In Arborlon, a competition is held for the Chosen. Princess Amberle defies tradition to become the first female member of that order. Upon success, she learns that the Ellcrys, the sacred tree at the heart of Arborlon, has been guiding and aiding her. When she touches it, it gives her a terrible vision of the future, of demons destroying the world. After she recovers, it shows her another vision, of herself killing her paramour, a fellow member of the Chosen, so she decides to flee the kingdom to seek out help.
Far from Arbolon, Wil, a half-elf, returns home with hard-won medicines only to discover it is too late, his mother is going to die. Before she does, she gives him cryptic advice and passes on to him his father's elfstones. Wil's uncle advises him to discard the stones, as they destroyed his father and brought the family nothing but grief. Wil claims to have done so before riding off to become a healer. However, he's attacked by a troll in the woods and rescued by a beautiful human named Eretria, who takes him to a home in the woods, drugs him, and steals the elfstones.
Allanon, the last Druid of Paranor, awakes from his slumber and travels to Arborlon to warn the elves that what they fear is in fact true; the Ellcrys is dying. Its bloody wounds portend a reawakening of the demon wars; every leaf that falls from the tree will see another demon released to plague the Four Lands. As a distraught gardener tends the ailing tree, a single leaf falls, burning, to the ground, and a demon is released.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Action Girl: Eretria and Amberle both show off their chops. The former kills a troll from 20 paces with a thrown knife, the latter races 20 aggressive Elven boys who cheat against her at every turn and still comes in among the winners.
- All Trolls Are Different: Trolls in this world are mutant human raiders that wear Steampunk clothes.
- Almost Dead Guy: Wil got back too late to save his mother, but early enough to hear her last words.
- Almost Kiss: Wil and Eretria just before he passes out from the drugs she gave him.
- Bad Future: What Amberle sees when she first touches the Ellcrys.
- Bathtub Scene: Eretria has Wil take a bath in her house under the pretense of him not getting mud everywhere. Only it's not really her house and what she really intends is to put him in a vulnerable position to rob him.
- Big Damn Heroes: Eretria introduces herself to Wil by saving him from a troll.
- Blindfolded Vision: All the competitors of The Gauntlet have to wear this.
- Book Ends: Allanon awakes alone in the Druid Keep, and falls to his knees, saying a prayer in some strange language. The demon rises from the earth in a barren land, before falling to its knees and saying the same prayer in the same language, then raising a stone keep about itself.
- Cool Uncle: Amberle's uncle, Prince Ander is the most supportive family member she has in Arborlon.
- Deathbed Confession: Wil's mother gives him the Elfstones and tells him about his father while on her deathbed.
- Death Course: Joining the Chosen requires for you the go through one, while blindfolded.
- Determinator: Amberle has been training to become a Chosen for months, and her uncle has to talk her down from more training because she needs to get some sleep before the test. Then during the test, other would-be-Chosen use a lot of dirty tricks on her and she refuses to give up.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Even if she's planning to rob him, Eretria is still obviously checking out Wil while he's bathing.
- The End of the World as We Know It: One of Amberle's two visions is of the end of the world. The other is of her killing her boyfriend.
- Epic Race: The Gauntlet elves have to go through this in order to become a Chosen. Blindfolded. Only the first 7 who cross are able to join.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Eretria does save Wil's life before robbing him, when she could have just looted his corpse.
- Fantastic Racism: Pretty much the only thing anyone in the Four Lands agrees on is how much they hate elves.
- Honey Trap: Eretria seduces Wil in order to steal his Elfstones.
- Last of His Kind: Allanon, The Last Druid.
- Mr. Fanservice: Wil, a handsome young man who's shown bare-chested taking a bath.
- Non-Action Guy: Wil's lack of combat skills are quickly established.
- Post-Apocalyptic Gas Mask: The Troll that attacks Wil was wearing one.
- Praetorian Guard: The Order of the Chosen are a group of elite Elves that are bound to protect the Ellcrys, the magical tree that imprisons the Demons.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: King Eventine accepts Allanon's rebuke with good grace and immediately starts following the latter's orders.
- Rebellious Princess: Amberle; even before the plot kicks off, she is already breaking traditions by being the first female Chosen.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The Ellcrys keeps the demons are sealed in an alternative world. Once it begins to die, they start breaking free.
- Slipping a Mickey: Eretria drugs Wil, then makes off with his Elfstones.
- Training from Hell: Amberle went through this in order to be able to run throughout the Gauntlet and join the Chosen.
- Unlucky Everydude: Wil starts his journey being almost killed by a Troll and them scammed by his rescuer.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Allanon calls out King Eventine for allowing the elves to think the story of the Ellcrys is just a fable, a myth, when he knows it's true.
- World Tree: The Ellcrys, who keeps the demons at bay.
- You Go, Girl!: Amberle beats many male opponents who shamelessly cheat in an Epic Race.
