#the dragon prince arcanum sky

[perlelas]

Production of the day :

Sandwichbread (two large ones with a heart. And five with attempts to draw the arcanum of the stars, the moon and the sky).

- Brioches (with attempts to draw the arcanum of the stars, the moon and the sky).

- Brioche cinnamon rolls my way. - And : first brownie !

[dinochickrox]

I made this over 9 months ago and the fact that it might actually happen

[wheretwofacesmeet]

[imminent-danger-came]

1x06 Through the Ice

1x09 Wonderstorm

2x05 Breaking the Seal

2x08 The Book of Destiny

3x08 Dragonguard

4x04 Through the Looking Glass

Hear me out: Callum shatter/crack motif

[httyddragonfox]

Secrets of the Arcanums

I'm not sure if we'll ever get to see Callum connecting to all of the Arcanums and explaining them to us. Here's me trying to attempt such a feat:

First off, Sky: Skyline elves are very independently focused. We meet Nyx and she's trying to steal the good deed from under them and get a reward, next she's trying to save her own hide. We meet Ibis, when times get tough he suggests the heroes protect themselves and zym rather than protect the queen. A skywing Dragon guard in the past opted to flee when the chips were down, and suroh's family in blood moon huntress told him to focus more on his own safety.

The sky Arcanum is about understanding how the sky and it's power constantly surrounds you, and you constantly weild it just by breathing. It's power is at your fingertips and you can decide how to use it, you are in control of your own destiny. Basically it's "the sky is the limit." It's freedom, as it is said that 'those who discover flight wish to escape back to the sky.'

Next Ocean: We don't meet many tidebound elves and don't spend much time with them. What we know of Finnegran, he desires freedom and fears what he can't control. This makes him a villain in this sense. As for Akkiyu, she tries to trick them into thinking their task is pointless, and when discovered she knows too much, begs for an alternative. Akkiyu must've felt that nothing would stop this group, not even her defiance. So she did all she could to hinder their path, as she knew she couldn't stop them on her own.

Ocean is about understanding their are depths of knowledge that can't be known, and that the Ocean is too vast and powerful to control. The ocean is about working with the waves, not controlling them. It's about trust and faith, about "going with the flow of the tide," taking things as they are. Sailors like being on the sea because they like going wherever it takes them. It's acceptance of the unknown.

Third, Moon: Moonshadow elves have this mantra that death isn't an ending, death is nothing to be feared (at least for themselves). Life and death are both sacred. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when it happens to those they care for. Lujanne is a bit of a trickster, who likes to play with people's senses.

As Lujanne describes, most think appearances are deceiving and reality is truth. The truth is all there is of reality is the appearance. This must mean that reality is what you make of it. We see only parts of the moon, but that doesn't mean it's not there, we just believe it's not. We believe the moon sheds light, but it's just reflecting the sun. We believe those who die are gone, but they merely enter another plane of existence. We believe we are eating food, it's just grubs. Reality is what we make of it; we see what we wish to see, others perceive what we wish them to perceive. Truth and lies, it's mainly based on the perception.

Now for the hard ones...

First off, Sun: Sunfire elves live in a grand capital, heavy with knowledge, healing, and justice. They have brilliant scholars, amazing healing magic, plus strong and capable warriors. They have a rich history and culture. They hold a lot of reverence towards the sun. Their funeral rites are to guide souls to it's embrace, "returning them to the sun." Karim shouts at the sun, "what would you have me do? Give me a sign!" when he is baking under it. He claims lack of hope is a setting sun. So it seems the sun is like their God. They at least hold great reverence towards it. They also have two forms, fire form and light form, destructive powers vs creative powers.

What can we gather from this? It seems that without the sun there is no life, no hope. With the sun comes energy to live, it can also very easily destroy. Fire is like life itself, you have to feed it, and give it air. The sun and fire can both be snuffed out, much like life. The sun is also always constant, even when there is clouds, even at night with the moon. The sun never leaves, it exists to give energy and strength to everything that lives, that persists in the plants and every living thing. The sun is the strength and vitality of life. The sun Arcanum is much like, "with the rising sun comes a new day." The sun is hope, and the strength to keep on living. The sun Arcanum is understanding that inner strength.

How about Earth?: Earthblood elves tend to live amongst the wilds. Warlon likes dominating dragons, N'than is a more timid elf boy, Terry has a great relationship with plants and a super understanding nature towards otherness. According to Rayla the drakeriders guard the drakewood from trespassers. They seem to have a strong sense of community...towards themselves, but I don't think it has to be limited to that. Terry did not fit into that community, and N'than didn't either; probably a strained sense of community. The difference between Warlon and those two is that those two are much nicer. Warlon demonstrates social order community, following tribal traditions, while Terry and N'than demonstrate community in generosity and kindness.

Terry has a great relationship with plants, and N'than may know his gemstones and lava, Ezran can speak with animals (which can be apart of the earth arcanum), and Rex igneous is a master of stone. From these we can gather what the earth arcanum's secret is.

N'than has a playful way of perceiving the world, especially with how he playfully introduces the zones of peril, also he thought Soren was cool for standing up to Warlon and defending the drake, he also is empathetic towards dragons. He's a friendly guy. Warlon, took pride in showing N'than the ropes of being a drake rider, as well as defending his home turf. Terry doesn't control plants, but has a good relationship with them, he asks for their help and he comes to their aid. He's also understanding towards Claudia, who just wants to save her father. He does draw the line at needless cruelty or violence, and can be torn up from necessary violence (killing someone). He's also a playful guy as well. As for Rex igneous, he understands the humans aren't really a threat and there is no need to decimate them, as well as everything that shines meets it's end.

This all seems to stem a few things. For one, empathy: Showing care for your fellow man so to speak, and even an understanding for your enemies. Rex igneous, while hostile to avizandum was friends with him before but thinks he's a fool because he can understand the human's situation. Also not helping with Aaravos at first, because it would endanger everyone, then comes to help when he understands what has befallen avizandum's family. What about Warlon? We didn't see much of him, but I could understand if he was brotherly with the other Drakeriders. N'than and Terry speak for themselves. Another thing is playfulness. Rex igneous loves surprises, rare desserts, and being given gifts in the past. Warlon has a lot of fun chasing down intruders and going after drakes. Again, Terry and N'than speak for themselves. Not to mention the earth golems were playing jenga, and proclaimed themselves guardians of the gate. Ezran also has a sweet tooth, and starts his council meetings and big events with desserts.

I should probably get to that Arcanum secret...okay. There are plants and animals, as well as rocks and stones. N'than, Terry and Ezran treat animals and plants with respect, Warlon not so much. So that's not a necessity. Earth is probably understanding the life within all things, plants and animals. Understanding that life is all around you, each having their own ways of living: food, water, reproduction, communication, knowledge, their own communities. You could be like Warlon and make them submit to you anyway, or you can treat them with respect. Yet this doesn't apply to rock and stone. Rex igneous points out that all things lose their luster over time. This applies to all of life, everything on the earth. All is susceptible to time and change, nothing on earth is immortal. Everything has a lifeline, everything has a life, and while you are living that life you might as well have some fun. "The early bird gets the worm," it means to seize the day while you have it. Diamonds and gems are things to cherish, to compare someone to an animal is to endear them, it's to give them love.

Now Star: All we have to go off is startouch elves and Stella. For startouch elves, all we have are the stories Aaravos told. Both Aaravos and Stella are playful. That's only one facet. Thinking of the other startouch elves, aaravos says humans are puny compared to them, as they are aware of their own greatness. Is arrogance a factor, aaravos saw potential in humans? What does arrogance have to do with the stars? Well, they say if you are star, you stand out. You are popular, you're eye catching. Stars definitely do shine, startouch aren't just shiny thy are powerful. Stars are also powerful, being able to suck people in, like Aaravos can draw people in. I don't think the Arcanum is just power.

Stella has the power is make pocket dimensions and portals, and startouch elves are masters of divination. That's all realms of space and time. That is very vast, while Stars are single points, so it's not vastness. What do stars do that nothing else does? My theory is that it's persistence, as startouch elves are immortal. Stars are long lived. They take a long time to be created, they live for thousands of years, and even after they die it'll be hundreds of years before you notice. It takes many elements to make a star, and it takes a long time to reach any goal, to achieve greatness. "Rome wasn't built in a day," so to speak. Patience is not a trait of the stars, so it's not waiting for greatness. Instead it's understanding that their power will persist, memory also persists, everything has an echo. Much like starlight takes hundreds of years to reach earth, anything that happens will be remembered, it take a while for anything to truly die.

That's my 2 cents on the Arcanums and my understanding of them.

Tldr: Sky=agency and freedom, Ocean=faith and trust, and mystery, moon=reality is what you make of it, sun=the strength to keep living, earth=everything has life,star=power/action and memory persist

[cutietasja]

I rarely post sketches, but i really love how this one turned out! 💛

I’m getting the feeling i’m gonna spam some Dragon Prince fanart the following weeks, gonna re-watch it before the new season airs!!!

•

Likes, shares and comments are appreciated 🥰💛

[raayllum]

So this isn’t going to be quite as coherent as I want it to be, but one of the reasons I think the cube is related to Aaravos’ prison is precisely because it was entrusted to Callum by Harrow, the two characters most concerned thematically with the theme of Freedom. Now, freedom (and freedom from the chains of history, the cycle, etc) belies most of the series and most of the characters, particularly Ezran as the child king. But it’s a word most often reserved for Callum and Harrow’s arcs and struggles, specifically, because it was something Harrow was deeply concerned with, and because of Callum’s connection to the sky arcanum, and the sky as Freedom specifically.

Think of it this way. Before S3, Ezran’s arc had very little to do with freedom, outside of helping to teach Zym to fly (which ended up being a joint endeavour by him and Callum in the end). It’s only in S3 with his abdication that it becomes more overt. But throughout all three seasons, Callum is our tether to freedom.

He’s the one who shatters the primal stone to free Zym, causing what would’ve been the baby’s tomb to be his new birth. In doing so, Callum also frees Rayla from her literal/metaphorical chain through her binding. Then in season two, he receives Harrow’s letter, learning both of the Key of Aaravos and that it unlocks something powerful, in addition to the importance of freeing himself from the chains of history. Freedom is put in opposition to destiny directly in 2x08, as dark mage Callum mandates that Callum’s destiny is already written (symbolized, in that scene, by the cube with dark magic sigil) whereas Harrow encourages Callum to be free. The fact that the cube is used, as a symbol of Aaravos (stars = destiny) is absolutely perfect and indicates so much of what is to come of the show’s final conflict. The subplot ends with Callum resolving that destiny is a book you write yourself, and then he connects to freedom itself by way of the Sky Arcanum. In season three, he’s able to do this for Rayla as well, putting Harrow’s words into practice and helping to (somewhat) free her from the weight of her family’s sins and encouraging her to make her own choices. Rather than seeing love as a weakness or tool, the way Viren and Aaravos do, respectively, Callum finds strength in love, drawing on the Sky arcanum to summon his wings (about as much of a manifestation of freedom as you can get) and successfully saving Rayla’s life.

However, the only other character who has as much invested in the concept of freedom as Harrow and Callum is arguably Aaravos. (While getting out of prison was important to Viren again, in early S3, it isn’t a big motif with him in S1-S2 and the rest of S3 by comparison.) One of the biggest points of the show is that idea of concepts or ideals as a double-edged sword, and characters’ biggest goals or strengths being weaknesses under different circumstances. Claudia’s loyalty to her family is one of her most redeeming qualities, until it leads to her betraying her brother; Rayla’s selflessness is what helps her be so heroic, until it becomes self-destructive; Ezran’s compassion is a wonderful thing, but it can make him passive and easy to take advantage of.

 So you have Callum, who is tethered to the theme of Freedom, with a Key in his possession, Aaravos having some idea of how to get himself out of his prison if his machinations / guidance of Claudia and Viren are any clue, and Aaravos, who wants to be free of his mirror prison more than anything. 

While alternatively I think the Key could relate to a Guardian of the Great Gates and the possible magic potential that could yield (Callum connecting to the essence of magic, anyone, the same way Aaravos seems to be?), while it would/could represent freedom from the perceived expectations/limitations placed on Callum... we have already seen that substantially in S2. While I’d love to see Callum connecting to more magics or magic itself in the future, I don’t think the thematic connection of the cube there would be quite as strong, especially since it seems almost too positive a connotation, and the cube has always had both good and bad aspects assigned to it. It would more so be Callum being given freedom because he has this object, rather than Callum giving freedom by choice. 

I do think the series will end with either the cube destroyed by Callum’s hand or fully in Callum’s possession and control, mostly because it was Harrow’s parting gift to him and that carries a certain amount of weight, it could mean reclaiming and recapturing the key from Aaravos so it cannot be used for anything else (as I don’t doubt the cube has more than one capability/purpose), and because Callum has a habit of destroying magical objects. But that’d be a plot line for much later.

The point is that, thus far, Callum’s associations with Freedom have all been positive, but like I said: the series loves to make concepts more complicated (is this Justice or Revenge? The dangerous sides of grief and Love in Harrow’s arc with Sarai in particular, etc) the further we go along. How long will it be before Callum frees something with more disastrous consequences?

[nukteross-al]

I have a headcanon that creatures can't receive damage from the arcanum they are connected... For example Sky beings loves storms and the thunder doesn't affect them; Moon beings can have Night vision; Sun can not be overheated by sun nor fire and Etcetera. In fact, they feel even better when things like that happens. That said, I would like to see Callum being hit by a lightning

[tourneys-by-me]

Round One - Aeromancy 2/4

Propaganda under the cut (beware of potential spoilers!!)

Callum:

callum is, i feel, the quintessential magical boy. and by that i mean he is a huge nerd and is super stoked about magic and then it absolutely destroys him. this boy fought like hell for magic; he literally had to go through a Character Development Coma so insane he broke the laws of the universe. he had to dig through all his trauma and defeat an Evil Kermit version of himself and uncover what, in its very essence, the sky primal means. not only is this an incredible and nearly unrecorded feat for a human, but for creatures born with knowledge of the primal (aka the arcanum) too, bc they don’t really have to think about it. my guy is absolutely out here doing THE MOST. he is literally the most dramatic dude about it too he had a magic free trial for a week and made it his entire personality. i admire him for this. he has indeed dedicated his life to it so he has every right. there was that time he nearly got himself struck with lightning on the chance it might level him up, that time he had enough faith in his magic that he jumped off the world’s tallest mountain (he had his reasons) with nothing but a prayer, and when he went through a real bad breakup and for 2 years became obsessed with magic as a coping mechanism, which is how you know he’s really got the hang of it. and all that is JUST his journey with the sky primal, but the others are propaganda for different elements. anyways i kinda like the guy

Aang:

The show is called Avatar: The Last AIRBENDER for a reason. Aang is quite clever with his airbending too! He’s such a good boy.

[dragonprincebr]

[ENGLISH] Interview with Devon Giehl!

O Príncipe Dragão Brasil Team realized an exclusive interview with The Dragon Prince's Lead Writer and Producer, Devon Giehl! We asked about episode 8 from season 5, as well as questions by fans!

We translated the interview so more people can read about it! Here's the portuguese version.

Finnegrin was such an interesting and exciting villain! How did you guys created him, and is there any chance he survived?

Devon Giehl: It started because we wanted to take the characters to a sort of pirate town after they lost Zubeia’s help, they needed a boat to get down the coast. We started developing the idea of Scumport first and then we decided that the minor villain they would encounter In Scumport, this pirate-y lawless town would be Finnegrin. At first, he was only meant to antagonize the cast for one episode, but we had so much fun coming up with stories about the pirate town that we decided to invent the three-part arc in order to be able to fully tell a bigger story about the pirates and the trouble that Callum and co get in with him. So, we ended up saying “what if he chases them?”, “what if he’s part of the plot for the next 2 episodes?” that he pursues them and eventually captures them. We wanted him to be really mean, but also charismatic and charming and he was inspired by the character Al Swearengen from Deadwood. In terms of any chance of him surviving, I think it’s possible, I like to imagine that he had some magical or clever way of escaping his fate. I would like to see him again because I really had fun writing him. Maybe he got out, it’s possible, he’s a powerful ocean mage and a tidebound elf, so maybe. I know that there were jokes about why does he worry about drowning and I was like “why did I write it that way?” but I think even tidebound elves probably have ways of dying. It’s probably more of a metaphor than literally. If you go down far enough anything will be crushed down there. And she’s an Ocean dragon, she can probably just kill him in multiple ways.

In our understanding, a major theme of the episode was the lack of control of things that are bigger and deeper, like the tides of the Ocean, the dark parts of ourselves, which are things we can’t and shouldn’t control. And we wonder what will it mean for Callum, who values his freedom and his choices, when considering that in the last season, Callum lost control of himself when possessed by Aaravos, and now he reached this understanding of the Ocean arcanum.

DG: As a character, Callum explores the themes of freedom and to me that connects to themes of growing up in a way that there is this moment when you are young, especially when you are an early teenager, you gain some sense of self and you realize your individuality, your potential, the limitless power you can potentially have in the world.

You come into yourself in a powerful way and it’s really exciting and you feel like you can do anything. And then very quickly, as you get a little bit older, you come into a place where you realize it’s not that easy. There’s so many things in the world that are bigger and scarier than you, and you start to feel more powerless in how you may confront them, overcome them, and whether or not you even can, you start to make decisions more out of fear sometimes, out of desperation, you compromise parts of yourself, and it wears the way that person thought the world was infinite.

For Callum, in season 2 when he unlocked the Sky Arcanum, he was over the moon, he was excited, the entire world was open to him, he was free of everything. But now, he is a couple years older, a couple years wiser, for better and worse, and this is a scenario in which he was sort of backed into a corner and the only way out he could see was doing something that he didn’t want to do. To me it’s tough ‘cause it changes what he might think he originally believed in only connecting to the Sky. And it makes him a little bit more complex, he rattles his assumptions about his potential and he’s not quite sure anymore if he is who he thought he was going to be and I think all of us go through that at some point of our lives, and it’s really hard.

With maturity comes the sort of darker awareness of dangers of the world and your very small place in it. Whereas the Sky says “look, the whole world is yours, it’s open, beautiful and wild, you can be and do anything”, the Ocean arcanum says like “now, hold on, it’s not quite that easy and infinity possibility does mean that some of these possibilities could be bad”.

Another theme of the Ocean primal is accepting there are dark parts of ourselves, and it seems similar with the Moon primal, that recognizes that there are sides of other people that are hidden from view. So, is Callum ever going to try to tap into Moon arcanum?

DG: There’s a little bit of connection between the Ocean and Moon primal, because they are sort of the push and pull of the tide, they are related, they influence each other. In terms of Callum and the Moon Arcanum, from a more storytelling perspective he might. For me it’s hard to commit to that because the moon it’s Rayla’s special territory. It’s tough because if you have Callum to start to be able to do all this cool Moon magic, it actually kind lessens what Rayla is and what she is capable of. I don’t think it’s necessarily impossible, but I think it takes something away from her in a way we don’t really want the narrative to do currently, which is why we gave Callum his own identity with the Ocean and Sky for the moment. All of the moon stuff is very much how Rayla shines and she’s not going to get other arcanums as a moonshadow elf, we wanna make sure that she still gets to be cool and powerful with what we gave her and not just take that and give it to someone else.

And does the Ocean (and Moon) primal reflects the relationship between Callum and Rayla, considering we also saw the themes of trust between them – even when Rayla temporary hid the truth about what she was doing in his office – and eventually help mend their relationship?

DG: Ooh, that's spicy. I think both of them keep a lot inside, specially stuff that they feel ashamed of or frightened by, and I think that’s very natural for a lot of young people, even people in general. Rayla kept what she was doing from him, and it wasn't necessarily an attempt to hurt him or deceive him, it was very much because she didn’t know how to handle what she learned about the coins, she had no answer, she felt like “maybe if I learn a bit more, I can do something about it, but I’m not sure” and then in the end she has her little vision and she decides “I can’t figure this out right now, even though I really want to, I’m gonna have to go help Callum”‘. So I think it was very personal for her, even when you are in really loving relationships. They are not currently dating, but they do care about each other very deeply, there are still things you attempt to handle on your own and not share even with your partner.

I think Callum is a little bit the same way because there is that sort of like not quite mended trust between them, you also see reflected in how he doesn’t tell her right away about what he did to get out of Finnegrin’s grasp. I think once you unlock an arcanum, it doesnt mean you are gonna be a perfect person and act by the thing you’ve accessed, it just sort of is… sort of like mental breakthroughs, but even when you have little mental breakthroughs in real life, you can still screw up and take those breakthroughs and be destructive with them. The trust between them isn’t perfect yet, but they care about each other enough the other is not trying to hurt them. When Callum said at the end of season 4 “I’m so glad you are back”, everything that followed that, to me, was about him living by that realization, he’s not holding things against her, he understands and cares about who she is. It still is not what it was, but it’s more worthy to have her back in my life than to continue to be angry and resentful and sort of keep her at arm’s length. That doesn’t mean that they are gonna be totally honest and share everything with each other right away, so you still see both of them still taking on their individuals burdens and struggling with them.

What were Ezran and Soren feelings on Callum being tortured and then Rayla being almost fed to the Levianthan? We couldn’t get much into it because of time constraints, but we would love to know more!

DG: The episodes are only 22 minutes long. I would’ve love to do a scene where everybody has like a sort of immediate reaction. If I had to write that scene, I think I would have a lot of people, like Soren and Rayla, basically everyone, making a really big effort to see if Callum’s is okay and if Soren is okay, but I think Callum is in that moment… He doesn’t really want everybody’s immediate attention, he would probably say that he was fine and to check on everyone else, and that’s why you see Rayla with Stella, and everybody coming out, letting off the shackles and things like that and then you see Rayla going to Callum, I don’t think anybody ignored him or took him from granted, there was probably a very brief like, everybody checking in with each other, but his emotions were very confusing. He goes and sits down by himself, huddles up. Then Rayla reapproaches him and you see it play out as it did on the show. Everybody was pretty scared.

In this season, we saw Soren bring up the fact that Ezran, despite being king, is still a child. Is this conflict going to be brought up again, perharps by other people in his council or other Human Kingdoms?

DG: I won’t say how it comes out, but I think Ezran struggles as a really young kid versus the King. He talks like a twenty-five year old, he’s like really, really mature and trying so hard to “grown up”, but I think there’s parts of him that are suffering quietly because of that and we will see that come in to play. The fact that he is a child and there are parts of him that aren’t quite ready for all of this will definitely impact some things in the future.

Ezran’s grief in his short story was such an interesting take in his character, and i wonder if we’ll see more about it in the next seasons?

DG: Yes… Is that too much? That short story was more like a tease for the next three seasons, not just season five. So it’s something that's simmering in him during season 5, season 6 and onward. You’ll see a little bit more of it. He’s outworldly, very wise, very perfect, but there is a part of him that’s very vulnerable to pain, just like everybody, It’s easy to say out loud “peace and love and harmony”, but to actually act on that, not harbor any resentment, is super human. Even he is not immune to that. Everybody has things they are mad about.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FANS

Will the first human to ever do primal magic be explored more at some point?

DG: As far as I know, it’s really open ended and would be the subject of its own story, at some point, but i think it would be pretty cool.

Is there a connection between Aaravos and Callum’s mind, to the point of giving him nightmares? Or is there something else you can tell about a connection between them?

DG: I like the idea that he has nightmares, if anyone wants to write fanfiction about it, please do it! I don’t want to say much about their connection, but once Aaravos has control and touched him in some way, this connection still exists and it’s not something that just disappears, it’s with you Forever. That’s all i can say!

Will we see more of the Silvergrove, or if some of its inhabitants will be making an appearence?

DG: That’s too many spoilers, but we will see more Moonshadow stuff, and revisit their culture in a meaningful way.

Can you tell us anything about Claudia’s feelings on Rayla, or if they’ll be explored in the next seasons? Up until now, they didn’t share many positive interactions, and now Rayla was the main responsable for Claudia not freeing Aaravos, and also cut her leg (even if it wasn’t her intention).

DG: I think Claudia blames all 3 of them with the same amount of anger, I don’t think she focus on Rayla specifically. She sees Rayla as somebody who poisoned people who used to be her friends Against her, she hasn’t really taken the time to consider her as a person. She’s “The Elf” and has a really hard time moving on from that, and I think this encounter just reinforced that. It’s a very negative interaction and They didnt enjoy it. I don’t think she’s gonna blame Rayla especifically, it’s those 3 people – her old friends and the elf. It’s not a specific focus on Rayla.

Will we see more interactions between Soren and Corvus?

DG: Yes. Without saying too much about it, there’s na episode written by our sênior writer – Paige VanTassel – about Soren and Corvus and a storyline they go through. It’s extremely funny because Paige is the funniest writer in the room, and i hope people like it, cause they’re just so funny. The dynamic between Soren and his sort of goofy, himbo humour and Corvus who has deadpan reactions is delightful, and Paige made a Whole story about it. You’ll see it in a future season, and I love it!

In season 4, Rayla says “we can’t save everyone”, in response to her decision to no helping the Drake. Is this foreshadowing for something that might happen in the next seasons? Or it means a change of heart, in contrast to her saving Phyrrah back in season 2?

DG: I think when Rayla said that, she was having a very hard time. When you say things that are against your own nature – because i really think she didn’t mean it, she said the most mean, tough thing she could think of because nothing was going the way she wanted it to go. She was struggling with Callum, stuggling to connect with everybody, Soren was kind of annoying her, and I think she said something completely unlike her, in ways that are difficult to take back. And in the next morning she realizes what she did and freaks out, and it’s just another small mistake in her inability to process her own feelings very well. She routinely proves it’s not something she really believes, but in that moment she was feeling pretty low and angry, and it did not lead her to take great courses of action.

Could Callum adapt Manus Pluma Volantus the way he adapted the Ocean runes to allow his friends to breathe below the water?

DG: That’s a really good question. Maybe? To be honest we never though about that. Maybe it might not work the same way. But It’s possible!

About Terry: will his role remain as an emotional support for Claudia, or question what she does – which is something he already does, and in this season he did it twice, so we wonder if it’ll continue?

DG: I think he very much sees a version of Claudia that’s heroic, even though her methods are dark magic, and it’s a choice she’s making to save her father, and he genuinely believes that’s a good cause. He’s not like Rayla, raised to be na assasin, he’s kind of a normal elf, just a guy, he’s not quite aware of the world and the threat of Aaravos and what everybody else is fighting. He understands Claudia wants to save her father, but he has very limited knowledge on what that means.

From Claudia’s perspective, Aaravos is a “bro”, he sat on her shoulders for 2 years and helped preserve her father. So Terry's got a diferent set of information than the main cast, and sometimes people seem to not consider that – he doesn’t know everything our main characters have learned, and we’ve already seen him a couple times Calling her out when she tiptoes on the edge of cruelty, when she gets very angry, when she lashes out at Rayla and doesn’t give her the coins, when she lashes out at the dragon and wants to hurt it instead of just stopping, and that will continue. But he genuinely loves Claudia, he thinks she’s funny, charming, loyal to her family in a way that’s truly beautiful (even if for us, as the audience, is kinda twisted), he’s seen her best version and seen her do incredible things to get what she wants, but she’s slipping a little, and it’s alarming to him, so we’ll see more of that.

[nerdyenby]

Life Series winners as primal sources from the Dragon Prince

I made a post about this back when Limited Life finished but I’m revisiting the concept because I love it (this is all inspired by the wiki)

This is a touch long so buckle up :)

For this unfamiliar with TDP, it’s a Netflix show by a lot of the same people as Avatar the Last Airbender, it’s very neat and you should check it out. There are seven sources of magic in this universe: the six primal sources (sun, moon, stars, sky, earth, and ocean) and dark magic (which harvests and uses energy from magical creatures)

Grian as The Sun

Sun magic is known for its dual nature: light and growth vs fire and destruction. Either warm enough to comfort or hot enough to burn, the Sun and those who practice it’s magic are associated with truth, fury, intensity, charisma, and leadership. The solar arcanum has to do with strong positive energy, but also manifests in anger, fear and grief. Despite its focus on hope and healing, the Sun is also highly destructive and requires careful control of one’s emotions and impulses.

Grian is a bright figure, often at the center of the life series due to his contagious energy and unpredictability. It is due to his ability and desire to bring people together that destruction follows him. He seeks to entertain — to bring joy — but tends to do so in a way that is either careless or impulsive and often results in pain or loss. His warmth draws people in just in time for his lack of control to burn them. This is why — despite being seen as a friend and even a leader to other players — Grian always ends up alone.

Scott as The Stars

The Stars are the rarest and most powerful source of magic. Very little is known about it, but the Stars and those who practice it’s magic are associated with wisdom, destiny, dedication, reality, vision, and eternity. The most mysterious of sources, Star magic is said to be vast and timeless. Practitioners of the Stars’ arcanum have said it to be brighter and more beautiful than anything else in the universe, but unconcerned with the mortal world and even cruel. The Stars have power over time and space, unfathomable in their reach and strength.

Scott is frequently hailed as the biggest threat in any given season. His strategies evade substantial analysis, but his biggest trademark is maintaining loose but amicable connections with everyone around him. No one wants to get on his bad side, not only because of his strength, but because of his likability. Intelligent and charming, Scott manages to get through majority of each game without any real enemies, keeping his distance and avoiding being seen as a threat. Scott is bright, both in intelligence and in atmosphere. He is everywhere and nowhere, constant yet unnoticed. He’s above the petty fighting of the other players, but whenever he enters the fray he is the most feared unknown on the field.

Pearl as The Moon

Those connected to the Moon primal are private and secretive creatures. It is associated with manipulation, duality, depth, love, and death. The Moon arcanum largely focuses on the relationship between appearance and reality, understanding that appearance is a part of reality and that we can only ever perceived the appearance of reality. Truth and illusions are central concepts in the practice of lunar magic, and those who practice it are often misunderstood, dismissed as mad, or isolated. The Moon has a penchant for trickery, often playing with the line between truth and lies or life and death.

Pearl has always been a person who loves very deeply, but frequently finds herself alone. While she very much values a certain level of privacy, she also craves companionship. Pearl is extremely intuitive and pays attention to her surroundings, not hesitating to take new angles or look at something or someone from a new perspective. But in her intelligence comes something difficult to convey, her fluidity can cause her to be perceived as fickle. She is often in smaller groups or even alone, as people who don’t understand her may be inclined to distrust her. Pearl is often seen as wild or unpredictable due to a combination of her more withdrawn nature and her straddling the line of truth and lies, of life and death. Her mischievousness, intelligence, and independence can intimidate others, but Pearl is a steadfast and loyal ally, misunderstood as she often is.

Martyn as The Ocean

The Ocean is dynamic and forceful. It is associated with transformation, adaptability, navigation, depth, and awareness. Those who practice the Ocean primal tend to form strong connections to others, but they also have hidden depths. Gentle on the surface with great strength beneath, they may be stronger than even they know. The Ocean arcanum is about letting go of your need for control and finding the constant amidst constant change.

Martyn had been a classic team player, often making a place for himself right beside a force to be reckoned with. He was loyal, ready and willing to live, fight, and die for another. But he is also fluid, flexible in his role. Martyn is content staying on the sidelines when that is what serves him best, but he also has a fighting spirit that historically gets overlooked. He is powerful. He forms strong relationships, but has also learned when to stay and when to let go. He has paid attention, learning the game, and now it is his time to strike. His whole story is about the battle for freedom, but it is also about finding how to live within that space. He still pushes at the walls of his cage, unrelenting in his fight to find a way out, but he simultaneously refuses to let his circumstances dictate his story.

Scar as The Earth

The Earth arcanum emphasizes resilience, patience, history, and stubbornness. Those connected to the Earth primal care deeply about the world around them and it’s story. They are patient and strong, focusing on growth and fortitude. Those who practice the Earth primal value balance and harmony, seeking interdependent and mutually beneficial relationships with everyone and everything around them.

Scar’s story is one of growth. From the first person to ever die in this series to the only winner to make it out alive, Scar’s victory is a testament to his dedication and diligence. He has worked steadily to improve with no basis of comparison but himself, patient and steadfast, uncaring if anyone takes notice. He’s stubborn, even when no one believes in his abilities — including himself — he doesn’t give up, putting in his all regardless. He doesn’t expect success, but he achieves it regardless. Scar has never been out to rewrite history, but he carves a brand new story in stone all on his own.

[theredhairedmonkey]

I've seen a couple posts treating the TOX game handbook like it's the Bible, that it's an accurate breakdown of the show's main characters, and then fighting about what it all means.

On the one hand, some people are arguing "It says Callum cares more about his inner circle than anyone or anything, so he cares more about his friends than morals." But then others are saying "Rayla's Devotion score is #1, so she cares more about her friends than morals."

So I'm just gonna weigh in and say: Guys, my people, y'all gotta read carefully. Specifically the first paragraph about the main cast:

Fans of The Dragon Prince will recognize these key players in the show! We have assigned all of these die ratings, values, and so forth to reflect where we believe the characters would be at the end of Season Three. This way, should you encounter them in your tales and chronicles, you will feel it reflects the natural place where they are in the story. And though Zym is important, we haven’t included him as a catalyst, as he is still a baby dragon and only Ezran knows what his true die ratings are. Feel free to adjust these aspects for your own playing group, including (but not limited to) when the show’s story advances into future seasons.

In other words: "Here's our breakdown of the characters, but it's just our two cents so take it with a grain of salt, and it's just a snapshot as of s3 and they'll likely change anyway."

In short, don't take it seriously, it's no different than a headcanon about where they stood two years and two seasons ago. Imo the real fun is how the characters line up now as opposed to 3x09, since the whole point is that these values are supposed to change over time:

So, in the spirit of fun, here's where I think each main characters' values stand as of s5:

Callum

Here's Callum in s3:

I think he's the easiest to guess because his character growth lines up with which Arcanum he learns. Because Arc 1 was all about him learning the Sky Arcanum, Liberty represented his most important value ("Destiny is a book you write yourself!"). But as of s5, he has definitely been questioning this ("no matter how hard you try, you'll never control everything"), so this has probably dropped. Meanwhile, I think his learning the Ocean Arcanum has opened him up to understanding hidden depths, so his Truth value would have increased to perhaps being his highest one (similar to Lujanne, whose highest value is also Truth).

Soren

Here is Soren's as of S3:

Soren is also similarly easy to guess. His highest value in S3 is Glory, which I think has definitely stepped down (he was willing to hang back in 5x09 and let the trio fight Claudia while he watches over their friends). Instead, I think his Justice value has shot up, especially in light of his standing up for Elmer ("He deserves dignity!"). By the end of the season, I think his highest values are Justice and Devotion.

Rayla

Here's Rayla in S3:

I think, if anything, Rayla's Devotion score is maxed out, but her Justice score has gone up. Rayla is now even more devoted to Callum than ever, centering everything she does around him and trying her best to be his closest companion. But she's also prioritizing stopping Aaravos over her family, so her sense of Justice is higher too. She might still prioritize Callum over their mission, just not over anyone else.

Ezran

Here's S3 Ez:

Ez is probably the hardest to map, just because he hasn't had many moments of introspection or clear moments of growth. But if I had to guess, I think his sense of Liberty has grown somewhat, especially in light of Soren telling him he should have moments to be a kid lest he "grows up weird."

Claudia

And last but certainly not least:

Like Ez, Claudia's change is kinda hard to pin down mainly because she's remained pretty consistent throughout. If she has changed, she has become even more devotional (representing a dark antithesis to Rayla), while her Liberty score has likely dropped. She is, at least for now, chained to the path she is currently on.

Conclusion

In short, neither mine nor the gamecock author's opinions are authoritative, so YMMV here. Let me know what y'all think, but feel free to disagree and, most importantly, have fun!

[wheretwofacesmeet]

[wizardbracket]

Round 1: Match 50 of 64

Why they deserve to be the ultimate wizard according to YOU:

Callum:

"Taught himself how to access the sky arcanum so he didn't have to do dark magic, the first human known to have done so. Can cast cool sky-related magic, like lightning."

Luz Noceda:

"She had to be smart and hardworking to get her power, she has a yet-to-hatch familiar, her human world technology is magic to her magic world friends"

"She technically wants to be a witch and there was one mention of a wizard in the show, but I wanna argue that she counts as a wizard because her magic is based on study. She puts a lot of work into learning her craft and cannot cast magic that she has not studied. Her presentation is also baller."

[httyddragonfox]

Lack of control vs Agency

We always have control vs Chaos, but we also have Control vs Agency. I see this in almost everything. There is also this understanding of a lack of control.

Seeing Dragon Prince Season 5, I can't help but think of a few examples to understand this. Mostly, I think of that scene from Kung Fu Panda:

Oogway: You must lose this illusion of control, my friend. Take for example, this Peach tree. I cannot make the flowers bloom before they are ready neither can I make the tree bear fruit before it's time.

Shifu: Yet, there are things we can control. For instance...I can control when the fruit will fall (Kicks the tree). I also can control, where to plant the seed. (Slices the fruit, strikes the ground to make a hole and throws the seed in) These are not illusions, master.

Oogway: Yes, but no matter what you wish you will get a peach tree. You may want an apple or a pear, but you get a peach.

Shifu: A peach can't defeat Tai Lung!

Oogway: Maybe it can...if you nurture it...and you guide it.

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

That's not the only example, I also think of what Villads said in Season 2 to Rayla.

Villads: Life is like a river; you can't control where the river goes, but there is one thing you can control: Yourself.

The river may push you forward, but you decide where you are going.

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

Sky Arcanum is about understanding that you yourself have the power to shape your own destiny. You can control yourself. The Ocean Arcanum is realizing that outside of yourself, there are elements you cannot control. This is probably why the sky and the ocean reflect each other.

As for me, I'm too aware of my influence on the world from the slightest action. I rather the currents of life move around me, and yet I'm fully aware of what I want to achieve and how to get there. It's a conflicting ideology, not many can have it.

Either you're a villain like Finnegrin and you want complete control, or you're like Aaravos; aware of what effect your agency has on the world, and purposely making ripples. Complete Control vs Chaos.

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Oh also top 5 Dragon Prince episodes!

Oh thank you so much for asking, I could talk about each of these episodes forever!

I know the early episodes aren't the most popular, but Echoes of Thunder remains my all-time favorite. I just love the vibe of it and the way it sets up the characters: Rayla sparing Marcos and having to save face with Runaan, how clearly Callum and Ezra love each other and Harrow, and even Callum and Soren. When Soren realized Callum was trying to impress Claudia with his swordsmanship, I was so ready for him to be a jerk about it, but instead he was like "don't worry, I'll help" and I immediately knew the show had hooked me

Speaking of fantastic early episodes, Moonrise is another one of my favorites because it lays out the stakes so well. That battle between Rayla and Runaan? Finale-worthy stuff and it was the third episode of the series. Callum calling Harrow "dad"? Still makes my chest hurt. Plus I love how ride-or-die Rayla becomes for the boys like fifteen minutes after trying to kill them

There wasn't a single sentence of Harrow's letter in Heart of a Titan that didn't blow me away. I also really love how everything came together in the end, with Harrow telling Callum about Sarai's death the same way Callum tried to tell Ezran about Harrow's and Aanya's absolutely iconic speech. Also the key of Aaravos reveal. It was so much in such a short time

Breathe is an absolute masterpiece and I will not be taking notes. Rayla almost confessing to Callum, the music that played when Callum figured out the sky arcanum, the exposition on Claudia's and Soren's mom, the way the two of their arcs developed and how that contrasted with Callum's and Ezran's development... life-changing stuff. I also really love Sarai's speech to Callum in his dream. I still say it to myself sometimes when I'm especially anxious

Finnegrin's Wake, obviously. It's such a good episode for everyone involved. The rayllum is top-tier, of course, but I also love how it showcased the strength of the friendship between the (extended) dragaang, and it had some standout individual character moments like Soren helping Deadwood and Callum's epic speech about the ocean arcanum