Majestic Madness

Joshua Norton returns to South Africa in 1848 after his parents and sister succumb to smallpox. As he sorts through their affairs, he discovers a locket, a gift his mother never received before their untimely deaths. He follows the masses to the California Gold Rush, where he seeks fortune but loses his mind in the process. He exiles to an abandoned shack, returning several months later with delusions of grandeur, proclaiming his majestic authority over an obliging population. One Winter evening, Norton collapses and gifts the locket to a young boy, Nep. His daughter Emma is orphaned when Nep and her mother perish in an earthquake. The locket is discovered in the rubble and makes its way to Nathan, a friend of Emma's at the orphanage. When World War I ends, Nathan gifts Emma the locket. She discovers a cryptic clue inside and quickly becomes obsessed with solving its mystery. Against his better judgement, Nathan agrees to accompany Emma to South Africa in search of possible treasure.