Spirited away by the evil sorcerer Chernomer, Lyudmila awaits her rescue from her beloved Ruslan. However, before he can effect her release, the gallant Ruslan must first endure all the trials and tribulations that the malevolent world can throw at him. Full of daring adventures, and peopled with a remarkable collection of magical - and monstrous - characters, the resulting epic is a brilliantly ironic retelling of the medieval fairytale world of swashbuckling knights and damsels in distress.