May Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Trustful

Time Setting: 1620*

Genre: Fantasy

Minimum Word Goal: 90,000

Timespan: January–July

Locations: Freiheitkamm, Herzogtum Hochhohl; Festung Unbezähmbar, Herzogtum Kaiserinquellegebiet

Main Characters: Wolfgang Leon Adler, Rosemarie Bergfalk

Background Information:

Born the only child of his parents' union, and heir to his father's title of Herzog, Wolfgang's life had some very tragic beginnings.

It started with his father mysteriously dying days before his third birthday, which the led to his mother going mad with grief; she was thus put in an asylum, where she took her own life when he was seven.

Since his father's death his uncle has been filling in for his father as Herrschendherzog being as Wolfgang isn't old enough yet to assume the title for himself. During this time his uncle has taken much more power than a regent ought to have and there are some that suspect his uncle was involved in his father's untimely demise.

Wolfgang's nineteenth birthday, when he will assume the title of Herzog, is fast approaching — coming up in February — but so too is the birth of his uncle's tenth child, which will happen a month sooner. Although his uncle has nine daughters, there is still the chance that this child could be the son Wolfgang is sure his uncle is waiting for, and if it is then his uncle will no longer be required to keep Wolfgang alive.

For as long as she can remember, Rosemarie has lived with an old woman she knows only as Hulda in a tall stone fortress on top of a mountain. Although Hulda is hideously disfigured, as well as old, Rosemarie has been treated with nothing but great kindness and care.

Life in the fortress is boring, however, even though there are hundreds of rooms in the place Rosemarie has yet to explore in her sixteen years, but they're nothing like the view out the windows.

Out the windows there are thick forests, some imposing mountains, and the broad, fluid ribbon of a great river which seems to originate from the mountain's base.

Hulda, however forbids her to leave the fortress, rebuffing Rosemarie's every effort to gain permission, and thwarting her every attempt to sneak out.

To explore the wide world outside her windows is Rosemarie's dream, but she is left only with the fortress to explore, or to stare out the windows and long to be free.

Pronunciations:

Freiheitkamm: fryheightkahm

Herzogtum: hairzohgtum

Hochhohl: hohkhhaul

Festung: fesstung

Unbezähmbar: oonbehzahmbar

Kaiserinquellegebeit: k'eyezehrihnkehl'legehbite

Wolfgang: vohlfgahng

Rosemarie: rosemarie

Bergfalk: behrgfahlk

Herzog: hairzohg

Herrschendherzog: hairshendhairzohg

*does not correspond to 1620 AD.

Novel begins on May 1.