EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
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SUMMARY
The kids are walking through a barren, rocky desert when Uni finds a Giant Scorpion that chases them towards some rocks were they hide. Close by, the cowardly knight, Sir John overhears and hides in time to avoid the scorpion too. Unfortunately he meets a blue dragon as it chases him towards the scorpion. The two creatures fight and the dragon chases after the Scorpion, leaving the coast clear. The kids appear from their hiding place to see Sir John and no scorpion and assume he defeated it.
Dungeonmaster appears and tells the about the Valley of the Beholder. It was once the most beautiful valley in the Realm, until the Beholder came up from the underworld to destroy all things of beauty in the valley. And the beholder guards the passage home. They must meet and defeat it to get home!
He gives them two pieces of advice: “Sometimes by looking back you can see a clearer path to what lies ahead” and “Only beauty can defeat the eye of the beholder”.
They decide that the first part means that they should ask Sir John for help, since he was brave enough to see off the scorpion, he should be a match for the beholder, and set off through the mushroom forest to find him.
Meanwhile, Sir John and his son Timothy are speaking to the Mayor of the ciry of Pendrake, who tells them that unless the knight performs an act of extreme bravery, he will be replaced. Sir John goes off with the intention of being brave somewhere.
The kids are walking through the mushroom forest and are being followed by giant snail-creatures. Presto manages to conjure up some light, in the form of a birthday cake, but Bobby sneezes and blows out the candles. The snails attack, disarming the kids and carrying them off in sacks (presumably to eat later). Uni escapes and eventually bumps into a terrified Sir John skulking in the forest. She grabs his torch and rushes back to the others, with Sir John following. The fire drives off the snails.
The kids thank Sir John for his help, and Diana gives him a flower as a token of their gratitude, which he pins to his shoulder. They tell Sir John that they need his help with the Beholder. The knight makes up an excuse about needing a shield, so Presto conjures him up one – a dustbin lid. Unable to argue, he’s forced to go.
When they get close, the knight tells them to think up a plan while he goes to scout ahead. Alone, Sir John has a crisis of confidence, then Venger appears and tells him to lure the kids to the Beholder and leave them. He has his son and he won’t be released unless he helps.
Sir John leads them, then tells them that he has to go. Hurt by his cowardice and lies, the kids continue anyway in the hope of finding home, just as Venger wanted them to.
Sir John meets with Venger, who returns his son and goes to wait until the beholder finishes off the kids.
The kids have been captured by the tentacles of the Beholder, and their cries are heard by Timothy, who rushes off to help, his father following. Sir John finally comes to their aid, but it grabbed by the beholder and dragged in first.
Diana remembers Dungeonmaster’s riddle and tells the knight to show the flower to the Beholder, who disintegrates at the sight of beauty.
The kids rush to the portal, thanking Sir John on the way, but Venger appears and finds that the knight has betrayed him. Unarmed, with only Presto’s shield to protect him, Sir John stands against Venger. The kids realise they have to help, and turn back from the portal, even Eric, though he was last.
Together they defeat Venger, and the valley is returned to its former beauty.
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INTERESTING INFORMATION
Scatter Count - Zero
Presto Hat produces – one birthday cake, one bucket, one dustbin lid shield, one horn.
Goodies – Sir John
Baddies – Venger
Walk-ons – Timothy, son of Sir John
Monsters – The giant scorpion, the blue Dragon, the giant snails, The Beholder itself
Groovy Objects – None!
Named Places – The Mushroom forest, Pendrake
Starwars References – None
Other References –None
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There are definitely 4 suns.
The sky is a really creepy green through the first section. Why?
Dungeonmaster had told them to “Keep moving towards the setting suns” and had not been seen for two days.
There is the first real clash between Hank and Eric, when Eric wants to do one thing, and Hank wants to do another.
Diana is the one who assumes that Sir John defeated the scorpion.
Sir John’s full title is “Offical Protector of the village of Pendrake, and Battler of Beasts, Dragons and Demons.”
“Do you have to do that?" – Eric when Dungeonmaster jumps out from behind a rock.
“No not always” – Dungeonmaster.
Uni tracks Sir John sniffer-dog style. Who needs a Ranger when you have Uni!
Pendrake is on the far side of the Mushroom Forest (I knew Mushroom Forest sounded familiar! See Trust in Friendship, Chapter 1).
“Not again. No villages left for us to go to.” Timothy. Makes you wonder what they had been up to before. And why Sir John was “trying” to be a knight.
Presto gets a birthday cake for light, and a bucket over his head (banish these creatures from my sight).
Those snails overpower the kids surprisingly easily.
Sir John understands Uni, when she reappears in the mushroom forest. How?
Diana gives the flower to Sir John.
“Bravest man we’ve met since we’ve been in this world!” Presto. But Eric recognises “scared” but no one believes him.
First “I don’t want to leave Uni” moment from Bobby, when they get to the portal, and have to go without her.
Presto – scary horn that frightens the nightmare horse at just the right time.
We never find out who cast the final spell that pushes the encapsulated Venger offscreen. It’s red in colour, suggesting Dungeonmaster, as it wasn’t any of the kids. Dungeonmaster is sitting on a rock, unseen by the others, in the end shot.
The wind-up Eric section at the end - both Hank and Diana get in on it. Then Eric sits on the horn. Much hilarity ensues.
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Why is the sky green?
Sir John is the obvious weak point in the episode – definitely in need of some proper backstory. Or just getting rid of all together (it’s the accent that really does it).
A good alt ending point would be if they did get back through the portal, and just as it closed, they saw Sir John getting attacked by Venger, but they couldn’t help. What would Hank do about that?
And what would have happened if Sir John hadn’t shown up? Would the kids be snail-supper? Maybe the King Snail was waiting for them? Or would they have been sold to Venger?
What would have happened if they had shown up with no flower (barring the obvious). Anyway, all this talk of beauty neglects that fact that there was beauty there already – the kids themselves! Even if you don’t think they look good, they are “pure of heart”- ie have “beautiful” natures. Some of them, anyway.
And who really fires the end red magic bolt? Hmm…
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FANWORKS
Chib Tann (colored Version) by Tann
For the DDCC06
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And there is also a look at later in Sir John and Timothy's lives
Rise Up, Sir John by Tann
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And the Alt!Ending fic
Riptide by Sealgirl (Alt Ending)
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Previous Episode: Night of No Tomorrow
Next Epsiode: The Hall of Bones
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