Idea developement

The tale starts out fairly faithful to the Aladdin story. I'll make a few changes, for instance I'll place story in a total fantasy world not related to any actual historical period. I think I call my hero/victim Ari the  master thief. My heroin Princess Miranda, it has a nice fairy tale quality. Miranda's doting father will be King Malfus.  For the villains we'll have Prince Valin, Miranda's first cousin and would be usurper. Next we have Basir the wise, the discredited palace magician and Prince Valin's partner in crime. And last we we have Haseem the brutal, body guard and personal servant to Prince Valin. 

The setting is the great city of Agra. Agra has seen better days. At one time it was the capital city of great and wealthy empire. After years of decline and encrouchment from surrounding kingdoms, Agra is but a shadow of its former glory. Agra's king, Malfus the kind is beloved by his subjects and is content to rule over what was left to him by his fore bearers. Prince Valin is the ward of the king and was taken in after the untimely death of his father; the younger brother of the king . We find out later that the king's brother was killed by Valin and Basir as part of a plot to put the ambitous Valin on the throne. It is Valins dream to restore the kingdom to its former glory.  

Agra and the surrounding kingdoms are in what we would call a pre-industrial age. They know how to make steel and basic machines. Their alchemists are familiar with black gunpowder, but guns are unknown. Crossbows and swords are the standard military arms. The most potent offensive weapon is the calvary charge. The city is situated on the shore of a broad river that empties into bay. The city's protected by a thick high curtain wall and manned day and night by the king's guard. At the center of the city is the royal palace that overlooks the central market . The city has many narrow winding streets and alleyways. There are many temples and the populace worships a whole pantheon of deities . The people themselves are racially diverse becuse of the once wide flung empire encompassed  a wide range of different peoples. 

Next:

we flesh out the main characters.