Sword of the Mind

Sword of the Mind is a dark fantasy series. This script is the first of twenty four episodes (there is also scope to decrease/increase episodes). The story follows the journey of the lead protagonist (Darane). The viewer is first introduced to Darane in the opening teaser - she is destitute and alone in a prison cell. The first three episodes explain how she has ended up in this position and the meaning behind the first words she utters. Darane lives a simple life on the island of Raaka, a small nation which sits between two large continents. The nations of the two continents have been at peace for decades. However, the Tutorean Order (a religious order rather than a nation) hold to an ancient belief of a day of reckoning which will see the end of mankind across the two continents if decisive action is not taken. They have been waiting for the first signs that the day of reckoning approaches. Darane has always possessed a quiet and serious nature, but she is happy. She is in love and pregnant with her first child(ren). One evening, whilst working in the Inn of her adoptive family, a fight gets out of hand. Darane becomes embroiled in the fight and in the act of stopping a man drawing a dagger, her world changes forever. She discovers she has the power to control the actions of others through a telepathic bond (the nature of which she does not come to understand herself until later in the series). The events of that evening are a sign for the Tutorean Order. They seek out Darane and in the process, Darane is violently separated from her twin baby girls. Darane is tortured by powers that she does not understand and cannot accept. A series of events, including the death of her adoptive mother and her husband lead Darane to believe that when she uses her powers, those she loves are killed as a punishment. Although separated from her children, she holds a bond with them (the nature of which becomes clear as the story progresses) and can feel that they still live. So, she vows never to use her powers for fear of the harm that will come to her babies. The leader (Panarch) of the Tutorean Order is a complex man. He wrestles with upholding his oaths to protect life and serve others and compelling Darane to use her powers and to join the cause of the Order. He believes that there will be an apocalyptic invasion of the two continents and that the nations standing united and the use of Darane’s abilities are the only means of survival. In a time where carrier pigeon and signal towers are the quickest means of communication, Darane’s telepathic ability to send and receive messages instantaneously over great distances is a prize which the Tutorean Order need. What they do not understand - and Darane starts to understands the story progresses - is that her powers go far beyond the ability to send and receive simple messages. Darane’s resistance to use her powers leads the Panarch to take drastic action. Darane is imprisoned and tortured and – to her mind – abandoned by those who she had thought she could count on as friends. It is not the torture which finally breaks Darane. She has a bond with her two daughters (toddlers now in the timeline), which goes beyond any normal maternal bond. She knows that they live, until one morning when the connection she once had is lost. Darane is convinced that her daughters are dead. Life has no meaning for her anymore and she makes a desperate attempt to end her own life. This is the conclusion to the third episode and the viewer is left wondering if Darane lives or dies. In the meantime, the actions of the Panarch have not gone unnoticed and his demands upon the leaders of other nations to prepare for war, spark a range of responses and introduce viewer to other areas of this fantasy world – where cultures, geography and old feuds and rivalries play an important role. Other characters and sub plots are developed, which become important as the story develops. There are plenty of unique creatures and races introduced as the story unfolds, together with epic battles and unexpected twists.