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THE SHADOW OF EVERGREEN

Genre

Epic Fantasy / Adventure / Mythic Drama

Tone & Scope

Mythic, emotional, and character-driven with grounded spectacle. The film blends ancient prophecy, elemental magic, and political consequence with an intimate coming-of-age journey. Comparable in tone to Princess Mononoke, The Lord of the Rings, and The Northman, with a strong heroic arc led by a conflicted young princess.

LOGLINE

When a banished elven wraith known as Deimos returns to reclaim the throne of Evergreen, a reluctant princess bound by prophecy must unite fractured realms, confront forbidden magic, and embrace her true legacy—or watch her world fall into eternal shadow.

THEMES

Legacy vs. self-determination

The cost of forbidden power

Unity among divided peoples

Balance between nature, magic, and rulership

Fear of becoming the very darkness one must defeat.

SETTING

Evergreen is an ancient forest kingdom sustained by elemental balance and royal bloodlines. Beyond its borders lie the Sand Villages, Forest Dwellers, mountain strongholds, and forgotten ruins tied to an ancient Gate—an artifact capable of reshaping the world.

MAIN CHARACTERS

PRINCESS ALETHEA (Protagonist)

Early 20s. Daughter of King Orin and Queen Tari. A skilled but restrained warrior trained in secrecy, Alethea is intelligent, observant, and burdened by prophecy. She fears her latent power and resists the throne, believing leadership will cost her humanity. Over the course of the film, she evolves from reluctant heir to decisive leader who understands that balance—not domination—is true strength.

DEIMOS (Antagonist / The Wraith King)

An ancient elf once sworn to protect Evergreen. Banished centuries ago for practicing forbidden magic, Deimos has survived by binding his soul to shadow and memory. Charismatic, tragic, and terrifying, he believes Evergreen must be ruled through fear to survive what is coming. He sees Alethea as both a threat and a potential successor.

KAELARA (The Exile)

A fierce warrior and outcast who lives beyond Evergreen’s borders. Once part of the Queen’s Guard, she was exiled after defying royal command. Hardened by loss, she distrusts prophecy and royalty but becomes Alethea’s most loyal ally. Her bond with an ancient forest guardian hints at deeper mythological roots.

KING ORIN

A weary but noble ruler who has spent his reign preventing war rather than preparing for it. He knows more about the prophecy than he admits and fears that revealing the truth will destroy his daughter.

QUEEN TARI

A spiritual leader and keeper of ancient lore. She understands the cost of magic and believes sacrifice is inevitable. Her quiet strength and faith in Alethea guide the future queen’s awakening.

SERELEIN (Captain of the Queen’s Guard)

Honorable, disciplined, and bound by duty. Represents tradition and order. His loyalty is tested when the crown’s survival demands disobedience.

ELARA (The Maiden)

A seer-in-training whose visions are fragmented and dangerous. She serves as a living conduit to prophecy and suffers for it.

JANU (Forest Dwellers)

A scout and hunter connected deeply to the land. Distrustful of royalty but aligned with balance. Represents the voice of the natural world.

MAZIN (Sand Villagers)

A proud warrior from the desert realms. Practical, skeptical, and hardened by survival. His alliance is earned, not given.

VEXIS (The Dragon)

An ancient elemental dragon bound to the fate of the Gate. Neither ally nor enemy, Vexis embodies consequence.

ACT I – THE AWAKENING

Evergreen thrives in fragile peace. Princess Alethea trains in secret, hiding both her combat skill and her emerging connection to elemental magic. She is uncomfortable with court politics and avoids public leadership, content to serve quietly.

During a ceremonial rite, Elara collapses with a violent vision: Deimos has returned.

Dark forces begin attacking the outer forests. Survivors speak of a shadowed king who commands wraiths and speaks of reclaiming what was stolen. King Orin orders the borders sealed, but Queen Tari senses the old balance fracturing.

Alethea learns fragments of the prophecy: the blood of the crown will either seal the darkness or become it. Terrified, she rejects it outright.

When Deimos’s forces breach an ancient ruin tied to the Gate, Evergreen’s defenses fail. Kaelara returns, warning that Deimos is gathering allies and seeking the Gate itself.

Inciting Incident: Evergreen is attacked. King Orin is gravely wounded protecting the city. Alethea is forced into command for the first time.

She chooses exile over coronation—leaving Evergreen to prevent further bloodshed and to understand the truth behind the prophecy.

ACT II – THE FRACTURE

Alethea journeys beyond Evergreen with Kaelara, Serelein, and Elara. They seek allies among the Forest Dwellers and Sand Villagers, but old grievances and distrust run deep.

Deimos appears intermittently—sometimes as a specter, sometimes in physical form—testing Alethea, tempting her with visions of absolute control and peace through power.

The group discovers the truth of the Gate: it was created by ancient elves to reset balance, but at catastrophic cost. Deimos believes the world must be reforged. Alethea learns that her bloodline alone can open or destroy it.

Internal conflict grows:

Kaelara challenges Alethea’s faith in destiny.

Serelein questions his loyalty to a crown without a king.

Elara’s visions worsen, hinting that Alethea may not survive.

Alethea begins to access her power—but each use pulls her closer to the same darkness that consumed Deimos.

Midpoint: Deimos slaughters a council of allied leaders, proving unity will not come through negotiation. He spares Alethea, calling her “the future.”

The heroes are divided. Hope seems lost.

ACT III – THE SHADOW AND THE FLAME

Deimos marches on Evergreen with wraiths and corrupted beasts. The Gate awakens. Vexis rises, warning that balance will be broken forever.

Alethea returns—not as a princess seeking permission, but as a leader demanding unity. Mazin, Janu, and the fractured realms join her, not because of prophecy—but because of choice.

The final battle erupts across the forest and the ruins of the Gate. Kaelara faces her past. Serelein sacrifices rank for conscience. Elara fulfills her vision at great personal cost.

Climax: Alethea confronts Deimos at the Gate. He reveals the final truth: he was once chosen as she was—and failed.

Instead of killing him or using the Gate, Alethea chooses a third path. She channels her power not to dominate, but to sever Deimos’s bond to the shadow—destroying the Gate itself.

Deimos is consumed by light and memory, finally at peace.

RESOLUTION – THE FLAME THAT REMAINS

The battle ends. Evergreen stands—changed, scarred, but alive.

King Orin dies from his wounds, naming Alethea queen.

Alethea ascends the throne not as a ruler of prophecy, but as a guardian of balance. Magic is no longer hidden—but regulated. Alliances are forged between realms for the first time.

Kaelara becomes protector of the borders. Serelein leads a reformed Guard. Elara survives, but her visions are gone.

In the final moments, deep beneath the ruins, a faint pulse of shadow stirs—hinting that while Deimos is gone, the darkness he warned of may still be coming.

End of Part I – Setting up Rise of the Wraith King

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