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[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

The Emperor’s Relics: Artifacts Of A Lost Time

Among the many positives of “The Owl House” is its rich setting. Though many - including myself - might say we were not given enough detail about the Boiling Isles, there is no denying that the show’s setting is rich and fascinating. Why else would we want to know more?

One such example of worldbuilding that was established but never elaborated on is the relics in the castle’s Relic Room. The artifacts, said to be incredibly powerful, are only seen in “Agony of a Witch,” in which (HA!) Luz tries to steal one to help Eda and Willow and Gus use a few for fun. Though described by Kikimora as “reminders of our great Emperor’s overwhelming power,” Lilith refers to them as “decrepit” and “useless,” implying that they have vastly declined in power over the years and are now used as propaganda. 

Curiously, though seeming to intend to have a relic for each major coven, only eight are depicted, and only three of them elaborated upon:

The Green-Thumb Gauntlet: A glove carved of wood, the gauntlet is described as allowing the wearer to grow any plant they can imagine. Willow herself uses the glove to grow trees with fists to knock down an armored door. 

The Oracle Sphere: Described by Gus as telling the user how to become their best self, he uses it to conjure a purple-tinted illusion of himself that merely tells him,” You’re always your best self.”

The Healing Hat: Written as able to heal any disease or break any curse, Luz attempts to steal the hat to cure Eda. The hat is destroyed in a confrontation with Lilith, but given her description of the “decrepit” relics and bizarre nature of Eda’s curse as non-native to the Boiling Isles, it is probable that the hat would not have cured her - else Lilith might have tried long ago.

After these, the relics are only shown visually, but it was a fun thought experiment to wonder about each:

Golden Harp: Presumably tied to the Bard Coven. *I like to imagine that the harp intuitively plays music to cast any spell the user might imagine without having to know how to play the harp. 

Globe of Abomination Clay: Presumably tied to the Abomination Coven. I imagine it contains an incredibly ancient and very strong Abomination, likely holding far more clay than it seems. 

Golden Vial: Presumably tied to the Potions Coven. I like to think that the phial can produce large or infinite amounts of any potion that is poured into it. (This was admittedly based on the White Phial from “Skyrim.”)

Silver Mirror: Presumably tied to the Illusion Coven. I imagine the mirror can capture minute details of whatever it sees, and so aid the user in creating far more specific illusions. 

Golden Bell: Presumably tied to the Beastkeeping Coven. I imagine the bell can be rung to influence any beasts within its audible range. Specifically, it can summon them to the user, calm them down and put them to sleep, or enrage them into a frenzy. 

These all seem to exclude the relic of the Construction Coven, though there is a faint possibility we see this relic later. Mason, head of the Constriction Coven, is seen wielding a hammer emblazoned with the fist sigil of the coven. Assuming this is the Construction Reic, I like to think it can break down and then reshape any solid material it strikes, in the image of alchemy from “Fullmetal Alchemist” or Overhaul from “My Hero Academia.”

Even a year after the series’s conclusion, it is beyond evident that the setting of the Boiling Isles, with all of the rich details that often act as a framework with more than enough space for us to fill in the gaps ourselves, continues to be a rich mine of creativity in worldbuilding. Who knows what else is waiting to be conceived of that patchwork of glorious setting?

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Perilous Plagues: The “Fun” Weather Of The Boiling Isles

Among the many positives of “The Owl house” is its rich setting. Though many - including myself - might say we were not given enough detail about the Boiling Isles, there is no denying that the show’s setting is rich and fascinating. Why else would we want to know more?

One such example of hinted setting that is left largely to our imaginations is the weather of the Boiling Isles. Or, as Eda put it in “The Intruder,” more accurately called “plagues.” In the selfsame episode, Eda and King comment on four separate weather phenomena that make the Isles dangerous: boiling rain, “gorenadoes,” “shale hail,” and “painbows.” We only see one on-screen, but the names of the others allow some pretty fun guesswork. 

Boiling Rain - The only plague actively seen on-screen, boiling rain is just as its name suggests: it is liquid precipitation (presumably of clean water) that holds a scalding temperature. The times it is seen on screen demonstrate that it is known as a plague for a reason, able to cause considerable damage to clothing, infrastructure, and living things. It has been seen burning holes through Eda’s cloak in the distant past, causing burns on Luz, has been mentioned damaging stucco by Hooty, and was even seen bringing down a section of pier in Bonesborough. 

How the rain is boiling is never explained. Actual rain tends to be cold because of the chill of high altitudes, which the demon realm also possesses as seen with the snow on the Knee. Perhaps it is something to do with re-entering the aura of intense magic around the Boiling Isles and beyond? (As Eda encountered boiling rain as far as King’s island.) It is also noteworthy that a kind of “boiling” rain exists in real life, known as acid rain. This is caused by clouds mixing with air pollution in the atmosphere and binding to produce strong acids that can damage infrastructure, though it is never strong enough to hurt people which clearly distinguishes acid rain from boiling rains. 

Now on to those we can only guess at from their names. Here are my own theories and ideas:

Gorenadoes - Given that the word strongly resembles “tornado,” it can be inferred that this is some sort of wind funnel. Actual tornadoes can be incredibly focused and destructive along a narrow field as well as a wide area, such as digging furrows in the ground along their path, which gives me an idea about their destructive pattern and potential. 

In my mind, gorenadoes are tight wind funnels that touch down and then dig into the ground, dragging up stones, trees, and other large debris and trapping it in the funnel. This creates a devastating force like a giant meat grinder, shredding any animals it encounters to pulp and dying the funnel red with blood, hence the “gore” in gorenado. 

Shale Hail - Shale is a kind of sedimentary rock formed by compressed and pressurized mud or silt rich in organic matter. Hail, as many can attest, is precipitation of large chunks of ice that can cause widespread property damage. 

In my mind, shale hail is a follow-up to gorenadoes, much like the aftershock of an earthquake. A gorenado, during its rampage, hurls debris high into the air that will descend upon another part of the Isles, causing more death and destruction during or immediately after the gorenado. Further, in my mind, these particular plagues are very hard to predict as weather oracles have trouble determining where they will land. 

Painbows - Finally, King gives some actual, if vague, information about “painbows” in “The Intruder.” In his words, “it’s like a rainbow, but looking at it turns you inside out.” This is all he says, with no elaboration on how fast this occurs. The first thought may be that a single glance causes an immediate turn inside-out. But to me, an even more unsettling idea is that these presumably beautiful displays cause one to slowly turn inside out - skin inside and bones outside and all the organs on display - and that victims are transfixed by the sight of them and unable to look away despite the agony of it without exceptional strength of will. 

My brother also had an interesting idea for, perhaps, an old saying on the Isles about them: “It’s like the Titan is looking at the deepest parts of you and pulling them out.” My, how grim. Especially from him. 

Even a year after the series’s conclusion, it is beyond evident that the setting of the Boiling Isles, with all of the rich details that often act as a framework with more than enough space for us to fill in the gaps ourselves, continues to be a rich mine of creativity in worldbuilding. Who knows what else is waiting to be conceived of that patchwork of glorious setting?

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Emerald Entrails As A Quidditch Team

Anyone who has followed the plot of “The Owl House” has certainly noticed that Dana Terrace and her crew like to reference and poke fun at the arguably definitive children’s urban fantasy series: Harry Potter. Frankly, it’s a given considering how influential the novels have been to the youth fantasy genre. 

Everything from overt homages like the Choosey Hat to the track colors subtly referencing Hogwarts houses, the show is chock full of nods if you look for them. 

One such reference was grudgby, a magical sport played at Hexside that served this role largely as a criticism of Quidditch – particularly the “rusty smidge” serving as a stand-in for the overpowered Golden Snitch and a target for criticism. However, season two introduced another magical sport that serves as a superior comparison to the famed “soccer on broomsticks”: flyer derby, Willow’s favored sport that served to introduce her and Gus to Hunter and form the fan-titled “Emerald Trio.”

Like Quidditch, flyer derby is played in the air on flying magical implements, though on palisman staffs rather than brooms. Both involve strategy that relies less on confrontation than grudgby, though flyer derby is more like capture-the-flag than soccer. 

At any rate, it has occurred to my rabbit-trail laden mind on a few occasions what would happen if the Boiling Isles and Wizarding Britain – particularly Hexside and Hogwarts – were introduced and played off of each other, and in no way is this more literal than wondering how the Emerald Entrails would play Quidditch. Which, finally, brought the question of how the Entrails would adapt to the roles and rules of the game. On one note for that, Quidditch requires seven players per team, and so I would think that Luz with Stringbean and Amity with Ghost would be called in as extra players. 

After a while, working my way backwards through the roles led me to a few satisfying conclusions. 

For the role of Seeker, I think Gus would be best-suited. He is described as a speed demon by Willow – very much crucial to catch the swift Snitch – and has shown great skill in flying in a hands-free style, one that greatly resembles Harry Potter himself in the first film as he wins his first match. The Keeper of the Looking-Glass Graveyard also strongly hinted that “powers of observation” are tantamount to a great illusionist, of which Gus is a known prodigy, that would serve in locating the Snitch to capture it. 

As for a backup Seeker, Hunter’s flash step or teleportation would serve best for speed. 

For the Keeper who guards the goalposts, a bit of thought brought Hunter to mind. Like the Seeker note above, Hunter’s reflexes and teleporting magic would serve marvelously in protecting the goalposts of the Entrails. 

For Beaters, whose role is to strike the flying and painful bludgers away from their team and toward the opposition, the physically strongest members of the entrails would be needed. Based on evidence, who else could that be but Captain Willow and Viney? Willow is drawn bulkier than other characters and has been shown on at least two occasions to work out in her free time. As for Viney, any girl who wrangles and holds back an angry griffin at least five times her size is anything but a weakling. 

Finally, the Chasers who handle the Quaffle, the most obvious tie to soccer or European football, would be left to the three remaining players: the strategic Skara, enthusiastic Luz, and the collected Amity. Given that Amity and Skara have played grudgby together and probably know each other very well, they would play nicely together. That doesn’t even get into Luz and amity’s closeness as romantic partners or Luz’s natural camaraderie that would mesh well with Skara’s affable nature. 

A true delight in being a fan of numerous fantastical series is the thought exercises of how they would blend together. From schools to sports, from ministries to coven systems, and from a cadaverous archipelago to a secret society upon the British Isles … They’re great stories with amazing settings and characters – which makes for a grand old time, eh?

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Willow Lockhart

If one were to mix and match Final Fantasy VII characters, there is one character - and one alone - alone who could be Tifa Lockhart:

It is Willow badass mom-friend Park!

Thoughts?

(Besides that Hunter is her Cloud Strife?)

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Starchild Shipping

On a rewatch of "Watching and Dreaming," I noticed something...

Even the Collector ships Katya and Steve, you guys!!!

Ahahahahaha!!!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Witch’s Wool: The Clothes For The Job

An appealing aspect of “The Owl House” is many of the little details that are sprinkled throughout the episode, tidbits of worldbuilding that enrich the setting. A prime example is a simple cloth said to have exceptional power: witch’s wool.

First seen in “Agony of a Witch,” witch’s wool appears as a violet material similar to yarn and commented by Luz to resemble spaghetti. Eda described the material as “repel[ling] powerful spells” and that every witch worth their salt owns a cloak of it. Luz, predictable and understandably, is enamored with the idea and asks for a cloak of her own. After ushering Luz to school, Eda works for the day to fulfill that request as a surprise. 

Luz wears her cloak during her mission to free Eda from the Conformatorium, during her impromptu abduction by the Golden Guard, and into the In-Between to try and contact her mother. The latter adventure somehow leaves the cloak damaged, forcing the now powerless Eda to look for another source of wool to repair it. Her main supplier, Prim, refuses - but Eda seems to have found another as she gives King a cloak of his own before the Day of Unity. This also implies that the production of witch’s wool is considered wild magic under Belos’s law. 

An interesting detail is the wording of a magical wool acting to repel magic. Actual wool has been used for millennia in clothing, particularly in cold and wet lands, for several purposes; one of them is that wool naturally repels water to keep the wearer dry. It does this with a natural grease called lanolin produced from the sheep’s sweat glands which protects sheep from the rain. This might imply that the wool is harvested from a beast and enchanted to enhance a natural magical resistance … or it could be an enchantment all on its own that needs a certain fabric to anchor it. Perhaps both?

Despite its mentioned protective properties, we never do see witch’s wool protect a wearer. This leaves the function of its supposed protection unknown. Does it form a protective barrier, or does it shed magic like sheep’s wool does water with no harm to the wearer? We may never know. 

Though only lightly touched upon, it does act as a point in the writers’ favor that they can use only a few lines and scenes to create a tantalizing bit of worldbuilding. One of many, as any who watch the show can attest. 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Have We Met?

I can't help but wonder, has anyone else noticed that one of the Emperor's Coven reformees that Steve and the BATs help looks ... familiar?

I can't quite put my finger on it ...

Anyone have any ideas ...? (Tee hee!)

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Extras Profile: Principal Bump

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, from the main characters, to recurring and even minor characters. 

An excellent example is Principal Hieronymus Bump. 

Bump is introduced in the series’s third episode, a gaunt-faced older man in an academic robe with long fingernails and what looks like a parasitic imp covering the top of his head and face. Seems the perfect set-up for an Evil Teacher character, right? Initially, his personality seems to match his appearance as he comes off as creepy and sinister, much like most cartoon principals, and very powerful. He seemingly gleefully suggests dissection and then works very hard to capture Luz — unaware that she is human — and Willow with a security system and a small army of Abominations. He is, however, taken by surprise by Willow’s power with Plant magic. 

It is here and after the dust settles that we get our first look at his true character. Rather than be angry at being magically suckerpunched by one of his students, he marvels at Willow’s talents and instead of punishing her for cheating and property damage, transfers her to the Plant track of Hexside, where she will be happy studying what she loves instead of failing in a track she is terrible at. This is surprisingly kind for such a sinister-looking guy. Even more, he merely bans Luz from Hexside rather than, say, calling the authorities on her. 

Bump’s next appearance is at the Covention as the announcer for the Emperor’s Coven presentation. He shows a bombastic, showman side to his personality, chewing the scenery for the crowd. This side would show up much later during the Grom fight when King has nerves and Gus goes to comfort him. He also has a very brief, but telling interaction with a then-unnamed Mattholomule. Bump rhetorically asks what the height of magical achievement is, and Matt demonstrates inflating his own head, then falls under his own weight to crush a nearby student. Rather than chastise Matt, he claims to have “failed [Matt] as a principal.” This demonstrates some serious humility. 

Principal Bump continues to characterize himself as a rather reasonable man who gruffly cares for his students and school. He accepts Eda enrolling Luz in Hexside, after Eda works for several hours to clear up lingering problems from her own school days, and listens to his students when they try to explain themselves, such as Gus taking the fall for the destruction of the detention pit. 

When Luz officially joins, he does his best to conform to lawful policy by placing her in a single track — his choice of Potions track is likely either taking into account Luz’s lack of innate magic or the idea that Eda can help her along in the woman’s own former magic track — and when Luz is caught using magic outside her track, he places her in the Detention track to keep her out of sight of the inspector that would decide whether to fund extensive repairs to the school. 

Though this may seem harsh, Luz’s own antics are what led to the destruction that needed to be repaired, and he is doing his job in making sure the facilities are running well. Is it fair? No, but he’s doing his best. When the inspector turns out to be a basilisk that rampages through the school and all of the detention students bring it down with mixed magic, Bump is at first ready to dig in his heels and expel them all, but it only takes the words of a few students to convince him to try a multitrack policy. How quickly he flips on this gives a strong indicator that he had been considering these students’ wellbeing for quite some time and was using this as an opportunity for them. 

Bump has a few small appearances in the rest of the season. One is commenting on Boscha supposedly getting away with murder, claiming he does not approve but is happy she’s “trying new things.” This is a reflection of Hexside’s occasional lax in student safety (such as teacher’s egging on a fight between students) and the more brutal culture of the Boiling Isles. Another is during Eda’s petrification, he supports Eda being freed and joins the crowd in calling for it. 

Bump’s struggles between policy and his conscience continue when the Parent-Creature Association - led by Odalia Blight - puts pressure on him to expel Luz, Willow, and Gus. Though clearly reluctant and shown to genuinely miss the three, even crying at turning them away, he claims to have no choice. This is resolved by outside forces and the students clearly bear him no ill will. We also learn from this incident that he is a member of the Abomination Coven. 

Bump is next seen leading the Palisman Adoption Program at Hexside alongside Eda. Here, we learn that the imp upon his head is actually his palisman, Frewin, who helps him see. Beneath his palisman mask, he is missing an eye and has long, dark hair that reaches his ankles, something this watcher was definitely not expecting. He also demonstrates a strong passion for palisman-witch/demon bonding and affection for Frewin. 

In flashbacks and anecdotes, we get a little more information on Bump’s past. Luz shows that he was on the frontlines of conquering Hexside’s rival in his youth, apparently leading the charge. Eda’s extended flashback in “Them’s The Breaks, Kid” shows that his reasonable nature was once in contest with a nearly psychotic principal whom he served as vice-principal in Eda’s school days. He seemed to often speak up against Faust’s extremely harsh policies, to the point where Faust stuck him with chaperoning infamous troublemaker Eda in a bid to have him fired. Bump shows support to Eda during this time despite his job being on the line and praises her when she stands up for what is right even at the apparent cost of his own career. He even politely stands up to Terra Snapdragon, a coven head, when many students are endangered by her, and this courage is enough to earn her respect and have her salvage his job. 

Bump’s protectiveness of his students is once again demonstrated when Adrian Greye and Emperor's Coven scouts invade the school to forcibly brand the student body into covens. He not only stands bodily in the way of a scout captain threatening Edric - a known troublemaker - but plans and leads an attack on the Emperor’s Coven to save his students, then smugly suggests that the captain should keep quiet. 

Finally, Bump was captured by the Collector’s spies trying to protect the school, and is given a statue in his honor by the student body. By the time he returns, he is welcomed with applause by the school. His final moments in the epilogue are seen gardening in presumed peaceful retirement and attending Luz’s eighteenth birthday party. 

All in all, Bump remains an excellent example of a character that grew far beyond their original appearance, yet remained consistent in their character, not to mention having a great design. To quote the famed Wheel of Time, Bump has enough layers “as to make an onion appear an apple.”

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Love the Stevatya rep! Can’t help but think it’s reverse if their actual dynamic, though… OH WELL.

stevatya over lumity edit lmao

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Why Was Matt REALLY At The Emperor’s Coven Demo?

One of the fun things about rewatching or thinking back on The Owl House is noticing little details that – whether intended by the writers or not – become much more relevant with later revelations. Bits of lore, lines said by characters, or characters that first appear in the background … such as Mattholomule. 

As a side note: Many may object to the spelling of his name given the reveal in “For The Future,” but even the credits of that particular special spell his name as one word. Make of that what you will. 

We first see Matt in the episode “Covention,” at the demonstration for the Emperor’s Coven. When Principal Bump rhetorically asks the crowd what the height of magic achievement is, Matt (who had apparently already transferred from Glandus to Hexside) asks if a spell to magically inflate his head is. He demonstrates and the weight makes him crush a fellow student, to which Bump laments that he has failed Matt as a Principal. 

Random and funny scene? Yes. Relevant to the overall plot? No. 

Or is it?

Matt is later seen getting an autograph from Lilith – then head witch of the Emperor’s coven – showing a strong personal inclination. On first viewing, and for most of the series, that’s all it appears to be. But a reveal much later shows a possible deeper reason for that inclination, and perhaps a larger motive to try to join the Emperor’s Coven. 

His older half-brother, Steve. 

Considering how much older Steve is than Matt, he has likely been in the Emperor’s Coven for much of Matt’s life. Dana Terrace also confirmed that, despite the age difference, Matt looks up to Steve to the point of mimicking his older brother’s hairstyle. Is it possible that Matt was eager and ready to try to join the coven to work alongside his beloved brother? 

Then again, Steve seems to be a close subordinate of Lilith, considering he was the only scout to accompany her in retrieving a map to the “Bloom of Eternal Youth” in “Sense and Sensitivity” (his first appearance, as it turns out) and to be invited her her job-warming party in “Elsewhere & Elsewhen” after she had left the coven. Could it be that Matt attended hoping just to see Steve, even on duty?

Naturally, we will probably never know for certain. But is a nice thought, wouldn’t you agree? 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Extras Profile: The BATs

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, from the main characters, to recurring and even minor characters. 

An excellent example of this trend is the Bards Against The Throne. AKA, the BATs - hiss!

Introduced officially in “Eda’s Requiem,” one member first appeared as far back as the series premiere. The then-unnamed “Fanfic Girl” is a fanged, olive-skinned witch thrown in the Conformatorium for writing fanfiction about food falling in love. She introduces Luz to the restrictive nature of the facility and sparks the human’s compassion for those she sees as much like her. Though spirited, she is also hesitant to escape the facility along with two other inmates before Luz gives a rousing speech that has them fighting and defeating the warden.

This girl would reappear after a full twenty-four episodes as one of the followers of Raine Whispers, the Head Bard who plans to undermine the coven system. With her given name revealed as Katya, she is further shown to be a member of the Bard Coven who channels magic through a tambourine. A little more of her personality is shown, too, such as a more light-hearted teasing side, a genuine desire to help people, and an understandable fear of the Conformatorium. 

Along with Katya’s return are the introductions of Derwin and Amber.

Derwin, a dark-skinned young man with pince-nez glasses, is given the least separate character, but still shown to be open-minded, down-to-earth, and seemingly tactical as he helps Raine explain the BATs goals. He also seems to have little endurance, as Katya carries his sleeping self home after a late night of rebel work. He plays a bassoon and has skill with smoke. 

Finally, Amber is a pink-skinned and fair-haired demon who somewhat resembles a bat, complete with tiny wings on the back of her shoulders. She acts overtly childish in being suspicious Eda before flipping to enthusiastic support when Eda’s skills help grant them overwhelming success in a single mission. This implies she’s somewhat younger than her fellow rebels. She also has tons of energy, still bright and lively after a full night of work while everyone else is exhausted, which only adds to her youthful demeanor. She uses a recorder for her magic and seems skilled with the Bard equivalent of a sleeping spell.

After being transported to the Conformatorium when captured by Darius, the BATs reappear as a group in “Ot Titan, Where Art Thou,” having been freed by Darius to join the larger rebel force formed to oppose the Day of Unity. Helping Eda and the rest sneak into the arena at the Head, they are captured by Abomatons and presumably turned into puppets by the Collector. 

Their last appearances, in season three, are alongside Steve the former scout in helping to rebuild the Boiling Isles and form relations with former scouts. They also attend Luz’s eighteenth birthday, implying that they have become close acquaintances with Luz in their own right over the intervening four years.

The BATs are an example of minor recurring characters given distinguished and creative designs, offering enrichment to the cast and a great recall as far as the premiere. We can only thank the crew for their ingenuity in this wonderful series. 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

I *am* Mr. Spinner, and I deeply appreciate the reference!!!

The Huntlow Timeline; a thread

note: there may be inaccuracies in this thread so feel free to correct me if i am wrong about certain things!

1. First Huntlow Fanart: June 10, 2021 by @firemoonxd

2. first huntlow tweet: july 25, 2021 by iheartneeko

3. first huntlow fanfic: july 30, 2021 by mr. spinner (FFN & AO3)

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13929833/1/When-Marigolds-Bloom

4. dana terrace posts this "infamous" art piece: december 22, 2021

5. huntlow becomes filtered on ao3: february 22, 2022

6. "any sports in a storm" synopsis is released -- canon huntlow interactions: march 12, 2022

7. hunter's va zeno robinson retweets/like huntlow art (later unrted): march 13, 2022

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Wild Witches of Agony of a Witch

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, stretching even to the background extras that keep popping up. 

One excellent example of these rich background characters are a trio who have no names, no lines, and about six seconds of screentime. But from the moment I saw them, they looked amazing! 

In the opening segment of “Agony of a Witch,” the episode establishes a somber attitude with some glimpses of the work of the Emperor’s Coven as they round up wild witches, watched from afar by a contemplative Head Witch Lilith. One scene is of coven scouts escorting a barred wagon full of presumed wild witches — witches and biped demons who have illegally rejected the coven system and refused to join covens — to a currently unknown but implicitly grim fate. 

Three of the wild witches are seen in detail, and they all have great designs. 

We’ve got a reptilian demon in the center with a bird skull for a necklace, a witch on the right with a truly magnificent hat, and what may be a witch or demon on the left with glowing eyes in the depths of his hood. All are dressed with practical and unique clothing, though their clear despair and fear is palpable. 

As a side note, notice the middle wild witch's necklace. It draws an interesting parallel to one of Dana Terrace's "beta" drawings.

We see these three one other time, and none are alive. Statues appear outside the Conformatorium as Luz and King approach midway through “Young Blood, Old Souls” that look remarkably similar. Too similar to be a coincidence. It’s a hint at the corruption of Belos’s reign, that there have been far more petrifications than the public knows. 

Whether main characters or one-note bit players, The Owl House displayed throughout its run a marvelous use of character design when, let's face it, they didn’t have to. All for the art and the fans, I think. 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Stevatya Lives!

Besides that fact that we finally know the fate of Steve and the BATs, can I just point out that our favorite food-fic author and reformed scout are standing next to each other in this shot?

By the conventions of anime - which highly influenced the show, prove me wrong - they’re prime real estate for a future relationship upgrade. Bring it on!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Extras Profile: Steve

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, stretching even to the background extras that keep popping up. Several of the characters, mostly at Hexside, have even been given semi-official names by the crew. 

A truly remarkable case of growing character relevance is Steve the scout. 

Steve first appeared in “Sense and Sensitivity,” a normal, faceless coven scout accompanying Lilith. Voiced at the time by Alex Hirch, he was the first scout to speak on-screen and his earnest enthusiasm - even for Emperor Belos - was endearing to many fans. Not to mention the fact that he had a name and seemed to have an honest camaraderie with Lilith. 

Steve would not appear for the rest of season one, remaining a quirky footnote of the cast for some time. He was finally mentioned by Kikimora in “Eclipse Lake” as she screamed at him and threatened him. He finally appeared in person again in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” dressed in semi-casual clothing at Lilith’s new job party and now voiced by Matt Chapman. Naturally, this made him even more popular, giving him a sense of loyalty to his old boss. 

It was a few episodes later in “Any Sport in a storm” where Steve, surprisingly, began to grow from a semi-recurring gag character to something more. Sent to collect Hunter’s new recruits, he continues his air of earnestness by brushing off Skara punching him in the face. As the Emerald Entrails are taken away, Steve talks briefly with Hunter about the horrors of scout training and Belos confiscating palismen, implying that he had one of his own in the past, and admits that he regrets his life choices. This small interaction pushes Hunter to rescue the team and in doing so salvage his first friendships. 

But Steve’s most notable and memorable appearance would be in “O Titan, Where Art Thou.” Inexplicably on the Knee with his motorcycle, he talks with King - are we seeing a pattern here? - about his disillusionment with the Emperor’s Coven and offers to take him on a joyride across the Isles, which King accepts. After several heartfelt stops, they have dinner at a fastfood shack and chat some more, with Steve offering advice to King on some big changes in his life. In this moment, Steve does what few would have expected: he removes his mask to show a normal, handsome face. With the arrival of Lilith, he officially quits the coven and joins up with the rebel CATs. 

Interestingly, Steve plays a small but critical role in the plan to stop the Day of Unity. As the only CAT without restriction on his use of magic, he is the only one able to enchant a cloaking stone to disguise Eda. He would not appear for the rest of the season, and has not appeared in the first or second specials of season three. *One last tidbit is a tweet directly from Dana Terrace, saying that Steve is Mattholomule’s older half-brother and that Matt looks up to Steve. 

Now for observations and guesses. 

Steve’s enthusiasm for the Emperor’s Coven in his first appearance seems jarring when he later claims to regret joining, which may show that his previous attitude was either an act to keep himself safe or a coping mechanism. He mentions to King that his dream growing up was to be a coven scout, “to be considered one of the best.” This might imply that he had a rough childhood - the fact that he’s Matt’s older brother and probably attended Glandus High, where the strong survive, only adds credence to this idea. 

During his roadtrip with King, Steve shows some skill in origami, an honest desire to help others when he and King help a random small family fix their cart, and openly weeps at an elderly couple’s display of affection - which may imply he has a painful romantic history. 

Finally, throughout his later appearances, Steve shows an open and philosophical attitude, offering observations and even advice on occasion that has allowed other characters to grow. Not too bad for a guy who started out as a gag, huh?

Steve is an example of something rarely done well in a story: When a one-off character is given a chance to slowly grow into something good. Not just great, but good. Here’s hoping he gets a little more time in the series finale!

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Extras Profile: Morton

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, stretching even to the background extras that keep popping up. Several of the characters, mostly at Hexside, have even been given semi-official names by the crew. 

One of the early extras named in-series that has drawn my interest is Eda’s elixir dealer, Morton.

First appearing in “Hooty’s Moving Hassle,” Morton presents himself as an awkward and dorky alchemist/potionist who may not have a bunch of common sense given he spent all night poison tasting and wonders why he feels sick. However, at least to me, his earnestness is immediately appealing, as is his honest desire to help Eda, even if he doesn’t profit from it. This shows an unusual bit of integrity from one of the populace of the Boiling Isles. The fact that Eda calls him by name - and that he calls ner by a nickname, “E” - also implies that they’ve known each other for a while and that he owns the business Mr. Elixir - further evidenced by Morton’s cry for Eda’s release with “She helped me stay in business!”

Morton would continue to appear in the background of some episodes until “Keeping Up A-fear-ances,” where he refuses service to Luz without monetary payment - this and his desolation at a slow evening implying that Eda and Lilith are his main source of income. He next appears in “Elsewhere & Elsewhen,” where he appears as a guest at Hooty’s party thrown for Lilith to celebrate her new job. This implies that not only has he begun supplying Lilith with elixir for her curse, but he and Lilith have become acquainted enough for Hooty to consider them friends. Then again, he also invites Tinella Nosa, whom Lilith doesn’t seem to know, so he may have been stretching (Ha!) to fill the guest list. As of this post, this is his last major appearance. 

Now for extrapolation and guesswork!

Morton’s job makes it almost certain that he’s a member of the Potions Coven. Simple and easy to figure. Though he aids and does business with wild witches, which is a real mark in his favor. 

Given Eda’s proclamation as the “Most Powerful Witch on the Boiling Isles” and the fact that she was in the Potions track at Hexside, the fact that she doesn’t brew her own elixir stands out as strange. This is also noting that she, too, runs a small business selling potion - though this fact seems to have been forgotten after “Witches Before Wizards.” Eda even mentions to her mother knowing what goes into the elixirs. This implies early on that Morton actually brews the elixirs himself, which would further imply that he is remarkably talented in his field. Eda’s playful comment in “For the Future” about Lilith’s own elixir “putting Morton out of business” only adds credence to that idea. 

Finally, an interesting note about his attire. Morton is always seen wearing a large funnel on his head like a hat. At first this seems like a quirky reference to his profession, but it may have a deeper meaning. In the time of Hieronymus Bosch - a Dutch painter whose surrealist works were a large influence on the look of the Isles and who has lent his name to two characters of the show - an upside-down funnel was a symbol of madness. Bosch himself used this imagery a few times in his works. Taken in context, one might think Morton is crazy - you know, for daring to do business with the Owl Lady despite her criminal background!

It really is a delight to find little tidbits about these background students that the crew has clearly put some thought into and stitch together a narrative. Had there been more time, I would have been happy to see more of Morton. 

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

[i-am-a-scholar-of-magic]

Palismen of the Blight Twins

A personal favorite piece of lore for “The Owl House” is the concept of palismen staffs. The idea - mixing traditional magic-channeling weapons with the classic flying broomstick, both mixed together with an adaptation of the familiar - has always appealed to me. Getting deeper insight into the idea always made me happy and is one of the reasons “Hunting Palismen” is one of my top-three favorite episodes. 

But while we got answers as to many of the cast’s palismen - finally including Luz as of “For the Future” - the idea of Edric and Emira's palismen has intrigued me ever since we met Amity’s palisman Ghost in “Eclipse Lake.” Now, Dana Terrace went on-record in a recent Post-Hoot that their palismen were planned to be a moth and a butterfly, though she did not specify names or which would belong to which (witch!)

While I of course acknowledge and appreciate the plan of the show’s creator, in my own thoughts (and fanfiction) I came up with another solution. The best part? It’s using palismen that we have already seen on-screen - both in “Hunting Palismen” - and later seen in the nest, having not been adopted by the earlier group of students. 

Emira’s palisman, in my mind, is the goose with a bell in her mouth.

Geese are well-known to aggressively protect their offspring - I like to think that they bond over Emira wanting to protect her siblings as the eldest. In addition, a common phrase is to call someone a “silly goose,” which could tie into Emira’s tricksy nature. *My headcanon name for the goose is Liberty, named for the Liberty Bell - inspired by the bell she carries and the cracks in her torso. 

Edric’s palisman, in my mind, is the round pig with spider legs and a coin in his mouth.

While having a slovenly and dumb reputation, pigs are actually very neat animals and incredibly smart. Edric is established as being rather ditzy, but later shows an exceptional talent for several branches of magic. To me, they bond over wanting to prove their talents and to those they love. *My name for the spider-pig is Copper, a term for an old British coin. 

A few final thoughts: Liberty and Copper emerge from the Bat Queen’s nest next to each other, implying they may be friends on a personal level. Another is the -actually very coincidental - fact that both palismen have something in their mouths, tying into the fact that Edric and Emira are twins, who while similar are also very different. 

As much as I would love to know more about the Blight twins’ hypothetical canon palismen, I really like the potential in these possibilities!

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

(P.S. - Try out Mr. Spinner on Fanfiction.Net or Mr_Spinner on Archive Of Our Own for works featuring these two.)