Premise:
For centuries the people were ruled by iron-fisted wizards. A group of heroic
wizards overthrew them and gave power to the people, who in turn hunted down
and executed wizards. Now Garryn Flamebender is the last wizard. He's
found himself in a sleepy lumber town that's being terrorized by opportunistic
bandits in one of the regions where knights and new laws haven't yet reached.
Can a local girl persuade him to expose himself and make one last heroic act
to save the town?
Cast:
- Garryn Flamebender - Up until 30 years ago, the land was ruled by tyrant
magi. A group of younger, mage heroes banded together to lead the rebellion
that overthrew them. In the end, there was a fear of magic and most of the magi
were burnt or hanged. Garryn is the last left, and has been living anonymously
ever since.
- Illa - Local young woman, also the town healer.
My Commentary:
On one hand this seems like the classic Western story line. It's the classic
frontier town. The retired hero who drinks too much could be any Clint Eastwood
character. There's nothing handsome about him. But I think he's
pretty human. I like him as a character. He wields a power he doesn't
trust himself to use. He's not a healer--he's a destroyer. He has
a brute-force weapon that shouldn't be used casually. He's more
than just a reluctant hero.
To me, it's a character story. A young woman in town recognizes him and figures he can help the town that's afraid to help itself. Where everyone else sees a drunk curmudgeon kicked out of bar after bar, she sees a greatness awaiting a chance to return.
I think there are a few lessons that come out of it. Maybe the best one is that the quick and easy solution isn't always the best one. The town is preyed on by bandits that only go after easy/timid targets. But instead of standing up for themselves, a stranger has to do it for them. Quick and easy, perhaps, but not the better way...