Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Deceived by the treacherous Vizier, I unleashed the Sands of Time curse on the Sultan’s kingdom. With only an ancient dagger and a cunning princess by my side, I must undo my deadly mistake. This is a fight for survival… not glory. • Reverse, accelerate, and slow time itself with the Sands of Time. • Master the Prince’s speed, agility, and ferocious combat skills. • Explore and endure the vast kingdoms of medieval Persia.

King Sharaman of Persia and his son—known only as the Prince—travel through India on their way to Azad and conquer a city with help from the local Maharajah’s traitorous Vizier. Eager for honor and glory in his first battle, the Prince pushes into the Maharajah’s treasure vaults and discovers the mythical Sands of Time, sealed within an Hourglass, along with the Dagger of Time. He quickly learns the dagger can rewind time for a short moment. When the Prince presents the dagger to his father, the Vizier demands it as payment, but King Sharaman refuses. The Persians continue to Azad with prisoners taken from the Maharajah, including the Maharajah’s daughter, Princess Farah. In Azad, the Vizier—now serving King Sharaman—tricks the Prince into using the Dagger to release the Sands of Time from the Hourglass. A devastating sandstorm engulfs the kingdom, and the Sands transform the palace’s occupants into monsters. Only the Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged, protected by their possessions: the dagger, a medallion, and a staff. The Vizier demands the dagger, but the Prince refuses and escapes. The Prince teams up with Farah to return the Sands of Time to the Hourglass, which the Vizier has moved to the top of the Tower of Dawn. As they fight through the palace, they are repeatedly attacked by Sand Monsters—including a sand-possessed King Sharaman—and face a deadly network of traps triggered in hopes of destroying the creatures. The Prince is steadily worn down until his armor is in shreds and his body is covered in bloody wounds. At first, the Prince doesn’t trust Farah because of how the Persians have treated her, but they grow closer over time. After a fierce battle on the ascent to the Tower of Dawn, they reach the Hourglass and are moments from finishing their mission when the Prince hesitates, suddenly suspicious of Farah’s motives. Before she can convince him, the Vizier confronts them and uses magic to trap both Farah and the Prince in a tomb. While they wait to die, Farah shares a story she has never told anyone: when she was little, her mother taught her a secret magic word that could help her escape anything that frightened her—"Kakolookia". The Prince, who also admits to claustrophobia, repeats the word. As if by magic, he finds himself in a mysterious tunnel leading to a dreamlike bathhouse resembling the magical fountains he previously used to increase his health. There he meets Farah, who invites him to bathe with her. In the bathhouse, they make love and find comfort in each other despite their danger. When the Prince awakens, he is back in the tomb. The bathhouse was a dream, but he believes Farah shared it too. Farah, the Dagger, and his sword are gone, leaving him with only Farah’s medallion to protect him from the Sands of Time. After finding a new sword that destroys sand monsters on contact, the Prince pursues Farah and catches up to her atop the Tower of Dawn, climbing the exterior to reach the summit. There he finds Farah overwhelmed by sand monsters, dangling over a cliff while holding the Dagger. The Prince grabs the blade, but Farah realizes he will die trying to save her. She sacrifices herself, lets go, and falls to her death into the Hourglass room below—fulfilling the prophecy, "if you want to live, die in love". The Prince tries to use the Dagger to save her, but the sand tanks are empty because Farah has used them all. Enraged, he uses the Dagger to slaughter the remaining sand monsters in the tower, then descends and weeps over Farah’s body. The Vizier emerges from the shadows and offers the Prince a partnership in his plan, promising eternal life. The Prince refuses, devastated by the deaths of those he loved, and drives the Dagger of Time into the Hourglass, rewinding time to the night before the invasion of the Maharajah’s kingdom. The Prince awakens still carrying the Dagger of Time and secretly goes to Farah’s bedroom, where he tells her the entire story. She does not remember it, because it has not happened yet. The Vizier discovers the Prince and, fearing his treachery has been exposed, tries to kill both Farah and the Prince. He reveals he suffers from consumption and will die regardless, and that his plan is to cure his imminent death with eternal life. In the battle that follows, the Prince kills the Vizier. He returns the Dagger of Time to Farah, who asks why he would invent such an unbelievable story to prove the Vizier’s betrayal. The Prince kisses her, hoping she will remember, but she rebuffs him. The Prince then uses the dagger to erase the kiss and tells her it was only a story. When Farah asks his name, he replies, "Just call me Kakolookia," and departs, leaving her amazed.