#aphmau azura

[bunnimy]

If I ever made an mcd rewrite id make azura a paladin / holy knight of one of the divine warriors bc I think that'd be Cool

[shadowqnights]

azura? :3

this wasnt asked back in 2023 what do u mean anyway was thinking about her so . forever an icon. love you azura . will fix the armour laters but for now this is the vibe

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Ngl I think the werewolves were justified in trying to get revenge against Brightport.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY WERE SLAUGHTERED FOR FOOD??? That’s… bad… I don’t give a fuck if Werewolves have a sketchy past and tendency towards violence, the people of Brightport were casually having werewolf fucking pie???

That’s fucked

Kill em I don’t even care they deserve it that’s so fucked

The quote, S1Ep17:

‘Even though we currently have a treaty between our tribe and their village, they used to slaughter our kind for food and clothing - we wished to make them pay.’ - Bodolf, about BrightPort

[jurygarroth]

Azura my poor fail girlie who never had a chance…

+ graduation day at the guard academy

[phoenix-drop-villager]

dragged to the plaza as per usual by the lovely Donna since she won’t let me stare at my ceiling or in general isolate myself anymore and the second in command guard was drunk and dancing on Donna’s boyfriend’s stall and singing about Brightport’s head guard being in love with our head guard

[noble-guards]

Mcd Minor Character Tournament R.2

[xerith-42]

Some things we may have forgotten

I've been rewatching MCD and taking extensive notes on it in hopes that I'll never have to watch it again and this is just a list of things that I don't see mentioned or brought up very often/ever that we should talk about and think about more

In the first episode Garroth tries to attack Vylad (angst potential) and Vylad literally just combat locks him by logging out of the game. This is objectively funny and should not be rewritten in any capacity. This should be canon as it is in every universe.

Aphmau's cat Meowki gets randomly killed in Episode 12 by a skeleton while Kiki is right upstairs. Just saying, there's some angst potential there.

In episode 11 Garroth reveals that he knows some medicine. Pretty sure this is never brought up again, but we could always bring it up.

Logan is apparently good with a bow while Zenix is trash at it despite being a self proclaimed "expert archer" which I think is very funny (I know this is part of Zenix's cover but what if we took it seriously it would be so funny)

Zoey is originally from the river village, as is Donna. Pretty sure they retcon that for Zoey, but I like to think the two of them could have been friends before Phoenix Drop.

Garroth actually almost dies in episode 15. Like Dr. Doctor says he will probably die soon at the start of the episode. And he doesn't get healed until episode 20. He literally spends 5 episodes laid up in bed dying.

Brendan's at his side probably angsting the entire time I'm just saying if you want sad gay fanfics, it's sitting right there!

Azura and Garroth were friends as kids??? Hello???? I think this is just a massive plot hole considering what Garroth's actual backstory ends up being asjfgshjdfgjk

Okay but if we twist it a little bit, they were friends as kids as in like at the guard academy??? Bc they're like vaguely teenage/young adult so maybe that's what she means? In which case I wanna think about that more because childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance arcs ever. But is it really childhood friends if you met when you were like... 18?? And you're in your like mid to late twenties probably, I wouldn't really classify that as childhood friends.

WAIT IT GETS WORSE!

I don't... I don't even have a joke here, this is just a massive plot hole. Like all of this is just not true to Garroth's backstory as we know it. Grew up in the same village? You mean O'Khasis?? Where Garroth also FAKED HIS DEATH????

I literally don't know what to say to this I was just trying to find silly little facts to try and incorporate into my rewrite and instead I found a massive gaping plot hole

Moving on, in episode 19 when Aphmau confronts Zenix and they fight, he actually apologizes to her. As if he regrets having to hurt her for the sake of his/the Shadow King's goals.

The Lord of Brightport says the Shadow King "used to be a lord". Which like... Okay, I can bend backwards a few ways to say that he could be referring to how Shad started Falcon Claw, but how the fuck does this dude know that??? I feel like Laurance constantly just stumbling into plot holes by complete accident

Dale is apparently a Garmau shipper, going as far as to ask Aphmau if she plans on hooking up with Garroth. I like to think that he and Molly have a bet going for how long it takes for one of the two of them to finally fess up.

Raven's mom tried to eat him??

Okay then.

[xyxofspades]

what’s your ships for diaries and mystreet?

I am a notorious multishipper SO

For MCD:

- Garmauance (Garroth, Laurance, Aphmau polycule)

- Zoeymau

- Garrance

- Dante x Nana

- Donnamau

- Garroth x Kiki

- Logan x Donna

- Laurcinda

- Emmalyn x Lillian (specifically my traitor!Emmalyn AU)

- Laurance x Castor

- Nana x Lucinda

- Zane x Kiki (toxic as hell)

- Travis x Vylad

- Polyguard (Dante x Garroth x Laurance)

- Katelyn x Nicole

- Azura x Garroth

- Kenmur x Emmalyn

- Xavier having a one sided crush on Menphia idk angst potential no idea where this one came from

- Aaron x Lily (HIS WIFE????? WHY DID EVERYONE FORGET ABOUT HIS DEAD WIFE??????)

For MYS:

- Aarmau (I KNOW. Specifically season 1,2, and some of 3 Aarmau after that they become insufferable)

- Garrance

- Laurgene (but they’re divorced)

- Vylad x Travis

- Travis x Katelyn (but only the version that exists in my head)

- Laurcinda

- Zane x Laurance (will never exist in the same fic I write Garrence in. It’s either one or the other when I write)

- Dante x Nana

- Blaze x Garroth

- Nanakatemau (Nana x Katelyn x Aphmau polycule)

- Guys house polycule (Garroth x Aaron x Laurance x Travis x Dante)

- Garroth x Aaron

- Zane x Nana

- Zanemau (he’s like,,, the only “love interest” who respects her as a person and friend first????)

There’s definitely more for both categories but I’m drawing a bit of a blank now. Those are just the ones that come to mind first and foremost. Tbh I’ll ship near anything if you talk me into it. I didn’t see Blaze and Ein together at all but I’ve been warming up to them recently

[jeremiahthefroge]

Man there's really something about the way MCD very slowly sinks you into this bigger narrative and makes you forget it's "just" a minecraft world. Sure, as far as episode 24, we're still getting YouTube intros where she introduces herself as Jess, but we've also got Levin, and all of her struggles with potentially having to give him up. And there's the looming threat of the shadow knights, there's Sasha in the village, the subplot with dale and molly and logan and Donna, there's Zenix being missing. We've got Aphmau acting stressed, acting sad, acting worried about the NPCs in her village, regarding them more and more as people as they appear to BE people.

Side note, all the plot stuff with Lords being a reality-warping force, turning simple NPCs into evolved thinking + feeling characters and having those characters devolve when they're away, are we meant to see this as "the NPC's AI gets so advanced they become more involved characters in the video game but if you turn off the video game they cease to exist" or like "minecraft is a sort of portal for irl people to interact with this other dimension, which they see as the minecraft world, and they're warping the reality of another real place, and real people are forgetting their memories when the lords are disappearing" or what?

Players don't seem to be the only people who can be lords, given Bright Port's Lord Burt, who clearly has the same/similar effect on Brightport that Aphmau has on Phoenix Drop (his absence causes some guards to start forgetting things and acting weird, as well as some of the roads disappearing). Plus there's definitely some variance in the personalities and stories of the NPCs around her, Lord Burt says that Azura is a special guard that can't be corrupted by the king bc she's pure of heart and has a bond to him. I don't think we're meant to believe the NPCs are just NPCs, at least not by this point in the series.

I'm interested to see how this develops and I'm curious as to how I'll want to handle it in my potential rewrite, if I decide to divorce the plot from the game of minecraft entirely. Which I did intend to, to give the characters a bit more breathing room. I wanted to start out with all the characters being fully themselves so we can get good early interactions.

Though there is very much something to be said about Garroth being stuck in that NPC state and Aphmau being around slowly brings his memories and autonomy back. Especially since she never seems to hold it over him, just glad to get to know him as he becomes his own person again.

Could make it a curse that the King cast, to prevent the people of the kingdom from organizing against him on their own after he starts killing off lords to steal their land. Making the only real threats to him the remaining lords and not just any town full of peasants with a bone to pick. Much to consider.

[laurancezvahlslefteyebrow]

I wanna talk about titles and names for things in my MCD au/rewrite

This may be long, you’ve been warned

First and foremost Lord Lady and Sir:

In my universe, it was generally uncommon (though not unheard of) for a woman to be the head of a village until Aphmau. If a woman was the head of a village she would be called Lady (her name) and never Lord (her name). Aphmau was the first woman to call herself Lord, and since then it became customary.

Though there are other reasons someone may be called “Lady”. If they are the wife of a Lord, a high or head knight/guard, or if they are someone of great importance. For example, Lady Katelyn the Firefist and Lady Azura of Bright Port. While Katelyn is a member of the Jury, Lady Katelyn the Firefist is her official title, but when she is stripped of her rank, that title is taken as well and she became just Katelyn. Azura being head guard of Bright Port gives her the title of Lady Azura.

And finally, Sir. Similarly to Lady, Sir is the title given to male head guards. While Garroth is head guard of Phoenix Drop, he is known as Sir Garroth of Phoenix Drop. While Laurance is head guard he is Sir Laurance Zvahl of Meteli. Though when he left for Phoenix Drop he lost that title. He still sometimes introduces himself as Sir Laurance by accident.

Next, Werewolves:

There are a few different kinds of werewolves: pure blood, half blood, and turned. Werewolf is the umbrella term used for any Lycan kind.

A pure blooded werewolf is also known as a Wolfer. These wolves do not have a human form, though they do have a human-like form (think how we usually see Bodolf or Lowell). They also have a pure wolf form or natural form, where they appear like a normal wolf, though slightly larger.

A half blooded werewolf is also known as a halfling wolf or halfling wolfer. These are werewolfs that are born of both werewolf blood and the blood of something else, be it a human, meif’wa, elf etc. These wolves have a pure wolf form, a pure human form, and the ability to show their wolf ears and tail while in their human form. Examples of halfling wolfers would be Yip and Leona.

And finally a turned werewolf is exactly how it sounds. A werewolf who was not born but rather turned. Their traits depend on what the wolf that turned them’s traits were. In Logan’s case, he was turned by a Wolfer, therefore has the traits of a wolfer along with a human form.

I also want to mention a bit about werewolf hierarchy.

Most werewolf villages are small and refer to themselves as tribes or packs, depending on if they are made up mostly of halfling wolfers or full wolfers respectively. Their leader is referred to as The Alpha or just Alpha. Never by their name unless it is someone they are very close to.

Finally Magicks Users, Witches, Warlocks, etc.

The term used for any type of magickal person is Magi. They are also sometimes referred to as Mystics, though this term is fairly outdated.

A magicks user is any person born with the ability to use magicks. Pretty simple. This does not include witches.

Witches are born witches, much like an elf is born an elf. It is a species not ability. Witches are born with a higher connection to the earth and have the ability to learn witchcraft rather easily, though they don’t all choose to. Witches are often female, but it is possible for a male to be a witch.

A mage is a person who is not born with any magicks or witchcraft. They give themselves Rune Tattoos and often Scar Runes, and teach themselves magicks. This often takes a very long time, so in some cultures (like Zerimar) they do this at birth so the child will grow up with the ability. Mages are outlawed in many places throughout Ru’aun.

A Shaman is a mage who teaches themselves magicks for religious purposes, usually under the faith of Irene or another Divine Warrior. In Castor, the Chicken Shaman’s case, it was under the faith of the chicken gods… or something… no one really knows..

A Demon is a bit blurry. Not much is known about them other than that they come from another realm and are often evil.

A Shadow Knight is anyone brought back to life (or in Laurance’s case transformed against his will) by the Shadow Lord in the Nether. A Shadow Knight that has not claimed their immortality is often referred to as a “premature” Shadow Knight.

A Divine Being is anyone with borderline unnatural magickal abilities, or anyone able to master both a magicks and witchcraft. They are believed to be either divine beings or divinely chosen.

And FINALLY, a Warlock is anyone who falls under any of these categories (aside from the last three) and uses their abilities solely for evil, their own selfish gain, and/or to deceive others.

[neos-schlond-poofa]

MY MCD HEADCANONS FOR THE 9TH ANNIVERSARY

i need to post SOMETHING to celebrate the best minecraft series ever but i dont want to do something too big because next year is TEN YEARS I AM OLD so heres my hcs and most are. just canon in my rewrite WHICH I REALLY NEED TO ORGANIZE ONE DAY. someone should make like a google doc layout template thing for us its a hard world theres so much stuff that needs to be rewritten. anywho.

LORD APHMAU

NOT the reincarnation of Irene. Or literally just Irene.

Instead I based her off of my friend's old theory from 5th grade (as a tribute, also my friend isn't dead it's not like an in memoriam tribute but its a tribute to an amazing idea) that she was a fallen angel. But. She isn't at the same time?

Instead, she's one of Irene's daughters. Kind of. ITS HARD TO EXPLAIN AND I DONT WANNA GO ALL INTO THE LORE HERE BUT THERES "SISTERS" OF HERS TOO AND VYLAD STILL SUMMONED HER.

She doesn't have those markings from rebirth; I like them in fanart, but realistically? Why would some random girl have that? Instead, she has weird scars on her body.

Knows the basics of writing and reading... but REALLY struggles with them still. She literally just spawned on this world. She doesn't know everything.

But her natural tendency to help people is in her blood. Like. Irene's whole purpose of these "daughters" of her were to try to fix her legacy in a way. She still struggles with a lot of things though, and all those changes to the village LIKE WHERE SHE JUST BUILT HUGE THINGS obviously don't happen.

She also didn't have good combat skills until she trained with Garroth. Then Zenix. Then EVERYONE. Her combat skills are a huge melting pot of every single person she's fought against or fought with. Of course, she prefers to just use her sword.

SUPER socially awkward but doesn't even realize it. After all, she doesn't have many things to base her social interactions off of; she just got here. But, she does have manners at least.

Can't cook. AT ALL. This is actually a headcanon based off the WORST FANFIC I EVER READ (I lied it was amazing but I was so shocked by the ending like it's the best fic ever but... it SCARRED me PLEASE read it).

About like. 24 years old.

Bisexual and genderfluid and polyamorous.

Endgame is ultimately Garrancemau, but she DOES have a relationship with Katelyn and Zoey during the series. Those will be expanded upon later.

Never has a romantic relationship with Aaron. Also will be expanded upon later.

Can't tell her lefts from rights (just like me) without using her hands.

Once she found out about her relation to Irene, she just felt TERRIBLE. Like. This super cool Goddess EVERYONE loves was basically her mother and she has to live up to that.

BUT OH IT GETS WORSE WHEN SHE FINDS OUT IRENE IS A TERRIBLE PERSON. Now, she has to struggle with telling the world or not, she has to exist knowing she was just created to be a solution to the problems someone who doesn't even care much about her caused.

Has mild generalized anxiety and ADHD. And. Naturally gets a lot of trauma over the series.

Knows how Joan of Arc felt.

GARROTH RO'MEAVE

Kind of an idiot in a way. Like. SUPER INTELLIGENT. But never thought about changing his first name when hiding in Phoenix Drop... he just always ignored people's questions about his last name.

In his defense, Garroth became a fairly popular first name after his birth. It's like when the royals have children and the names they give them become more popular.

Azura helped him escape to Phoenix Drop; they met when he was allowed to go to knight college or whatever its called I FORGOT GUYS!! And he was not in the same class as Laurance... but there any good knight is literally put on the list of Jury of Nine canidates. Like. It's not that hard to be considered. But to be picked? They do like the biggest background checks EVER and secretly watch you to see your strengths.

Naturally a very father-like figure to those significantly younger than him as a result of caring for his brothers and protecting them from his father. I made a whole post about it before. I'd tag it but I. Don't feel like it.

LEVIN'S FATHER!! DILFROTH IS CANON GUYS. But he doesn't know he's the father until after the timeskip.

He doesn't just wear his helmet to hide his appearance from others; he can't stand his appearance. He's a splitting image of his father, the man he truly hates. He hides all the mirrors in his living quarters, he can't stand it. Aphmau is the one that truly starts helping him love himself.

Although. After the whole incident featuring a betrayal, portal, and missing 15 years, he feels scared that he is turning out evil just like his father. He hates it. It haunts him everyday.

Also. HE WASN'T AWARE OF WHAT HE WAS DOING.

Firstly, I just need to say, I head canon Garroth to have depression. And I spoke about this a bit before, but seeing the two people he loved the most seemingly hide a relationship behind his back, instead of being open and honest with him just hurt. He fell into a depressive episode, like it was terrible. AND ZANE BEING ZANE used that to manipulate Garroth, having Lillian use magicks and potions or whatever to mind control him. He only broke out of it once Lillian died AND LAURANCE USED THE POWER OF LOVE!

He never truly figures out everything that happens until after he escapes from the Irene Dimension.

Speaking of which, he is SUPER injured after he escaped from there. I. Um. Actually don't know the specific injuries I'm giving him but all I know is he becomes a cane user. So like. Obviously something with his back but I need to like really get the logistics down that's just how my mind works with these things.

In love with Aphmau AND Laurance. He's so silly.

Bisexual masculine non-binary he/they autistic king that also suffers from depression, PTSD, and survivor's guilt.

Like most people believe, he has a dad bod. Like obviously he's muscular, but he's also chubby.

Can't cut his own hair since he doesn't look in the mirror. When he first revealed his face to Aphmau, she helped him out with his beard and hair (and almost braided his hair).

Around 26 years old.

A good singer, but only sang for Laurance while he was recovering. It's their small little thing.

LAURANCE ZVHAL

Okay so firstly, I'm not putting any Shadow Knight headcanons. That's too much.

However, as a result of being a Shadow Knight, he has poor temperature regulation. Like. He's very naturally warm, so he overheats a lot, but in the cold, it's the opposite. He's FREEZING and has to layer up a lot.

Has two gay dads. Which... is canon?? WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS. He has Hayden and Joh. They are his gay dads and they raised him. And Cadenza.

Rarely can have a nice, peaceful sleep due to night terrors. He's haunted by the memories of the Nether, and the only times when those thoughts are subdued are when he's sleeping close to Aphmau or Garroth.

Actually the father of Alina. Because it's not Aaron (ew). And he never knows about this. Because he SACRIFICES himself to save Garroth and Aphmau because he loves them, and he doesn't want either of them to hurt or for himself to hurt them due to the calling.

Just to clarify, he and Aphmau did not intend for this by the way. They just had a silly night where they drank a little bit! And then woke up like a rom-com or something and where like "Oh. My. God." LIKE IT SEEMS TO BE SILLY but then it isn't.

Only knows how to crochet a single type of bear plush. Like. NOTHING ELSE.

He had to wash his orange hair like every single day. If he didn't it literally became so greasy and so crusty. And Zoey ended up having to do that while she watched over him. She was so close to just chopping it all off for him.

Garroth was his closest company while he was blind. He often asked Garroth to describe him what he saw in the village.

Once he got cured, he only partially regained his eyesight. He struggles to see a lot, and gets headaches easily. When he goes into Shadow Knight form though, his eyesight gets a lot better; but once he gets out of that form, he experiences so much pain, and his sight goes downhill for a while.

Can braid hair.

Likes to prank his friends a lot through really elaborate scares. SUPER happy once Malachi and Levin started getting involved.

Pansexual and polyamorous and 25 years old.

Sneezes like. Really cutely. Like he has one of those sneezes.

KATELYN

LITERALLY THE MOST MUSCULAR CHARACTER IN THE ENTIRE SHOW. AND TALL.

Her true love was Jeffory. Nothing will ever change that.

When she dated Aphmau, her own grief over Jeffory held back the relationship from blossoming into something more. This applies to all her other relationships as well.

Her anger issues are just simply treated better here. Like. That's all I have to say about that.

Helped care for Aphmau the most (along with Zoey) after Garroth was freed from the Irene Dimension because of how depressed she was over everything. She became really close with Lilith Garnet during this.

Never gets drunk. It's kind of insane. She is wild at taverns and just. Never gets drunk. Her power at that is balanced out with her terrible seasickness.

Doesn't get the appeal of coffee. She hates it, like it tastes so bad to her. She's a tea girlie.

28 years old. But people never guess her age right, like ever. She's eternally youthful despite not having a single skin routine.

Okay this is actually a headcanon and it's based off of a friend I do have in real life. So like yeah I guess in modern times Katelyn is a One Directioner but I guarantee she would be a Deftones fan or something.

okay i planned to do more characters but i literally forgot all mcd characters and my hcs :( SO MAYBE JUST SUGGEST CHARACTERS AND ILL SAY THEM CAUSE THEYRE JUST NOT COMING TO MIND RN also im tired

ANYWAYS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE SHOW THAT FOREVER CHANGED MY LIFE. without you minecraft diaries, i wouldve never become the insufferable person i am today <3

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

So... SKs...

I need to talk about my positioning on the Zenix/Vylad/Malik Death thing too because i may have changed that opinion a teeny bit with a tiny bit of speculation... but i digress. that'll be another post, i'm just warning you that the yap travelling circus is coming to your city

anyways

SKs!

tw, this is discussions about SKs, and so will be talking about themes involving death, torture, and manipulation.

Lore about Sks really becomes defined after Laur becomes one, because he's a major character and it really makes sense that way, but we do get a lot of lore even before he becomes a recurring character, really. Especially through Zenix and the storylines adjacent to him. I really do think that Sk lore was peaking when Zenix was one of the major antagonists for the series, because it was just very interesting to have to explore that he was experiencing it away from the main storyline, and Aphmau would have to make an active effort to understand and build that knowledge, and even as she is starting to know more she is still kind of in denial that he is capable of the things he is doing.

And this becomes especially interesting that she is learning this through other people, when we compare it to what Zenix himself says about being a Shadow knight.

SKs have been around since episode one, maybe not in the way they were later developed to be, but the idea of this little band of antagonists that follow 'The King' and want lords dead, and are stunting villages, and we don't really know why except for monarchism. And as we build upon our knowledge over the episodes we find out they don't live in an active monarchy, but that the King is some supernatural force, and that the little band of villains are too, and they're trying to bring him back.

And then we get, in episode 31/32, that not all SKs are guards, and they don't only kill lords. Of course, the baker is only a knight in training, but the idea remains. The following of the King is ideological, they don't only recruit guards off of some need for the bond between lords and guards, they will recruit whoever is willing to do what they want, kill who needs to be killed.

In fact, the first time we ever really get the guard/lord talk in regards to Shadowknights is in episode 35, by Zenix. Zenix seems to have this idea that Guards and Lords are intrinsically connected, that the life of one is dependant of the death of the other, and there is always this idea that guards are expendable and so they are the ones to die and the lords live. However, if the guards kill the lords instead, they become the King's loyal servants, blessed with power, with immortality.

He cannot be killed like when he was human.

This is the origin of the idea that Sks are not only immortal, but have to kill the one they love most to transform into that immortal state. And it's not exactly what he's saying. He's saying that guards are always expected to die for their lords, but then the King tells them 'hey you kill your lord, i'll let you live forever' and then they're like 'oh neat' and kill their lords to gain that immortality and power.

I understand how this little rant of his later turned into that lore, but i think the implications here are much more interesting. Again, he says 'No one can touch me! No one can kill me like when i was human' and whilst you can take that to mean that he is no longer mortal, it also kind of reads like he has been killed or at least severely harmed before before... which has been implied by Azura earlier on, and sort of himself in the same conversation, where he says 'Garroth told you... didn't he? How he found me?' 'I wasn't in such good shape then either.' What this all overall implies upon SK lore is that the King preys upon victims to find followers, he takes those who have been victimised before, and he offers them the chance to not have to suffer that way again, they just have to do as he tells them to.

It's not some urge they cannot shake off, it's not this feeling deep inside of them that they cannot remove. They have been hurt they have been offered to not have to never be hurt again. It's a choice, through and through, but in the same way it isn't. It's not this primal hunger for blood, so much as a scrabbling for survival, it's fear, and desperation, it's a needing to not suffer through that trauma again and so they say yes. They say yes, because they will do these awful things because it's better to do bad to others than them do bad to you.

Later lore has them do these things because Shad has taken their bodies, and brought them back, changed their memories and given them the urge and the want to kill. He preys on victims because he can only turn those in his clutches into Knights. Earlier lore has him turning people by ideology, he is preying on those who he knows are already vulnerable, he is not limited by scope of domain, but merely by how convincing he can be. And that is terrifying.

Guards aren't killing lords because they need to kill who matters most to them, because they can't stop themselves no matter how much they try.

they're doing it because he told them to.

[aro-laurance-zvahl]

I know nobody asked but fuck it I slept and shit and am still thinking about it so like. Here’s why I hate Garroth’s betrayal arc, and what I would do instead!

Mind control is STUPID

I know some of what I’m gonna say is gonna be able to be countered with the whole implied mind control stuff. And yeah sure if he’s being mind controlled anything can happen! But also? Mind control is a stupid plot device. If the only way you think you can get a character to do the thing you want them to do, is to inflict them to mind control/corruption for multiple days or even weeks, then maybe it’s time to reconsider the plot point.

(This post is long so I’m putting a keep reading)

It’s out of character

It just makes no sense for Garroth to betray not just Aphmau, but Phoenix Drop as a whole. It’s established very early on, and is pounded in after this betrayal, that one of his most core traits is loyalty. It’s his fatal flaw! It prevents him from really trying to kill Zenix back when he attacked Phoenix Drop.

But then he sees Aphmau kissing Laurance and that Laurance broke their bro code...and oh man....he’s just gonna betray his home for fucking O’KHASIS cause of that. Screw loyalty I guess!

It’s start of the end

By this I mean it’s the start of some characters being boiled down to their attraction to Aphmau.

Suddenly Garroth’s fatal flaw isn’t loyalty, it’s Aphmau. He’ll betray the home he stood by even when shit went down the drain and their lord was dead and roads were falling apart, cause his crush likes someone else. He’ll help O’Khasis and the brother who has murdered entire villages cause of that. Cause that’s all that fuels good ol’ Garroth, his massive crush on Aphmau! Not a sense of justice or guilt from his past or anything of that nature. Just Aphmau.

Had very little lasting impact

And I know that sounds weird cause like yeah it did it changed the course of the whole story but like. It did a few things, but none of them have to do with the act of betrayal. Basically if Zane and Lillian did it all on their own and then Garroth stayed because that is in character at least, the few things that had a lasting impact would still happen

The 15 year time skip

Garroth is not in the overworld

Making the Divine Warriors important to their goals

Giving Aphmau Irene powers

Killing off Aaron

And that is about it. Dynamics with Garroth didn’t change, no one seemed to see him differently, he wasn’t even the focus when he finally got saved which leads me to my next point!

Him getting saved wasn’t about him!

Garroth got saved, he’s finally home, you the viewer who has been watching this shit unfold live are so excited and can’t wait to see the reactions- but wait.

Sure, Garroth is finally safe. Sure, he’s finally home. But...but Aaron is dead. Aphmau notices Aaron is dead, and that is what this arc is about. Not Garroth coming to grips with the world he reenters, finally seeing how unkind fifteen years have been because of his actions. Not about friends finally seeing him afger fifteen years, not about the friends he saved who know he also betrayed them having a swirl of conflicted but overall relieved emotions. No, it’s not about any of that. What it is about is Aaron’s death and Aphmau’s grief of it.

It was Aaron that sacrificed himself to do it

Aaron didn’t know Garroth. I don’t think the two ever actually talked, and sure it’s clear Aaron didn’t do it for Garroth. He did it to kill Zane and also. For Aphmau. (Remember that point about some characters getting boiled down to their attraction to her and that taking over character motivations? I think that applies here.)

Its just such a missed opportunity honestly. If someone dies to save him, Garroth should feel some personal grief! The person should have personal attachments to Garroth! Make it Laurance! Make it Dante! Make it Vylad! Make it fucking Azura! Not someone who Garroth will go “Oh. Who is that again?”

What I would do

My personal favorite way to change this arc while keeping those first four major impacts, is for it to be Aphmau’a icarus moment. It goes a bit like this

Garroth has just been approached by Zane and Lillian, he is sat in his room and filled with some sort of panic. They have some sort of plan, a plan he knows will not lead to good things for Phoenix Drop or Aphmau. The kiss he saw is barley on his mind because this takes priority. He has to tell Aphmau, as soon as possible but he knows now is not safe. He knows they must be stalking outside, keeping an eye out to make sure he doesn’t warn anyone.

That’s when he sees it, a deep purple enchanted amulet secured to a similarly enchanted golden cord. He doesn’t hesitate in grabbing it, whispering a plea in hopes Aphmau still has hers. And she does. He’s able to tell her all about how Zane is here and scheming something and how he’s trying to use him to get it but that means they can stop him before anything has the chance to start, plan an ambush or something of the like.

Except Aphmau sees opportunity. She sees a way into Zane’s plans, into his resources, it’s a perfect opportunity. Not only to stop his plans, but to learn what they are. Maybe even use them for good! Garroth just has to go along with it.

Of course he’s hesitant, the last thing he ever wants to put Phoenix Drop in danger, but he trusts Aphmau and sees her point. He agrees, even if every bone in his body is telling him it’s too dangerous and not worth it.

This continues on. Garroth feeds her the little information he gets, and she tells him to keep playing it up even as he voices his concerns more and more. She’s confident it will work out, that they’re so close to being one step ahead of Zane. But Garroth can see things are only getting more risky, but he places his instincts to the side.

And it keeps spiraling. It reaches the point where Garroth needs the artifact Laurance is protecting, and that is where Garroth tries to draw the line but it’s too late. The only way they’re getting Zane into another vulnerable position is with that amulet in Garroth’s hand, and there’s no time. No time to fill Laurance in, no time for Aphmau to tell him to pass it off to Garroth, and they both know that. Aphmau’s orders him to keep going, to do what he needs to get that amulet and that Laurance will understand later, and despite the pit in his stomach he doesn’t defy the order. He knocks out his best friend.

And as Garroth thinks that must be rock bottom for this whole messy scheme, it only gets worse. He is stuck following Zane’s orders, attacking his friends, until Aphmau says enough is enough. Except he realizes as he is sworn into the Jury of Nine, filled with power that makes him sick, that she’s not going to. She will not relieve him of this messed up situation until she gets the information she wants that he knows Zane won’t give until he’s already done it. And so, he finally defies.

Of course, it’s too late. It’s a blur of confusion, there’s a portal, they’re in some towering marble cathedral, and only as Irene’s relic enters her, as Zane grows into a monsterous rage fueled magical form, does Aphmau realize she took this too far.

Laurance and Garroth are struggling to hold off Zane, there’s a crack that at least signals Katelyn has dealt with Lillian, and then a portal opens. For a brief second, everything is gonna be ok! A familiar voice with an unfamiliar look is urging them to hurry, abs thwy will.

The issue is, Zane tries to as well. That’s when Garroth taps into the magic he hates, because he sees Aphmau trying to return to the fight and he cannot let that happen. He doesn’t care if it’s her fault because it’s his too, he should’ve put his foot down long before it got so far and by Irene he will not fail to keep her safe because of it. He tells Laurance to get her out, and there is a moment where Aphmau thinks Laurance won’t listen and leave him here to die because that is what doing this will do, but he does. He forces Aphmau through the portal with him, and then it closes.

There are a few quiet seconds, where they catch their breath and do headcounts, but no matter how many times they do it they are one short. And Laurance, confused and hurt but above that he is angry, he looks to Aphmau and in a unsteady voice bubbling with emotion, he asks “What was that?!”

And all she can say is “It wasn’t supposed to go that far.”

And now Aphmau’s determination to bring Garroth home isn’t only fueled by the fact it’s Garroth, but now by guilt. Guilt about how she pushed and pushed and pushed against his warnings, which previously had worked out in her favor before. It’s what got her to be a lord! But this time, this time it didn’t and the price was steeper than she could’ve ever imagined.

Of course my changes don’t stop there, because I also believe it should be Laurance who sacrifices himself to save Garroth, but expanding into that is moreso about my distaste for Aaron and less about the betrayal arc so I’ll save it for another day

How it pertains to the betrayal arc is giving Garroth grief and guilt, having him feel the weight of the sacrifice as much as Aphmau and doubt he was even worth it. Also since I believe Garroth loses his sword in the Irene Dimension abs I think Laurance still has his (and if he doesn’t he will in this AU), imagine Garroth using Laurance’s sword.

It also expands on Laurance’s motivations, about how the last thing he wants is to fall to his shadow knight side and as we see in season two, he gets dangerously close. Him making the choice is him deciding to die a hero instead of living long enough to become a villain, or more specifically someone who would hurt Aphmau or someone she might have to kill.

And I think that’s everything! I hope anyone reading this enjoyed!

[jurygarroth]

Opinions on Zane n Laurance (romantic or platonic, doesn't matter)?

Also do you have any rarepairs you like? :)

silly.. assuming mystreet because they really dont have a relationship in mcd. i think they should be best frenemies and haters to the end. there was once an ask series where we talked about them getting drunk and trying to fight and accidentally cuddling and i still think that’s real, they should hate on each other but then hate on something in common and begrudgingly agree, it could be so funny. they should be so silly

romantically though i can never see it. sorry if u do it just does not compute to me. even comparing the ro'meave/laurance ships that i don't ship.. i can actually see it with vylad but zane/laurance gives me truly nothing

i have to think.. aphmau fandom is small so a rarepair to me is like something literally only 2 people ship. for example i feel like the only motherfucker here going to bat for ivy/lillian. or aphmau/azura. vylenix was dragged up from rarepair limbo... travcinda has fans but they exist in youtube comments from years ago.. i'm sure there's others i enjoy but don't think about

anyways funny zane and laurance comic i drew a couple weeks ago under the cut (mature topic mentioned in text)

[phoenix-drop-villager]

diary table of contents

season 1

~read the tags for every post hehe ;)

 prologue

1. another prologue, other prologue, and uuuhh other prologue ?

2. running from marriage

3. cursed boat

4. shootings, kidnappings, and more marriage

5. pathetic gardens and evading marriage

6. playing nurse, sus guard in training, and...questionable lordship 

7. a terrible casualty </3

8. playing nurse part 2, sus guard in training part 2, and better lordship

9. playing nurse to the most beautiful not dying man

10. minding my buisness 

11. mysterious baby, chatty lordship, and jumping out windows

12. the curse of knowing and seeing too much

13. weird girl

14. attempted thanks, jumping out of windows, donna dearest jumping to conclusions, and flower crowns

15. embarrassing poor teen runaway things ugh

16. being mothered and dale spilling medium warm tea

17. weird girl part 2

18. her lordship going on a search and the curse of knowing and seeing too much strikes again

19. satisfying my curiosity but at what cost (maybe clawing my eyes out)

20. slightly directionless, kind head guard, busy donna, vibing with zoey and levin <3

21. realizations </3 but oh well

22. not even close to my name but good enough

23. much less pretentious

24. don’t even know where to start

25. what happened

26. garroth in the mines

27. babe house

28. donna. why.

29. long haired orange man and minding my business

30. it’s not my fault I’m the only youth in this village

31. head guard of meteli

to be continued soon <3

[noble-guards]

Mcd Minor Character Tournament