TEXT: INT. CAMELOT (BURIAL VAULTS) - NIGHT 1. FR. 1 A dark shadowy vault containing a number of ancient tombs,graced with ornately carved sculptures of their noble occupants. A shadow falls across a black tomb - carved with the outline of a mighty Knight in full armour, a sword lain across his body like a cross. Suddenly, in the darkness we see a woman, it's NIMUEH... She stands over the tomb and runs her hands over it,whispering a terrifying spell. NIMUEH: Gehyre me, wan cniht, awac! As she utters the words her eyes burn into the stone casing. Suddenly, a crack rips across the lid. NIMUEH: Beo strangra ond steacra, forbrec tha wanne... The crack grows bigger in the tomb... NIMUEH: Uparis; awrec Uther Pendragon! CRASH! A hand clad in a black gauntlet smashes through the top of the tomb and reaches out towards the witch... A dark smile crosses her face... INT. KING'S PALACE (GREAT HALL) - NIGHT 1. FR. 2 ARTHUR is knelt on an elaborately decorated woolsack before UTHER. The Prince is dressed in ceremonial robes, MERLIN stands proudly to one side. A STEWARD holds a cushion carrying a coronet and a gold rod. It's the Prince's investiture. All around there are DIGNITARIES present,including GAIUS and MORGANA. UTHER speaks quietly but formally to his son as he takes the rod and places it in ARTHUR's hand... UTHER: Do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this Kingdom and it's dominions according to the statutes, customs and laws laid down by your noble forebears? ARTHUR: I do, Sire. UTHER: Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in
SUMMARY:
The Black Knight arrives to interrupt Arthur's coming-of-age celebrations and throws down the gauntlet to any knight who will fight him. He kills them all one by one. Gaius discovers that he is Uther's dead brother-in-law, summoned from the grave by the witch Nimueh. He is seeking revenge for the death of his sister, who died giving birth to Arthur by way of magic from Nimueh. Merlin learns from the Great Dragon that only a special sword (Excalibur), burnished with the Dragon's fiery breath, can kill the knight. The Dragon warns Merlin that only Arthur can wield it. Arthur is next to fight the Black Knight, but Uther takes Excalibur and faces the knight himself, slaying him in the end. Now that the sword has been wielded by someone other than Arthur, it is capable of being used for evil; to prevent that, the Great Dragon instructs Merlin to hide Excalibur far from the reach of mortal men.