#and when ezran and aaravos meet

[self-spaghettification]

tdp overarching themes (redemption etc)

What will happen when Ezran/Harrow’s narrative of love and Aaravos/Viren’s narrative strength meet, who wins?

Will it be possible for Ezran to win the dark mages over to let go of pain and end the cycle of violence? Or is death the only way to protect the world and his loved ones? Will Ezran have to learn to become stronger himself?

is it even possible to kill a startouch elf? oor to convince him to maybe not, like, conquer xadia?

i don’t have these answers but i diiiid compile a bunch of relevant shit

I kind of went through Harrow’s letter to Callum and added related quotes or moments that seemed relevant to the overarching themes discussed and how they stand on opposing sides

orange is harrow’s letter, read in 1x06

red is ezran’s speech, given in 4x03

these are the main voices but there’s also

pink is ibis in 4x03

black is zubeia in 4x04

purple is various aaravos quotes

pink is various viren quotes

both from 2x09, 3x05, 3x07, and 4x04

green is soren, janai, amaya and rayla briefly (4x03 & 4x08 & tdp trailer respectively)

“Soon you will both face a lie. The great lie of history.

“His name was Aaravos, and yes, he was a star. One of the great ones, respected and loved by all. Until we uncovered a long hidden treachery.”

Advisors and scholars will tell you that history is a narrative of strength.

“Search your heart. There’s something that you want very badly. But something or someone stands in your way.”

They will recount stories of the rise and fall of nations and empires. They will be stories of armies, battles and decisive victories.

“And this bright future will require us to conquer Xadia?”

But this isn't true strength. It's merely power.

“I can destroy them all! I have all the power I need!”

“If you want to say something to the Dragon Queen, you should say it to her face. her real face, that can bite you in two!”

“It hurts! I feel pain about this and I am angry!”

I now believe true strength is found in vulnerability...in forgiveness, in love.

“We all want peace and we all want love. But violence tests us!

In a twisted way it converts us to their cause.”

“You tried to win them over with loyalty and friendship but they ignored you. those who fail tests of love are simple creatures who deserve to be motivated by fear.”

“Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside. You want to hate. You want to hurt someone else. so what do we do?”

So, what is the plan? To fulfill your wishes, of course. Is your wish to rule Xadia? I wish for humanity to flourish. And it cannot flourish with a knife forever at its throat.

There is a beautiful upside down truth, which is that….

These moments of purest strength appear as weakness to those who don't know better.

“These are the champions you’ve gathered to try to stop me? They’re nothing but pathetic children!”

“How can we stop this cycle?”

Violence.

Loss.

Pain.

For a long time, I didn't know better.

“In the name of love, you may perform acts so unforgivable that you may never forgive yourself.”

Violence,

“You must take down the Dragon Queen and capture the baby dragon. Then you will have the attention of all the world, and the power to do what you want.”

“Bring terror to Del Bar, to Neolandia, to Evenere, and to Duren!”

Loss,

As I write this, the sun is setting while Moonshadow assassins prepare to end my life. A few months ago, I took my revenge on Xadia. Tonight, it is their turn.

“I am going to destroy it, before it can be used to do any more harm!”

Pain,

“Every great crisis the world faced seemed the work of some ingenious and powerful leader, but in each case, it was secretly Aaravos, whispering in their ear.”

“Aaravos. A startouch elf responsible for more pain, death, and suffering than anyone else in history.”

“I am not a killer.

But if you seek to return that staff to its true owner, you pose a greater danger to this world than I can allow.”

You must die.”

stop! i just want to yell stop. but that’s not enough. it won’t work.”

“I do not mean to be cruel. But we must be ready to sacrifice. Even the things we love.”

“Well played. She will be a valuable asset.”“She is not an asset. She is my daughter.”

I ask you and your brother to reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love.

“I think about a positive vision. a faith we can all share, that we might build a future together in hope. a future where we can be safe with each other. but… it’s not that easy. or simple.”

“Everything I do, and everything I ask of you, is for the future of humanity.”

“The whining child king, in over his head and he knows it.”

because people are still hurting and they are still angry. we can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away.

“Oh, my time is inevitable.”

somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. we have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again.

“You cannot have your cake and eat it too.”

We have to give today’s children a chance to inherit a future filled with peace.

“I've tried to be selfless as a king, but as a father, I have a selfish wish. And that is for you and Ezran to be...free. Reject the chains of history. Do not let the past define your future, as I did. Free yourself from the past. Learn from it, understand it, then let it go. Create a brighter future from your own hearts and imagination.”

Destiny is a book you write yourself.

To give them that, we have to hold pain and love in our hearts at the same time.

“There is an aching pain mixed with love that you feel in these moments.”

“Just have two cakes.”

“This is called A Song of Love and Loss.”

I'm proud of you. And I love you unconditionally.

“If the fallen star is a danger the whole world will face, this is a chance to solve our problems together.”

“How do you kill a startouch elf?”

idk man. what if aaravos doesn’t have to die? what if it’s not too late for him to be redeemed? this is kind of a guilty pleasure hope of mine but still. the dragon prince is a story of letting go of generational trauma and past pain, of letting go of pain and differences, most importantly, of letting go of a narrative of strength, of a strong katolis, a strong lux aurea, a strong empire over xadia, and believing in a story of love and hope. if there’s anything that could drastically change things its the guy with a lot of power and a lot of ambition and pain ready to cause a whole cycle of pain all over again. if there’s anything that would drastically change things it would be changing his heart. and if theres anyone who can change it, it’s the kid who feels the most for him.

[m4rs-ex3]

ALLLL RIGHTY YALL

if u haven't already seen.............. guys i was late i was fucking late for the panel give me a break

BUT here is a play by play of everything from the second i got in

[A GOOD CHUNK OF THE SECRET SCENE] if you saw this post within the first few *hours you got to see but you know what? they got to me i don't wanna be the snitch (i did on accident but its the though that counts)

opeli is being led blindfolded (which we see from opeli's pov. riveting visuals i tell you) by soren to the ✨secret meeting location✨

when she comments on the fact that it is literally just callum's office soren shuts her up bless him

opeli's like "DID BAIT GIVE BIRTH??!?!?" and soren's like no these are "rescue baits" and opeli gives them the greatest fucking look i can't even describe it to you

you've seen that leak "look it's the pearl :D""WHA""yep he's in there :)))))"

rayla says it like "per-al." just thought you should know

soren suggests forming a Fellowship of the Pearl and going to throw it into a volcano i fucking hate this show

they're all debating what to do with it meanwhile the most cryptic-ass shots of callum with the pearl like we get it he's fucked (i take it back i want more)

they finally get to him and he's like "uh????? destroy it obviously?????"

he suggests--and these are 100% his words (not actually cuz u know but its the general idea)--"smash it? throw it off a cliff? take a big ol axe and just--KA CHOP." i love him so much

rayla asks how they know it won't just release him

the way callum is so confused and conflicted and he just says "i... i don't know" oh my god by precious baby

cool ass top-down to the pearl whirlpool esq transtion into the next scene hello??

zym is being emo at a painting of his mother (the one from 4x03 yeah they just stitched that shit up it's all good)

ezran's like. huh. we oughtta do smth abt this

callum is Thinking Thoughts on the turrets(?? yk where soren does his lunges) and tossin the rune cube when he sees the star rune light up......................................

it's stella stella's there and the way he reacts to her is so precious 😭 he's not the step dad he's the dad who stepped up type shit

enter rayla "they told me u would be up here brooding"

(in a tragic turn of events the rayllum of this scene had my brain fuzzy so i can't remember a few chunks here and there have pity my brain has rotten)

callum's like "we have to do something i'm scared he's gonna use me. i know what we need to do ok we need to go to the starscraper"

it's honestly hilarious the way he says "and *WE.* should go" he's like "don't be gettin any ideas now this is an us thing"

and then ohoho "they have something there for you, too" (THAT was an exact quote)

he's like "PLSPLSPLS i've studied star magic i know the spells i know the runes i just need the quasar diamonds!! LET ME FREE UR PARENTS AND RUNAAN PLEAAAASSSSEEEE"

rayla is veryyyyyy opposed she's like "NO i want to help my parents as much as you"--honestly i don't think ANYONE wants to as much as him--"but i don't want my biases to affect that" BIASES?!??!! like that was the word she used i can't stop thinking about it

zym has entered his wolf child era his ass is HOWLING at the moon

soren hears him and goes "aww little guy misses his mom :((( sometimes i wonder where my mom is...." WHAT AWHAT WHAT AWHAT PJARDON SAY IT AGIAN YOU WAHGTS SAY IT AGIAND HUAH HUWH A

ok. yeah callum does not have pajamas BUT I THINK WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES HERE????????????? HE WAS SLEEPING IN HIS OFFICE

THAT COUCH THING THAT THEY WERE ON WHEN RAYLA CAME BACK IN 4x03???? HES JUST SLEEPING ON IT I CANT MY GUY WHAT R U DOINGGG

in other news

bruv is tossing and turning and then just. ~stops.~ this can only mean good things (i think you know where i'm going with this)

he sits up. hobbles over to the door. there was a really cool transition (can u tell i respect the cinematography) and he's in the cellar holding the pearl.

he wakes up in aaravos' prison and is like "well this looks neat!" until he sees the mirror and screams and wakes up. when he realizes where he is he goes "what have i done" dude you fell asleep?? god he's never sleeping again (<- me when i lie 😈)

the description we got of this next scene did NOT do it justice it was fucking incredible

callum kicks down the fucking door (not actually) screaming for rayla

rayla TUMBLES OUT OF BED ON TO THE FLOOR, pillows in hands and unafraid to use them

"WHOA. HEY HEY ITS OKAY ITS ME! it's just me rayla. it's me. callum" i feel like he was saying the same 5 words for 7 hours it was beautiful

rayla: "callum?? jeez i could have-" *looks at pillows*

callum giggles the cutest fucking giggle and says something along the lines of "yeah, it would've hurt real bad :)"

oh yeah DE-LAYERED PONYTAIL RAYLA CONFIRMEDED??!?!?!?!?!

she sits back on the bed and my guy KNEELS DOWN AT THE CORNER OF THE BED TO PICK UP HER STUFF BEFORE HE SITS DOWN NEXT TO HER and they say chivalry is dead romance was birthed and ended with this scene

he tells her about it and she goes "callum, you're exhausted. you had a nightmare. if i thought you were in any real danger you know i would-" and then ironically i forget the same line that the person from nycc did wouldja look at that

can i just mention how close they were sitting in this scene i mean i jsut thikn i should mention hwo clo

yada yada he has a lightbulb and runs off with her blanket

the iconic "i know stella.. he took our blankie :("

god knows why barius is up in the middle of the night whispering sweet nothings to his jelly tarts

callum comes in with a certain proposition mwuhahaha

rayla comes into his office and sees his aesthetic ass sewing by fireside and graciously says "ah i get it! you're taking your mind off things by peacefully knitting" so iconic for both of them

callum explains that he's stitching runes to create a protection spell when barius comes in with the """"""""pearl""""""""""

rayla DIVES in front of callum and says "what r you doing get that thing AWAY from him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she got SO protective SO fast it was blessed

callum's like au contraire 😈

ok so obviously we had all heard about the fake pearl but. you know that one guy who makes insane sculptures out of nothing but chocolate? that's what they did the pearl is brown sludge with a candy coating 💀 i'm losing my mind that is so funny to me

so yeah with the decoy out the real pearl is protected by--and callum literally said this--"a magic blankie >:)"

he also pops in to tell ez and omg GUYS BAIT HAS HIS OWN LITTLE ROYAL CANOPY BED ITS SO FUCKING CUTE

dawn in the courtyard--ez is saying goodbye to soren, zym, and pyrrah who are going to look for zubeia (i almost just typed zendaya i need sleep) and callum and rayla who r going to the starscraper

my roman empire is this: callum was acting all eepy and then when they get going hE RESTS HIS HEAD ON RAYLA'S BACK AND FALLS ASLEEP. I CANNOT FUCKING MAKE THIS UP IT WAS PHENOMENAL SHE LOOKED SO FUCKING HAPPY I I I I I I HAKJSDHFKJASHFDKJHSADKFHKJASHFIHASEKFH

on a slightly lower note

scene from teaser except they did cut a couple lines in the teaser. mainly just terry going "didn't see you there,, cuz i was asleep. with my eyes closed"

he does not in fact get impaled but claudia tells him she's gonna leave him first and does just that

as she's going omfg terry's cries and pleas and "I LOVE YOU"s and "I WILL WAIT. I WILL WAIT HERE FOR YOU" was absolutely insane idk what was in the air in that recording studio but shout out to ben

i am so tired goodbye!

[adashulaz]

A new AU because I'm a loser who desperately wants a tft relationship despite being cupioromantic, this one is silly I promise though

Leola lives because she isn't accused of teaching humans magic

There is no border so there are elves within the human kingdoms and humans within elven towns/villages

Callum, Ezran, and Rayla still meet because of Rayla, Runaan, and the other elves from the first episode going to Katolis(have yet to decided why)

Soren is still sick in this AU, this is due to his lungs not being permanently healed/fixed with dark magic, his spine is also a little messed up because he was doing some trick and fell on it weird

Soren is commonly seen with Mukho(Mushroom Mage) and the mushroom critters because they are his main caretakers as they help ensure he can still breathe properly and that his spine doesn't get worse

Viren and Lissa don't get a divorce since she doesn't end up seeing Viren as a monster

Claudia and Terry still end up together, they meet earlier though

Leola, Claudia, and Soren are all friends/siblings due to Aaravos and Viren being close, it's very hard to tell if they kiss romantically or not

Corvus and Soren do kiss romantically though, they also hold hands romantically, no one knows how or when it happened but it's a thing now and no one is questioning it

Harrow and Sarai live happily, along with Aanyas moms(I can't remember their names)

There is conflict but only because Sol Regam believes that Aaravos and Leola will end up teaching humans magic

This comes to a head when Callum ends up doing magic

It all goes downhill from here, Sol Regam is going after that boy because of it

That dragon will end up dead at some point but it will take a bit

Janai and Amaya end up together still, they meet while Sol Regam is trying to remove Callum from life

Kazi and Gren as well perhaps

Thats all I fear, this will seem much more interesting as a fic I swear

[romancemedia]

Runaan's Return Will Cause Drama!

Things are gonna be REALLY complicated for Team Zym when The Dragon Prince returns for Season 7... particularly about Runaan.

Rayla has at long last been reunited with one of her adoptive fathers and that is great, but people are bound to remember how it was also Runaan who killed King Harrow aka Callum and Ezran's dad and I have no doubt that is gonna cause some conflict for the group.

With the fall of Katolis, Ezran is grief-stricken and devastated and when he meets Runaan, the person who KILLED his father, it's only gonna cause even more heartache than the poor kid is already facing. Although Ezran is one of the kindest and most understanding cartoon characters I've ever seen, even he can have his limits and I'm not prepared for what his state of mind will be when he'll eventually come face to face with the elf who took away his beloved father.

Not to mention, other members of the group will also be dealing with feelings of their own about the subject. I'm not too sure how Soren or Opeli will feel and eventually Callum might also have to face his feelings too. He was so focused on helping Rayla and worrying about his fears on Aaravos that he really hasn't thought about how Runaan played a role in his dad's death. Also no surprise, it might even force Callum to choose sides between his family or Rayla.

Like I said things are gonna get complicated when Season 7 airs, but on the bright side I look forward to the day Runaan and Ethari will be reunited.

[raayllum]

Anyways time to analyze this screencap

This was originally a split second clip from the Bardel projects' reel, although it's since been omitted... and interacted with online by some of the team / cat's out of the bag, so uh - here's the meta!

The first aim is to try to establish when this is taking place timeline wise (aka in which season and when). The second will be who I think this scene involves (which is Rayllum and I'm gonna explain why). Spoilers for 6x01 thanks to previous Cons and proceed with caution if you don't want any spoilers!

So 6x01, "Startouched," has Rayla and Callum embark to the Starscraper by the end of the episode alongside Stella. This means they will presumably not be reuniting with anyone else from the Main Cast until at least the season's midpoint (6x05) if not later (6x07-6x08), by which point the plot will likely be in full swing, even if Aaravos was not released by the season's midpoint. That means there may not be as much time for something that seems like a cute little filler moment as this seems to be.

Not impossible, but I think it's unlikely that this shot/scene is from S6 from a plot / time standpoint.

Another reason in this column is that we know Hat at least, but presumably the other Baitlings too, are with Soren and Zym when they go to Lux Aurea to meet up with Corvus again.

So there's no way, realistically, it could be in early season six. If it is in later season six, it means that Callum and Rayla succeed at the Starscraper / escape relatively unscathed enough with a small window between reuniting with the boys / Ezran and shit hitting the fan. It is a window, narrow, but not impossible

My early estimate could also be early S7 as, again, the latter half of the final season will be particularly intense, and I could see the characters trying to have some down time / make the best of a bad situation earlier on in the season when there's a bit more time, well, to let them try

As for the boat itself...

The first thing is that the boat is decorated quite prettily and prominently with roses, which just feels romantic. Stella is juggling and the Baitlings (who seem to be singing) seem to be putting on some small, endearingly silly sort of performance. possibly added by the two (Star arcanum?) birds we see. There's also a warm yellow-ish light source coming from the bottom of the picture and subsequently probably the upper middle of the boat, which makes me think of candles.

I'm willing to bet that this is a Rayllum moment since it just screams Callum being very sweet and romantic, and setting up this (maybe they have to take a boat and he wants it to be better, maybe it's just for fun) boat to try and distract Rayla because she doesn't really like them. I can't see Janai or Amaya being interested in a little animal circus performance, so that rules them out to me, and we hardly ever see Stella be separated from Rayla, even temporarily. So I think this being a Rayllum scene makes the most sense because of Stella's inclusion, and maybe it is Callum wanting to do something special for her, whether it's them officially getting back together, or just spending some time together even while the world is ending cause y'know, they missed out on two years of dates they could've gone on, and want to use some of the time they have left for that.

Stella is also juggling Adoraburrs, which have a tendency (presumably) to be primarily close to the Moonshadow forests, since we don't see the tiny ones anywhere else in Xadia, so it could even be a pit stop on the way back to the Silvergrove to get her and her family unghosted, perhaps (and all the more reason to try and take her mind off things).

My other consideration for a pair is Sorvus, since I could see Soren being silly and setting up the Bailting choir (he seems close to Hat in particular) and I think Corvus would be endeared by it, ultimately. That doesn't account for Stella though, and while Soren and Corvus are clearly friends/co-workers on the crownguard, they haven't had a lot of even teasingly romantic development, so I don't feel like the story is really gonna prioritize them heavily as a romance (especially because we have Karim/Miyana, Callum/Rayla, possibly Aaravos and someone in his past, Claudia/Terry breaking up and presumably getting back together, we're gonna get Runaan/Ethari back in these coming seasons in addition to Lain/Tiadrin, and there's always Janai/Amaya, of course). TDP already has a lot of romantic relationships in it, so I feel like Sorvus, if/when they do get together, would probably be a smaller moment later in the final two seasons, and they probably wouldn't get as big a focus as a scene like this seems to imply just from a pacing/character standpoint

Plus, Rayllum kinda has a thing with boats and important moments for them happening on said boats, but that is a meta for another day

[tategaminu]

Some predictions for S7

It seems some people are concerned about Rayla and Callum being separated for half the season when I honestly don't think that will be the case. They have never been separated more than two episodes, you could say "well it could happen now!" but I doubt they would do that in the same season we will fully see them together for the first time.

Now some proof or my own guesses to favour this:

In this screenshot Rayla isn't with Callum, she could be out of frame but I don't think so.

I'm guessing he went ahead since maybe Rayla's wings weren't working anymore (they said they didnt't last forever if I remember correctly)

Look how sad he looks, he has no gf to cheer him up over Katolis' destruction.

Now, we see Rayla and Ronaldo standing up in front of the Banterlodge, why are they here? I think Callum told them to meet there since it's a place both him and Rayla know.

Why is she in attack mode?

Looking at the trees it seems Ezran, Aanya and the animals seem to be around the banterlodge. Maybe Rayla sees the katolians coming or Ezran asking Corvus and Soren to arrest Raul and she gets defensive ofc, tho it doesn't seem to be an overly agressive stance.

We have confirmation that Callum and Ezran will have a conflict and Ezran is gonna be mad about Runaan, so maybe Callum defends Runaan here and confesses that he is the one who fred him, making the brothers fight. An upset Callum then leaves with Rancher and Rayla.

My guesses are, Callum and Rayla separate in episode 1 and reunite in late episode 2 or early episode 3 (they tend to "meet" in the second episode lol) maybe ep 2 ends with them meeting and the cliffhanger of Ezran finding out about Ronald.

Callum, Rayla and Richard arrive at the Silvergroove (perhaps is on episode 3 to parallel season 3) we get the Ruthari reunion and Rayla's trial in the same episode, a confirmed to be a very emotional episode.

The place Rayla is having her trial on seems to be the lottus pond thing, we only see her, The Keeper (I didn't know moonshadows could have beards okay dude) and the ghosts of the deceased assassins. I'm guessing she will have to be forgiven by them to be accepted back on The Silvergroove and she will need a lot of emotional support, I don't see why Callum wouldn't be there since he was there when she found out about her ghosting so he being there when she gets unghosted makes all the sense.

Callum, Stella and the other ones are out of frame probably watching this, unless this is another place where they aren't allowed.

I wouldn't be suprised if Rayla doesn't want to go with the trial at all but we get a little callback to this with Callum saying something similar, maybe even more agressive this time.

Now onto the next clue, this oopsie leaked scene by the animation company:

Stella jugglinga adoraburrs! look how cute!

I'm fully convinced this is a rayllum scene, it screams romance with the flowers and singing baitlings "oh it could be ruthari!" yeah? maybe? but let's look at the clues shall we:

Stella is there, Stella is always with Rayla

Callum and Rayla love adoraburrs

Sneezles is there, Sneezles is always with Callum

There are two lovebirds and Rayllum tends to attract animals (very disney princess/prince if you ask me)

The baitlings are singing, screams Rayllum corniness (kiss the girl!)

Rayla and Callum have something going on with boats

Maybe Callum and Rayla decided to take the rest of the baitlings with them to the Silvergroove (for some reason)

Maybe this scene isn't before the mid season at all and it's at the end! but for now I choose to believe it's kind of the calm before the storm scene. Maybe Rayla and Callum are celebrating her unghosting, before Aaravos starts fcking shit up and they have to leave and go back to Ezran. I don't think this will happen in the way to The Silvergroove because 1) third wheeling Runaan would be uncomfortable and I don't think Callum would prepare this at all in the way unless he wanted to annoy him hard idk 2) Rayla and Callum didn't need to cross water to arrive at TS the first time.

I'm choosing also not to believe this is at the end because them leaving The Silvergroove mid season for them to come back at the end wouldn't make much sense to me unless they are getting married right in this scene mostly because I don't think Rayla and Callum will choose to live in there, at least for now, and this will be the end of the arc not the series so yeah, they could be visiting tho and this could be a chilling ending scene.

In a summary, I don't think rayllum will be separated for a lot of episodes and Callum is totally going to The Shitlvergroove maybe they will get separated again when she gets kidnapped

listen you can't separate them for much unless it's against their will

[mari-buginette]

So Aaravos chooses to let his daughter Leola die. Tough choice, and the only way he could punish the Star elves rather than die with her and have zero consequences for the people killing his daughter.

I get that. He offered to die for her instead. He was told no, and there were no other options. Revenge was in fact his only action left. Ezran has been given choices as well, and he chooses to love, forgive, etc. I am interested to see how he reacts to meeting the assassin Runaan who killed his father.

It is not quite the same though- love for a child vs. love for a parent. Ezrans situation came with a lot of complications. Aaravos’ child was being punished for a ‘crime’ of compassion.

Terry will do anything for Claudia because he is trans, not understood by his people, and she loves him.

Callum will do anything for Rayla and Ezran, because they have been there for him and he loves them.

Amaya and Janai are compromising defining features of their lives to be together as wives because they love each other.

The story is so complex. Aaravos doesn’t try to get Viren to kill his children directly- he knows better, because if he would die for his child, so too might a human. He will hurt them, yes, but hints to Viren the idea of killing his daughter, just to counter with the magic child instead as a way of using Viren’s relief to push him to finish the spell.

He can do this, because Aaravos knows, truly, the power of strong emotions and how they can drown every logical thought. He has cried for a child he loved, who was killed, and he without her light, for a hundred years. He knows.

Aaravos is terrifying, and I think the worst moment for him will be when he has accomplished his dark goal, and knows he has nothing left, and cannot die.

I love the Dragon Prince and Mystery of Aaravos so much.

[theredhairedmonkey]

Do you have any theories on what might happen in S5, taking into account the episode titles that have been released?

I admit, I cheated a bit with this one by waiting until the trailer came out, but I'll compensate by having my theories be a bit koo koo bananas:

Startouched

At this point you've either seen this episode or you haven't, but not much to predict:

Team Zym have the prison.

Claudia goes off the deep end.

Callum wants to destroy the prison but everyone else isn't sure.

During the night, Aaravos takes over Callum and has him place his hand on the prison, letting Callum see into the prison and gets a vision of Aaravos breaking the pearl (imo this becomes extremely important later on).

Finally, he and Rayla head off to the Starscraper to find a way to stop Aaravos for good, while Soren goes off to find Zubeia.

Love, War & Mushrooms

In this episode, Rayla and Callum will likely have an important conversation, possibly mentioning Callum's father, as the show runners hinted at his role this season (Love). Meanwhile, Amaya and Janai prepare for war, knowing that Karim has an army and the Sun Seed (War), with Janai sending a crow for help to an "old friend." Soren and Zym meet up with Corvus and search for Zubeia, only to find mushrooms at her last known location (Mushrooms). The episode concludes with Viren arriving in Katolis and Ezran confronting him in the rain. 

The Frozen Ship

Rayla enters the ship from the promo while Callum waits outside. The ship mysteriously catches fire, trapping Rayla inside. Callum rushes in to rescue her when she doesn't emerge, realizing she stayed behind to search for her dropped coins. This scene highlights Callum's devotion to Rayla and suggests that Rayla may be more committed to her family than she initially let on. Meanwhile, Ezran listens to Viren and, despite wanting to punish him for his actions, learns that Claudia remains in Xadia and hasn't given up. This revelation leads Ezran to conclude that Soren, his companions, and the Sunfire elves are in grave danger. Determined to help, Ezran resolves to journey to Xadia.

The Starscraper

The plot kicks into gear when Callum and Rayla arrive at the Starscraper to seek help from the Celestial elves. They learn that using the Corona and Nova Blade requires more than just anyone's abilities. The Celestial elves send them on a mission to retrieve the heartstone of the Behemoth, Luna Tenebris' unsuitable heir, who roams the Frozen Sea. Callum and Rayla hesitate, as this would kill the Behemoth, but Callum proposes using a rune to extract the heartstone's energy without harming the creature. Meanwhile, Claudia hears Aaravos' voice calling her to Katolis, and Karim uses the Sun Seed to restore Sol Regem's sight, preparing to invade the Sunfire camp.

Moonless Night

Callum and Rayla pursue the Behemoth and, after a challenging encounter, successfully retrieve the energy from the rune, bringing it back to the Starscraper. However, the Celestial elves reveal that they need one more thing. Astrid explains that the Corona of the Heavens once belonged to the Star Leola, who bestowed the ability to use it upon the King of Elarion and his descendants, making them the only ones capable of wielding it. As Callum studies the quasar diamonds for an alternative solution, Rayla confronts Astrid, demanding more information since Elarion is long gone and finding a descendant seems impossible. Astrid mentions that the Celestial Elves once tracked down a man who was a direct descendant of the original King, but he had died. Shockingly, this man's name matches Callum's birth father's name. Rayla connects the dots and shares her discovery with Callum, who initially denies the possibility, arguing that it's merely a coincidence. Rayla realizes that Callum has so firmly embraced the idea of "Destiny Is A Book You Write Yourself" that he struggles to accept the possibility of a predetermined destiny. This leads to a heated argument involving their past experiences, ultimately resulting in Rayla and Callum fully reconciling and rekindling their relationship.

The Red Wedding

Karim and his army finally invade the Sunfire camp, capturing Ezran. Soren, Corvus, and Zym arrive to momentarily rescue him, followed by Aanya, who once again saves the Sunfire elves in a Deus-Ex-Machina fashion (as she is the "old friend"). During the rescue, Aanya and Ezran share a meet-cute moment. Soren and Viren reunite, with Soren reluctantly rescuing his father. As Karim takes control of the Sunfire camp, Sol Regem departs, no longer interested in petty squabbles. Meanwhile, Callum, refusing to consider Rayla's theory about his connection to the Corona, decides to connect with the Stars like the Celestial Elves. He attempts to fly blindfolded (as seen in the trailer) but fails and falls back to Earth. However, before hitting the ground, his body begins to levitate, and his eyes glow (similar to Kosmo's), but his smirk reveals the truth—he's possessed by Aaravos..

We All Fall Down

It is revealed that Aaravos had already left the prison, as the magic was designed to be impenetrable, and Claudia never had a way to set him free. Instead, Aaravos had intended on Callum & Co. to get to the prison first, then he had possessed Callum in 6x01, forcing him to place his hand on the prison, transferring Aaravos' essence to Callum. This explains why Callum didn't see Aaravos in the prison, as Aaravos has been in Callum's mind all along. Aaravos also confirms that Callum is the only person who can use the Nova Blade and the Corona of the Heavens. By bringing Aaravos to the Starscraper, Callum has played into his hands, allowing Aaravos to regain his full potential and declare war on his fellow Startouched elves (the Cosmic Order).

Meanwhile, Karim's victory is short-lived as Pharos becomes possessed by Aaravos as well. Karim is killed in a manner similar to Khessa, and Pharos transforms the remaining Sunfire elves into a new army of darkness. This army then converges on the corrupted core in Lux Area, where Pharos!Aaravos plans to gather his strength and spread darkness across the world.

Stardust

As Aaravos!Callum places the crown on his head, he feels his power return to full strength. He gloats that with the Nova Blade - the only weapon capable of killing Startouched elves - the Sunfire elf army, and Lux Aurea under his control, he can simultaneously conquer Xadia and the Cosmic Order, establishing a new empire. As punishment for her defiance, Aaravos "frees" Runaan but turns him into a corrupted version of himself that immediately attacks Rayla.

In Callum's mind, Aaravos taunts him while sharing his own backstory, revealing that he never fit in with the other Startouched elves and was ultimately cast out for his curiosity about magic. Callum empathizes with Aaravos, realizing their similarities and how the main difference between them stems from the love Callum received (and Aaravos did not). This realization leads Callum to a breakthrough with the Star Arcanum. He understands the vastness, darkness, and uncontrollable nature of the world (building on his understanding of the Ocean Arcanum) but recognizes that the sparks of love binding people together lead them from the darkness. Callum realizes that destiny isn't about who he will become (building on his understanding of the Sky Arcanum) but about acknowledging who he already is and the illusion of separation between himself, Aaravos, and everyone else.

By accepting his heritage as the Corona's true heir, Callum frees himself from Aaravos' grip and returns to consciousness. He then uses the Corona to restore Runaan and free Rayla's parents. Holding up the Nova Blade, Callum seemingly accepts that this is who he is, but that who he becomes is up to him.

Meanwhile, as Ezran and his companions march back to Xadia, they discover Zubeia, corrupted by sickness but kept at bay by the Mushroom mage. Janai achieves her own breakthrough, tapping into Light-Being Mode and purifying Zubeia. Simultaneously, Aaravos transports himself to Pharos' mind and teleports him to Katolis through a portal, where Claudia awaits (revealing Aaravos' contingency plan). Claudia uses Viren's staff to cast a powerful spell that restores Aaravos' body, sacrificing Pharos in the process. Aaravos describes the events at the Starscraper as a momentary setback, acknowledging Callum's increased power but persistent vulnerability, and resolving to bring him under his control regardless of what it takes. He then teleports himself and Claudia back to Lux Aurea, leaving Terry behind.

[kilfeur]

Opeli n'a pas tout à fait tort au sujet de prévenir les seigneurs de la Pentarchie. La prison d'Aaravos est à Katolis et ça risque d'avoir des conséquences sur leur royaume et les autres si ils sont libérés. Soren propose de la jeter dans un volcan et Callum propose de la détruire mais n'a pas d'idée concrète. Alors Ezran propose de la garder à Katolis. Et Callum, on sent qu'il est désespéré car ça concerne pas que lui mais aussi le royaume et ses amis. Et le passage où Callum entre dans la prison est intéressant car il contraste avec Viren. Dans ce passage, Aaravos n'est pas là, Callum voit les livres et semble curieux mais quand il comprend qu'il est dans la prison et du coup la jette. Alors je me demande si pendant la réunion, Aaravos n'a pas entendu les autres débattre et du coup s'est dit "Tu veux briser ma prison ? Bah vas-y petit con". J'ai vu le petit sourire au coin avant qu'il la jette. Je me demande si Aaravos ne va pas enfermer Callum si ce dernier réussit à se libérer de la possession, vu que c'est une menace pour Aaravos.

Opeli is not entirely wrong about warning the lords of the Pentarchy. The Aaravos prison is in Katolis and it could have consequences for their kingdom and others if they are released. Soren suggests throwing it into a volcano and Callum proposes destroying it, but has no concrete idea. So Ezran suggests keeping it in Katolis. And Callum is desperate, because it's not just about him, it's about the kingdom and his friends. And the passage where Callum enters the prison is interesting because it contrasts with Viren. In this passage, Aaravos isn't there, Callum sees the books and seems curious, but when he realizes that he's in the prison, Aaravos throws it away. So I wonder if, during the meeting, Aaravos overheard the others debating and thought “You want to break my prison? Go ahead, you little prick”. I saw the little smile on his face before he threw it away. I wonder if Aaravos won't lock Callum up if he manages to free himself from possession, given that he's a threat to Aaravos.

[amber-in-the-rough]

My biggest shock in s6 was that the craziest theory about Aaravos got confirmed. He's a freaking GIANT AAAAAAAAA So, not only is he dragon size, but also the master of all arcana and- it's a like a multi-arcana archdragon with a thousand-year revenge plan and he also lacks any semblance of a working moral compass. NOW I see why Zubeia said he was no ordinary enemy and why they couldn't fight him directly. Such a being is better not triggered at all, imho. Otherwise you'll get a walking catastrophe, oh wait, we just got that, thank you the Startouch council or whatever it is you are called.

My second biggest shock were Ezran's words to Viren. "Good. Because you don't deserve any". It came unexpected and left me at a complete loss. In Russian I would say как удар поддых, like a punch to the stomach that leaves you breathless and gasping for air. I never thought Ez had such mercilessness in him. He always tries to solve things without violence, with peace, he always believes everyone deserves mercy, a second chance or at least compassion. And here... He showed none of that. As if Viren was an exception that couldn't change and would always remain a villain. It really makes me scared of the moment Ez would meet Runaan. Oh boy.

And the third biggest shock was a parallel "You keep calling it a monster". Whenever I rewatch Sarai saying it, it always hits so hard. <Does it think, does it feel, does it have a family? Maybe it's the last of its kind?> The Behemoth thought, felt and had a family he missed terribly. So, when I heard Rayla say that line, I knew immediately some moral dilemma was coming. Thankfully, it resolved in the best way possible. "Luna's love is with you even when the Moon is not". 🥲🥺😭 I saw the reference to Ethari, I did and it also caught me off guard, this time in a good way.

[kradogsrats]

Prompt from @dragonprincedrabbles: Ezran + Queen Aditi, No Time Like the Present

G, ~1K words

—

The night that Queen Janai officially becomes Aunt Janai, Ezran went to bed very, very late. He'd stuffed himself full of spicy Sunfire cuisine and rich Katolian sweets, all of it so delicious that every time he cleared his plate, he couldn't keep from trying just a little more—not to mention that he might have single-handedly put a visible dent in the mountain of jelly tarts Aunt Amaya had insisted on to honor his mom. He'd also danced until he was completely exhausted, whirled around the floor more times than he could count by Aunt Amaya and Aunt Janai, and then by Callum and Rayla, and by a half-dozen others after, and that was only the beginning. By the time he and Soren finally managed to wheedle Corvus into a dance, the party was really in full swing, and he'd dived right back in.

So in the wee hours of the morning, tired and full and—for just one night, even in the face of Aaravos maybe ending the world—happy, Ezran fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept before the space behind his eyes began to lighten, as if the sun crept across his sleeping face. He rolled over to escape the intruding light, but it did not dim—instead growing brighter and brighter. He could make out a figure striding toward him, not silhouetted against the brilliant light but made from it, part of it. The light continued to brighten, and for a moment the figure became too bright to look at, forcing Ezran to squeeze his eyes shut and raise a hand to block out the glare.

When he cautiously opened his eyes again, an elf stood before him, dressed in the manner of Sunfire royalty. Her brown skin was a shade darker than his own, and the thick braids of her hair glowed like embers, auburn shifting into gold where light shone through the strands. The golden armor layered over her blood-red tabard shone no less for being battle-worn, cleaned and polished with attentive care. A crown sat on her brow like a sunrise, and a crystal-topped scepter hung from her hand like a ray of light piercing some shadowy place. Something about her face was familiar, in the strong point of her chin and the almond shape of her golden eyes.

"Finally, we are able to meet—I was beginning to think dawn would greet your revels, first." Her lilting voice carried a warm note of humor, and her eyes crinkled slightly when she smiled. Ezran couldn't help but smile back.

"I... apologize for my lateness?" he offered, raising his hands in a sheepish shrug. "I didn't realize I had an appointment."

"I have waited a long time to speak with you, orphan king," she said, still smiling. "Long enough that having waited a few hours more matters little. With my daughter's daughter's daughter and your own blood-kin bound by love in the light of the Sun, I may now greet you properly—as my nephew. I am Queen Aditi."

Aditi. The beloved, long-ago Sunfire queen, a guiding light to elves and dragons alike. So powerful and wise that she was called to divine the true dragon monarch when the throne stood empty—then vanished, just as Aaravos's plans threatened to come to fruition.

"Your Majesty," Ezran said politely, placing his hand over his heart and inclining his head in respect.

She laughed, a low, rich chuckle. "Please, we are family, now—there is no need for such things."

"Would it be 'auntie,' then?" he asked impishly. Despite her imposing appearance, he liked her. "Auntie Aditi?"

"I admit, I like the sound of that." Her smile didn't fade, but a flicker of sadness passed through her golden eyes. "I saw so little of my daughter's life—I would have liked to know her children, and their children."

"Then why not talk with Janai?" Ezran asked. "She leads your people now, and I know she'd welcome your counsel." He winced at his own clumsy words, waving his hands. "Not that I don't! I'm just—why me?"

"Janai may doubt her footsteps, but they are guided by her heart, and that is truer than any counsel I could offer. Given the chance, she will become a great queen—far greater than I." Aditi's expression turned grave. "That she will have that chance is what I am here to ensure."

"I don't understand."

"Your path has been set to cross with with a great darkness. The choices you make in facing it will shape the future of both our peoples."

Ezran swallowed hard. "Aaravos."

"Yes... and no. He is the point on which this age will turn, for good or ill, but you are called from beyond. Yours is the flame that can forge the ruins of a fallen star into the brilliant sun that dawns on a new world. The future must be different than the past, or all will be lost—but you already know that." She tapped his crown lightly with the crystal of her scepter. "Just as you already know a thing or two about forging peace and hope from violence and pain."

Ezran lifted the crown off his head to look at it, running his fingers along the smooth edges of the steel. His father's sword, now his own burden of blood and history to carry—or to release. "Will I make the right choices?"

"I can only tell you this: do not be afraid to show mercy, but defend what you love without regret. Understand the need for sacrifice, but cleave hard to what you know you will not give up. Most of all, what others see by the shadow of Moonlight, you must choose to see in the full light of the Sun—even if it means your eyes no longer meet."

She touched a hand to his cheek, warm and soft. Despite all the regal pride of her appearance, she radiated the affection of a mother and a sister in one. "You are strong, brave, and wise. You will feel all the darkest sorrows of love and all the brightest joys of loss, and your light will not be dimmed. When the time is right, that light will be what leads the whole world."

"How?" he asked. He didn't feel particularly strong, or brave, or wise—just small, and worried, and confused. "When?"

"I have found," she said, her grin blazing so bright that Ezran had to shut his eyes again, "that when it comes to forging the future—there is no time like the present."

He woke to the first fingers of dawn creeping across the floor of his tent, and the ghost of a warm hand on his cheek.

[lazyscience]

so season 6 of The Dragon Prince really went HARD on parents, children and generational trauma. A+, only one note which is not reeeeallly a spoiler? well OK a tiny part of it is a big one so I'll slap it behind a readmore.

what IS it with this show and dead/absent moms??? I mean, first Ezran and Callum, Rayla, Soren and Claudia, and - where was Leola's mother in all this drama?? She dead? Ditched Aaravos and Leola like Lissa did Viren because he was also poisoned by arrogance? Because that heartwrenching story feels juuuuuuust a tad too convenient (I mean, everything he said might be factual, it feels correct that anything as powerful as a Startouch elf is in fact probably All About Hierarchy and maintaining their supremacy, but Aaravos is the king of lying by omission and assumption.)

The only mother we see in this show that isn't dead is Zubeia, and it's not like they didn't TRY to kill her off. She's been nearest thing TO dead for like, almost a season and a half.

The IMPACT of all those missing moms? Not...really that much? Except for one - Lissa. Lissa leaving Viren and the kids is a festering scar of pain and resentment more than a decade later (we learn that Viren using dark magic to cure Soren was right around the time of Harrow courting Sarai, and describing Callum as a 'toddler,' it couldn't have been much more or less than that) that clearly hasn't resolved at all for any of them through the end of this season.

While Rayla, Callum and Ezran are described as missing their parents, grieving for them, they don't seem to have the same kind of fear of being unlovable; their fears and feelings about their parents seem to be mostly to do with legacy, "can I be as good/strong/worthy a person as they were," not "can I be good enough to be enough for them" The show HAMMERS on this point. Makes me wonder which showrunner was a child of divorce :P

It's not misogyny I don't think, there are active and interesting female characters in a number of different kinds of roles, not all just "ok, give THIS action figure boobs and make her a girl For The Rep" kinds of characters. But it's an interesting blind spot.

(I really, really just want an equally ridiculous and heartbreaking fic of Soren having an aaaabsolute meltdown/freakout about meeting Corvus' mom and Corvus' mom going from being reaaaal suspicious of her kid dating Virenspawn to just sighing a lot when Soren says something sweet but dumb, and to Corvus' intense relief not nagging him any more about 'well if you HAD to date another Crownguard who's too busy to give me grandchildren, why not that nice boy who translates for General Amaya instead of the Dark Mage's hellspawn?")

[arcadianmoonshadowjedi]

Rayllum Month July 13: Promise

This fic was heavily inspired by this post by @potatounicoorn 😁

Knock Knock!

The door to the high mage’s office opened as Ezran walked in holding Bait on his shoulder. He approached Callum at his desk and sat at the edge of it, putting Bait down.

“Hey Callum, we need to talk,” Ezran started, shifting Callum’s attention from his books. Ezran took a deep breath before he continued.

“Zym told me about something serious, about…” He paused dreadfully, not sure if he should continue or not. “About how you escaped Finnegran’s chains,”

Callum’s heart fell to his stomach. He looked down in guilt and shame, not wanting to meet his little brother’s eyes. He completely forgot about how Zym and their other animal companions aside from Bait were locked in the same room as him when it happened. When they witnessed him turn his chains into slithering snakes.

“I’m worried about you Callum,” Ezran resumed. “The last time you used dark magic, you went into this complete state of delirium, you were hurting and talking weird in your sleep. And none of us knew how to help you. And then when Aaravos took over you, he said something about you being tainted by darkness and playing into his hands,”

Callum buried his face deep into his hands, unable to say anything and still refusing to look into Ezran’s concerned eyes.

“Callum, I really just want you to be careful,”

“I didn’t want to do it,” Callum finally spoke. “But he, but he threatened to kill Rayla and I had no other way,”

Suddenly the door flew open and Rayla stood in her place, much to Callum and Ezran’s bewilderment.

“No other way but what?” She asked frowning and her arms crossed.

Callum froze, feeling nothing but his heart pounding in his chest. The last thing he wanted was for Rayla to find out about this, especially in this manner. But it was too late, she’d probably heard enough and there wasn’t a point in lying anymore. He sighed, then looked down when he answered her.

“To use the same spell I used to free Pyrrah two years ago,”

Rayla said nothing and her eyes just flittered. It was no wonder Callum looked upset that after they defeated Finnigran. He’d done it again. She clenched her fist and then walked out. Callum immediately got up and tried to call for her.

“Rayla wait! Please! I can explain!” His attempts to stop were her futile. Ezran put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “Wait this was all my fault this happened in the first place, let me go talk to her,” he insisted. Callum was reluctant but then nodded. He knew how much Rayla hated dark magic, no matter what he used it for. But he wasn’t sure how to tell her that it was only his last resort.

Rayla sat at her bed with her head in her hands. How could he do this again? She thought to herself. He knew how evil dark magic was but yet he still did it a second time. Her chaotic thoughts were finally interrupted by a knock on her door.

“Callum, I don’t want to talk now,”

“It’s me, Ezran. Can we please talk?”

She huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. She then got up and opened the door.

“Ezran, nothing you can say or do will change my mind about what he did. Dark magic is evil and he knew that,”

“Rayla please,” Ezran interrupted. “He only did it to save you. You and I both know that Callum rejects dark magic and that he wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for a good reason,”

“It was still wrong. We’ve seen the effects of dark magic, what it does to people, what it did to him,”

“You know Rayla, there are lots of things we might do wrong, but sometimes, we might be doing it for a good reason,” Ezran finally spoke sternly to her. “Like when you left Callum and broke his heart, but in the end you had a reason you thought was right,”

Rayla was taken aback by what he said. She wanted to argue back and defend herself but instead she ended up looking down filled with guilt.

“Even I’ve made mistakes that I thought were for the right reasons, like when I stood down as King because I thought that there would be less violence and bloodshed, but that ultimately lead to Viren taking over Katolis and leading the armies of four kingdoms to Xadia,” Ezran paused and took his breath, still shuddering at his first failed term as king. “And I also knew that stealing the baby glow toads was in fact the right thing to do and I don’t regret it, but that was what lead to this whole situation we got ourselves into in the first place,” Ezran’s voice grew shakier as he continued to speak. “And that’s what put you in danger and made Callum resort to dark magic in order to save you,” his eyes started glistening and his tears started to fall. Rayla looked at the young king compassionately then took him in her arms, stroking his shoulders. They both sat down on the edge of her bed and Ezran wiped his tears away.

“But dwelling on the past on ours and each other’s mistakes won’t solve anything,” he finally spoke determinately. “We need to be compassionate and forgiving towards ourselves and each other in order to grow and get better. What’s more important is that we need to be more understanding of each other’s actions and intentions since we will never stop messing up and making mistakes. But at the same time, we need them in order to keep learning and growing,”

Rayla looked at him astounded and smiled softly. This little boy that she first met with hands drenched in jelly was now such a wise king beyond his years. She took a deep breath then stood up.

“Thank you, Ezran. I think I’ll just go talk to Callum,”

~

“Knock, knock,” Rayla said awkwardly as she waited by the open door to Callum’s office. He looked up at her, with regret and guilt still in his eyes.

“Rayla I can explain,”

“You don’t have to explain anything,” she gestured to stop him from saying another word.

“I know I was too harsh on you, this time and the first time around, even though you had no other choice. And in both times, it was because you wanted to save me and I would’ve been dead if you haven’t,” she looked down with shame.

“Rayla,” Callum got up and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “When I said I would do anything for you, I really meant it. And I know how terrible dark magic is and I hate it more than anything. But I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t the only choice I had to do the right thing, which was saving your life”

“Callum,” Rayla held his cheek with her hand. “You don’t have to justify this to me, I’m the one who actually came here to apologize,” She backed away a little then started pacing around. “There were so many horrible things I did like me leaving, or me lying to you and stealing the key to your office, and yet, you still forgave me even though you truly had every right to stay angry at me,”

Callum looked at her compassionately, unable to say anything more. Rayla came up to him and took his hands in hers. “I promise to be more forgiving and understanding just as you are with me,” she also put her hand back on his cheek and continued. “And I promise to keep you safe by staying by your side,”

Nothing more needed to be said by either of them. They both just smiled then wrapped each other in a warm hug.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! This was perhaps a really challenging one to write since I kept avoiding the whole “Rayla finding about Callum using dark magic again” idea but I wanted to challenge myself. I also tried to characterize her reaction similarly to how she was in S2 but at the same time grow and learn especially with the help of a wise king like Ezran 😁 I really love their dynamic and I enjoyed writing their conversation. I really hope this wasn’t too off-prompt and tried to have Rayla learn a whole lesson and then make a promise afterwards.

[thrandilf]

I see a lot of dragon prince discourse be abt elves vs humans and talking about how humans are the oppressed ones which is true, but it then seems like the conclusion is “elves/dragons are supposed to be the villains and therefore the show is bad because it doesn’t line up”

The villain of the show is retaliation

Like. It isn’t that humanity doesn’t have legit reasons to be upset. No one is saying that in the show. It’s that yes, Harrow had reason to avenge Sarai, but it wasn’t right and caused trouble. Yes, Xadia had reason to retaliate when Avizandum died and the egg was stolen (they thought destroyed) but it wasn’t right

The initial goal was bring the egg back to Xadia to say see! We didn’t take it! We want peace

As Ezran says, he just wants it to stop

Aaravos is, best as I can tell, like a personification of vengeance. He’s been patient, letting his grievances simmer for three centuries. I imagine that kind of anger, having witnessed two or more millennia of wrongs, is nigh unstoppable. It isn’t that it’s unreasonable for him to be bitter, to be angry on humanity’s behalf, or to have clearly personal beef with those who imprisoned him, but he’s kept pushing the cycle forward. He’s let nothing go, at the detriment to the very people whose ancestors he was so fond of. He’s stuck in the past and it isn’t benefiting humans right now, it’s causing trouble on behalf of ghosts

Humanity often does have the moral upper hand, but even if they do it doesn’t erase that both sides have had cause for pain and misgivings about the other in an endless back and forth. The question is how to acknowledge all of that and move forward. It seems to be that in the show, this is the first time in centuries that the border has been accessible enough for actual communication and cultures meeting each other

Yes, humans have been oppressed. The solution isn’t conquer Xadia and make things worse

This isn’t supposed to be about keeping score

It’s about communicating and working together

Maybe humanity deserves more, but when you keep score with endless wars, you both lose.

That’s the message.

[thorongil82]

Till Death Leads Us Away

When he returns to Katolis, he makes sure Sarai's okay. That when Sol Regem burnt to cinders, she remained untouched. And when he begs for forgiveness, he weeps. A waiver every sentence. A sniffle every break. A break every second. And his family hold him close. Chase his blame to ash and flame.

And when she watches she aches. To reach and comfort the one younger than him. The one who has needed to defend his throne. To aid he who has brought their worlds together.

And when she kneels before Sarai, she promises to keep him safe. And in return, if she may ask, please let her mothers know her fate.

-------------------------

When the war is over, she finds herself before her mothers. She tells them it's all over. That they can truly rest. That no one else should ever have to sacrifice themselves as they did. She tells them how her brother grows. How strong he is. How he's kept her safe and sane. And she quickly brings herself to touch on how well Ezran has kept her on task, to bringing the conflict with Aaravos to an end.

When he arrives to celebrate, he first visits the queens. He pays respects, he thanks their aid, he hopes things could be better. And then, when he could talk of peace, he makes sure to praise their daughter. Her aid to ally, her call to arms, her sass, her wit, her charm.

He knows she's helped him more than he could ask for, and he says he'll help her till forevermore.

-------------------------

When he comes of age, he already knows the burden of his rule. That his partner had best be prepared to rule. That love must take a back seat. And yet, he confesses to his mother, that welcoming smile across his face. He nearly begs to be able to do as they did, wed for love instead of strength.

And though no name passes his lips, the bow may well have shot.

Opelli's invitations have been sent, and no Queen would dare beset, that the closest of their allies would come of age without their presence. Immediately Aanya declares to go, forgoing her council's stares. She knows just where she needs to be. Katolis is her goal.

And when she arrives, she pays respects, Sarai's graceful smile aimed down. As she vows, knowing full well how, greedy nobles seek to strike.

So though she knows this party's thrown to maybe bring about a partner fair, Aanya'll forgo her ache to truly make sure her close friend's heart is treasured.

-------------------------

When word reaches him of Neolandia's betrayal, he rises to his feet. Sends word out to Amaya before rushing off to meet his stead. Not caring for the setup rush, he'll march with what he can. To Berylgarten he needs to ride, he aid his friend, his heart is soul.

Katolis cuts through the Mad King's force, breaking through the chain linked frail. Immediately the king seeks her bow, her crown, her ring, her veil. In pushing through, he looks beyond the throne to the lonesome lake. Mayhaps he seeks her mothers' may have seen her living wake.

And when he spies her caked in blood upon the slate, he holds her close, sweeps blood and tears from her face, and wishes he could kiss her till he knows she's lived her fate.

There's too much blood, too little light, the dead tower oh-so high. The seige was swift, vicious and bereft of mercy for their plight. Aanya had prepared, feared every day for vengeance for Kasef's death. Yet peaceful times leave lacking signs of defences wholly held.

Neolandia attacked as swift as they could in strength beyond their means. A swift attack, one strike alight, aimed straight to kill the Queen. They carved their way to the castle gates, the capital besieged. A call sent out, more hope than faith, that aid may come their way.

When Katolis' horn blew out so loud, she could barely hear their call. To busy defending her people's home, she'd been lost to death and war. And only seeing Ezran's crown, coupled with Aihling's fall, could Aanya finally rest, her battle-weary form collapsing into her king's soft grasp.

Beneath her mother's visage, he gently cleaned away the muck, crimson ichor stained her face. She could finally rest within his arms, longing for one last request.

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A final peace brokered between men and elves was born at last by all. Berylgarten's attack the final nail to bring all together as one. Neolandia's collapse, their monitered rule brought peace to human lands, and with the end of this final war elven-kind followed in peaceful bands. As part of this, the border of Duren and Katolis shared a new town, by insistence of the King and Queen new statues would be set aground. The Queens of Duren, the Queen Sarai, measurement of their sacrifice, and by her side, King Harrow's kindly smile completes their hopeful mound.

Despite the incomplete nature of the courtyard, Ezran brings Aanya to this spot. He smiles and laughs as she jokes and scoffs, no rule between them at all. And though Opelli may well kill him for his lack of contemplation, it's in this new home - before their parents, he proposes marriage to her.

She cups his face, kisses him so soft, she whispers yes evermore. And when the town is finished do they wed, beneath their parents' caring looks, a bond forged in sacrifice and love.

[raayllum]

Teasers Timeline

With the teasers we've gotten this week, I want to try and assemble them into some kind of timeline. Spoilers and speculation ahead!

First off, there's the ones we know are taking place during 6x01 Startouched thanks to con spoilers, such as shots of the prison with Callum, his nightmare featuring Aaravos, Rayllum on the castle battlements, group discussion, them departing for the Starscraper, and Ezran comforting Zym about Zubeia.

Claudia and Terry is also probably from 6x01 (maybe Claudia commiserating with a flashback if it's from later on in the season) due to the beach location and her having to take wet/bloody clothes off. We can even see that one pantleg is shorter than the other.

Now onto the rest, with episode titles as a slight guideline.

This shot with Corvus, Zym, and Soren is likely from 6x02 Love, War, and Mushrooms, given they went looking for Zubeia and Soren meets up with Corvus at the Sunfire camp.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the "Ezran at the castle" and Janaya is around here. If Viren is alive, he could be showing up in Katolis (or Claudia is there to find the fake prison) and Janaya is preparing for war now that Sol Regem has the sun seed. Likewise, this is one of two places I could see the screencap of the Viren and Kpp'Ar flashback being; Viren may be heading back to try to free Kpp'Ar (and may do so with the staf?? If Rayllum didn't take his coin) and thereby reflecting on their past.

Then we get Rayla and Callum on the burning ship in 6x03 Frozen Ship. There's less fire when they're first there together and Callum needs to get his staff back, and significantly more fire when Rayla is there on her own despite being near the same hole in the roof and Callum not being in frame anymore.

Then they head to the Starscraper (and potentially face the big scary dragon along the way, though that could be a trial for 6x05 as well).

Rayla's line about "The fate of the entire world is at stake," her expression, as well as Stella's (almost angry?) expression makes me think she's trying to reason with Callum > telling the celestial elves what's going on, but it really could be either.

Big dragon could also be the trial or thing they're flying off too as well, after the infamous Chin Touch (and possible smooch) given that the clouds from what may be their room seems to match what we see in the background.

If the dragon adventure with Luna Tenebris' unsuitable heir is on the way to the Starscraper, I'd guess it'll have something to do with the moonstone collar its wearing (perhaps an enchantment that cloaks the starscraper from outside viewers?). If it's after, then I have no clue WHY beyond the celestial elves going "you gotta".

At the same time, Karim and Janai are preparing for war. The search for Zubeia must've been either successful or they had to give up and switch gears, as Ezran has 1) left Katolis to be here and 2) reunited with Corvus and with Zym, only to be captured and need rescuing from his favourite dragon pal (Zym's covering them, but it also seems Ez and Corvus showed up on horses so.. parlay gone wrong?)

The amount of Sol Regem regalia on their outfits and Karim's tent makes me think he's already used the sun seed to heal / ally with Sol Regem, or that he's very very close to doing so.

I do think he ultimately goes through with it, though, given that the next time we see Sol Regem, his eyes aren't healed but his wings are 100% patched up and Pharos is seemingly riding him into battle, with Janai and Amaya leading their ground assault.

Amaya still has her crown, and Aanya might show up to help -- the cliffs match the ones she's landing on -- at Ezran's behest, but it's probably not enough.

If she loses but lives, that could be why we see her almost in mourning at the sun seed tree

And I think that's it for now! More speculation and teasers to follow soon I'm sure