BRIEF STORYLINE: Two rival parts of Prysmos have lunged into war for years, between New Valarak and the evil Darkstorm's domains. The war is at a stalemate. Merklynn an ancient wizard, invites Darkstorm and leader of New Valarak Leoric, to come to Iron Mountain. Darkstorm, highly competitive when it comes to the enemy, agrees to join Merklynn and not let Leoric get some awesome power.
At the bottom of Iron Mountain, Merklynn announces that its a challenge to the Knights, all over the world. Those who can avoid the obstacles to get to the zenith of the mountain and reach the holy shrine, will be rewarded handsomely.
Leoric and Darkstorm go their seperate ways, and form teams to reach the top. The knights use their own personal attributes to avoid obstacles on the way. Darkstorm is at first with Mortdredd and Reekon, but they come across a bunch of bad knights and free them on the terms that they join forces with him. They are called Cindarr, Virulina, Lexor and Cravex. Meanwhile, Leoric, Ectar and Feryl get ambushed by the newly formed Darkling Lords. However, more good knights pop along in the form of Witterquick, Galadria, Cyrotek and Arzon.
Both groups get to Merklynn's shrine. They are rewarded by given the power to transform into an animal that is similar to their characteristics. Some of them also get a power staff which brings tremendous magic. The ones who do not get a power staff will discover their extra powers in time. Darkstorm wants to call it quits an make a truce to Leoric, because with these magical powers they together, can save the world from evil. Leoric agrees, the decent guy that he is. However, Darkstorm has other plans, and has no intention of keeping the truce. Darkstorm grins wickedly.
REVIEW: The first scenes show you how New Valarak became a shadow of its former self when the age of Science begins is fairly well edited, showing how it lost all of its electricity and technology.Mortdredd make good amusement at the beginning such as falling through one of Darkstorm's Castle windows, unable to control his glider, and calling Merklynn's magic orb a "cheap carnival bauble".
One of the most memorable scenes is a windswept Merklynn on a cliff announcing his challenge to the Knights. It's well done along with the shot of Leoric going into action mode, smacking his whip, and commencing the start of the challenge.
Then we have some scenes not as appreciative in editing like Arzon using his brains to get over the gap left by the bridge snapped by the Darkling Lords. Mortdredd is unusually brave, luring Leoric, Ectar and Feryl, with a vengeful "savour my sythe, Ectar!". However his intentions are stopped by a shouting Darkstorm. Nice underwater action involving Galadria and Virulina. Its mixed quality but a good setting of a giant octopus in the water in some sort of a cavern. Another cool part is Cyrotek pushing out the large icicles that bury him thanks to Cindarr.
When Darkstorm comes across the captured soon-to-be Darkling Lords tied upside down, he wants them to pledge allegiance and he'll save them. However, Virulina doesn't follow suit with Lexor, Cravex and Cindarr and only shouts "blast you Darkstorm, let me down!" So why does Darkstorm to let her down when she didn't promise him? This defiance from Virulina continues in later episodes.
Some of the best fighting happens when both sides of the Darkling Lords and Spectral Knights are skirmishing between each other just outside Merklynn's shrine. Nice shots of the whole battleground taking place. In the scene where the Visionaries get their magical powers, which is the benchmark of this whole cartoon's idea, it is somewhat repetitive with the same shots, however some of the reactions to their own magical animal totem like Mortdredd's, Leoric's testing and Lexor's are entertaining, and gets a thumbs up from me.
There's a good amount of seriousness in this episode for a cartoon. Merklynn barks at good guy Ectar, who questions whether their new-found powers are really magic. He snaps "i am not cheating you!" The creation of the power staffs is better edited than the animal totem scenes. The ending finishes well with a real cliffhanger, following a high calibre quarrel and fight before both sides make a truce. The princess who is actually a disguised Virulina, unravels herself, and at the height of this danger, when she is about to strike Arzon with her weapon, the action pauses, and ends with "To Be Continued". A solid episode with a fine ending. THE AGE OF MAGIC BEGINS GETS A: 3/5 RATING.
