Prime Video’s newest series, Secret Level, is an anthology of animated episodes set in a different game universe. The show premieres with a tale from one of the most beloved game franchises of all time: Dungeons & Dragons. “Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle” follows an adventuring party as they attempt to thwart a dragon cult’s nefarious plans.
Secret Level, “Dungeons & Dragon’s: The Queen’s Cradle”
Secret Level Season 1 Episode 1, “Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle,” opens with a scout overlooking a campsite in the dark of night. Outside the campfire circle, a shabby cage holds a young man with runic markings all over his face and body. The young man briefly struggles to fight off something evil torturing him internally. As he begs for mercy, indistinct whispers and flashes of a dragon plague his mind.
The kid hears voices outside of his cage that say they are surprised to see a human. A male voice suggests that to be in that cage, he is either in trouble or is trouble. A female voice responds that they must assume the former and that they just became a rescue party.
The Paladin, Mora (Madeleine Knight), announces to the captors that they are on the hallowed lands of the Loyal Fury, which are protected by the great Oriel (Paul Ridley). Before she can offer a chance to surrender, a spear flies through the cage, narrowly missing the prisoner. Fighting ensues, but since we see the fight from the prisoner’s point of view, we only get glimpses in the dark. In a quick, chaotic fight, flashes of magic light and the sounds of weapons clashing surround the cage.
Mora warns someone named Tally (Laura Wohlwend) not to use fire, and another party member morphs into a beast. As the terrified prisoner looks on, images of a multi-headed dragon flash in his mind, along with a warning, “It matters not! You are mine.” Each line is said in different but equally frightening voices. The cage rattles violently, and everything goes black.
Marked for Death
As the party carries the prisoner through the woods, a giant bat flies overhead. Through the bat’s perspective a lich spies on the adventurers. The prisoner awakens frantically at a campfire and sees a gnome and a dwarf sitting by the fire. When he looks at Mora, who is trying to calm him, the Paladin’s face briefly looks undead. She explains to the boy that he was a prisoner of The Cult of the Dragon, and they are taking him to Oriel to cure him of his affliction. The gnome, Tally, objects by saying that he may actually be one of them, especially since he looks like something pulled out of the Book of Vile Darkness.
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Luzum (Delroy Atkinson) the Dwarf finally speaks to say that the tattoos mark him for sacrifice and that the cultists we most likely taking him to the Well of Dragons to be sacrificed to Tiamat. The whispers get louder in the prisoner’s head as he warns the party ‘she’ is coming and they need to stay back. As the Paladin moves in to calm the boy, a dragon’s face appears, and with supernatural speed, the boy grabs Mora’s sword. He plunges it into what he thinks is the dragon’s eye but is actually Mora’s side. Mora stops her party from retaliating and says she’s had worse as she easily heals her wound.
Being Easier Doesn’t Make It Right
Mora says she needs a moment alone with the boy as they walk out of the protective barrier. Tally points out that what they really need is a cleric. The druid of the party watches overhead as Mora and the prisoner sit down to talk. After the young man tells Mora his name is Solon (Noah Manzoor), Mora says she knows that he did not mean any harm.
She observes that whatever is inside of Solon is strong, but she can see he is strong too, although the evil internal voices aggressively object. When Solon says it would be easier for everyone if they just left him behind, Mora responds with the most Paladin answer ever, “Being easier doesn’t make it right.”
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As Mora removes a golden hand attached to her shield, she explains that she wasn’t always a Paladin of Torm. Most of her scars came from fights she started, and she almost took innocent lives before deciding to change. Although she took an oath for good, the bad things she did are still part of her.
Consequently, she now constantly battles with who she once was and doesn’t always win. The Paladin says the golden hand reminds her she is not alone and gives it to Solon. Mora explains it will keep the boy safe until they reach Oriel. The scout announces they have been found as a group of riders and a large creature fly towards them.
Doors — A Party’s Worst Enemy
With the enemy hot on their heels, the party rides up to a massive stone sculpture of a hooded figure presenting a sword. It sits atop a waterfall, and the massive sword forms a bridge to an elaborate doorway. Barely avoiding volleys of enemy arrows, Tally gets to the door and immediately begins casting a spell. As she performs the ritual, the carvings on the door begin to glow green. The mounted enemies are closing the distance on the bridge, but the Druid knocks them back with a wind attack to buy time.
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Suddenly, an ice lich riding a giant bat shoots deadly icicles at Tally, but Solon jumps in the way and takes several shots to the back. The party holds back the oncoming onslaught as Mora carries an injured Solon inside. The two rush into a great hall where they come face to face with the enormous gold dragon, Oriel.
Oriel the Golden Dragon
Oriel reassures Solon that he is safe even though the voice has become louder. The gold dragon explains that the wicked do tend to fear him and that he will remove whatever is inside and destroy it. When Solon refuses because he doesn’t want Oriel to get hurt, the dragon explains that this kindness is exactly what makes him worthy of being saved.
Meanwhile, outside of the door, the enemy is beginning to break through the rest of the party. Luzum catches an enemy arrow before it reaches the druid and returns it to the sender’s head. As the druid flings enemies off of the bridge with wind gusts, Tally warns everyone to make way for some fire.
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As Oriel looks into Solon’s eyes, the evil voice claims they do not know what they are doing. Outside, before Tally can summon a fireball, the ice lich comes out of the sky and snuffs out her fire. Embers begin to flow out of Solon’s eyes into Oriel’s. Tally is knocked down by the lich while her companions struggle to hold ground on the bridge.
Luzum tries to get to his downed companion but is confronted by the ice lich’s giant bat, which he easily blasts off the bridge. Moments before the lich attacks Tally, he is polymorphed into a snail by the druid. Good old Polymorph, the bane of Dungeon Master’s everywhere.
Finally, a Freaking Fireball
Oriel continues to drain the affliction from Solon who has now lifted off of the ground. He floats underneath the dragon, connected by the burning tendrils streaming from their eyes. Speaking of burning, Tally finally gets to use that fireball spell, and she uses it well. The tiny gnome blasts a humongous fireball, and the remaining enemies rush the bridge, completely incinerating them all.
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At this point, Solon is also to the point of incineration, and the insidious voice rages in an unknown tongue. The young man cries out as the last of the cursed being leaves his body, and he collapses into Mora. Relief washes over Solon’s face when he realizes the voice is gone, and the runes on his body evaporate into ash.
The party huddles together underneath the massive dragon, and Solon hugs Mora in gratitude. Unfortunately, the celebration of relief doesn’t last long as Oriel chokes and struggles to keep the evil within. He chokes out that he is impressed the young human was able to contain it for years. Suddenly, Oriel rears his head back and cries out in pain while a second voice says, “Every dragon is a gateway.”
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Five Heads Are Way Worse Than One
Oriel cannot contain it anymore and warns the party to run. He screams out in pain as he writhes and jerks unnaturally. His scales turn from gold to multicolored right before his neck bends back completely. Something begins to claw through his belly as his golden scales fall and fade away, tinkling like gold pieces. From Oriel’s lifeless body emerges Tiamat, The Dragon Queen, and all five of her heads. Each head immediately and simultaneously attacks the party with a deadly cocktail of fire, ice, acid and lightning.
Surprisingly, the group narrowly avoids that total party kill thanks to Solon, who puts up a shield while holding the golden hand Mora gave him. Tally looks on proudly as she says they have found their cleric. Solon urges the party to go, saying that he has been fighting Tiamat his whole life and can hold her back on his own. Mora says she believes him, but he is not alone. Then, the party toes the line next to their new companion, Solon. The heads of Tiamat move in for a bite and … credits.
Secret Level is now streaming on Prime Video.
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