

Because of intensity of the suit from Jalandhara, Dea pulls out of mission to protect herself and child within and requests for backup. She flies back home to Indra while Val faces Jalandhara and faces near-death experience with him, while Jalandhara flees the planet to Earth. Val and what is left of his team goes home and finds Indra to consult. A conflict brews between he and Indra due to seeing his evil ways and motives. Dea sticks up for Indra, claiming he would never and that she trusts him etc. Val starts to lose hope and self-doubts because of knowing what Indra is capable of and his support structure (Dea) is crippling, causing grief, tension, and bitterness. Val wants to strip Indra of all his powers/control and to kill him – still sore for the mission his late wife died on, blames Indra for it). Dea does not want Indra to be killed so she stops Val from doing so. He gets frustrated and leaves, not knowing that Dea will be drugged (via tea?) and captured again.

Reward / Seizing the Prize

Due to Val’s near-death experience, it heightens his ability of hindsight and knowledge of knowing where the final artifact of his is. He again finds out that Dea has been captured. Val eventually finds the artifact, but does not open it yet. He finds and saves Dea and kills Jalandhara.

Act 4: The Falling Action

The conflict that was introduced in the rising action begins to unravel and tension starts to dissipate. The protagonist’s struggles are often resolved and audience can begin to see the consequences of their actions.

Refusal of Return

Val conflicts with himself about being the man Dea needs him to be – husband and father. He questions his ability to be able to protect her, better than how he has done so and that of his late wife.

The Magic Flight / The Road Back

Val and Dea go back to see Indra to understand all that has happened. Indra was the one that drugged her, controlled by Jalandhara, and ensured Jalandhara capture her. Indra knew about her pregnancy and knew that Jalandhara was seeking a wife and an heir to help him create more life to rule the world. Knowing she is having a boy, Jalandhara transfused “dark matter/material (Jalandhara’s consciousness that lays dormant only to be revealed in the future)” into her body so the child would grow into a dark force/entity (this isn’t revealed of what he actually has done until next novel). Indra is no longer influenced by Jalandhara’s power and reiterates that he was being controlled by Jalandhara and goes into further detail of the corruption he helped to set forth along with the kidnapping of Dea and their unborn child.

The Rescue / Resurrection

Val wants to understand more on what he is becoming. He finally opens the artifact he last found, hoping it would provide more answers. Once it opened, all knowledge and ultimate power penetrates his body and releases all that is needed to regain the balance and destroy all evil on Earth. Val experiences a final “powerful Shiv moment” that almost takes control over him, while visions of late wife and Dea emerge happily along with their creation of life. Earth has been restored to a utopia-type place….for now.

The Return Threshold

Earth is now a better place to live. Val and Dea leave the Ring to go back home to Earth. They reassure each other that they are in this together, regardless of what the future holds.

Act 5: The Resolution

The final outcome of drama where author’s tone about subject matter is revealed and a moral/lesson is learned.

Retaining the Prize

Val reenters society, helping with all he can with the ultimate strength and power that now resides within him. He continues to make Earth cleansed and free from evil.

Freedom to Live

Val is content with who he is now, what he has and what/who he has lost along the way to get him to where he needed to be. He is content with being a husband and father and to help raise the child, regardless of what happens in the future. Wedding bells are under way and the next mission is to find more artifacts scattered not only on Earth but other unexplored planets. Dea has a premonition of their grown son in the future becoming a dark force within society.

Additional Notes

• Add premonitions throughout from Dea