Stormere Season 1 Episode 1: At the Beginning...

STORMERE

Season 1, Episode 1: "At the Beginning..."

INT. COTTAGE – NIGHT

A crackling fire. A CHILD (8) lies in bed, eyes wide. Beside them, a GRANDMOTHER sits, weaving thread with wrinkled fingers.

CHILD: Grandma, can you tell it again. The story of the wish from the sky.

GRANDMOTHER (sighs, then smiles): Alright, sit down... Every two hundred and fifty years… the heavens open into a long storm and a "star" descends towards Stormere. We call that event Stormfall.

As she speaks, the camera drifts to a faded TAPESTRY: warriors kneeling before a blazing figure.

GRANDMOTHER (CONT’D): The first one who reaches the location where the star falls may ask for anything. A kingdom. A cure. Even death undone. Worlds, realities and destinies could be undone by a single word.

CHILD: And what did the last man who reached Stormfall wished for? Did they get what they wanted?

The grandmother’s hands stop. Silence. Only the crackle of fire.

Her face hardens. She leans in.

GRANDMOTHER: All wishes come with a cost. And the last person who made a wish paid the ultimate price. Whispers say they wished for the end of Stormfall on the cost of their own life. That's why no one alive, or at least no one willing to come forward, has ever seen Stormfall actually happening. But, beware, if Stormfall ever returns after all this time, kingdoms and every sort of evil people will rush towards it... and the world will never be the same after that.

The fire gutters, plunging the room into SHADOW.

SMASH TO TITLE: STORMFALL

ACT ONE - "THE JOURNEY"

INT. TRAINING YARD – DAWN

Steel clashes. SOREN (20s, wiry, restless) spars against his older brother, HUNTER (30s, steady, scarred).

Soren swings too fast, too eager. Hunter blocks, shoves him down in the dirt.

HUNTER: You fight like you're showing off to someone. You're still learning Soren... Take your time.

SOREN: But I know, I'm better than this. There's a world outside this town but we never travel it.

Soren charges again, reckless. Hunter disarms him, pins him easily.

HUNTER: Patience, Soren. You don't know what type of things this world is capable of. Now, let's try again.

Soren glares. Determined.

EXT. VILLAGE MARKET – DAY

Merchants shout. Children run. Stormclouds churn unnaturally overhead. A ripple crosses the sky, a streak of blinding light.

The crowd GASPS.

VILLAGER: It can't be... Stormfall… it's real.

Whispers ripple like fire. The legend is real.

Soren stares upward, awestruck. Hunter pulls him back.

HUNTER: No, Soren. Don't you even dare think about it. Stormfall is just a myth.

SOREN: Then, tell me... what's that in the sky?

Hunter doesn’t answer.

EXT. MARKET STALLS – LATER

Soren moves through the chaos. Banners, priests, zealots already gathering.

A sly hand brushes his pouch, LYRA (20s, sharp, smirking). Soren grabs her wrist before she slips away.

SOREN: You planning to rob everyone, or just me? Cause that was an awful attempt at being subtle.

LYRA: Depends. You got anything worth robbing?

Soren notices a map reaching out of her pocket. On top, he can barely make up the word "Stormfall".

SOREN: You're planning to go after Stormfall, aren't you?

She raises her eyebrow.

LYRA: Haven't you heard that it's rude to look inside other people's pockets?

They both look at each other, understanding the irony of that question, and start laughing.

SOREN: You looking for some company on that "quest"? I was also planning to go after Stormfall.

LYRA: I was actually looking for someone who could assist me on this journey but... I don't think two people are enough to even dare to dream about going after Stormfall.

SOREN: I might know some people.

She smirks.

EXT. ALLEYWAY – NIGHT

A brawl spills into the street. KAEL (30s, calm, magnetic) steps in, diffusing the chaos with words and presence. He notices Soren watching.

KAEL: What are you doing here, Soren? I thought I was very clear when I told you I didn't want you coming back to this part of town anymore. What do you want?

Soren gestures upward. The stars flicker unnaturally.

KAEL (laughing): You're insane. Can't believe you're going after a freaking fairy tale.

SOREN: You already know the answer. So, all I want to ask is: you want to come?

KAEL: Seeing you die? I think I might join you just for that.

Hunter arrives, distrust written all over him.

HUNTER: You're really doing this, Soren? You're going after Stormfall?

SOREN: Yes, I am. And you can't make me not do this.

HUNTER: I know. That's why I'm coming with you.

Soren smirks. Hunter sighs. The first threads of the crew are tied.

EXT. VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS – DAWN

The group packs to leave. Hunter pulls Soren aside.

HUNTER: This is going to be hard, Soren. Tons of people are going after Stormfall, so this might not be just a nice stroll in the park and we might not even reach it in time.

SOREN: Then, I guess we better start running.

Soren starts running, Hunter shakes his head, but doesn’t walk away.

EXT. FOREST TRAIL – DAY

ALERIC (40s, grizzled) and ARIADNE (30s, pragmatic) walk through a forest.

ALERIC: So, are you finally going to tell me why you pushed me out of that tavern last night and made me walk with you the entire night?

ARIADNE: We are going to find Stormere.

ALERIC (laughing): Now tell me the real reason.

ARIADNE: I'm not joking. I'm coming to find Stormere and you're coming with me.

ALERIC (cautious): Stormere's a myth, Ari. And even if it's true, we'll never manage to do this by ourselves.

ARIADNE: I know. But I have a feeling we're going to meet some fellow travelers on this road anytime now.

ALERIC (annoyed): Don't tell me you've been star-seeing again. You know that's dangerous magic, Ari.

As Aleric ends his sentence, our crew enters the road where Ariadne and Aleric are standing. Ari smiles.

ARIADNE: Hello. Are you traveling to find Stormere?

SOREN (surprised): Hey. Ugh, kinda. How did you know?

ARIADNE: I'm kinda of a Star Child. So, I kinda already knew we would meet here and now. And I also know, me and my brother Aleric are going to join you on this quest.

HUNTER (with doubts): I thought Star Childs didn't exist no more.

ARIADNE (laughs nervously): Guess I'm one of a kind. So can we join you?

SOREN (excited): Having a Star Child on our side would be a major help on this quest. So, sure. What's the worst that could happen.

The party grows and they all continue their pilgrimage.

EXT. RIVER CROSSING – AFTERNOON

The crew attempts to cross a rushing river. Arguments flare: Lyra mocking Soren’s attempts to cross the river, Ariadne criticizing Lyra's mocking of Soren.

In the chaos, Soren slips, dragged by the current. Hunter dives in, pulls him out. Both collapse, gasping.