The Season Premiere: Episode One “Prophecy” and Episode Two “Destiny” - Synopsis

The two-hour season premiere sets the stage for the series, introducing the three main characters and the story line. The show opens with the Confessors Kahlan Amnell and her sister being pursued by the soldiers of Darken Rahl. While her sister is killed Kahlan manages to escape and successfully cross the Boundary that separates her world, the Midlands, from another, the Westland, carrying the Book of Counted Shadows. The soldiers, however, follow her. In the woods of Westland Kahaln is aided in defending herself against her attackers by a simple woodsman Richard Cypher, and together they defeat all but the commander Ranssyn Fane, who continues to pursue the Confessor. When Richard finally returns home his father instructs him to find an old man named Zedd, who is not a crazy old man, but a powerful wizard from the Midlands. From him Richard learns the truth about, and is told that he is the first true Seeker of the Truth in thousands of years. Richard does not believe him and returns home to find his father murdered by Fane and his homestead burned down. With his dying breath his father confirms the story Zedd told Richard. Wanting vengeance Richard confronts Fane, who overpowers him and takes the Book of Counted Shadows.

Zedd is a powerful wizard of the first order from the Midlands, and Kahlan is a Confessor, a woman with the power to make someone tell the truth and also bring anyone under her controlled. And Richard is the Seeker of the Truth the only one who can defeat the evil Darken Rahl. The Sword of Truth, the weapon that Richard must use to achieve his task is given to him by Zedd, while Kahlan, who is also quite skeptical that Richard could really be the Seeker, gives him the Book of Counted Shadows, which prophecy says will be used by the Seeker to defeat Rahl. Tough written in a foreign language, Richard can instinctively read the book, which gives him his first indication that perhaps the prophecy is true, that perhaps he is the true Seeker.

He therefore accepts the quest and the teachings of Zedd, whose full name is Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander. And the three of them set out to catch up to Fane and get the Book of Counted Shadows back, before Rahl gets it and uses for evil.

While this is happening, Rahl begins tearing down the magical boundary separating the Midlands from Westland to make it possible for Fane to bring him the Book. Just as he succeeds Richard, Zedd, and Kahlan catch up to him, defeating the soldiers by the aid of magic and Rirchard’s newfound seeker powers and get the Book back. The show ends with the three of them entering the Midlands to begin the quest of defeating Darken Rahl.