Miniseries based on James C. Christensen's 1996 novel, "Voyage of the Basset," about the adventures of a family -- a university professor, Alan Aisling, and his two young daughters Cassie and Miranda, who along with their father mourn the recent death of their mother -- who embark on a fantasical journey aboard the ship "Unicorn," where they encounter mythical creatures, trolls, fairies and minotaurs.Mourning the loss of her mother (an illustrator of children's books), nine-year-old Cassie Aisling daydreams of the magical, mythical world her mother left unfinished. Her older sister Miranda chooses instead to hide her pain behind a veneer of wisecracking cynicism. Their father, antiquities professor Alan Aisling, does his gentle best to keep the motherless family's spirits up and his loneliness at bay. Then, trolls, who are out to destroy the Aislings, begin to appear. Before they know it, the Aislings (with the help of Malachi and Sebastian -- two friendly but bumbling dwarfs) find themselves in the "vortex between two worlds" and transported to a ship called the "Unicorn." Here, the Aislings discover that they've been chosen to fulfill a quest: to find the magical dragon, who once ruled the legendary Faerie Isles with wisdom and kindness -- a world now threatened with destruction by the menacing horde of trolls.
Aboard the "Unicorn," an incredible journey of discovery unfolds for the Aislings. They are taken to meet the Fairie Isles' King Oberon and Queen Titania, who tell them of their mission. Soon after, the family enlists the aid of the Minotaur, the beautiful, lonely Medusa and the Sphinx. They even get free sorcery assistance from the ancient alchemist Mage. Together, they become a force of good against the impending showdown with the trolls. Led by the despicable Skotos, the trolls do all they can to prevent the Aislings from fulfilling their quest so that they can retain evil control of the Fairie Kingdom. In a climactic confrontation on Troll Island, Cassie, Miranda and the professor rescue the skull of the magical dragon and transform it back into a living, benevolent protector.
Having fulfilled their quest, the Aislings earn the right to return home where Cassie learns to love the memory of her mother; Miranda's cynicism is replaced by faith; and Professor Aisling's quiet loneliness is replaced by a beautiful woman who looks curiously like Medusa.
