#Rayla can't take a win

[tategaminu]

Rayla is such a sad girl, man. She gets misunderstood by 80% of the characters and by a lot of watchers. Some characters judging her in the show is understandable but the watchers?

The brutal antagonizing for not saying sorry to Callum (even tho they would also antagonize her if she said sorry as "sorry isn't enough" ahem)

Or ike watchers who describe Rayla as OOC in arc 2, which it's such an statement

like I guess getting kicked out of the place you called home without even asking for an explanation leading to a huge emotional scar, losing yourr parents without even knowing their status, getting obsessed with the same guy that took them away killing your partner to the point of abandoning him out of fear of losing the only loved one you have left because said former home made you believe you either complete the mission or you are a failure, spending alone two years hallucinating the guy you abandoned and chasing someone who doesn't even exist eventully leading you to notice leaving was a big mistake and you keep messing things up won't change as a person a sensitive and unstable teenager that was dumped by her parents at age nine and was forced to bury her feelings most of her life

yeah no. I'm sorry but her character core has never been about being an static girl boss, if everything she's been a changing girlfailure since season one.

[ccieatchildren]

OKAY BUT THE CALLUM WHUMP IN THE DRAGON PRINCE SEASON 5!!!

Specifically S5 E8.

First, just him being locked away in the captain’s cabin, isolated and tortured by Finnegrin for the dark magic info.

And him absolutely refusing to reveal anything right now, laughing at Finnegrin for what he sees as a hypocritical thought process, because it would go against his morals and he doesn’t want to give Finnegrin the ability to kill Domina Profundis.

Finnegrin taunting him about his dark magic usage, typical villain spiel of asking if Callum has never thought about it or wanted/needed to use it. Learning that Callum has studied it extensively (and though Callum points out that he has also studied the other types, his curiosity always seems to get the better of him) and has once used it, to save his friends. Finnegrin taking this information in and twisting it on the boy. The defeated way Callum gets pushed out by Finnegrin, seeing all his friends chained up and having to make a “decision” for Finnegrin.

Finnegrin forcing Callum to choose one of his friends' hand to cut off. Not being able to choose anyone, and the gang standing up for each other, offering their own hands. Preaching the love and friendship deal, only to peeve off Finnegrin even more, who tries to goad Callum into using dark magic once again. You can see the way he actually thinks about it, the guilt in his eyes but also the determination to save his friends. Only for Rayla to escape, making sure to take any option for dark magic out of Callum's hands. I believe if Rayla hadn't intervened, Callum would've eventually gone through with it, as the main thing holding him back was said guilt and own mental blockage. Finnegrin then freezing Rayla's blood, putting her in excruciating pain, and Callum, doing a full 180, goes batshite over Rayla being tortured, decking Finnegrin full force in the face. He is calm when faced with his own pain, but when someone he loves is hurt, especially due to his inability to do anything, he immediately loses his temper.

However, this small win ends them back up at square one, with Callum tied up and at the captain's mercy. When Finnegrin tells him that he's gonna feed Rayla to the leviathan, and Callum can't do anything, he immediately gives up the info, thinking that would save her. Only for Finnegrin to turn around and go "nuh-uh," completely destroying him.

He can't even save the person he loves. Callum may have primal magic (one or two of the arcanum depending on how you want to look at it), but he still can't do anything; he is completely useless in this moment. Realizing this, all hope drains out of him, and he does the only thing he can think of, spill the beans. He begins to break his principles by telling Finnegrin the dark magic spell (one of the darkest spells at that), in hopes of him releasing Rayla, only for it to backfire and be completely for nothing. Now, not only can he not save Rayla, but now Finnegrin can kill Domina Profundis. The guilt weighs even harder on him, he has essentially doomed everyone.

Then, Callum gets out, stands up to Finnegrin, using his own arcanum against him, gaining said arcanum at the same time (also, I just really love how he figured it out, using Finnegrin's words against him, and the idea behind the ocean arcanum is just very fun, I just really liked this moment), and save his homies.

So, everything turns out fine, right? Nope!

Callum had to use dark magic to get out, preforming the same snake chain spell he had before on his restraints. When he was all out of options, Callum always reverts back to what he knows, even if it might break his morals. And while this action is totally justifiable, as he basically had to, Callum doesn't really seem to see it that way. Despite knowing that there are parts of himself he can't understand, he still is riddled with grief over it. The deep pain and guilt on his face as he hugs Rayla, not telling her or anyone else what he had to do to get out, shows us that he believes he had committed a grave sin. In his eyes, he is just as bad as Viren and Claudia, and he is still dealing with the PTSD of being possessed by Aaravos, of having the chance to turn completely to the dark side. This paranoia and anxiety makes him keep everything to himself. He doesn't think they would understand or forgive him, and he doesn't think they should, as he doesn't really either.

The ocean arcanum also gives us a look into Callum. He states himself about how it is accepting the hidden depths in oneself, even if you may not truly understand it. Callum's ability and willingness to do dark magic at times is part of those deeper depths. He doesn't truly understand it yet, and may never will, but, like any other human, there are many paths for him to follow. I do not think he is truly evil, or what he has done is irredeemable, but I believe that Callum, like all of us, is neither truly good or bad, but chooses where he takes himself (we also see this with Viren throughout the season). He could become someone filled with light and kindness, a "do-gooder" if you will, which is what I believe he wants to be, but he could also lead himself down a much darker path if he isn't careful, placing himself among the ranks of Aaravos, Viren, and Finnegrin, or he could be someone who carefully struts the line in the middle. The point is that it is up to him. Though he has become in tune with the ocean arcanum and those "hidden depths," him not accurately understanding his potential for darkness could usher him into a much more disastrous existence. Hopefully linking with the ocean arcanum will allow him to slowly accept these parts of himself and find a true balance between dark and primal magic, whatever that balance may be.

(Also the implications of him being the one in the intro rather than Viren...)

All in all, this whole episode was just very whump (even in the B plot somewhat). Callum and Finnegrin were very much whumpee and whumper -coded and you can't convince me otherwise.

The emotions in this episode for the main gang were top-notch. Watching what each character did to try to help themselves and their friends, and seeing the physical and emotional consequences of their actions (whether positive or negative) was amazing. Not just with Callum, but also the others (Ezran instantly offering himself up again and again, practically begging; Rayla breaking herself out to try and save Callum, only to be quickly and severely subdued; and Soren continuously taking the hits to help Elmer find his own worth, saving the gang in the process), was very well done.

ABSOLUTELY SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS!

I hope we get more moments like this in future seasons.

[raayllum]

bc @kradogsrats spoke it into existence and i'll never say no to a character being forced to make a terrible / difficult choice of what regrets they're willing to live with. tw for violence + mentioned forced amputation

The seas are choppier when they set sail, this time, a barrel of 'fresh' dark magic parts go spilling overboard when the crew is talking too excitedly about their new captives—Finnegrin curses and crushes one of the stray snake rattle tails that survived, just out of principle.

(He takes one and places it into his pocket for later, but is far more reluctant to take it out; he doesn't.)

His worse than usual mood sets Elmer on edge, and so when the Moonshadow elf girl gets rowdy, he backhands her in favour of picking her up. The smack echoes, the boy growling as he forces himself to his feet, lunging with an arms literally tied behind his back, but then Elmer is gripping her, forcing her to sit back down with a reddened cheek.

(She is dazed enough not to bite and slip the sliver of wood between her teeth.)

And here is how it goes.

"What's wrong with you people?" Finnegrin demands, and incredulous, Callum notes with a hint of satisfaction. "You bunch of barnacle brains all want to lose your hands?"

"I do not understand," Elmer says, voice deep and confused. "A hand will take weeks to regrow."

"No, buddy," Soren corrects. "It'll take way longer than that."

"See?" Callum staggers to his feet, heart beating fast—but confident, proud. They can win this. They can beat him. And until they do, he won't break them. "So long as we protect each other, so long as we love each other, you can never control us."

But Finnegrin doesn't turn back the way Callum thought he would, moving closer to the others still on their knees. "Charming," the pirate remarks, circling closer like a shark. The knife is clasped in one hand. "Really tugging on my heartstrings. Think I feel a good cry coming on."

He twirls the knife almost teasingly above Rayla's head as he walks on by, and Callum's stomach clenches.

"Love is the key to strength, hm? But no two loves are the same. I would know." Finnegrin stops walking behind Ezran, gave heavy and thoughtful and smug. His little brother looks even tinier in comparison. "Let's see which one you love the least."

"No—" Callum gasps, as the blade comes close, far too close to Ezran's throat. "You said the hand—"

"It's okay, Callum," Ezran says with the world's tiniest smile, but he's trembling. Putting on a brave face.

"Oh I meant it," Finnegrin says, waving the knife back over to Rayla almost experimentally. It goes against every instinct, but Callum tries to school his expression into something neutral. If he just gives nothing away, everyone will make it out alive, unscathed.

He can't show any sign of preference. He can't show any sign of worry.

He swallows hard, trying to remain impassive—stoic, neutral—as Finnegrin walks over to Villads and Soren, and it's easier, to stay calm. It's easier, and he hates that it is, but it is. Finnegrin frowns slightly, musing, examining Soren and Villads, and then his eyes fixate on Ezran.

"Everyone has a soft spot for the young ones, hm? Doesn't the king of Katolis have a brother? Bet he won't be pleased with you—"

"No!" Rayla juts her arms out in front of Ezran again. "Take my hand—"

Ezran tries to nudge her away, the welt on her cheek a bright red, but she's always been stronger than him. "Rayla, no—I'm the one who—"

"Deadwood, hold them both down," Finnegrin orders after a moment. The wooden giant goes to comply. "If the boy won't make a choice, and these two are so eager, we'll simply fulfil both their wishes."

Deadwood uses one hand to hold both of them in place on their knees, squirming and arms extended plainly, shoulders squeezed too tight for them to jerk around. The panic and anxiety roars to life like a tidal wave, Callum drowning in it as the knife hovers over Ezran's small slim wrist, the blade glinting, waiting, being brought back, and then—

"Wait!" Callum shouts.

The knife stops. Finnegrin straightens up, lips peeling back in a smirk.

Ezran looks at him with wide, fearful eyes, but Rayla is glaring like she already knows—or like she's asking, ordering for him to pick her over his brother, but Callum couldn't let her lose a hand when they were children and he still can't now.

He bows his head and then raises it slowly, because well—"I'll make a choice," he rasps, hating himself for it.

The easy one would be Villads, because he is a stranger and Callum will never see him again after this, but he is a stranger and didn't know what he was getting himself wrapped up in, and—

All he knows is that it can't be Ezran or Rayla.

When he looks up, Soren is already looking up at him, tears in his eyes and a deadened smile on his lips. Because Soren knows.

Soren has always known.

"Soren," Callum says at last. His eyes slide shut like the swinging of a death knell, opening back up in time as Soren raises a trembling hand to identify himself.

To his credit, the crownguard only screams a little as Finnegrin saws his hand off, and then binds the bloody stump poorly with a handkerchief. Rayla keeps Ezran held to her front to shield him from it.

Callum makes himself watch.

It's his first of many apologies.

[theredhairedmonkey]

In the heart of Katolis castle, amidst the grandeur of its stone walls, Soren, Callum, and Rayla sat before a campfire in the castle courtyard while Ezran convened with Opeli on the crisis in Lux Aurea.

The flickering flames of a carefully tended fire illuminated Soren's face as he couldn't hold back his questions any longer. "Hey, Callum," he began, poking at the fire. "How did you even learn the Ocean Arcanum? Did you find some ancient scroll or a magical tome?"

Callum looked up from his sketchbook, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Nah, it's not like that. You can't just read about it and get it. Arcana come from lived experiences, the connection to the primal source. But, I did have a little help."

Soren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Help? What kind of help?"

With a casual grace, Callum reached into his bag, retrieving a weathered book with a sea-blue cover. "A book of Ocean poems I stumbled upon in the castle library. The words resonated with the magic of the ocean, helping me grasp the Arcanum in a more profound way."

Rayla raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Poetry? You're telling me you actually found the key to elemental magic in a book of poems? I thought you were joking!"

“Hey, don’t knock it! The rhythm of the language, the emotional resonance...it stirred something…elemental inside me.”

Soren cleared his throat theatrically. “Oh Callum the poetic prince, weaving spells with heartfelt verse!” He exclaimed in exaggerated fashion.

Callum chuckled while Rayla playfully elbowed Soren’s arm. “Didn’t know you had a knack for poetry too,” she teased.

Soren took Callum’s book of ocean poems into his hands. "So, what’s next, painting landscapes?"

A chuckle escaped Callum's lips. "Well, maybe not landscapes. At least not yet. Dunno, maybe that would help with the Earth Arcanum?"

Rayla’s eyes glinted with curiosity. "Who would've thought, the former High Mage turned poet. What's your take on this, Soren?"

Soren, never one to miss an opportunity for a friendly jab, cleared his throat dramatically. "Ahem, Prince Callum, the poetic mage, casting spells with a quill on an enchanted page!"

Callum smirked. "Okay, that was terrible, but I appreciate the effort."

Undeterred, Soren continued, now fully embracing his poetic side. "By the ocean's edge, with waves so grand, Callum found magic in the sand. With every rhyme, he flies above, a princely poet, spreading love."

Callum couldn't contain his laughter any longer. "Alright, Soren, you win. I never knew you had such a hidden flair for rhyming."

Soren, reveling in his poetic victory, grinned. "Well, maybe I'll start dropping rhymes on the battlefield!"

Rayla, with a sly grin, teased Soren, "Who would’ve guess the big tough warrior had a soft spot for poetry?"

Soren winked. "Soft spot? More like a strategic advantage. Imagine facing an enemy who's too confused to fight because you hit them with unexpected rhymes."

Callum, still chuckling, added, "It's a unique tactical approach, to say the least."

"Who would've thought our journey would include poetry lessons from Soren of all people?” Rayla asked.

Callum, finishing up a quick doodle in his book, replied, "Life is full of surprises, I suppose."

Rayla met Soren’s eyes with a smile. “Poetry in moonlight,” she said, lifting her gaze to the glittering blanket of stars above. “Friends beside a dwindling fire.” Her hand found Callum’s, their fingers intertwining. “The laughter of loved ones, where just hours before there was only silence.”

Callum gave her hand a grateful squeeze, touched by her words. “Hey now, look who discovered her inner poet.”

“And just like that, my work here is done!” Soren announced. Getting up, he let out an exaggerated groan. “It’s getting late, we should probably call it a night.” 

“Agreed,” Callum said at last, gathering his sketchbook as Soren kicked dirt over the cooling coals. The three wandered back inside, the mystical poetry book tucked under Callum’s arm. The Ocean Arcanum flowing through his veins. But the real magic of the night glowing in their hearts.

[dragonprincequotesimadeup]

Question and answers from the Offical Q&A's in The Dragon Prince Discord Server: Character Questions

Q: "Was Callum's in episode 9: "I'm so glad that you're come back!" Actually, the reaction to her coming back a second time now (meaning how she left again in episode 9). So the reaction to her second comeback?"

DG: Yes, it was written this way to have a double meaning! Great catch. This was an opportunity for Callum to say and do the thing he should have done the first time he saw Rayla in Episode 402 (“Fallen Stars”): Hug her and tell her he's glad she came back!

Q: "Callum and Rayla are understandably awkward in season 4, and Callum is understandably angry with her; however, his behavior in particular often seems intended to antagonize her. To what extent is he just so mad around her that he can't think straight, or is his behavior calculated to get back at her for hurting him?"

DG: In Season 4, we get to see Callum struggling with a lotof difficult feelings. This is in part because he’s a teenager—and that on its own is ROUGH—but it’s also because someone who hurt him deeply (a person whom he still loves deeply) has now come back into his life. He expresses some of this struggle to Ezran—that he's both angry and happy that Rayla has returned, and that it’s hard to sort out. Callum definitely does intentionally antagonize Rayla a little, which is obviously not the healthiest response to everything that's happened between them. I wouldn't call it calculated, though, just him emotionally lashing out. By the end of the season, though, Callum does come to realize that his happiness in having Rayla back in his life very easily wins over his anger at her—which we get to see with the "I'm so glad you're back" hug reunion at the season's end.

Q: "will we get a longer callum & rayla conversation and apology about how much she hurt him by only saying goodbye through letter, leaving for 2 years, and suddenly coming back?"

DG: This kind of growth and healing between Callum and Rayla happens gradually. In future seasons, they'll have some discussions about trust—and what to share with each other vs. what they keep to themselves. It's an important part of the dynamic of their relationship going forward. They have so much to work through!

Q: "Obviously you can't spoil too much, but can you give any hints about what Callum and Rayla's relationship dynamic will be like going forward?"

DG: The line between deep friendship and romantic love is a complicated one, isn't it?

Q: "We’ve seen that Callum is definitely upset with Rayla for leaving, but are others upset too? Are they holding back their emotions for the sake of her and Callums feelings?"

DG: Of course they’re upset, but in a very different way than Callum. I think it was a little easier for Soren, for example, to reconnect to Rayla after so much time had passed—even though he was probably at least a little bummed out to learn she’d left, especially because they’d only just started to become friends. When she returns, Soren sees it as a happy occasion: another chance to connect with this strong, respectable elf he’d only just gotten to know before! Another chance for Team Good Guys! Ezran is an almost endless well of empathy. He was also hurt by Rayla’s leaving, but did his best to understand her reasons, and is the type of person who can put hurt aside and express his joy at Rayla’s return up front. (It takes Callum all season to do this, in contrast.)

Q: "Rayla's gift speech heavily implies that she is still ghosted and hasn't been in Silvergrove. If this is correct, is this because she still technically abandoned her assassination mission or because they are unaware or willfully ignorant that it was her who returned Zym?"

DG: Unfortunately, yes. The Ghosting spell still stands. Returning Zym to the Dragon Queen does not erase or make amends for what is considered by the Silvergrove to be the reason for the Ghosting in the first place: The fact that Rayla betrayed her oath and abandoned her mission, and that these choices led to the deaths of Ram, Skor, Callisto, Andromeda, and (presumably) Runaan—elves who all had friends and family who cared about them. One grand, sweeping gesture of goodness and progress does not resolve the very real pain in the lives of the Moonshadow elves who are still suffering. While Ethari may have forgiven Rayla, others in the Silvergrove have not.

Q: "Now that Rayla has the coins containing Runaan, Tiadrin and Lain will she go on a quest to release them or will someone else break them free?"

JR: That’s the question, isn’t it? The fate of the entire world on one side vs. the very real chance to potentially see your parents and mentor/adoptive father again. Rayla has a lot to think about!

Q: “Did Callum know that Earthblood Elves say “Trees to meet you.” or was that just coincidence?"

DG: He’s a nerd, and he read it in a book somewhere. He’s lucky it was a real greeting in the book and not a joke he absolutely beefed.

Q: "In season 4 Ezran called Callum “the first human primal mage in centuries.” Does this mean there have been others?"

JR: There have been a (very) few other human primal mages in the ancient past, but they are exceedingly rare and far between. So rare, in fact, that nearly all information about them has been lost to history. Callum is alone in trying to figure out his path through magic.

Q: “This is concerning Callum and his quest in learning how to use magic. What all spells has he learned since we see him use a few new spells in the new season, has he learned a few or all the available Wind spells? And will he learn spells from the other elements?”

DG: Callum has learned a TON of Sky spells, both practical (his lil’ umbrella spell) and powerful (blanketing the forest in fog to slow down the Drakeriders was no simple feat). There’s still plenty he doesn’t know, though. He’s definitely interested in learning magic from some of the other primal sources, and HAS spent some time studying them, but—as we saw before—cracking an arcanum isn’t something you can just pick up out of a book. For Callum to master another type of primal magic will require challenges and experiences and realizations about himself that don’t come easily.

AE: Yes, I would add that with Rayla gone the past two years, Callum has obsessively dived into studying magic as a coping mechanism… not the greatest emotional tactic, but side effect is he has leveled up A LOT.

Q: "How did aaravos feel during and after he was locked away? Was it a painful experience for him, emotionally and physically?"

DG: I think the experience of being imprisoned has been more painful for Aaravos emotionally than physically. His pride was wounded, his plans interrupted and delayed, and he was cut off from the world entirely…or so was the intent. (You can see some of his resentment and the deep churn of his loathing in the short story "Patience", as well as the little birthday note we wrote for him a few years ago.) Aaravos has had a long, long time for all of his anger to fester into something even more dangerous than it was before he was imprisoned.

Q: "Aaravos shatters the mirror after possesing Callum which i assume means that they can no longer spy on aaravos through the mirror and vice versa. My question is why did he choose to shatter it then? (assuming he could shatter it whenever he wanted to). Personally my theory is that it has something to do with his startouch elf powers and "seeing into the beyond", so maybe he had all of this planned from the very beggining. even before he was put in jail."

DG: In some ways, Aaravos is very arrogant. He’s extremely confident that the things he’s set in motion—perhaps more than what is immediately obvious to us, the viewers—will all play out in his favor. He does not need the mirror anymore; thus, he shatters it. Now, Aaravos is waiting for all of his puppets to play their parts.

AE: Aaravos is showing them he will not be contained—and letting them know his power can reach them. It’s a warning, a threat, and a flourish…

Q: "I’ve been really curious about this - was Aaravos able to posess Callum because he’s used dark magic before or simply because he’s a mage?”

R: Mages, especially human ones, do seem to be drawn to Aaravos across history. However, simply being a mage isn't enough. Callum was indeed able to be possessed because he used Dark Magic before. (Dark Magic, Not Even Once.) Aaravos is very specific about what he does and what he chooses not to do. Simply because he can do something, doesn't mean he always will. For him, everything is according to keikaku plan.

Q: "When Claudia tells Soren that the elves and dragons are taking advantage of him, and that "to them, you'll always be just a human" — how does she reconcile that belief with the relationship she has with Terry? Does she think he thinks less of her? Does she see their relationship one of mutual use rather than love?"

DG: Personally, I think Claudia is just so taken with Terry as a person and not an elf that she hasn’t quite begun to apply how she feels about him regarding “dragons and elves” as a whole. He’s different—so much so that, by her measure, he almost “doesn’t count” towards her deeply hostile and hateful feelings towards the rest of Xadia. She sort of sees him as an exception to the rule: “Dragons and elves are my enemy, except THIS one, who is unique and special in a way that only I could possibly understand.”

AE: I think Terry agrees with Claudia that the elves and dragons were wrong to divide Xadia and drive the humans out. This doesn’t mean either of them universally hate all elves and dragons, but it means they have a belief about history and how humans were treated in the past.

Q: "How is Terry so cool with the idea of dark magic? So far all the elves and dragons we've seen are superbly against it, but Terry just rolls with it, even though it involves killing creatures from his homeland."

DG: In the same way that humans in the real world are comfortable with various degrees of, say, eating meat or consuming natural resources, Xadia has layers of complexity, too. Terry sees a bigger picture than the black and white of "it is inherently evil to do dark magic," especially in regards to Claudia, who does a lot of what she does out of love for her father—which Terry finds beautiful and admirable. He has a line, though: he won’t stand for it when Claudia does something to just be cruel instead of as a means to an end.

Q: "In the upcoming seasons, will there be more emotional scenes regarding relationships and things that happened in seasons 1-3? Especially involving Viren’s family, it felt like all of the betrayal and conflict were ignored and not payed attention to at all this season. For example, Viren gaslit and manipulated Soren constantly in previous seasons, Soren actually KILLED the illusion of Viren IN FRONT of Claudia last season, and it felt like all of that tension and weight of the situation was discarded this season."

DG: Yes, we will absolutely revisit this. Trauma, its impact, and the different ways we deal with it is a central theme for “Mystery of Aaravos,” and the relationship Viren has and has had with his children—as well as the relationship Claudia and Soren have with each other— is one of the core journeys we’ll take across the next three seasons. It’s something we want to unpack bit by bit, though, not at all once. AE: I think Terry agrees with Claudia that the elves and dragons were wrong to divide Xadia and drive the humans out. This doesn’t mean either of them universally hate all elves and dragons, but it means they have a belief about history and how humans were treated in the past.

Q: “Will Viren ever have a moment to really think about the things he's caused? Over his son turning against him and his friend being killed (other than about Claudia being used by Aaravos). Or maybe not in the show but in another graphic novel? I would get that in a heartbeat.”

AE: When Viren fell from the Storm Spire to his death, many of his life choices raced through his mind. And, in Season 4, as he grapples with his second chance at life, we see more self-reflection. Now, he’s been swept away on a quest with Claudia to find Aaravos and, in doing so, save his own life. At the end of Season 4, after hesitating and avoiding it the entire season, Viren uses dark magic once again… Do you think he will return to his old ways, full force now? Or is this a bump on his inner journey?

Q: "Why was there no reunion scene or any dialog between Soren and Viren ? Will there be any flash-back on this?"

AE: I think it's fair to want to know what happened after Soren and Viren reunite in Episode 407, but the truth is: It's not a very visually satisfying moment. Viren is too caught up in his own head to say much to his now-estranged son, and Soren is (both uncharacteristically and understandably) relatively silent as well. What I think you may be asking is: Do Soren and Viren have an opportunity to confront each other, after what happened between them at the Battle for the Storm Spire? And the answer is yes. We will see more of their relationship play out in the future. I think their most meaningful interactions are yet to come.

Q: "How does Viren feel about Soren at the moment?"

DG: Distant. Cold. Viren is very much trying to shut down the swell of regrets and doubts he felt upon his resurrection to follow Claudia and help her complete the spell by finding Aaravos. Soren’s presence introduces a lot of complicated feelings that he just can’t stomach right now as he’s tunnel-visioning on trusting Claudia and Aaravos to keep him alive. I think, in his mind, “there will be time for Soren later”—whether that means reconciliation or further estrangement, though, well… he can’t think about that yet. It’s a well so deep he’ll drown in it.

Q: "i loved janai & amaya in season 4, but is there any chance that they'll join our main heroes?"

DG: If you recall how the journey of Amaya and Janai eventually collided with the journey of Rayla, Callum, and Ezran in Season 3 for the Battle of the Storm Spire, I think you’ll have a good idea of what we’re aiming for here (“here” being Seasons 4-7) structurally. Everyone will have their parts to play, and yes! They will all meet again.

Q: "What can we expect for Ezran moving forward? Will he ever learn how to fight? Will we ever explore a darker side of Ezran? Can we expect him to participate in fight scenes in future seasons?"

DG: Ezran is well-intentioned, but ultimately…his good heart still has a lot of naivety in it. We started to see some of this in Season 4: his good-feelings visit from Zubeia didn’t go exactly as planned, and his attempt to make a heartfelt speech at Rex Igneous didn’t really land, either. Maybe good feelings and heartfelt speeches aren’t going to be enough to break the complicated cycles of hatred and violence that have dominated Xadia for hundreds of years? Ezran has a lot to grow into, and it won’t all be easy.

Q: "How does ezran and Zym communicate also how does ezran understand zym?"

JR: Ezran connects to animals on an instinctual, mind-to-mind level. This is much deeper with Zym, and the longer they spend together the more connected they become. It’s a true mind meld, where they aren’t talking; they are directly sharing feelings and emotions. They are able to intuit what the other’s state is, even if they aren’t next to one another—and this includes Ez being able to see “through” Zym’s eyes.

Q: "Will Zym get a voice like the other dragons as he grows or will he stay like his adorable puppy-self?"

AE: Archdragons eventually talk… when they are a bit older!

Q: "Why is Bait primary with Callum instead of Ezran now?"

DG: Bait's a great friend to both Callum and Ezran! But he definitely bonded with Callum over the first three seasons—like on Villads' boat, specifically, while Ezran was busy taking care of Zym—so now he splits his time a little bit more evenly between the two brothers.

Q: "That big door only started moving when Bait helped. Is Bait confirmed as the strongest and most powerful character in the whole show?"

JR: Bait is the most powerful creature in Xadia…in his own mind. While Bait is strong, in this case he’s the straw that broke the camel’s back, giving the final bit of effort needed to push open the door and get everyone to safety. That being said, you don’t want to arm-wrestle with Bait—glow toads pack a mean punch for their size.

Q: “Will we see how rayla and Stella met? If not do you guys have any funny stories/head canons regarding them?”

DG: I can’t say much about how Rayla and Stella met right now, but as a funny story: Our storyboard artists and animators decided to start putting in these little background details where Stella just… steals stuff. She’s unrepentant. An absolutely shameless criminal. Please keep an eye out for her heinous crimes in upcoming seasons.

Q: “Can we get official birthdays for some of the newer characters like Stella and Terry? Also one for Zym I don’t think he has one yet!"

SJ: We absolutely love that you love celebrating our characters’ birthdays! Canonical birth dates for more characters are coming (including Terry, Stella, and Zym), and we’ll be sure to include them in our official party posts starting next year.

Q: “Why does the creature that guides Claudia Viren and Terry know that they have to go to Umber Tor? I understood that Aaravos doesn't know where he is locked up, and the creature that is guiding them was the one that came out of the mirror so that Aaravos could communicate with Viren, therefore he shouldn't know that Rex Ignious can help them or know something about where he is Aaravos prison.”

DG: Aaravos does not know WHERE he is imprisoned—or even the very nature of his prison—but he does know WHO imprisoned him. He also knows that Avizandum is dead. So, the creature born from the chrysalis (which is infused with at least some of Aaravos’ will, I’d say) guides Claudia, Terry, and Viren to Rex Igneous as a functional first step in seeking out answers.

Q: “Will we get to see more about the key of Aaravos and how it works?”

DG: Yes, you will learn more about the Key of Aaravos! But, it may not be what you think it is…

Q: “As far as we know, there are four coins with people in them, and we know who's in 3 of them. Are we eventually going to see who's in the last coin? Is it a character we've already met? I'm sure you can't, but could you give us a hint about who it is?”

DG: Will you eventually find out who’s in the fourth coin? Absolutely yes. Is it a character you’ve already met? Technically, no. Will we give you a hint about who it is? Absolutely no. For now, you’ll just have to speculate. (Got any good theories?)

Q: "What happened to the rest of the dragonguard?"

DG: We know some of them fled – but did they all flee? Or did Viren do something so horrible to some of the Dragonguard on the front lines of the Storm Spire that most of the others could only run in terror, abandoning their posts? We at least know that Rayla’s parents, Tiadrin and Lain, stayed behind to fight and, well…we now know how well that turned out.

“Who is this?"

AE: Justin and I just talked about her recently in an interview with Cartoon Universe! We call her The Jailer. She is a human mage who is a sort of mastermind of prisons and puzzles.

[jelzorz]

138.

Callum learns about romance from watching his parents.

They're pretty gross, actually, but it's a nice kind of gross. Callum likes the way his mom smiles when his step-dad kisses her cheek, and Mom always looks so pleased with herself when Harrow rolls his eyes at whatever stupid meme she's tagged him in this time. (Seriously. They're adults.)

They love each other, obviously, and Harrow's a bit old fashioned in some ways, but Callum learns about how to romance someone from watching them. It's in the dumb jokes, and the words of affirmation, and the unwavering, unflinching support no matter how stupid Mom thinks Harrow's latest decision is. It's in the playful food fights, and the way Harrow pulls Mom's chair out for her even if they're just having dinner at home, and in the way they laugh together, even about the bad things, so of course, that's how Callum treats Rayla.

It's a pretty good partnership. Rayla never expects any big romantic gestures, and hanging out together is more than enough, but Callum can't help it. There are certain things he wants to be special: their first date, the way he asks her to the spring dance, the dinner they have when Rayla wins gold at a gymnastics meet, and, of course, the night that they decide to... go all the way.

It's convenient because his mom and dad and Ezran will be away that weekend, and Callum and Rayla have been together for a couple of years now that, y'know, it just feels right. What doesn't feel right is the way Harrow knocks on his bedroom door just before they leave looking a little uneasy, a little perturbed, but determined all the same.

"Do you mind if we talk?"

Callum blinks. "Uh. Sure," he says, stepping aside to let his stepfather into his room. He and Mom have never been particularly strict about keeping his room clean, but he still piles all of the stuff on his desk into a little stack of paper away from the bed where Harrow takes a seat. Callum plonks into his desk chair and waits.

Harrow takes a breath. "Look, son," he begins. His voice sounds a little strangled. "Your mother and I... we trust you. You're smart. You're a gentleman. We're very proud of the young man you've become. I just want... to talk about this weekend."

Callum almost laughs. "Dad, it'll be fine. It's not like you've never gone away before."

"That's true," says Harrow. "But... you didn't have a girlfriend the last time we left you alone for the weekend."

There's a pause. Callum blinks again before the implication hits him. He stiffens. He flushes. He looks away. "I--uh--Dad, nothing--uhm--I wasn't--"

Harrow shakes his head. "You don't have to explain yourself," he says. "You're growing up. You'll get there one day or another, and I--we--your mother and I--we just want you to be safe."

"Dad, seriously, we weren't--"

"Weren't you?"

Harrow raises an eyebrow at him, and Callum can't find it in himself to lie, even if it makes everything worse. Harrow, to his credit, only chuckles awkwardly and rubs at the back of his neck. "You'll find what you need in the bathroom," he says. "I won't--uh--impose on you any more than that. Just--um. Be safe. Communicate. Make sure you both enjoy it."

"Dad."

"Right. Yes." Harrow coughs and claps his hands together. "All right well. Have a good weekend."

Somehow the well-wishing makes it more mortifying, but Harrow only smiles encouragingly and takes his leave. Callum sits at his desk wondering if he's been put off or if he's just horrified that that conversation happened.

When Rayla comes by that weekend, Callum makes her dinner, and they watch a movie, and he even pops a bottle of non-alcoholic wine that it turns out they both hate. Then things get cosy and heated, and Callum ducks into the bathroom to find the items his stepdad left in the drawer by the sink.

The memory of it almost embarrasses him out of this, but love is in the actions: in the way that Harrow hadn't made fun of him, hadn't drawn it out, hadn't embarrassed him anymore than that conversation had. And as mortifying as it was...

Callum's just glad he's got a dad that cares about him that much.

[ask-runaan-anything]

*floppy* shadow dad, im sick with a bad stomach bug. Any cute stories about Rayla or Ethari?

-clumbsy anon from forever ago, hi again

Ethari loves to play. Whether it's with Tethu, Rayla (young and present), or myself (especially myself), he loves partaking in any type of lighthearted, laughter inducing play. It is not uncommon to look outside and find him letting Tethu chase him around the animals' field as Lachir looks on with amusement. Tethu must be intimidating when he barrels around at full speed with his large body mass and huge eyes widened in focus, but Ethari is always all smiles. If you watch for long enough, you'll get to see them flop onto the grass together in a pile of Moonshadow fluff and cuteness. Tethu often rests his head on Ethari's chest as Ethari gazes up at the sky with one hand in his midnight black fur. He ruffles his ears and gives him forehead kisses, and I am convinced I have passed into the afterlife with how endeared I become by this adorable sight.

He's not shy when it comes to initiating play with me, either. He says it's good for me to have a few moments of elfling's play where I don't have to worry about being a leader or an assassin. I can just exist and enjoy some fun. If he's in the mood for some mischief, he'll start poking at my hips before looking at me with a glint in his eyes and asking me if I want to take part. If I'm up to it, I say yes, and then he'll tackle me onto the couch; an amused and self-assured cackle escaping as we begin play wrestling and using our different strengths against one another. We usually end up on the floor with how stubborn and determined we both are to win, and he does in fact tease me when I have to pause in order to put my hair up. *rolls my eyes lightheartedly* we can't all have mullets.

*looks sad* At first I was worried that my fighter instincts might kick in during these occurrences. But we took the first few tussles slowly, not immediately diving into roughhousing. The sounds of my husband's giggles and commentary are helpful as well. It helps my brain from tricking me into thinking he is another assassin at training. I'd never hurt him, and he knows it and trusts me fully.

A little fun is always nice, no matter how old you are.

[wildselkie]

Reasons to love The Dragon Prince!

Forgive me cos this will be a bit jumbled up. I'm just a smol chiald typing and trying to organize my thoughts as I go. So apologies for my shit grammar. Also some things are kind of worded weird. I'm not really good at putting thoughts into words so..

_________________________________________

1) There's a very diverse set of characters! I, personally, don't really think much of a show or movie when it comes to diversity, but goddamn this show really pulls it off beautifully. I love how each character is portrayed so naturally in the world- there is no real questioning to them or their abilities. Like general Amaya, she was born deaf and communicates with sign language. She's strong and confident and is shown to be an incredible fighter & respected leader. And the varying of identities of characters like Kazi. Such a bby 💖

2) Healthy relationships!!! And when I speak of healthy relationships I mean (mostly) of Rayla and Callum. I don't think I need to say how and why their relationship is great so I'll talk a bit about the familial kinds. One of which would be Callum and Ezran's family. The two have a good bond as both friends and brothers.

I also love how it shows the feelings that Callum goes through when it comes to his step father, King Harrow. Harrow knows he can't step into that place where Callum's father was, but he was there to provide his love and support from afar. He didn't push him to accept him and that's something to admire.

It was also sweet to learn that it was Harrow who gave Callum his sketchbook. ❤

Another thing to note is how the show portrays same-sex couples. In their world, there is not stigma or hate around this. It's played so naturally and it's so so amazing.

Btw can we just appreciate how fckin gorgeous the Queen of Duren are/were? Like... mmmm so BEAUTIFUL. I honestly believe that they could pass as some sort of other world goddesses or smthg.

3) And speaking of gorgeous, all the character designs are stunning and aesthetically pleasing and, yes, gorgeous. The creators did not miss out on making all the characters beautiful, and I am loving every second of it. Gren? Yes, please! Amaya? Fuck yeah. Queen Khessa and Janai? Absolutely yes. IBIS MY MAN YESSSSS.. and Aaravos? Well we all know the answer to that 👀

4) The fandom is pretty nice. Of course with all fandoms there will always be a few negatives here and there, but the tdp fandom is pretty tame (imo). I mostly lurk amongst fandoms of things that I enjoy, but this is the first time I've really gotten into it (making posts).

And from observing it, everyone is pretty welcoming and overall positive. The vibe is nice and it doesn't feel intimidating at all. The fan art and fan fics are super cool as well. Like the fan art is INCREDIBLE like,,,, , I didn't know I needed to see that until I saw it and it gave me a little bit of more life. 💕❤ ALSO ON ETSY THERE'S A SELLER WHO MADE THE MOONSHADOW ELF BINDING I ALSO LOVE AND WANT THAT LMAO

Anyway... I got carried away there.

Also.. Rayla's parents make me go 😭👏💕💖💙😤👀

5) The story. I don't know what to really say about it but it's good. Every element put into it fits well. It adds alot of colour to the each character and gives them that relatability and/or real feeling. I'm interested on seeing and learning more about Rayla's journey in dealing with PTSD, figuring shit out in Katolis, and just how everything comes together with the Xadians.

And

Dragons, birds with flappy strings, fancy humanoids (elves) and basic humans, and ducks with horns. :))

I believe that's all. I'm super tired now. Anyway, if someone got this far then congratulations you win a cookie 🍪 and thank you so much for taking the time to read this jumbled journal-styled mess. It means alot. Goodnight, goodmorning, good evening, and good afternoon to you all.

[tategaminu]

ngl i feel like Runaan would be scary af

Tiadrin actually defends callum

Lain tries to act tough but can’t

And Ethari already loves callum

oh yeah I think the same!

Callum already passed the test with Ethari, I bet he won't even be surprised about the two dating.

I think Tiadrin being the mom of the group will be pretty okay with him if she sees how insane they are for each other, I would love to see a mother-in-law kind of friendship with him, more so since he lost his own mom and she seems to be kinda similar to Sarai in a way. Lain may be not be okay at the beginning but won't take much to win him over, honestly they have been absent from her daughter's life for like what, 8 years? how old was she in BMH? I don't think they have the rights to opinion in their daughters relationship honestly.

and Runaan... yeah. I don't think only Runaan will be scary, Callum may be scary as well, this guy killed his father, atemped murder on his brother and got pointed at with a bow just for being humans. He won't be happy about the way he treated Rayla either. My guy literally stood up for her when he called her a fool and this was only minutes later meeting her. I think even if salty, Callum will try to stay calm for Rayla's sake but he may lose it if he says something mean to her. Their dynamic is already scaring me honestly, it's going to be awkward and uncomfortable (and I can't wait)

aaaaand Rayla will be scary as well I think. If Runaan wants her in his life he will have to accept who she loves and pass over the human prejudice and we know that as much as Rayla loves his foster papa she is going to stay by his boy's side. Maybe he will change his mind as well when he sees how much he means to her. And oh well his son-in-law will be the reason he will see his husband again soooo

[raayllum]

Thinking so much about the parallels between Callum and Viren, and seeing how big Callum's overprotectiveness of Ezran as his brother AND his king has become. I can't get it out of my head that the way Aaravos came to Callum is through Ez, just as Viren made decisions (according to him) to support Harrow. Something like "What are you willing to do to protect your king?"

I do think that'll be part of what could get Callum to go to Aaravos, as well as his own curiosity. After all in his mind, Harrow - his loving father - wouldn't have left Callum anything dangerous, right? And I do think similar to 2x07 now that they're in danger it'll be "I have to be mage again" --> "I have to grow more powerful." After all at the end of the last war, Callum almost lost Ezran to illusion Viren and the only reason Viren didn't win (or at least consume Zym) was because Rayla tackled him off and almost died.

I think Callum may be pursuing magic in the obsessive way he is as, in addition to his Fixer Tendencies / Solution orientated mindset, he wants to feel like he's powerful enough to be able to solve the conflict somewhat on his own - at least to protect Ezran, since again: up until she showed back up, he couldn't rely on Rayla, and it'll take time to feel like he can rely on her again. And even once he feels like he can, being scared maybe that he'll lose her again because of it.

AKA Callum - again - being more like Rayla was in TTM, Rayla getting to see some of how destructive that mindset is on the person she loves the most, etc. And again, Callum has always wanted power - S4 is just bringing that to the forefront. And as Viren said: "I will do anything to protect the king. I hope you will understand"

Callum's side of Ezran and Callum's relationship was always very informed by the trauma Callum experienced in 1) losing their mother and 2) feeling out of place with Harrow, so I'm not surprised S4 is gearing up to show how the new phase of their relationship has been informed by 1) losing Harrow and 2) Rayla's absence.

Ezran is the #1 of the two people he fears losing the most and the only one for a while he's probably willing to admit he's scared of losing. So Aaravos using Callum's love for Ezran to lure the kid in only for Rayla to pull him back / for Callum to go too deep (per a perfect 1x04 inversion of Callum's magically fuelled recklessness) only to lose Rayla in some capacity.

I do feel like Callum will likely be lured in at first regarding Ezran and then when he actually does go too far it'll be less related and more due to his own just compounded trauma or Rayla specifically, bc I feel like that is the most effective route if that is going to play into him thinking he's lost her or losing her in some way, but we will have to see

I'm definitely majorly looking forward to all the broyals content this season, I've missed their bond so much