#give Lord Commander Jarra therapy

[ben-the-hyena]

@dracocheesecake

Just realized that having the Crystal Eminence be a Sifa either fully or mixed in the fan rewriting would also be good because (until canon proves us the contrary it is my HC) when other Gelfling survivors returned to meet Jen and Kira (and little future Commander) who thought they were the last ones, it was thanks to Sifa and their boats and never ever ceasing sailing like moving water villages that the species could survive until sensing something changed and checking on land some trine after the movie. So even if by now Gelfling understood they all were equals, there was extra respect for Sifa. They saved them, taught them how to live at sea more or less normally for over 50 trines, and guided them. Plus, Sifa having always been mixed with other clans and always been known for that, they became a symbol of unity and wisdom because being the Gelfling who understood before everyone Gelfling were equals and could mix and it was thanks to this wisdom they were saviors

So if the Crystal Eminence was a Sifa and part of these survivors and among the first to walk on land again and meet Jen and Kira, he was dubbed Crystal Eminence for a reason. Maybe he was a captain, or at least an authority figure or a symbolical person. The Maudra's (Ethri ?) son or nephew or cousin even, maybe. We know he is an opportunist as the Crystal Eminence who manipulates Jen and Kira into being inactive and the Commander into believing him and helping him while he gives 0 shit about Thra and its people and just wants his comfort zone and status to stay unchanged, so he probably was an opportunist among the survivors, but he is a manipulator who gives you the illusion of being legit so they probably highly respected him, especially if his status and/or his family background were/was unique (in a way, no wonder he ends up helping the Skeksis. He was just like one in soul), so he was probably sent to Jen and Kira to make contact and present them in behalf of all the survivors and, initially jealous to see they attracted all the attention (Gelfling, one who descended from the last All Maudra, having defeated the Skeksis and fixed the Crystal and chosen by Aughra herself to rule over that new world and fix it, and had the first Childling born on land in 50 trines. Of course they would immediately be adored and respected), quickly realized it would be for the best to be on their side and become their éminence grise, so offered his services to them and to spread the word of the Crystal to fidels in their name ; they would do politic, he would do religion. Just little by little trying to get both by the time of the rewritten story since religion is often more impactful than power to the people and it allows you to be closer in contact

It could also explain why the rewritten Commander would also be so faithful to him and aggressive to anyone he would see as heretics towards him and the Crystal. If he was a little child when he came, he probably saw him as a hero. So Gelfling were alive all along ? Thanks to people like him ? And now he offered to protect and interpret the Crystal itself and help his parents in the quest Aughra and the UrSkeks gave them ? Little Jarra who was already thriving to protect Thra and his parents and never let a crisis happen again had to be impressed this man helped so much, so now himself protects and helps through military means, he sees the Crystal Eminence who had preached to him and taught him many things since childhood and filled his head with so much "believe me all the time, and remember everybody could be suspicious" bullshit as the spiritual, intellectual mean to his goal necessary to complete it

Finding out in the end he had been a fraud all along, that Thra almost died because of them and that he freed the Skeksis from jail were probably a huge toll on him, making him even more suspicious about anybody hence why despite it all it will take him so much to finally trust and respect Kensho even when tasked to co-rule, especially since despite it all and being angry at the Eminence knowing he is dead still must hurt which is probably something he yet again rejects and bottles up

#give Lord Commander Jarra therapy #crystal eminence #moi #dracocheesecake #sifa #the dark crystal #the commander #jen #kira #rewriting #Gelfling #parents and children #save #death #survival #genocide #skeksis #thra #urskeks #mother aughra #ethri #all maudra #seladon #family #religions #politics #boat #sea #kensho