Hook:

• Arthos and other Knights of Altea are riding into pitched battle with goblins and trolls.
• The goblins have stolen many treasures belonging to the Kingdom.
• Bravely smashing into the goblin ranks, the Knights fight a small battle outside the capital of Altea.
• Arthos squares off with a few goblins, who prove to be easy opponents.
• However, a troll moves to meet Arthos. It is a massive beast compared to the average sized man.
• Arthos fights valiantly, but the troll overpowers him and slams him onto the ground.
• As the troll moves in for the kill, Arthos is disarmed and is powerless to do anything.
• The troll is about to strike, until a blade appears from its belly and the grotesque beast falls to the ground dead.
• Arthos looks up to find his best friend Sir Lucian has slain the beast.
• Though Arthos is thankful, he can’t help but feel poorly that he had to be saved by his friend. This introduces his lack of self-worth and the story.
• The battle is won, most of the treasure is recovered, and the Knights return to Varenna.
• However, some goblins escaped with a mysterious artifact that was forgotten for ages. It is the very artifact that would free the dragon Telroth from limbo. The goblins, unknowingly, have unleashed a great evil. This introduces the plot.

Background:

• As the battle is wrapping up, Arthos and Lucian talk a bit as they clean their weapons and collect the loot from their slain foes.
• Arthos thanks Lucian for saving him, however, he apologizes that Lucian had to. Internally, Arthos is beating himself up. Not only did his inability to take on the troll nearly cost him his own life, but it threatened the life of Lucian as well.
• Lucian, being the good friend he is, makes nothing of it. Yet, Arthos uses this opportunity to go over Lucian’s many successes along with many other knights at this time. He then states how he doesn’t measure up to the least of them in his own record.
• Lucian reassures Arthos of his belonging to the Knights, saying something that will be incredibly important to hammer home the theme later on in the story.

Trigger:

• Later on into the story, after some time has been taken to introduce the reader to Arthos’ world and home, Telroth breaks out from limbo.
• After having escaped from his purgatory, Telroth flies to Varenna to seek his revenge.
• The immense flash of crimson scales and fire sends Varenna into a state of panic.
• Telroth destroys building upon building, incinerates many of the city’s soldiers, and even defeats some of the Knights of Altea.
• Telroth makes his way to the castle where the Knights reside.
• Other knights engage Telroth, only to be defeated very easily.
• Grandmaster Wallcroft, a mentor to Arthos and the others, is killed.
• Arthos then stands against Telroth alone. The dragon dwarfs Arthos considerably. Telroth finds this one knight standing up to him amusing. He handily defeats Arthos soon after.