Would this novel idea be original?

Question

It concerns a community which has sprung up around a military barracks that is built on a kingdoms frontier. It acts as a garrison for troops, but also to keep peace between the predominant foreign tribes in its vicinity and prevent intrusion. Within this community is a group of local merchants which dominate the mini-market around the garrison. These merchants also act as a sort of vigilante group for the community, using the skin of an animal’s head to conceal their faces. One day they hear that the king is to grant universal citizenship to every man. The merchants believe this done so that the state may tax a greater number of people and so that the conscription may bring in a greater number of troops (as they could only tax and conscript citizens). The merchants thusly attempt to bring in as many number of people from the tribes as possible, as they believe that a life within the state is better than one outside of it. However, this is deemed to be illegal by the local magistrates, and so they must battle to fight for their kinsman.

Answer 1

It sounds like yet another ill-thought-out pseudo-wannabe-political yawn-fest.



Firstly, constructing military barracks to house large numbers of troops on your country's frontier is certainly not going to endear you to the people on the other side of the border. One of two things is going to happen: either the neighbouring country will follow suit and construct similar fortifications and proceed to man those fortifications with large numbers of troops, or the neighbouring country will decide that it might be better to counter the threat by drawing up plans to halt the advance of any enemy troops that might cross the border by building defensive works farther behind its own lines.



If the first situation were to come to pass, it wouldn't make for a very desirable place to live for ordinary citizens as most people wouldn't want to live in a place where war might break out at any moment.



And if the second scenario were the one to come to pass, it would essentially be an outpost in the middle of nowhere that served no function in whatsoever unless that territory decided to mobilise those troops against its neighbour one day.



As with any volatile border situation, the first kingdom would expect and demand that the neighbouring kingdom take steps to insure that nothing and no one crossed from one territory into the next without permission. Allowing masked vigilantes to exact their own brand of frontier justice certainly doesn't instill a sense of loyalty and obedience in one's own soldiers.



And if such a group were to attempt to take control over an area where a large number of government troops were garrisoned, that group would likely be wiped out by men who served under any leader competent enough to recognise the threat.



Is it "original"?



No, it's imbecilic in every conceivable form and fashion.

Answer 2

Aside from the holes that have been punched into it, it sounds just plain boring. And it's going to take a hundred pages just to set up the premise.

Answer 3

I found it confusing. There is a fort on a frontier, and a "community" (Village?) of settlers that serve the garrison. (as well as farm and trade with the "tribes" of indigenous peoples on the "frontier" and with their own people within the colony or kingdom. I see Toronto in the very early days - a garrison, a settlement, and a trading point.) So far, that made sense to me. The rest did not. Why do the merchants form a vigilante group? The soldiers protect them from the "tribes", so why do they do the soldiers' work? Who are they vigilant against? The soldiers? The villagers? The king announces "universal citizenship to every man" (a tautology) That includes the "tribes" living on the frontier, since it is part of the kingdom, according to the king. The "tribes" might not think it is; but the troops are apparently stronger. The magistrates are appointed to apply the king's laws (and since there are no nobles, the merchants or the garrison's commanders, are magistrates.)

Answer 4

Sounds like a preachy fairy tale, which attempt to push a political agenda under another guise.

" The merchants believe this done so that the state may tax a greater number of people and so that the conscription may bring in a greater number of troops" This isn't really a motivation in a medieval society as you describe. For that matter, the idea of "universal citizenship" would also be an alien concept



That said go ahead, I wouldn't call such an idea original, as it would have been a hundred years ago.

Answer 5

Perhaps, but it's so similar to other things that only very strong characters and dialogue will make it interesting.

Answer 6

So what is your story?

This is a background.

This is the setting in which your story resides.

Answer 7

Dude stop selling ur ideas someone might take this from you, just a warning bro.

Answer 8

No it is not. You are pathetic and you should have never been born. Better yet, commit suicide, won't you?