The Age of Magic Begins is the first episode of Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light. Written by Flint Dille, it was released on September 21, 1987.
Synopsis[]
On the planet Prysmos, the alignment of three suns causes the Age of Science to end, to be replaced by an Age of Magic. As Prysmos settles into this new reality, the ancient wizard Merklynn appears and offers great magical powers to those who can reach his shrine atop Iron Mountain.
Plot[]
Prysmos is a planet that lives in a golden age of science and technology. For the past 7,000 years, the inhabitants have harnessed all forms of energy, and live in comfort and ease. However, a celestial alignment of the planet's three suns stopped all technology from working. When all of the available energy sources were used up, Prysmos entered a more primitive, feudal state of city states and knights.
Two powerful leaders emerge – Leoric leader of the city of New Valarak, and Darkstorm. The two are evenly matched, and each seeks an advantage over the other. The ancient wizard Merklynn appears to both of them and offers powerful magic to those able to reach his shrine atop Iron Mountain. Darkstorm initially refuses to believe Merklynn, but after learning that Leoric intends to quest for the magic, he decides to as well.
At Iron Mountain, a large gathering of knights is addressed by Merklynn, offering great power to those who ascend the mountain and survive its traps. Witterquick leads a group of knights to a series of fast moving doors that threaten to crush anyone under them. One of the knights counsels finding another route, but Witterquick refuses and runs through the trap at great speed. Merklynn appears and tells the other knights that they too must follow, but they instead decide to quit.
Darkstorm leads Mortdred and Reekon across a rope bridge, followed by more knights. At Darkstorm's order, Mortdred and Reekon cut the bridge, causing the knights to fall. One of the knights, Arzon, manages to hang onto the bridge remains and climb, only for it to turn into snakes. Falling to a ledge, he manages to fashion a pair of wings from large leaves and fly across the gap.
Leoric, Ectar, and Feryl race through the mountain while discussing the rebuilding of New Valarak. Darkstorm sends Mortdred to distract them while he gets ahead of them by pretending to be in trouble, knowing the honorable knights would try to help. While Mortdred prepares to fight, Darkstorm orders him to retreat and he obeys. Trying to catch up, the three come upon a stone giant and attempt to sneak past. Reekon has other plans and alerts the giant to Leoric's presence. Leoric charges the giant who retreats, not knowing how to handle being attacked. Darkstorm has become separated from his men, and in the dark falls down a shaft, barely managing to stop his fall by bracing himself on the sides.
On a narrow bridge over a pool of water, Virulina attacks Galadria. As they fall in the water, they are attacked by an octopus. Virulina puts Galadria in the octopus' path and manages to escape, dropping a gate and trapping her opponent. As the octopus drags Galadria towards itself, she dislodges a large plug in the ground that empties the water and creature out of the pool while she swims to shore.
In a separate chamber, Cravex unleashes a swarm of insects on several other knights. As they run, they drop their weapons which Cravex duly collects. In an ice cave, old foes Cryotek and Cindarr face off against each other. Cindarr uses his strength to climb an ice stalactite and then dislodge several others that fall on Cryotek. Cryotek survives and uses his own strength to free himself. Seeing this, Cindarr escapes by climbing on a stalagmite and sliding to safety.
Darkstorm continues to climb to freedom, and comes upon four trapped knights - Cindarr, Lexor, Cravex, and Virulina. In return for freeing them, Darkstorm demands their loyalty and they reluctantly agree.
Feryl leads Leoric and Ectar through a maze using his sense of smell. While Feryl and Leoric talk, Ectar senses something amiss and takes a different path. His hunch serves him well, discovering and warning his friends of an ambush by Darkstorm and his knights. As they fight, Cryotek, Witterquick, Arzon, and Galadria arrive and join the fray. During the fighting, Leoric clashes with Lexor, causing him to hide under a table. Merklynn gets them to stop fighting by promising that there is enough magic for them all.
Inside Merklynn's shrine, he proclaims the fourteen that have survived the "Visionaries," and prepares to bestow upon them magic to help their people. Leoric asks what he wants in exchange for this magic. Merklynn reveals that he will want them to undertake tasks for him when asked. Merklynn presents each knight with a magical totem, earned by their actions in climbing the mountain.
Arzon receives the eagle for finding wings when he needed to fly. Cindarr earns the gorilla for brute strength and climbing ability. Witterquick's speed and dexterity earns him the cheetah. Cravex get the phylot, an airbourne scavenger native to Prysmos. Ectar is granted the fox for sensing the ambush. Mortdred's bootlicking earns him the beetle. Feryl's tracking skills translates into the wolf. Virulina's killer instinct underwater earns her the shark, while Galadria's intelligence in escaping grants her the dolphin. The armadillo is Lexor's totem, earned for his cowardice. Cryotek receives the bear for his strength. Reekon's stealth and treachery earns him the totem of the lizard. Leoric's leadership and courage grants him the totem of the lion. Darkstorm receives the mollusk for his climbing abilities.
Those knights with staffs dip them into the pool to receive more power. Leoric is given the Power of Wisdom, Witterquick the Power of Lightspeed, Arzon the Power of Knowledge, Cryotek the Power of Strength, Darkstorm the Power of Decay, Cindarr the Power of Destruction, Cravex the Power of Fear, and Lexor the Power on Invulnerability. Those knights without staffs are assured that they will fight they possess great magic of their own in time. Merklynn then uses his magic to flush the knights to the bottom of the mountain.
As the knights recover, Reekon attempts to steal Witterquick's staff. A small fight starts, but Darkstorm calls his subjects to stop. To the surprise of Ectar and Leoric, Darkstorm then proclaims that magic should be used to preserve peace on Prysmos. Leoric agrees and the two groups go their separate ways. Cindarr questions whether Darkstorm plans to honor the treaty. Darkstorm tells him that he has no intention of honoring it, but that Leoric will. It is so much easier to be evil, after all.
On his way home, Arzon hears the cries of a maiden in distress. He rescues her, and she shows interest in his power staff. She is sceptical, so Arzon summons the Bearer of Knowledge and asks him to tell him all about the maiden. The Bearer reveals the woman is actually the evil knight Virulina. Shedding her disguise, she attacks Arzon.
To Be Continued ...
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