This Synopsis was written by me.
In an extraordinary fantasy world of knights, dragons, wizards, and elves there was once a harsh battle between the goddesses of creation and destruction. The aftermath gave rise to an island known as Lodoss - the accursed island. Though the war between the goddesses has long been over, the constant power struggle between kingdoms rages on in Lodoss, mostly between the city of Valis and the dark and evil island of Marmo.
The Record of Lodoss War OVA follows the adventures of Parn, a brash young boy who wants to follow in his father's footsteps of becoming a great knight and hero. When Lodoss once again becomes plagued by an unknown dark force, Parn puts on his father's old armor and sets off on his own to find his destiny. Along the way, he picks up a party of typical D&D comrades, including the wise wizard Slayn, tough-talking dwarf Ghim, sassy female elf Deedlit, kind-hearted cleric Etoh, and comical thief Woodchuck. After meeting his idle Kashue, the king of the city of Flame, Parn and his team get involved in a mess of fighting monsters and dragons, saving princesses, and even the legendary War of Heroes fought between Fahn, the king of Valis, and Beld, the king of Marmo. At first, it seemed that Beld was the winner, but a mysterious force suddenly struck and killed him right after he killed Fahn. Parn and company later discover the true enemy behind all the war and destruction that occur in Lodoss(and death of Beld) - Karla, the Gray Witch, who exists by using the bodies of other people and manipulates kings and knights alike in order to carry on her belief that good and evil must be kept in balance, and as long as power does not gather in one place, but remains scattered, it is all the better for Lodoss.
After the tragic defeat of the knight of Marmo, Ashram, and his dark elf lover Pirotess, Parn and his companions meet strong-headed mercenary Shiris and her cursed but gentle friend Orsen before the final evil strikes. Towards the end of the series, Parn plays the role of a true hero when he must rescue Deedlit from the clutches of the wicked Marmo sorcerer Wagnard, who wants to use her elf's power of eternal life in order to resurrect Kardis, the goddess of destruction!
The Record of Lodoss War TV series entitled Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight brings back the old cast of characters from the OVA, but most of the episodes follow the adventures of knight-in-training Spark and his band of comrades who must find the source of yet another evil that lurks in Lodoss, as well as protect Neese, a mysterious girl who's haunted by strange nightmares. After Parn and his group battle the monstrous dragon Shooting Star and prevent Ashram from obtaining the all-powerful Scepter of Domination, Spark and company have similar adventures involving monsters and dark elves, as well as fending off the evilness that tries to snatch up Neese.
The conclusion of the TV series is very much like that of the OVA. Wagnard once again wants to resurrect Kardis, but this time, Neese is the once who's been chosen as the sacrifice and it's up to Spark to rescue her!