"THE BEASTERY"

Copyright Frank Graves 1995

STORY SYNOPSIS

Somewhere in ancient time, the Great Monastic Order of Monks and Magicians control the crown, people and beasts of the universe, they are having a meeting to gain updated facts gleaned from travellers into the known world. This meeting called to pool resources, update ancient books and maps and thereby, increase their combined power and knowledge. A huge map lays on the circular table, it is the only map of its kind in existence and the source of the great order's powers. For all living creatures shown on the map only survive in the universe because they remain named on this powerful parchment.

Fear mounts! …Enter Zanival, the dark magician wanting to control this world. He snatches the map and when accosted, tears it into pieces. Boniface creates strong winds to blow the fragments to the four corners of their known world. Zanival makes his escape. The Order's power and lives of all creatures has now been dispersed, the pieces must be found before the evil Zanival collects them for himself. An alternative plan to beat him is to make a new more powerful map of the world but, the original structure had been collected over many centuries. Creatures of the map would now have to be seen and redrawn from scratch, simple memories could not guarantee its correctness, if left off, would simply fade and disappear from the universe. Beasts like the Dragon, Phoenix and Manticora abound, yet dinosaurs had lost out at the previous such conflict . The oldest and wisest monk Boniface, hatches a clever plan...

The challenge becomes one of finding all the pieces of the map before Zanival does or, to produce a new, more powerful map and they need special help. Albie as he is known, an albino type looking boy finds an old steel box under a fallen oak tree. It contains an original bestiary and a tattered map of the then known world. (Like the 13th century Hereford Mappe Mundi and Northumberland Bestiaries showing beasts drawn around the border.) Albie is transported through time to another place at the centre of the Multiverse to the Ryalme of Jertowrie which resembles Earth's 12th /13th Century lifestyle. Albie as "The Chosen One" is apprenticed to Boniface, a monk-cum-dabbler in wizardry who has fleetingly visited the 20th Century and, with the aid of two modern day books has learnt our language, well, …sort of.

The cantankerous old monk insists on Albie's help to devise a new and more powerful map, Albie being "The Chosen One" is unsure himself, he doesn't even understand what foreign lands and animals are supposed to be like. Armed with certain magical artefacts Boniface, his young artist called Nikki, the modern day know-all Albie and an irritating boy-bishop set off through the then known world to find out first hand whether they can track down the map and update facts referred to in ancient bestiaries named "The Beastery". They remain sceptical and unbelieving of each other's stories because of age and time gaps. (i.e. - Albie tries to explain television but, when pressed, does not really understand what makes it work.)

Joining forces with a powerful wood-witch, using some untrustworthy ancient documents as a guide, they encounter all sorts of dangers and problems; becoming lost, meeting hostile opposition, strange and ferocious beasts. Continuous arguments rage between them in attempts to correct the old documents, all gain vast knowledge from the huge time difference occurring and in their own perception of the beasts.

The group stoically battle through having covered a range of items, real and imaginary which have been magically penned onto a new map by Nikki, the mother nature artist. They reach the "Sacred Tree of Life" and the coming together of the "Great Contiguity" which happens each millennium. Eventually they win out over evil, but, returning from their travels, they compile, illustrate and finalise the new map and bestiary which, when presented to the Order of Monks and Magicians but, is deemed to be blasphemous and wildly over the top. (Much as we would see an article from the 26th Century today) Albie marks the box with his initials before they bury the manuscripts and plant a young tree.

A saddened Boniface has an argument with the Great Order of Monks before returning to his beloved manuscripts but, not before sending Albie back to his own time. The manuscript originally found by Albie at the beginning, turns out to be the same one buried by himself at the ceremony seemingly all those years back. The story therefore, becomes a non-ending ring and a line of communication to our world that means anyone handling the map will be called back in time to meet Boniface.

The above synopsis and characters are based on the full book story which for obvious reasons had to be adapted slightly differently to the film and stage play versions. However, the film version with its special effects etc., does remain true to the overall concept of the book version without giving too much away.

Also now, by adding the extra layers of music and dance to the script as a secondary medium, this project has now become primarily a Mythological Adventure with accompanying Music / Dance for this to become transferable in both a film and stage play musical mediums as well as a potential Theme Park exhibition which all adds to the overall effect, publicity and marketing viability of the entire project.

At our workshop/studio based at Pinewood Studios all development-cum-pre-production work involving scripting, model-making, (in conjunction with toy company) a large amount of film and computer work has already been made for film, theatre stage play and theme park ride. Actors like Richard E. Grant, Bob Hoskins, Ringo Starr and Bob Geldorf have agreed to take part in THE BEASTERY film.

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