Let's go into my story and create the origin of my protagonist. The idea is that she starts out living in a small village or commune where they worship snakes. I want it to be both a loving and caring atmosphere, but also something dark under the surface. I want to have people who actually care for each other, but at the same time, they are all influenced by the reality-warping presence. I think I want to place the cult in Sweden for a number of reasons; it's where I live and what I know most about. And I will probably write the full story in Swedish, as it's my first language.
Backstory
Way back in time, maybe farther back than the Viking Age, there was a terrible event that opened a rift in reality. The event lives on as a story about a brave man who met a Lindworm and learned about its secrets. The knowledge and power the serpent gave the man resulted in an extraordinarily long life and great harvests. The stories also describe how the knowledge about the Lindworm almost got lost and eradicated multiple times by the church. Now the families that follow the ancient ways are trying to bring back the former power of the serpent god. They are keeping it a secret, but they need more followers to expand the power. And then a new threat arose: the alien invasion that proclaimed that all magic and all interaction with extra-dimensional entities should be eradicated, that their beliefs and powers were a threat to humanity.
Hult
In the south of Sweden, in the small village of Hult, most of the population is part of a sect. The new ways started in the 1920s when a brother and a sister from the Jorma family got visions of how to bring back the Lindworm. The Jorma family were the keepers of the practices and stories of the serpent god; it had been a well-kept secret that only family members were allowed to know about. But the siblings brought a new era to life; they managed to bring their friends into what now became more like a cult. During the 1950s, the cult members owned most of the farms and houses in the area, and more members moved to Hult from all around the country.
Arrival
The years after the arrival of the Murajiv in 1969, everything changed all over the world, and that is true for Sweden too. For the population of Hult, that meant that they realized they would not be able to leave the planet and that the government would not protect them against the space bugs that now had the fate of the planet in their claws. But as migration was something that had just started and would be ongoing for generations, the members of the cult decided to again hide their practices and go on as usual.
Klara Norberg
Klara and her family moved to Hult in 1962; now she is in her late teens and fully initiated into the cult. The Jorm siblings have shown great interest in her and say that the Lindworm has his eyes on her. She is torn in the talk about her being special; she really loves the village and the people living there, but at the same time, she wants to see the world and not be locked in.
Conclusion
I think that's a good start for our protagonist. Now I know where to begin and what she is leaving behind. But what do the Jorma siblings see in her? How is the discussion about the future affecting the community? Are there any interactions with the government? Have they encountered any aliens in the area? Are there other sects with similar predicaments that they are in contact with? Do the leaders of the cult have any plans to address their situation, perhaps considering joining one of the resistance movements?
Some notes from atop of my head:
The Jorma siblings see great potential in Klara. Perhaps she has shown an innate ability to connect with the serpent god or has some latent power. This makes her critical to their plans to expand the cult's influence.
There is heated debate within the cult about how to respond to the alien occupation. Some want to lay low and hide their practices. Others argue they should join resistance efforts or even go on the offensive against the aliens. This divide causes tension.
The cult has avoided direct encounters with the aliens so far. But there are rumors of aliens probing rural communities, so they are on guard. Some argue the cult should reach out to the aliens directly and make bargains.
The cult might have sporadic contact with a few other groups in Scandinavia with similar beliefs. They could trade notes on rituals and artifacts.
Klara's parents are divided on the cult's future. Her mother cautions against antagonizing the aliens and worries for Klara's role. Her father encourages Klara's involvement, causing family conflict.
Klara is torn between her duty to the cult and desire for independence. She keeps her doubts secret, but the growing external threats push her to question everything she knows.
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