Sonflowers p1 outline

A thousand years ago, the Architect and Gardener descended from the stars upon a wild and inhospitable world. Their goal was to build civilization, and to that end they brought with them lesser creatures. To reshape the land, they raised fierce monsters who fed upon the earth. To populate the world, the various different peoples were conjured. To build their cities, the Architect deployed an army of machines, and to keep them fed, the Gardener planted lush fields and forests.
Things were well, for a time, before conflict struck between the Architect and the Gardener.
So exalted by her people, who worshipped her as the bringer of life, she came to resent the Architect, who was so rapt with his machines, and his building. Once, they were as lovers, but now he seemed to her so cold, and she hardened her heart toward him. In whispers, she taught the people to distrust him, and eventually to disobey him outright. The Architect confronted her, and she wilted beneath the fire in his eyes. Afraid as she was, she struck him, and as he reeled, plucked two of his four arms from their sockets, and used them to drive him out of the city he had built, and beyond the forests she had sown, into the craggy wastes beyond.
Hundreds of years have passed since the Architect was branded a demon--the First Demon--by the people's Goddess, and his knowledge has been lost to time. The machines he built have long since ground to a halt, and as the Goddess was unable to handle the dangerous creatures who shaped the land, their nurseries were overrun, and the creatures now roam the land.
The Goddess, wrought with jealousy, and grief for the unchecked destruction of her precious forests, has spent centuries secluded in her tower. The most devout worshippers rule over the little flowers and tenders of the Goddess's Garden. Their doctrine is simple: that which is like the First Demon is sin, and that which is like the Goddess is good. To be a precious, pretty thing pleases the Goddess, and so the flowers of Her garden strive for such an ideal. The tenders, already so inherently disparate from such ideals, must devote themselves to the flowers' pursuit of those ideals, for to do otherwise is sin.
Daffodil and Snapdragon are orphaned brothers, apart by five years. Their mother gave them to the church before Snapdragon was even weaned, and neither knew their father. Owned by the church, they were both sent into training to become knights of the church.
They were both exceptional soldiers, but Daffodil's faith was shaky. On a quest to track down a criminal, Daffodil's squad was killed, and his life saved by the tender he was supposed to bring to justice. With nobody else to witness his transgression, Daffodil instead joined his quarry, and gave up living for the Goddess to live merely under the Goddess. He was assumed dead, as the rest of his squad had been messily devoured by frostodiles, and he was free to live on as Carillon Vesper.
When Snapdragon heard of his brother's supposed death, he thought Daffodil a martyr, and his faith was galvanized. He rose through the ranks, and the day his age matched his late brother's, he was granted the title Dragoon, the highest rank any tender can hold in the church.
the opening scene is the slaughter of Daffodil's Bumblebee unit and his rescue by Fennel, an estranged father, whose crime is an inability to keep up with alimony payments.
there's a five-year time skip, then Snapdragon's knighting. Daffodil/Carillon and Fennel are pals, and they make ends meet by hunting dangerous monsters and escorting folk between towns

so we're in Act 1, Stage 1, the Setup
Daffodil and Fennel are pals and they live a somewhat carefree life. They eat and drink and travel somewhat freely. However, they're both wanted men.
Daffodil is a deserter, so if his identity ever gets out, he'll be hunted by squads like the one he used to lead, and Fennel only gets by because he, too, was assumed dead.
Snapdragon is knighted as the Dragoon. Snapdragon is like Darth Vader here. He even wears a cape and an ornate, distinguishable helmet.
so here's Turning Point 1: Opportunity
Snapdragon is given a mission to investigate rumors of demon activity in an area, and is given a dragon to ride to help make this happen. So he sets off with a small force.
Daffodil and Fennel's pockets are light on coin, so they look for jobs, and find a listing at a local pub that's very convenient for them, specifically: the young Daisy, something of a scholar, wants an escort to a stupidly dangerous place, to find a McGuffin. Daffodil and Fennel are specifically practiced in guarding people and hunting dangerous monsters, making them uniquely suited for the job. Daffodil doesn't trust Daisy, but Fennel overrides his distrust, and they accept the job.

which brings us to Act 1, Stage 2, "new situation"
Fennel and Daffodil have a new job, along with the new character Daisy. Snapdragon collects a team for reconnaissance. Both of them approach the deadly ruins.
There are logistical reasons for it all, but to keep it simple, demons are often found around ruins. So Snapdragon has been sent to investigate the same ruins that Daffodil, Fennel, and Daisy are going to check out.
this brings about Turning Point 2: Change of Plans
The ruins are in a mountain, there's a village nearby.
Daffodil's party arrives first, but people cower when Snapdragon arrives; they see him as an inquisitor rather than a defender of justice.
Daffodil and co. see Snapdragon's soldiers, and decide to hoof it up the mountain, knowing they can't stick around while the town is occupied.

we're in Act 2 now, Stage 3 overall: "progress"
the heroes are progressing toward their goal, the ruins at the top of the mountain.
and then it's Turning Point 3: the Point of No Return
They get spotted by Snapdragon and two or three soldiers, who are suspicious of anybody climbing the mountain. Daisy tries to defuse the situation, but Daffodil doesn't play along, and the encounter escelates. Snapdragon recognizes an identifying personal item on Daffodil through his disguise. Weapons are drawn when the band fails to cooperate with Snapdragon's men, and the band flees up the mountain with Snapdragon hot on their heels.

the chase is Stage 4, "complications and higher stakes"
the stakes have gone from "let's do our job and get paid a lot" to "let's do our job and avoid capture or death" for Daffodil and "my brother is a deserter and I must bring him back to me" for Snapdragon.
The chase is temporarily resolved when a flimsy stone bridge collapses behind Daffodil and co., leaving Snapdragon and his soldiers to find another way up the mountain.
Turning Point 4, "Major Setback"
The bridge breaks just before Fennel's wagon leaves it, and the wagon plummets into a chasm. Daffodil hangs from the cliff, and Fennel can't reach him, so Daffodil must trust Daisy to help him.

we've hit Act 3, and we're on the most tense part of the story, the Final Push.
Act 3, Stage 5
Daffodil's party dive into the ruins to snatch a McGuffin tablet that Daisy wanted out of the ruins, along with a whole lot of fire salamander eggs to put bread on the table. As they're about to leave, Snapdragon and his soldiers storm the ruins. The demons barely even notice Daffodil and company, but Snapdragon zeroes in on him while Fennel engages a salamander who's angry about her eggs being stolen.
Snapdragon's men are busy fighting the local demons, and Fennel is keeping some salamanders at bay. Daffodil might be more experienced, but he's woefully under-equipped for a duel with Snapdragon, and so to win, he calls for Daisy to distract Snapdragon long enough for Daffodil to get in close and disarm him. In doing so, Daisy draws attention from a salamander, and before she can be harmed, Daffodil pushes her out of the way of the salamander's attack, burning himself badly. Fennel and Daisy flee with Daffodil, leaving Snapdragon and his men to deal with the demons and angry salamanders.
This is the end of part one. Daffodil and Fennel cash in on their work and knock back some beers. Daisy's tablet mcguffin is very revealing about some lore, and she decides to tag along with them some more, having developed a crush on Daffodil. Snapdragon reports back to his superior, hooking a part two.