THE LAST ILLUSION
SUMMARY
The kids are walking through a miserable swamp, following Dungeonmaster’s directions. But they are suddenly attacked by a monster with tentacles, and Presto tries a spell. It doesn’t work very well, and they all have to escape, but unfortunately Presto goes in a different direction to everyone else.
As Presto runs, he hears a voice calling out to help him get away. Following the voice, he meets a young girl in the forest. She seems to be a ghost, but she’s not, she’s just a vision.
She asks for help, she’s in the Forbidden Tower; she says she “needs him” as she fades, and he blurts out that he needs her too. Dungeonmaster chooses that moment to appear.
He explains to Presto that the girl is just like him, “gifted with wondrous powers” and the he must “follow his heart” to find the Forbidden Tower.
The Magician finds the others, but as they travel the meet a strange-looking man, and a woman, desperately searching the swamp. They are introduced as Jeref and Marinda, and had heard children’s voices in the swamp. Before the woman can explain further, she starts to cry.
Though Jeref doesn’t approve, Marinda offers them food and shelter in their home, which is nearby. They follow the couple to a barren-looking village, eager for real food. But there is very little, and Eric tries to be clever about their poverty, but makes Jeref angry.
Marinda askes their forgiveness for the outburst, explaining her husband hasn’t been the same since their daughter disappeared in the swamp, a year ago. Also, since then, terrible luck has befallen the village. Jeref has searched the swamp every day, but there is no sign of their daughter, Varla.
Presto tells them he saw a girl in the swamp and that she saved his life. Just as he’s trying to explain, he is hit by a wave of pain. Outside, there is evil winds and red sky, the evil is starting again!
In Venger’s castle, Varla is crying out too. She is being held prisoner by Venger, and made to create illusions for him. He warns her that, if he catches her trying to call for help again, her parents will suffer greatly. But Dungeonmaster’s pupils will be his soon!
There are lightning storms and fire at the village, and Presto tries to help with his magic. But something goes wrong, and the water turns to fire. He seems to be the source of the evil. Then they are set apon by an argy mob of desperate villagers.
Meanwhile, Venger commands Varla to alter his appearance with an illusion, and rides off on the Nightmare to intercept the kids.
At the village, a mysterious “stranger” on a white horse appears, and puts out the fires. Optimistic as ever, Hank thinks the man might be someone who can help them. Only Uni is suspicious.
The “stranger” tells the villagers that Presto is the one who brought destruction on the village, and they should show him no mercy. He whips up their fear of wizards and witches, and the villager turn on the kids, despite Marinda and Jeref telling them they are only children. They are lead away to a prison and the “stranger” takes the weapons for safe-keeping.
In the prison hut where they are being held prisoners, Presto isn’t well. He can feel it when she hurts. But trapped in the hut without their weapons they have little chance.
Back at his Castle, Venger seals the weapons in a hidden compartment. He then refuses to let Varla go, as he promised to. Dungeonmaster is to be her next victim.
At the village, Eric is complaining and making noise in the hope of attracting the villagers’ attention. Someone is coming to investigate, and they plan on jumping them.
At that moment, a ghostly Varla appears, and tells presto what she’s done, that she caused the fire, and that the “stranger” was really Venger in disguise!
Just then, two villagers appear. But they are Varla’s parents, and Jeref sees his daughter, and realises that the kids are a hope for her to escape. He holds off the other villagers as the kids can get away.
The kids run to the mountains, and the Forbidden Tower. The entrance is guarded by 2 Orcs and they have no weapons.
Just as Presto is about to give up, Dungeonmaster appears, who tells Presto he is far stronger than he imagines, and that “when things look their worst, they will be their best.”
But hey still have to get inside, and Hank comes up with the idea of distracting the guards with Eric’s shoes and a toad! More surprisingly, it works and they get inside. They have no idea where Varla is, but Presto follows his instincts and leads them to where she’s being held.
When they try and touch the magic keeping her, it reacts, as only Venger can release her. Worse, the Orcs are coming down the corridor! Varla, in spite of Presto’s protestations, disguises them with an illusion, so when Venger and the Orcs appear, they find only more Orcs.
Venger senses something is up, and goes to Varla. And hurts her, thus hurting presto too and giving them away. He then gloats over them, and tells the orcs to leave, as he wants the pleasure of dealing with Dungeonmaster’s “star” pupils himself.
The don’t fight, as much as run from the blasts of magic, and one stray bit blasts open the sealed compartment where Venger stored their weapons. In a fit of random bravery, Eric tries to get the weapons, swinging through the air. It works, and he throws them to the others so they can fight back.
Another stray blast frees Varla, but Venger is too strong and they know they can’t stop him. There is only one thing that Venger’s afraid of: Tiamat the Dragon-Queen!
Diana describes Tiamat, and Varla has the strength to make one last illusion to save them.
Varla transforms into Tiamat, and the illusion is enough to distract Venger, giving the kids the chance to run. Unfortunately, they run straight into a mob of desperate and angry villagers!
Behind them, Venger fights “Tiamat”, and the castle is destroyed. Venger escapes on the Nightmare, and the illusion of the Dragon Queen fades to nothing as the last of Varla’s strength gives out.
Then, as Presto tries to tell Jeref and Marinda that Varla has gone, he remembers the last of Dungeonmaster’s riddles, that when things looks there worst, they will be their best.
He sees that the village is still under Varla’s illusion of waste and destruction. If the illusion is still there, then she must be too!
Dungeonmaster appears once again and explains that he will be able to find her with his heart. He searches and finds her in the ruins of the castle. The illusion on the village fades, and shows what it is really like, a place with good crops and strong, study homes. As Presto reaches Varla, she faints, so he carries her down the hill, for a reunion with her parents.
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Scatter Count - 1
Presto Hat produces – petals and a nice smell; fire, not water;
Goodies – Varla, Jeref and Marinda – her parents
Baddies – village mob
Walk-ons –
Monsters – Squid monster in the swamp.
Groovy Objects –
Named Places – The Swamp of Darkness; the Forbidden Tower.
Starwars References –
Other References –
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Diana asks Hank if he’s sure Dungeonmaster gave him the right directions!
The second time Dungeonmaster said to meet him.
The place they arein is called the Swamp of Darkness
“Forgot to bring a gas mask” Bobby – perhaps a ref back to the start of “The Treasure of Tardos”
“Haven’t smelt anything this bad since Eric cooked breakfast!” – Bobby.
Eric takes the hit from the tentacle before running, rather than running first.
Tentacle grabs Uni. (and we all cheer)
When Presto tries to touch Varla’s hand, it glows with magic.
“I need you!” Varla to Presto.
“I need to too!” Presto.
“I know how you feel” Dungeonmaster.
“How do you know what I feel?” Presto
“Because in some ways she is like you” Dungeonmaster.
But that does NOT answer his question!
Varla is “gifted with wondrous powers”, that will grow as she grows.
“There is more than meets the eye, in life and in love. Find her, and you may find the way, home.” Dungeonmaster.
They do find her, but they DON’T find a way home.
“No one crosses this swamp and comes back except for witches or wizards!!” Jeref
Varla’s parents are Marinda and Jeref.
They had “swamp lizard stew” in the village.
Eric, being an arse, tries to be clever and turn it into a joke, and Diana tells him off for being rude.
Varla has been missing for a year.
The village has had its crop destroyed by evil winds, and the livestock has run off.
Jeref has searched the swamp every day.
“Nothing can survive that infernal swamp”. Jeref.
Presto turns to Hank for reassurance when his magic goes wrong.
The angry mob of villagers is very scary!
Venger is changed into a helmeted man on a lovely white horse.
Hank hopes the stranger might help them. Uni is suspicious, but no one pays much attention. In the background, Eric is hiding behind the shield.
At dawn, “they will suffer the fate of all wizards and witches”. Not specified!
Eric is all for breaking out, in a very proactive mood! Diana is the one down on the whole idea. “without their weapons, they are regular!!”
Eric gives them a pep talk about not giving up, and starts to make a lot of fuss and noise, to get the villagers attention. “I demand my rights!!”
Venger seals the weapons in a hidden compartment in his castle – why doesn’t he just use them!
“The only thing that stands in the way of total conquest is Dungeonmaster himself” Venger – not Tiamat then?
Venger echoes Dungeonmaster “As you grow your power will grow… in ways you cannot yet dream.!”
Dungeonmaster is to be her next victim.
“Uni was right” about the guy in the horse, and Bobby is so incredulous about it!
Varla is kept “Above the valley, on a high mountain, in the forbidden tower”
“I hear unicorns make great decoys!” Eric to Bobby.
Dungeonmaster is forever popping up randomly in this episode.
“Worst equals best? Try telling that to my old algebra teacher!” Eric
Hank’s plan to distract the guards with Eric’s shoes and a toad is just weird.
Eric ends up with cold feet – but when does he get his shoes back?
“Two thousand pounds of angry pork heading this way!” Eric
Eric steps up to answer the orc question first, not Hank!
Venger wants the pleasure of dealing with Dungeonmaster’s “star” pupils all by himself!
“None of you will leave this room… ever!” Venger.
That’s a handy mirror Hank found! Even handier that Venger left the weapons there in the first place!
Sheila says Tiamat description wrong “three-headed dragon with wings”, and Diana has to correct her “no five heads and as big as a barn”
Diana holds back Presto as Varla changes.
The villagers are still hunting the kids, and they run straight into them.
“She did it for us, presto. I wonder of we’d have been brave enough to do the same” Sheila
Diana explains Dungeonmaster’s riddle to Eric.
Dungeonmaster bows and backs away in to the shadows, looking very smug.
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ALTERNATIVES
Why does Dungeonmaster have to keep popping up?
What other illusions has Venger made Varla do?
What will Varla’s powers grow into?
Where is the way home that Dungeonmaster hinted at?
Where is Shadow Demon in all of this?
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The Forbidden Tower (photomanip) By Sealgirl
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An Alternate Ending to the episode “The Last Illusion” where Varla does not survive.
Small Steps by Sealgirl (Alt Ending)
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Diana and Presto have a heart to heart
about what they have lost
Lovesick by Charlene (Episode Coda - with Child of The Stargazer)
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Previous Episode - The Day of the Dungeonmaster
Next Episode - The Dragon's Graveyard
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