Secret Level – Episode 1 “Dungeons & Dragons” Recap & Review

Dungeons & Dragons

Episode 1 of Secret Level whisks us off to the high fantasy table of Dungeons & Dragons. Queen’s Cradle is the name of this one, and we begin with three adventurers finding a strange man called Solon. Tattoos are scrawled all over his face and he’s locked inside a cage, experiencing horrific visions. However, this trio – Ahokal, Tally and Mora – save him from his fate.

This man was a prisoner for the Cult of the Dragon, and with him saved, the guys intend to bring him to Oriel and cure him of his affliction. The tattoos mark that of someone needed for a sacrifice, and his captors intended to destroy him at the Well of the Dragon.

With visions plaguing him, Solon instinctively stabs Mora in the gut, but she heals up, despite the insistence from Ahokal and Tally not to trust him. Well, Mora hands over a trinket to Solon, just as a whole bunch of foes show and attack.

The gang race to Oriel’s hideout, where the others hold off the hostile forces while Mora and Solon approach the cleric. This happens to be a giant dragon, and he agrees to keep them safe.

While the darkness inside Solon is consumed inside the giant dragon, the others outside hold off the forces and vanquish evil. It seems to work, as the tattoos disappear from Solon’s face and he utters how everything is quiet. Unfortunately, the darkness consumes Oriel and in his place, a monstrous multi-headed dragon that looks set to devour them all.

One massive fireball is thrown out, and Solon steps up and manages to thwart the worst of it. The others stand by his side, as this party prepare themselves to face their toughest challenge yet.

The Episode Review

So Secret Level is here and the creators of Love, Death and Robots waste no time with this follow-up. There’s lots to whet the appetite here, with gorgeous animation and a simple but effective story. The idea that Solon could hold off the darkness while Oriel, this huge, monstrous dragon, could not feeds into that idea that size doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, and unfortunately this party are in for a rough ride of it at the end.

It’s annoying that this one just ends as it would have been nice to see where this story goes, but it does capture the true Dungeons and Dragons vibe, so there is that! Everything here is left on an intriguing note, with some lovely action to go with it, this is definitely a strong start for this series.