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Azal
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 Strange things are happening at the village of Devil's End. There have been some unexplained deaths which the local white witch, Miss Olive Hawthorne, thinks were caused by the victims being frightened to death. And just outside Devil's End an archaeological dig is taking place at an ancient barrow called the Devil's Hump where Professor Horner, who is leading the archaeological dig, is convinced contains the tomb of a warrior chieftain.
That night, the 30th April, an outside broadcast crew from BBC3 is going to cover Professor Horner's planed break through of the ancient barrow. Watching the BBC3 coverage on television at UNIT HQ, The Doctor becomes very concerned and leaves for Devil's End with his companion Jo Grant to try and stop Professor Horner. After a hair-raising journey, and after getting lost on more than one occasion forcing them to stop and get are given directions to the dig at the local pub, The Cloven Hoof, they eventually arrive at Devil's End. But just as The Doctor and Jo arrive at the archaeological dig Professor Horner breaks into the barrow, and an icy wind starts to blow. The Doctor rushes to the barrow leaving Jo to catch him up. However, when Jo reaches at the barrow she finds both The Doctor and Professor Horner have been frozen solid. After The Doctor is taken to the pub Jo contacts UNIT HQ and asks Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton to join her at Devil's End. Unbeknown to anyone back at the barrow two red eyes peer from within the Hump…
The following morning, in a cavern under the church Mr Magister, the local vicar, and some villagers perform a strange ritual which ends in the summoning of a creature called Azal. Shortly after Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton arrive by helicopter a strange wave of heat descends on the village which revives The Doctor. He quizzes Jo about what happened at the barrow. They are also joined by Miss Hawthorne who explains about all the other strange things that have been happening in the village. However, when she mentions Mr Magister, The Doctor realises that the vicar is in fact The Master…
 | | Reverend Magister |
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The Doctor decides to revisit the barrow, along with Jo. Inside they discover a miniaturised spacecraft and a living gargoyle, called Bok, which attacks them. The Doctor though manages to fend off Bok with an iron trowel and a line from a Venusian lullaby.
Back at the pub, The Doctor explains that The Master has summoned a Dæmon, one of an ancient race who have visited Earth several times in the past so as to guide human life on Earth. He reveals that the Dæmons came from the planet Dæmos and are the origin of the myth of the horned beast. It seems that The Master is using their advanced science to summon Azal, who will appear three times.
 | | Miss Hawthorne |
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On learning that The Brigadier is unable to enter the village, due to the heat barrier which is approximately ten miles in diameter and one mile high, The Doctor tries to explain to The Brigadier over Captain Yates' walkie talkie that they need to build a diathermic energy exchanger but Sergeant Osgood, The Brigadier's technical expert, does not understand The Doctor’s instruction. This prompts The Doctor to travel out to the barrier to explain to Sergeant Osgood face-to-face what is needed to break through the heat barrier.
The Master has become alerted to UNIT's plans and so tries to stop The Doctor. The Doctor though is able to thwart The Master’s attempts to kill him. The Master then summons Azal a second time. But instead of gaining Azal's power The Master is frustrated when the Dæmon demands to speak with The Doctor.
On arriving back at the village The Doctor discovers that The Master has arranged a reception for him. He is jostled by some Morris Dancers and tied to a maypole. With help from Miss Hawthorne and Sergeant Benton's sharp-shooting from the pub he is able to convince the villagers that he has magical powers and so they release him.
 | | The Doctor |
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Meanwhile Jo has found herself captured and held prisoner, by The Master, in the cavern under the church and witnesses The Master summon Azal for the third and final time. But The Doctor is unable to come to her aid because Bok is guarding the churchyard and anyone who approaches is vaporised. Help comes from The Brigadier who has finally managed to pass through the heat barrier – thanks to Sergeant Osgood following The Doctor’s earlier instructions. The use of the exchanger momentarily weakens Bok and Azal, allowing The Doctor to rush past the gargoyle as it is momentary disorientated. The Brigadier and the UNIT troops soon arrive in the village and start firing at Bok. But their guns are not affective against the gargoyle and even a bazooka does not work, as the pieces of the gargoyle reform almost instantly.
Inside the cavern The Master still hopes to be the recipient of the Dæmons’ tremendous powers, but instead Azal offers them to The Doctor. The Doctor declines, arguing that the human race should be allowed to develop at its own pace. Azal therefore agrees to let The Master have his powers and so starts to kill The Doctor. Jo pleads with Azal to let The Doctor go but when she realises that he has no intention of stopping she pushes in front of him and pleads with Azal to kill her instead. Azal is unable to comprehend this act of self-sacrifice and in his confusion his own power turns against the Dæmon.
Outside Bok reverts to his stone form as everyone flees from the church just before it explodes. The Master tries to escape in Bessie but is finally captured when The Doctor uses his remote control to bring his car back. The Master then finds himself taken away to await trial for his crimes against humanity.
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(Position = 27 out of 159)
(Position = 34 out of 200)
