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jelzorz · 3 months

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163c.

a and b

It's quiet in the castle when they're out. Opeli had thought she was used to it, and there was a time, not so long ago, that she'd welcomed the peace. It's not to say she didn't enjoy their company—they were younger in those days, louder and more boisterous, and she was a stick in the mud to begin with, let alone a stick in the mud with frequent migraines.

They're all grown now, and these days, they are her friends, not her wards. Ezran can rule without her guidance, and Callum and Rayla are married, and Soren is a fine Captain of the Crownguard, and a better friend to her than she will admit. They go where they're needed, when they're needed, and Opeli stays to hold the fort as she's always done, managing their correspondence with the other kingdoms and praying for their safe return.

She still worries though. It's a difficult habit to shakw. It was part of her job to worry over them for so long that it's second nature now, and they're only in Duren, where the road is familiar and wide and well traveled, and they are a knight, an ex-assassin, an archmage, and a king who can talk to animals, but still, Opeli frets, and moreso than usual. Three times now, she has caught herself watching the northern horizon, hoping to see their horses on the road into to town, and three times, she has had to go to Barius for tea to help shake the anxiety gnawing at her bones.

"You worried less when they were younger," points out Barius, sliding a plate of jelly tarts across the table to her as well. Her tea is still steeping and Opeli drums her fingers on her tea cup, eyes drifting to the empty seat beside her and thinking of early morning conversations in the near dark. "You know they're fine."

"Yes," says Opeli levelly. "But be fair, Barius, they went to help Queen Aanya with a recent attempt on her life, you cannot blame me for being concerned."

"There's a difference being concerned and being neurotic," drawls Barius, taking the seat across from her. "This is the third time this week you've asked me to brew Claudia's calming tea for you. Should you perhaps see someone about your concerns?"

"Who is there to see? I am usually the one people come to to discuss their troubles."

"Yes, and one of the things I've heard you say many a time is to know when it's time to seek further help."

Opeli snorts into a jelly tart. "You of all people should know I am terrible at taking my own advice."

"I do know that," chuckles Barius. He studies her for a moment, and too late Opeli realises she's staring at the empty seat beside her again. Her eyes flit away, but not quickly enough for Barius to misunderstand. He waits until she sips at her tea and pours his own, eyes far too knowing to be comfortable. "Is this because of the last assassination attempt?"

Opeli tries not to wince. The last assassination attempt, though taken care of quickly and discreetly, was not without injury on their side. Opeli can still feel blood on her hands sometimes, warm and sticky and too red against the white of her hood. They never even came near Ezran, but it was Soren who took the brunt of the damage, and her fingerprints are still marked on her copy of Iustita in his blood. "No," she says stubbornly, which is only half a lie.

Barius raises an eyebrow at her. "I meant no disrespect, High Cleric," he says. "The Captain was fine, after all, but I can see how the early mornings can feel lonely without him."

Opeli almost spills her tea. She makes a face at him, scandalised, affronted, but her mouth goes dry at the mention of him and she's too caught off guard to deny it. "I—what—I did not say—"

"This is my kitchen, Opeli," says Barius drily. "There are two cups left here most mornings, and who it's for is a relatively easy process of elimination. We've known each other long enough now that I'd hope you can be honest with me about these things."

Opeli feels warmth flood her cheeks, because the way Barius looks at her over his tea is too knowing, and there's no lying her away around this. "You can't say anything," she says sharply.

"What would I say?" asks Barius. "Who would I tell? My loyalty is to the crown and royal family."

"That is not comforting, neither of us are the crown."

"But you are both the royal family," he points out. "No one would argue that. In a few years, you may be formally."

She shuts her mouth, her face warm and not because of the steam rising from the lip of her teacup. "You're not..." She trails off, unsure how to finish the sentence, but Barius eyes her seriously over his cup, and for the first time, Opeli knows what it's like to be on the other side of her stare.

"It's your business," he says, "but you're still my friend, Opeli. Whatever is going on between you both... it has consequences for you. I don't doubt the Captain's intentions but you still have vows to uphold."

Opeli looks away. She's broken them already, and Barius does not ask, but she knows he knows that too.

"Are you happy?"

Opeli blinks then, caught off guard again for the second time in the same conversation. Barius reminds her of her father sometimes, and she'd thought he would disapprove or reprimand her for being involved in something so scandalous. But there is only concern there; genuine concern, and hope for her and for something even she doubts she can really have.

"Yes," she says quietly. "More than I thought I would be."

He chuckles and reaches across the table to pat her hand. "I'm glad for that at least."

#lady justice and the sun #sorpeli #this wasnt what i intended to post today but the more sorpeli the merrier #barius is such a gem i dont write him enough

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raayllum · 10 months

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I have a question that has been very divisive in my friend group of people who enjoy tdp.

What direction do you think they'll take Callum's magic in:

Do you think he'll master his Sky Arcanum, following the footsteps of Ibis, especially with his staff.

Or, connect to and become a master of all 6 primal sources, like Aaravos, but for good and love.

And more importantly, what idea do you enjoy more as a concept?

First off would just like to say your header is incredible.

As for your actual question: Callum is a character who chases magic out of a desire to learn and have agency. It becomes a fundamental part of who he is ("I will learn magic. It's who I am") which eventually manifests in him literally creating magic inside him (an arcanum). This transcending of limitations and what other people thought was possible means that Sky (representation of Freedom) was the perfect arcanum for him... to start. After all, seeing through illusions and crafting your own reality is very Moon arcanum-y, and there's been a decent amount of foreshadowing that he might connect to the Moon arcanum next for a while now ("After all, you really only know the appearance itself" "Now you're starting to sound like Lujanne" from 3x01). By forging a manual connection to one arcanum, it naturally begs the question of why wouldn't he at least try to connect to others in a similar manner?

All of this to say: I'd be surprised if Callum isn't connected to all 6 by the end of the show, for a few reasons.

While Callum being connected to primal magic is extraordinary on its own, and it's certainly an accomplishment... it ultimately means next to nothing if Other Humans don't also follow in his footsteps. A lack of access to magic is what created a lot of issues in the world of Xadia, and evening out that score / removing the need of dark magic is the ultimate way to Break the Cycle, as the wheel has always spun on magic and dark magic. If other humans don't connect, we're right back where we started. And humans being connected to Sky would be great, but there's so much more out there, and Callum will only really be able to be a teacher for all the arcanums if he knows and understands all the arcanums... hence, Archmage. (It'd also be very nicely full circle, given that Callum starts off as part of a lacklustre student-teacher pair in 1x01, and growing to become a wise and understanding teacher.)

Callum's parallels to and eventual rivalry Aaravos are mostly dependent upon Callum gaining more magical prowess. Right now they don't have a ton of parallels, but they are undeniably wrestling for narrative control. Aaravos is also underestimating as being just another dark mage like all the rest, "and destined to play right into my hands" but Callum will be, eventually, so much more than that. And thanks to Aaravos, we know a six primal archmage is possible. Seems only right that Callum would become his literal mirror.

One of the core weaknesses of Xadia is their insistence on isolation. Exile is their most common punishment and they literally split the continent in two. Elven society is generally very segregated according to their primal with only a handful of exceptions in ways we know don't exist in the Human Kingdoms (Duren coming to Katolis for aid; Lissa being from Del Bar and marrying a man from Katolis, etc). We see that the arch dragons are more likely to fight than convene with each other successfully and that since imprisoning Aaravos, they basically all went no contact. Xadian characters are also more likely to want to do things alone (Runaan, Rayla, Zubeia) than to pull on all possible resource areas, and the human villains who hate them (Viren) are also more likely to be isolationist. VS the princes ("We're in this together" in 1x05, "This is a chance to solve our problems together" in 4x03, Opeli and Corvus going to Duren for aid) and the Human Kingdoms. Kasef, however antagonist, believed in and depended on the collective. Karim starts to lose his shit in S4 precisely because New Aurea isn't going to be entirely Sunfire elf in nature; I don't think he would've responded to other elves any better than he did humans, honestly. Okay, great, so what? Well the one Xadian character we have who hardcore rejects that isolationist attitude in regards to a primal source with his very existence... is Aaravos. And that elves, humans, and dragons all presumably worked together to imprison him once before. It would make sense that the kid who is going to be the key (or one of the keys) to his defeat would likewise carry that same Rejection of Isolation, and instead embody literal Magical Solidarity by having access to all magics.

As for which I prefer, it depends. I think canon could do just about anything and make it work, and so long as we see other humans connect to arcanums (with or without Callum's help) I have no other Narrative Requirements, I think, in regards to places I think the story has to go in order to function narratively, in the end. He could master just sky magic, and as long as other humans are able to connect to arcanums, I think that'd be just fine.

If I'm writing fic, and I want Callum to be more limited for plot / angst reasons, I'll probs just write him as a sky mage. Magic is useful but can't (and should not, for story reasons) be able to fix everything, and is still only as useful as your brain can figure out how to use it, anyway. By and large, a magic system is only as good as its limitations, as that is what allows a story to have conflict, and places to show off creative thinking (with or without magic).

But generally (in post-war / late season speculative stuff; in looking at where canon is going, etc) I lean towards Archmage Callum and always have, and dumped all my headcanons about it accordingly into this fic (order of connection, how each of the arcanums feel different, dual wielding, what it brings between him and Aaravos, etc).

I would also love for Callum to get his own staff at one point, simply because it'd be nice to have a weapon 1) of his own and 2) wasn't yet another thing he inherited from a dead man (the cube from Harrow, the mirror from Viren) but if he uses the staff all throughout the show, that's perfectly fine too. Just means I get to write a fic where it gets destroyed for some reason, and then him (and maybe Ethari) get to help design and build his own for Reasons

#mage boy #tdp callum #tdp #the dragon prince #requests #thanks for asking #worldbuilding #theme: isolation vs solidarity #a narrative of love #mini meta #analysis series #callum #s7 speculation

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moon-sky-sun-earth-ocean-stars · 3 days

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Tales of Xadia characters-Diyan

Name: Diyan Pronounce: He/him Kingdom: Duren Profession: Soldier in Duren's army Information: He is Durenian warrior who fought alongside Vinaya in Queen's Aanya's army. Diyan is headstrong and kind. After the war was over he decided to travel to visit Katolis with his friend.

#the dragon prince #tdp #tales of xadia #tales of xadia characters #tox #duren #queen aanya #tox diyan #diyan #durenian

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kradogsrats · 5 months

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speaking of scenes I've rewritten like five times, I promise I am making progress on the next part of NCNE

Kpp'Ar fell silent for a long moment, staring down into his tea. When he refocused on her, his look was piercing. "Tell me: would you die for Duren?" "If that's what it took," Lissa said, and meant it. She'd die for her children and the security of their future—if her life somehow came to mean the difference between humanity continuing to thrive and another dark age, she'd give it without hesitation. "Of course you would," he said dismissively, as if she'd proudly calculated a sum that could be counted on fingers. "Every one of us believes we would be selfless if a sacrifice was necessary for the good of all. That's irrelevant, however—I'm sure there's a long line of people who would offer to trade their lives before the responsibility ever fell to you. Prince Harrow is likely at the head of it." He was probably right about that, but she hated the way he said it—like a king being willing to sacrifice for his subjects was some kind of regrettable flaw. King Harrow had the interests of the kingdom's people at heart, not Katolis's position in the shifting politics of the Pentarchy or the slowly cooling conflict with Xadia. Maybe he wasn't as pragmatic as his father, but he was more dedicated, honest, and thoughtful than King Atticus had ever shown himself to be. He was the kind of king humanity would be better for having more often. "The true question to ask yourself is: could you choose someone to make that sacrifice? If the spell that would revitalize the fields called for them to be watered with the blood of a living child, would you give one of your own? Or would you take one from some distant, unknown family you'll never have to see?" She stared at him, aghast. He returned her gaze with all the condescending expectation of a tutor waiting for an incorrect answer from a disappointing student. "What's wrong with you?" she snapped, revulsion shifting to annoyance. "That's horrible." "Is it? It's still one life given to save a hundred thousand. An easy choice to make when philosophizing, but a much more difficult one to own the consequences of in reality. All meaningless speculation, of course—for it to come to that is vanishingly unlikely, as it's doubtful the spell even exists." He sat back in his chair and waved a hand, as if to fan the conversation away like smoke. "The point is that dark magic has a way of demanding things you once thought yourself unwilling to give. Take that to heart, if you intend to continue pursuing this trail of yours."

#kradogsfic #neither crows nor eagles au #dark magic always like who is the lamb and who is the knife bitches

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10pm-cafe-lattes · 10 months

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rayllum + taylor swift

in honour of both speak now taylor's version and tdp s5 and that cute asf rayllum moment in the trailer, a list of lyrics from 4 speak now songs that match rayllum in my mind:

mine

made for them. the whole song. 'do you remember we were sitting there by the water / you put your arm around me for the first time' midnight oasis from season three. The Scene.

'i was a flight risk with a fear of falling / wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts' rayla. that's all. season four and also poor girl's family situation.

'you made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter' runaan's not really careless but like i'm JUST SAYING

'you are the best thing that's ever been mine' speaks for itself. 'what we had was something special' 'you are the best thing i ever had' RAYLAAAAAA

ok i could do a whole essay on that song by itself but like

go listen it's Them

2. sparks fly

'drop everything now, keep me in the pouring rain / kiss me on the sidewalk, take away my pain' ahem. if this isn't rayla to callum. i don't know what is. he dropped everything to help her return zym to xadia, they had that heartfelt moment in the rain with the lightning strike-

'get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down' self explanatory.

'gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around' CALLUM. SEASON FOUR. NEED I SAY MORE?

'i'm on my guard with the rest of the world / but with you, i know it's no good' season four. callum asks /rayla/ for help with the whole 'if i'm possessed' thing and rayla lets down her guard to talk to him while he's asleep.

3. long live

'you held your head like a hero / on a history book page' 'it was the end of a decade / but the start of an age' end of season three. the way they hold hands and look so proud and zubeia looks at them like 'god damn how long was i asleep'

'long live the walls we crashed through / all the kingdom lights shine just for me and you' they crashed through the boundaries between humans and elves, katolis and xadia, and duren and katolis came through for them in the s3 battle.

'long live all the mountains we moved / i had the time of my life fighting dragons with you' not dragons, but like, they definitely had a very amazing journey and rAYLA SAYS HE WAS THE BEST THING IN HER LIFE OKAY I'M NOT OVER IT

'bring on all the pretenders, one day / we will be remembered' them against the world... they'll be remembered as the human mage and the last dragonguard... my heart...

4. back to december

or, rayla @ callum after season 4 i'm right and you know it. i don't even need to explain these lyrics.

'so this is me swallowing my pride / standing in front of you saying i'm sorry for that night' episode two.

'it turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you / wishing i'd realised what i had when you were mine'

'when your birthday passed and i didn't call' (eyes callum)

okay this one just makes me sad

i couldn't think of a 5th... if you can add it. pls. look i was listening to speak now taylor's version over and over again and then i realised it was Them

#there's probably a niche of people who will like this #right #am i delusional #look it's them #it's not just me right #tdp #the dragon prince #tdp rayla #tdp callum #speak now #tdp s4 #rayllum #tdp rayllum

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luniviravosshipper · 2 days

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Over Analyzing and Theorizing Things About Captian Skall

I’m not sure how I feel about making this my first post on this blog (since I haven’t finished setting it up), but I just had too many thoughts on this to not share them. Also, this is going to be a bit of a ramble because it’s late at night and I’m tired so I’m not putting too much effort into making it structurally sound. I’m really just brain dumping my thoughts here.

So firstly, I want to point out Captain Skall’s character introduction because I find it intriguing.

At the very beginning of the poem, it states that she “did scrawl a journey by river and sea”. Scrawl means to write something rapidly and carelessly so that could imply that she was hastily mapping out her plan of travel. It also says that as she began to travel and claim “her legend” she “called herself free”. I wonder if it’s trying to suggest that perhaps she was running away from something. Especially if you take into consideration the middle line, “from the isles without name”.

On the map of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms, there’s the Independent Isles that appear in the bottom left hand corner. Could this maybe be where it’s saying she comes from? If so, I can’t help but to speculate what exactly she was trying to run away from there if she was because we know so little about it. It’s also interesting because as we read on through the rest of the poem, it seems like the themes of freedom and adventure are pretty evident throughout it. I wonder what that says about what we’ll learn about her character in the future.

“Past the uneven towers” is undoubtedly referencing Katolis.

And I’m guessing that the part about the fields is referencing Duren, mainly because they’re known for their farming.

I feel like the last part of this stanza may actually have a deeper meaning to it. The verse’s focus on her not wanting to settle in Duren might be intentional. And I have one idea of why the writers might have included it.

According to TDP wiki, Duren used to have a queen that was considered to be cruel because she banished a lot of people north and she was eventually overthrown by those who banished her.

North of Duren is Skall’s Hook. And we do not know what happened to the queen after she was overthrown.

I’m not sure of it. But it may be possible that she was either this queen or at least associated with her. I mean, again, I’m not set on that idea, but I just think it’s a possibility to consider especially as we read on.

The next part reveals she hungered for glory instead of bread and so she continued on her journey north. This again seems to imply her longing for adventure and freedom. But her not hungering the bread of Duren could be important in itself too. Bread can sometimes be symbolic in writing. Bread is oftentimes associated with things like prosperity, abundance, inner fulfillment, and generosity. And it also notes of how bountiful the supply of Duren was. So I wonder what it could be saying in terms of symbolism. Did she find something in Duren that might have provided her with these things but she refused to accept them into her life? Who knows?

Also, sort of an interesting detail here. The writer’s specify that it’s autumn which comes before winter and she’s heading north where it’s cold. Story wise, they could also be using this to indicate a shift in her story where things take a dark turn when she leaves Duren, again, playing into that idea that she might have left something in Duren that she shouldn’t have.

Now, a lot could be interpreted from this next section and I don’t even know where to start because I have so many ideas of what it could mean. But I’ll attempt to.

It states how she goes on her journey “forgoing a man who’d have made her his bride”, as in she was either running away from a man who proposed to her or is traveling to him to decline him. (The wording here is weird because I don’t know if it’s trying to say she’s traveling away or towards the man.)

Her avoidance of this marriage could be seen as another sign of her valuing her independence over what might be best for her (as it is later on revealed in the poem that she does in fact love the man).

But I think what the bigger question here is who is this man and what is the context of this proposal?

If she’s traveling away from the man, I think the interpretation that she is running away from some sort of arranged marriage as I’ve seen some people suggest makes the most sense here. I think that’d also be very fitting with the theory that she might be the cruel queen of Duren. On the other hand though, if she’s traveling towards the man… I mean, there’s not much else that we know of that's north besides the Frozen Sea, Skall’s Hook, and the Star Scraper. And I can’t really imagine who would really be in that direction.

Unless, of course, it was Aaravos.

Aaron Ehasz stated a long time ago that there was a very important person to Aaravos and that their name would appear on the TDP map. It seems very possible that Skall was the person he was referring to.

Although, I don’t really favor this interpretation of the text. It’s not because I don’t think it’d make sense for her to be the person that Ehasz talked about, but because I’m not sure about Aaravos being the one to propose to her. He could still very much have a connection to her but that doesn’t mean this poem is necessarily talking about him. We know so little about Aaravos as a character or as a Startouch elf and so we have no idea why he would be interested in pursuing her. Still, that doesn’t exempt him from being considered a possible suitor of hers. We'll just have to find out more on this later.

I don’t really know what this part is talking about because we don’t really have an idea of what Skall’s hook actually is yet. Maybe that’s where she attempted to confront Aaravos? But I’m guessing there’s more that she did there as well. If we’re following the theory that she might have been connected to the cruel queen of Duren, maybe she traveled to Skall’s Hook to save the people there that the queen banished.

This seems to be further emphasizing Skall’s longing for travel and exploration, but at this point it seems like it’s trying to portray it as almost like a form of greed. Skall continues to look for more ways to leave an influence on the world when she already did and only ends up getting stuck in the Frozen Sea because she can’t settle for what she already has.

At the very end of it all, she ends up dying there as she contemplates her true feelings for the man and how she wished she could confess them to him.

I want to point out how it states that “she found peace” in her last days there. I think that’s interesting for the writers to note of since the ending of the poem basically suggests that she froze to death and I wouldn’t typically consider that to be a peaceful way of dying. What makes this most odd though is that there’s no comma to indicate a separation in different clauses here. So like instead of saying “and while she found peace, she wished that…” it says “and while she found peace she wished that…” Considering the implied themes of her character, I think this might be saying that as she was dying she was finally given some time to reflect on her life and she began to see things with more clarity. That could be why she finds her last days so peaceful, not because of how she died, but because she finally developed understanding of herself and her faults. I don’t know, maybe I’m way overthinking this. I just find it interesting how they punctuated this sentence since it implies she might have actually found peace while contemplating her feelings for the man instead of finding pain in realizing those feelings, which could say some things. Also, this entire ending really just puts into question why she was going to forgo the man in the first place.

Now, for some other thoughts I have too that don’t necessarily come from the poem directly.

I don’t know when Captain Skall lived specifically, but there’s a couple of other characters that I have a feeling might be associated with her besides Aaravos and the cruel queen of Duren.

Sir Phineas Krist and Delilah Giehl were travelers together and it could be possible that at some point they bumped into each other or even traveled together. The only thing that really makes me doubt this is that they lived during the era of Sol Regem and Captain Skall most likely had to live afterwards. But they were also the writers and publishers of the Lost Secrets of Xadia book which had the excerpt about Aaravos in it that came from the show, so they could just be connected by their shared association with Aaravos.

She might have some connection with Kim’dael too.

Okay, so this inspired by another theory I’m developing based off of Captain Skall and where she’s from. I saw someone on the TDP discord talk about this and I really like the idea so I’m going to share some of mine based off theirs.

Moonshadow elves had a significant role in helping banish the humans to the west. It could be possible that a lot of them got trapped in between the west and the east in the process of this. In fact, it’s even confirmed that some did get stuck on the west side of the continent.

What if some of these elves, perhaps unable to return to the Moonshadow forest and were too fearful of the humans to interact with them, decided to settle on the Independent Isles?

I mean, that does look suspiciously moon shaped if you asked me. It could be hinting to something.

What if Esmeralda felt trapped there by the other Moonshadow elves and wanted to escape from them? That could explain a lot about her need for freedom seen throughout the poem. She could have been a human who was supposed to be exported by the elves but got trapped with them on these isles and was forced to retreat in order to guarantee her safety. Or, alternatively, she could have been a Moonshadow elf herself who didn’t agree with the other elves’s distaste towards humans. (I’d imagine that if she was one she was able to travel the human kingdoms by disguising herself via the use of illusions.)

Now, here’s where her connection to Kim’dael comes in.

Kim’dael and the Order of the Bloodmon reigned during the era of Luna Tenebris. From what I understand, the humans were banished from the east at the beginning of her era. She reigned for 700 years, roughly 300 years before the current timeline of the show.

We have no idea what’s on these isles or what’s happening on them now besides the possibility of Moonshadow elves being located there. 700 years is a long time, like it’s practically the amount of time the human kingdoms existed for, and a lot of events could have taken place during the reign of the Order of the Bloodmoon. And let’s not forget, we know very little about Kim’dael’s origin story. She could have very much had an association with Skall as a Moonshadow elf. What if Kim’dael even came from these Isles like Skall did? I don’t know, this feels like a lot that I’m throwing out there, but overall I think we should consider some of these things. I'll probably make another post elaborating on this theory later.

She also might have had a run in with Akiyu. This isn’t really based off of anything, I just feel like we haven’t seen all of Akiyu yet. She’s probably more involved in Aaravos’s imprisonment and backstory than we have so far learned about, especially since apparently all information on her has vanished in Xadia like all information on Aaravos did. I know that Skall was traveling in the west and Akiyu could have been very far east where the Tidebound Archipelago is at the time she was traveling, but she was traveling by water and we don’t really know much about Akiyu’s backstory so… maybe they met? I don’t know, this might be a bit of a stretch. You might have to just ignore this part lol.

Anyways, that’s all my thoughts for now. I might add onto this more later, but I think that’s essentially all I have to say right now regarding Captain Skall and what we might find out about her.

#the dragon prince #tdp #captain skall #esmeralda skall #tdp season 6 #tdp s6 spoilers #tdp spoilers #tdp speculation #tdp s6 speculation #tdp theory #yapping #aaravos #kim'dael #luna tenebris #sir phineas krist #delilah giehl #akiyu #original luni tdp post #ramblings

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maddyshome · 6 months

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Whenever I remember how this fandom reacted to the whole "i'm a child with a crown and you're an adult without one" I just laugh out loud because all of you are real kids. This is not the slay you think it is. Not coming from a kid that became a queen because her moms died after they begged another kingdom to basically help them out since their rulling was so great their people were starving.

Duren has a regent. And clearly a competent one. Whatever this girl says is not that important. But this is a cartoon so I'm not shocked.

#tdp #the dragon prince

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wheretwofacesmeet · 10 months

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#the dragon prince #breaking the seal episode #Queen Annika #Queen Neha #Queen Aanya #Durenian Royal Family #kingdom of duren

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tales-and-creatures-of-xadia · 2 years

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Human Kingdom Flags/Emblems

#the dragon prince #tdp #art book #art #emblem #human kingdoms #katolis #duren #neolandia #del bar #evenere #pentarchy

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armchairaleck · 7 months

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Alright, I am going totally out into the wilderness, away from anything the Dragon Prince fandom wants to read, to write some totally self-indulgent Viren/Corvus post s5 enemies to lovers.. ticking all my boxes but no one else's.. it’s pretty much consuming all my writing hours because I know it will be blown to smithereens by season 6… and I don't have much to say about it here because I also know it's utterly ridiculous.

ANYWAY sometimes I need a break from two guys discussing the nature of fate and existence around a camp fire (yep, fun times when I go all in on the indulgence..) so I’ve also started to write bits of King Atticus is an utter bastard AU (haven’t really thought of a proper name for this yet…)

Here’s a snippet cut below. I don’t even know if it will make it into the main plot, it's really just a little study of Atticus and Kpp'Ar plotting somewhat dubious stuff for Duren...

“Mmm” Atticus lifted the goblet of red wine to his lips and smiled. “Here’s to new ventures.”

Kpp’Ar did not drink straight away, he swirled the wine a little and let its scent settle in his nose first. The wine would undoubtedly be some of the best the five kingdoms had produced. He might as well savour it.

The first sip didn’t disappoint, rich and heavy on the tongue, mountain wine, grown in the foothills of Del Bar, he could almost taste the sweetness of the first winter frost that they’d allowed to settle on the grapes before harvesting. An excellent vintage, he let it roll slowly around his tongue and watched the king.

Atticus sat regarding him, eyes narrowed. It was often the king’s policy to sit until a silence grew so uncomfortable that it was impossible not to break it, and Kpp’Ar decided to oblige him before it reached that point.

“You seem to have already decided on the mage you want as my successor.”

Atticus leant back in his chair and rotated his goblet slowly between his fingers so that the candlelight glinted off the gold.

“Well, he has certain admirable qualities the others don’t possess. Very dedicated to the kingdom, and my son Harrow seems fond of him, they’re fond of each other, no? You can’t pay gold for that sort of loyalty.” He laughed, and Kpp’Ar felt his usual slight revulsion at the cold, metallic ring of it. “You’ll have time to indulge your other pastimes, research, those puzzles that you like. You can let someone younger do the more mundane magic and worry about politics.”

Kpp’Ar shrugged, it wouldn’t do to let the king see his true emotions, he was like a snake that way, he would swallow them now and digest them slowly later, add it to the list of all the other information he kept locked away inside his head.

This latest move, his retirement, was simply the king rearranging his chess pieces on a board. Kpp’Ar knew he had outstayed his usefulness, there was no point in arguing his case.

“It would be nice to have the time to explore other avenues certainly.” He smiled back at the king.

“Precisely, council meetings were never really your scene, and Viren has a strong sense of… justice.”

“Indeed.”

Kpp’Ar gazed down at his glass, he didn’t particularly want to look at the king, to see the knowing look on his face, the unspoken things that lay beneath his words. There were many things he found it prudent to keep to himself, but he could never be completely certain that Atticus hadn’t already sniffed them out somehow.

“You’ve invested a lot of time in Viren, it must make you proud to see how far he’s come.”

Kpp’Ar took another sip of the wine. There it was, the little flash of the blade. The way Atticus would hold it in his hand and let you see for just a moment before striking.

“Of course.” He let his finger trace the patterns etched around the goblet, finest Neolandian gold of course, and he feigned absolute indifference. Even if Atticus had an inkling of just what Viren meant to him, of the odd complexities that their relationship contained, he was not about to expose that in front of him. “I suppose I’ve grown… fond of the boy.” He wasn’t a boy now of course, he was a man grown and yet sometimes there were moments when Kpp’Ar could still see the burning drive of Viren’s younger self, awkward and eager and full of passionate intensity.

“Yes, you always seemed unusually invested in that one.” Atticus gave him a slow smile, like a wolf it was, all barred teeth. “Don’t worry, he’ll do well, achieve far more than most men of his station. Do you know, I’m even considering giving him a title? Lord Viren, I expect that would sit well with him. You were never much moved by titles were you Kpp’Ar? But then, you came from money, what does a little word mean then?”

Atticus knocked his signet ring against the rim of the goblet in his hand and the sound reverberated in the silence.

“For what would you give him a title?” Kpp’Ar kept his voice merely curious but he knew there would be a cost involved commensurate with the reward. Common boys like Viren did not simply become lords in Katolis.

“For services… rendered. I mean, that’s the usual reason for giving out titles, no?”

Kpp’Ar stilled his features and took another sip of the wine. There were very few angles to playing Atticus, once he had made up his mind about something there was very little dissuading him. Kpp’Ar knew he himself was an aberration, tolerated only for his unmatched skills in dark magic. Of everyone at the court he alone said no to Atticus, everyone else bent the knee, and so here he was, nothing but a piece in a game that could be quietly removed now. There was a new piece to take his place, one that he himself had trained and honed to perfection to suit the king’s needs. In a way he’d always been playing Atticus’s hand, had moved his own pieces exactly where the king had wanted them.

“What service will you be asking of him? It would be better for me to know, in case I need to advise him.”

Atticus placed the goblet back on the table.

“Yes, of course, you might be right. The ambassador from Duren… she’s been getting a little… insistent lately, harvest failures, a blight that’s been spreading year by year. Of course Duren don’t keep a high mage, strictly speaking there are no mages at all in Duren, they see themselves as… above that sort of thing. Enlightened, talk is Del Bar are thinking of curbs at least. Imagine that, soon all the kingdoms might start considering dark magic unacceptable, you know how they love to frown on anything they don’t understand.”

“I’ve heard some rumours.”

Kpp’Ar did not keep in particularly close contact with any dark mages other than those he has trained himself, and yet this news had already travelled to him from a disgruntled trader in Del Bar. It’s true that Duren by advantage of their geographical location have not had to resort to dark magic in quite the same way the other kingdoms have. Most practitioners there are simple healers who keep to the shadows and are recommended only by word of mouth. There are no great mages, no one of the calibre that Kpp’Ar would consider worthy of the title.

“Quite, and yet now that their harvests can’t feed the population, to whom do they turn?”

“To you I suppose.”

“To me.” Atticus’s voice cut like cold steel. “Suddenly their moral high ground is not so lofty after all, suddenly our aid is acceptable. I intend to let them see what a few more years of blight does. Let them come to the pentarchy when their backs are really against the wall. Then we can negotiate.”

Kpp’Ar nodded, Atticus had always been politically ruthless, it had left Katolis almost as powerful as the other four kingdoms put together. The Katolian army is a well-oiled machine, it greatly exceeded the needs of a few border skirmishes that erupted from time to time with Xadia. He ruled with an iron fist, and yet he was one of those rare leaders who can also put on a show of relating to the common man. Kpp’Ar had always been impressed watching him in action, from the humblest peasant to the richest lord he ingratiated himself effortlessly, like some street hawker peddling false cures.

He himself had always struggled to bond with anyone, he had very few friends, and yet for some reason over the years he has known him Viren alone had become something else to him. Something he chose never to quite quantify with words because it was fraught with hidden danger. They have blurred the edges of their relationship in so many different ways now and it was increasingly apparent that these feelings he had have allowed him to be played. He can see no way for Viren to avoid the web that Atticus has spun.

“So you want Viren to put her off?”

“No. I want new ambassador, someone a little more amenable, or better still, no ambassador from Duren. She simply has to meet with an accident, it would be unfortunate, but… well these things happen.” Atticus spread his hands and shrugged.

“What will you tell Viren?”

“Just that, nothing more, he’s a bright enough lad, ambitious, he’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t think you know him that well, he won’t kill someone, not even for a title.”

“Well, the title is only an incentive, a man like Viren has plenty to lose though doesn’t he? That beautiful wife, the son he seems so fond of, a baby daughter too.”

There is a dark look on Atticus’s face now and it is that moment that Kpp’Ar can see how easily he’d been played, how utterly out manoeuvred he had been, and that he is now expendable, he too could meet with an accident if the king willed it. He took another sip of his wine, swallowed it impassively as his mind worked around the problem.

Atticus thought that he knew him, thought he knew every person and all their weaknesses, but he isn’t infallible, he’d always been greedy for magic, for the power that it gave him but also for the knowledge of it too.

“I have a solution that might work, something I’ve been wanting to test for you actually, something I believe you’ll like.”

“Oh yes?” Atticus looked at him, face impassive, but he can see the glint of hunger in his eyes. Kpp’Ar knows something about human weakness too.

“Old magic, elven, I picked them up in Xadia, I had to pay a considerable price.”

Kpp’Ar reached into his cloak and dropped a soft fabric bag on the table, Atticus reached for it, undid the string. He is a man who had always been inordinately interested in dark magic and all its trappings. A small pile of coins dropped onto the table and the king stacked them, one on top of the other, before picking up the top one and spinning it slowly between his fingers.

“What are these?”

“Prisons, very old I believe, they trap the soul, hold it in an different plane. Far more elegant than murder.”

"Hold it how?"

"Trap the soul, transmigrate the body. No trace."

“Alright, so the ambassador is gone, we say she’s been taken by Moonshadow elves. Create a little division with Xadia. Duren could send a hundred spies to scour our kingdom and they won’t find a trace?"

"Correct."

Unlikely another ambassador will be keen to come after that.”

“I'm sure you have ways of getting your wish, Sire.”

Atticus flipped the coin and caught it easily, regarded his own reflection in the polished gold.

“Heavier than a normal coin.”

“Yes.”

“What magic?”

“Star they told me when I bought it, but that’s only because it increases the price considerably. I should say moon, perhaps some corruption of the moon primal. Hard to be sure without more research.”

“Interesting. Fine that plan is acceptable, can you reverse it?”

“Theoretically, I haven’t quite worked that part out yet, there are very few records of this sort of thing. Perhaps if Viren and I could use the castle library I might find something there.”

“As you wish.”

The king placed the coin back in the sack, pushed the others back in carefully and tied the string.

“I think perhaps I’ll let Viren have a few more months under you, so he can get used to the new role, he can attend the council meetings, but I’ll still consult you on the magical side of things. How does that sound?”

“Very good your majesty.”

Kpp’Ar bowed his head so Atticus couldn’t see his expression.

“Oh, and Kpp’Ar, send Viren to me later will you? There are a few things I wish to discuss with him.”

———

What are the complexities of Kpp’Ar and Viren’s relationship?

Viren and Kpp’Ar are carrying on a clandestine affair behind Lissa’s back… I mean maybe.. when I get into the planning of this AU Viren has a lot of affairs, clandestine and otherwise..

#anyway I don’t know quite what Atticus's body count will be..#but he’s very willing to put Katolis and his line of succession first and throw everyone else under the horse and carriage..#if they have those.. possibly not.. I'm not super observant..#Kpp’Ar’s smart enough to put up a bit of resistance..#but Viren’s gonna see that dangling carrot of power and trot along behind it like a donkey on a beach..#Anyway I’ll just curl up on my own out here like a cat waiting to die…#also pls ignore any errors with tenses.. I'm trying

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imminent-danger-came · 1 year

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Since primal and dark magic are the main conflict of the show and both are dangerous to use, do you think that deep magic is the solution?

Interesting question!

I don't think I would say primal magic and dark magic are the main conflict of the show—they're definitely a part of it, and certainly have important uses thematically and narratively—but there's also just a lot more here. Part of the point, at least in my unprofessional opinion, is that there are many conflicts, all of them significant and all of them at different points of resolution.

From my understanding, dark magic draws from primal magic, and primal magic draws from—or is part of—deep magic. Dark magic siphons the very magic essence/arcanums of the creatures it uses as components to conjure spells, taking a little bit of it's caster with it. It's corruptive and self-destructive. Primal magic on the other hand is generative, using an understanding and connection to a specific primal to conjure magic.

However, whether spurred by a stolen connection or one's own connection, the same spark used to light a candle can also be used to cause a forest fire. Primal magic can be used to burn down an innocent town, and dark magic can be used to heal a dying son. Both forms of magic are power—drawn from very ethically different sources, but power all the same. Power can be dangerous of course, but it can also be used to make a true positive change.

It was humans lack of power that encouraged them to turn to dark magic. It was Xadia's greater magical power that enabled them to divide the continent in two. Power, especially in TDP, goes hand in hand with the freedom to make the choices you want to. It enables agency.

Keeping all that in mind, I don't think I see how deep magic would function differently than primal magic. Magic, in whatever form, is still power. It can still be dangerous. The issue isn't the kind of magic (ignoring the horrific fuel of dark magic for a moment), it's who does and doesn't have it.

If deep magic is something that humans and elves can both connect to and easily use, then sure, maybe I would classify it as a solution. Humans need to have access to an ethical form of magic that they can use as needed to improve their own lives, just like Xadia can.

But honestly, I wonder how separate primal magic and deep magic really are anyways. To me it seems like primal magic is just one facet of deep magic, or something along those lines. We know humans can connect to primal sources, even if it's difficult, and you don't need every person to become a mage. You just need a few who can then do the work to better society.

Not to mention, Xadia can and should also lend a helping hand.

If Thunder had been willing to carry a storm to the Kingdom of Duren and end their drought, how different could things have been?

#hopefully that's coherent. I'm super sleepy rn #I'm not really a dark magic apologist but like. I also get why humans used it you know?#tdp #the dragon prince #tdp meta #asks

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dragonprincequotesimadeup · 1 year

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Question and answers from the Offical Q&A’s in The Dragon Prince Discord Server: Questions about humans

Q: “Will we get to see more from the other Human Kingdoms?”

AE: Yes, some!

Q: “Could you tell us anything about the rulers of the human kingdoms?”

AE: Queen Aanya was orphaned quite young, as you know, but here’s something you don’t know: She has an adopted big brother named Grark, who is an exceptional warrior.

Q: “In season 4 we get a glimpse of how the elf-human relationship building is going, but I also really want to know what the situation is like between the human kingdoms after the season 3 finale battle."

AE: Katolis is definitely the most “pro-Xadia” of the Human Kingdoms, and Duren is closely linked to Katolis—partially due to the friendship between Ezran and Aanya. The other kingdoms remain more skeptical and suspicious of Xadia (and elves and dragons). Between the human kingdoms specifically, I imagine there could be some lingering tension between Neolandia and Duren after what occurred… but, I also suspect even King Ahling might concede that Kasef had gone too far and was part of a literally monstrous war effort.

Q: “Are humans still banished from Xadia as of Season 4?” AE: No, they are not! The border that was created between the Human Kingdoms and the magical lands of Xadia still exists, and it’s a real impediment. But the true enforcers of the border were the Dragon King himself and the Sunfire elves, so flow between the East and the West of the continent is beginning to happen again. Still, the established powers in the West are human, and the dominant powers in Xadia remain dragon and elven.

Q: “Will we ever get to see how the other human kingdoms think of dark magic? We've only seen Katolis so far, so I'm wondering if we will ever get to see dark mages from the other kingdoms, if that makes sense?”

EM: The other human kingdoms and their citizens likely have varying opinions about dark magic—just like opinions vary within Katolis itself—but their royalty no doubt sees the benefit of having a dark mage available, and would have an understanding of their capabilities. Take Duren, for example. We can glean from the fact that they came to Katolis for aid during the famine that it’s unlikely they had a dark mage themselves at the time, but were open to working with Viren and leveraging dark magic to siphon warmth from the Titan’s heart for the sake of their people. We can also look at Tressal—one of the playable characters in Tales of Xadia who’s not only my favorite (and best boy), but also a Neolandian dark mage connected to the royal court. And while not much is known about her, we’ve also established that Evenere has its own High Mage who serves as a guardian of their Royal Library.

Q: “Is Viren's title lord a hereditary title which he inherited or one which came with his position as the high mage of Katolis?”

DG: Viren’s title of Lord is one he earned when he came into the position of High Mage of Katolis, yes! Katolis does have some societal stratification, with wealthy families and poor families and all things in between. Viren certainly did not come from a wealthy family, though.

#the dragon prince #tdp #dragon prince

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