#Earthblood elves

[aria-bun]

headcannon that, similar to deer, all earthblood elves shed their horns in the winter and they regrow over the rest of the year

[chattychatty4]

Making headcanons about the anatomy/biology of elves in tdp part 2:

Earthblood elves

+Terry with these headcanons

[fandom-susceptible]

Horns and Antlers: Elves

Just a moment of nerding out to help fuel everyone's The Dragon Prince elf horn headcanons, here's the national park service's breakdown of horns vs antlers:

"Antlers—found on members of the deer family—grow as an extension of the animal’s skull. They are true bone, are a single structure, and, generally, are found only on males.

Horns—found on pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and bison—are a two-part structure. An interior portion of bone (an extension of the skull) is covered by an exterior sheath grown by specialized hair follicles (similar to human fingernails). Horns are usually found on both males and (in a diminutive form) females.

Antlers are shed and regrown yearly while horns are never shed and continue to grow throughout an animal’s life. One exception is the pronghorn, which sheds and regrows its horn sheath each year." (source)

Summarized!

Antlers are made of bone and shed every year

Horns are made of bone with an outer covering of keratin (the stuff fingernails, hooves, and hair is made of), and don't tend to shed.

The sexual dimorphism is different too, antlers are usually exclusively a male thing where horns may differ from male to female but usually both have them.

(caribou have antlers on both males and females, though in different seasons, and pronghorns shed parts of their horns every year though, so there's flexibility within the general rules!)

(deeper dive of science and how it connects to the show under the cut, but CW for blood and arguable gore, as the science of antlers is a bit graphic, but I wouldn't say it's worse than certain deaths that occurred in season 7.)

Because they are made of bone at the core, horns are likely to bleed when broken closer to the base, but de-horning/trimming the tips off of horns is commonly done in cattle to keep them from injuring themselves or each other with no adverse effects for the animal. Imagine a much larger version of trimming the claws of a cat or dog - the tips are fine to go, but get too close to the base and you're hitting live tissue and veins.

Antlers have a different growth cycle. When they first grow, they're covered in a thin skin and fur layer called velvet, which is absolutely riddled with blood vessels to bring nutrients to the antler. If the velvet is broken, it will bleed, and scraping the velvet off is often a very bloody affair. Shedding it is literally just . . . scraping off a layer of skin and letting the antler wear and harden, it looks brutal, but the deer don't seem to be particularly distressed about it. If the antler is broken while it's still in velvet, it will bleed. If it's finished growing, though, an antler will calcify and harden, meaning there won't be blood in the antler itself once the velvet is removed (unlike horns). That's why the stumps don't bleed when they're shed later in the year. (source)

On that note, neither antlers nor horns have nerves the way the rest of the body does.

Antlers only have nerves in the velvet, and those are shed with the skin when the antlers are done growing. Again, despite the velvet being actual skin with nerves in it, they don't seem to mind it! I'm no professional, but I would hazard a guess that since there's no further need for extra blood to the area to grow the horn, reduced blood flow results in reduced sensation as they go to shed the velvet.

Horns don't have nerves in the tip, which is how dehorning can be done safely with cattle. When the horns first start to grow, the nerve and bloodless tip will be most of it, and it can be removed without harm to the animal, and if that trim is maintained, it will never grow longer horns. However, once a longer horn is grown, there are nerves in the thicker base just as there is blood.

Now because the Tidebound exist though, I'm going to delve into coral and shells for a second too, though mind, I don't know any of this shit nearly as well as I know horns (lived around cattle and deer) so this is what I could glean from some basic research and is by no means definitive

Coral don't have nervous systems the way we would think of them at all, with only the most basic of nerve nets throughout their bodies allowing them to react, and only minorly, to stimuli. Many scientists believe this means they don't feel pain as we would perceive it, but rather just register touch and cannot differentiate sensation. Others suggest that since they react by withdrawing from harm, this qualifies as some version of reacting to pain. However, since coral have no brains or backbones or advanced nervous systems, it's all rather theoretical. (source) So, my personal take would be that Finnegrin can probably feel things touching his "horns" regardless of where it is (where Terry probably can't at all, if he's not in velvet, and Rayla wouldn't be able to feel the tips of hers), but he wouldn't necessarily be able to differentiate what the touch is, just that it's there.

Shells are a whole different beast. The shells of vertebrates like turtles are way different than the shells of mollusks and gastropods, but the latter are the ones we see in Tidebound elves. Those are super unique in this conversation because not only do they not have nerves, those shells aren't living tissue at all. They don't even have proper cells. Those shells are constructed of very basic proteins and minerals that are hardened over time into the shell around the creature that lives inside. The shell can't be felt at all, though if the creature inside has enough of a nervous system to feel sensations, they will likely feel the shell move around them if there's contact with it. (source)

So, from what we know about elves!

If Moonshadow elves have true horns, Runaan should have been bleeding heavily for a few minutes from how low that horn was broken (though likely not enough to do him serious harm from blood loss, he'd just feel a bit iron deficient for a few days. Horns tend to clot quickly when broken). We can assume they did not do this because of the kids' rating of season 1, even if the writers knew horns should bleed. He also likely felt a significant amount of pain, and probably has a nasty headache and possibly a concussion from having his head rattled that hard.

In contrast, even if his horn was carved to fit the caps he wears, Ethari probably wouldn't have really felt it (other than vibrations in his skull). However, horns can be trained to grow in certain configurations over time, and the caps might have been a training tool to ensure they grew into the desired curve, and then just left on as decoration or armor. Moonshadow elves seem fond of dual-purpose everything, so a metal cap that's training tool, decoration, and armor all at once is right up their alley.

(on the note of Moonshadow elves, also, it seems likely that the "wood grain" we see on their horns is also willful decoration, as the Moonshadow children we witness don't have that grain, and the interior of Runaan's broken horn lacks any evidence of it. As we can see in this shot with Ruthari, the patterns also aren't of the same style from elf to elf, but the grain on Runaan's horns is mostly lines like his tattoos, and Ethari's horns and tattoos both feature delicate swirls.)

Sunfire elves definitely have horns, though they are intriguing as it seems there's not a very strong delineation between skin and horn. However, that could also just be art style, as there's plenty of horned animals that have fur or skin roughly the same color as the base of the horn around the base of it. This includes some pronghorns, which you'll remember are the neat antelope that sheds the keratin layer on their horns and regrows it but keeps the bony core, and antelope. We've pretty much covered how their horns would work with the Moonshadow elves, as they're pretty similar, though Sunfire elves' horns are smaller and their vulnerable zones would be as well, though they're also thinner and likely more vulnerable to breakage (hence, I imagine, all the armoring on them).

Skywing elves are an interesting conundrum though, because unlike Moonshadow and Sunfire elves, they have a quite varied set of horn styles. Astrid seems to have a fairly basic goat horn curve (as does Kosmo).

Nyx's horns curve so sharply that from many angles she appears to have two sets, but in her concept art we can see that she just has a secondary branch at the very base of her horns, which is reflected in Hendyr (the Skywing Dragonguard) as well. And all of these people are among the 20% of Skywing who have wings, so it's not genetically linked to that trait. The lobed pattern of Nyx and Hendyr's horns appears to be more standard, with most unnamed Skywing also having horns that are layered to look like feathers. The Elder is like this as well.

Suroh, the little Skywing boy Rayla meets in Bloodmoon Huntress, however, has goat horns like Astrid - except placed lower on his head, and having ridges that hers do not.

So far though, all of the Skywing seem to have some common traits: their horns are relatively short, and curl close to their heads, having ridges or lobes that mimic feathers. All of them resemble various types of goats, all are definitely horns.

I dunno what the fuck was wrong with this guy, why does he have dragon horns when none of the others do, what makes him special?

Everything. Everything makes Ibis special. I miss him so much.

*coughs* anyway, Skywing elves likely have a fairly strong culture of training their horns to grow in specific directions, based on the variance in how they curl. Also, if Astrid's horns continued to curl in that direction they would absolutely eventually stab her if they hadn't stopped growing or been trained to grow that far from her head. Imagine if she had the tight curl we see with Suroh but with her horn placement.

Now we get to the Earthblood, where things get more interesting.

Those are definitely goat horns, and not even decorative mimicry like Astrid's, just straight up bighorn ram. Simple. Case closed, right?

Nah.

Because this little kid is an Earthblood from the same community, who clearly seems to have branching going on in his head ornamentation already, which is generally a trait of antlers. (Though, there's those pronghorns again.) Unfortunately, we don't really see enough to confirm whether they're antlers or horns, but let's just assume antlers for the fun lore of it all. Earthblood elves start growing them at a much younger life stage than most antlered animals. It also makes sense why Earthblood elves seem to keep shorter hair than many other elves - the antlered ones have fucking velvet to worry about. Can you imagine getting dead, bloody skin out of your hair??

What's interesting is that Terry's horns do not have the branching I would expect from antlers. As a matter of fact, his horns are virtually indistinguishable from a Moonshadow elf's, though he doesn't have the purple wood grain effect we're used to seeing with them (again, my guess is that that's painted on anyway). So based on Terry alone, I would actually say he also just has horns, and N'than and Earthblood Callum (and the elves that indulge Earthblood Callum as a trope) being the only indication they sometimes have antlers.

oh but then, then we get into some Really Interesting stuff with Mukho. Look at that. Do those look like antlers? They do seem to have branching, but they also have what appears to be flat plates. I would actually hazard a guess that Mukho is one of the Earthblood we heard about back in the day, with horns of crystal or stone rather than antlers or goat horns. That one, I don't really know how to make work biologically, which is why I didn't give a rundown for it up top. This one's just magic.

The Tidebound also have some interesting shit going on, though. Finnegrin here has coral on his head, and if you remember, coral has basic nerves throughout its body but scientists debate whether it can feel pain as we understand it. My guess would be that Finnegrin and other Tidebound like him can register touch to their horns in a way that Rayla wouldn't be able to feel at the tips of hers, and an antlered Earthblood wouldn't feel unless in velvet, but he wouldn't necessarily feel pain at one of them being broken. He'd just be aware of it.

Akiyu would feel her "horns" even less, with shells being made of basic proteins and minerals and not, strictly speaking, having nerves or live tissue at all.

So! Elves have wildly varying cranial ornamentation and there's some Science about it!

Also, to veer into conjecture a bit, it's worth noting that while Moonshadow and Sunfire horns are constructed similarly, they're likely for very different evolutionary purposes. Moonshadow horns are larger, yes, but are heavily angled towards their back, indicating use either ramming with the length or base (as we see with goat horns) or defense against attacks from behind. Sunfire elf horns are smaller but often angled much more upright, indicating more ability to use them as stabbing weapons.

[jupiter-dragonsong]

Silly TDP Headcanon #11

Among many Earthblood elves, horn gardens take the place of horn jewelry. In addition to the algae and lichens that naturally grow on their horns or antlers, many elves cultivate dense mosses, flowering liverworts, mistletoe, small epiphytic ferns and orchids, specialized shelf fungi, and tiny varieties of vines and ivy. Some of these plants can be found only on the antlers and horns of elves and other Xadian fauna. A few ecologists have dedicated their careers to studying this phenomenon.

Exceptionally fashionable Earthblood elves might have 40+ species living on them at any given time. Biodiverse antlers may attract animal life as well— springtails,  snails, orb weavers and jumping spiders, small beetles, isopods, caterpillars, moths, and solitary bees. They’re regarded as something between pets and accessories. Particularly old and lush gardens, especially on large sets of horns, can be enough to host adoraburrs, small frogs, and on very rare occasions Xadian bee hummingbirds. 

Outsiders to Earthblood communities are often found staring and trying to figure if that person knows they have a spiderweb between their antlers? And how do they have those flowers growing on their heads?

(I think I might do some art of this if anyone is interested)

[noa-daughter-of-apollo]

Just finished my TDP Earthblood oc this morning! Now to make my friends'. One is the same species and the other is a Tidebound.

[nobredoesart]

Continuing my rant about the elves and restructuring them, here are the 3 other missing races!

Sunfire Elves: I do mostly like the designs of the Sunfire Elves, but I did want to reduce the amount of armor and layers a tiny bit, maintaining the accessories and gold accents, while making the clothes more flow-y and vibrant. With that in mind, the Arcanum of the Sun is a very interesting one, because the show does nail it, but it doesn't explore well enough what that would mean for those who have it as an intrinsic part of them.

So, we get to it. Truth, Life, Destruction and Eternity are the core tenants, and they shape how the elves operate. It's not quite that Sunfire Elves can't lie, but the idea of it is almost alien to them, to the point of causing genuine discomfort. Reality exists and one is meant to live it truthfully and with passion. Monuments litter the streets of Sunfire cities, filled with attempts at eternity, shining beacons of who existed, along with the destruction of that which is offensive to the truth and reality itself. Sunfire Elves are a stubborn lot, and their society proves it, believing in justice with little bending, in strong work done well and lives of passionate creation honestly achieved.

Warriors, farmers, artisans and smiths are very well known within the communities, of course, but the petty squabbling of nobles can get in the way.

It's not uncommon for most other Elves to see Sunfire as kinda stuck up pricks, but that is because they do not understand that the elves of the sun would rather break than bend, no matter the cost, and they will rend asunder all that stands in the way of truth and good.

I do like the Sun State from the show, but I do want to add that in Sunfire Community, it's seen as a purer state of being, and used in rituals, ceremonies and even things like courting rituals. Sunfire Elves also passively heal quicker, and have an almost debilitating disgust over being up in the long hours of the night, as the lack of sunshine drains them, and makes them feel unclean.

Earthblood Elves: Gods, do I love the concept art for these, but hate how the only ones we see in the show lack the awesome elements. So, I am choosing to lean hard into the concept art, and then adding more detailing.

Before getting into how their society works, let's talk design. Earthblood elves should have a way more earthy appearance, with stone and dirt being part of their designs, as well as leaning into them being part of the nature that surrounds them. They have little clothing, choosing to usually trim their natural growths to be "decent" and tend to actually look deeply asymmetrical, as the earth is very rarely so standardized. Their horns/antlers are also affected by this, having wild designs and growths, from stone to moss to leaves to many other things!

The idea that Earthblood Elves are passive and against confrontation in canon is also mildly annoying. However, I understand where it comes from, so I am changing it so the motivation fits within the Arcanum of the Earth, which will touch upon Tradition, Growth, Connection and Endurance. It is slightly different from Canon, as are the other slight tweaks to the Sources, but this one has a bigger impact in how the Elves work. Earthbloods have an inherent connection with the world around them, be it the land or the people, with an almost magical sense of empathy, which tends to lead to them serving as great pillars of support within their communities. They also value the soil, the earth beneath their feet, and all those that came before them and worked it, as traditions and that which was are to be held as sacred, like the roots from which a tree grows.

Due to all this, stirring the growth of their community, without ever forgetting their roots is important and necessary, as is a more, grounded set of beliefs. Their lack of confrontation stems from the understanding that people will grow on their own, and that brutality happens in nature, and they should not intervene unless a big calamity would destroy the true center of something.

As for their innate magic, while the whole Earth State they go into that we see on Terri is interesting, I like the idea that it's different. That they go fully stationary, that they turn into a tree or a stone golem, something that doesn't move, but makes things around them grow and fortify and spread. They also just, can feel the ground and trace the roots of mountains and rivers and forests, helping them out in the wilds.

Oceanbound Elves: Why the hells are they named after Tides? No. That is ridiculous. So, they're renamed to Oceanbound, and they are going to get weird. Most of the elves of this race do not actually live on land, or even close. They live in sprawling underwater cities, in chasms deep and vast, in coral reef colorful and grand, with their Arcanum being quite different from the original, appealing to a more eldritch concept, and to more Deep rooted ideals.

So, onto design. I do like the concept art sketches, and, tolerate some of the designs of the show, but they could be so much more! The ocean is such a beautiful hostile space, and so, the elves that dwell within it are something to behold. Coral horns, jagged or smooth, colorful and deadly, sprout either from their heads, covered in tentacle like hair, curling and moving unnaturally. Their eyes seem dead, or overly hazy, with no visible pupils for most of the elves, though more surface dwelling ones to tend to have faint ones. Their bodies are covered in scales and rough textures, fins and elongated tales that vary from elf to elf, with their colouration varying wildly!

As for their clothing, they tend to wear none, or simple decorative leathers made from cephalopods, or leviathans of old, or garments found in ship wrecks. Whist this mostly applies to the underwater communities, most surface dwelling Oceanbound Elves do find clothing to be restricting if not meant to be decorative!

The Arcanum of the Ocean is complicated. All things are born of the ocean, all things will end in it, and its currents are ever shifting but old and true, so, the tenants of the Arcanum end up being Unbound, Eldritch, Beginnings and Inevitability. It's an arcanum that feels old, and those that feel its call have a weight to them that very few can match. Ocean Dragons I'll expand on more later, because I have opinions on that too, but Oceanbound Elves work primarily within the understanding that all things are eventually theirs, that the world is older than most realize (them and Startouch Elves are the most long lived races, living for over thousands of years at times), with a twisted understanding of reality and the sort of eager view of the world of one who is seeing something doomed marching on in spite of it all. They tend to be a very nostalgic race, loving beginnings and neverending concepts, but not thinking far ahead aside from the fact that it will inevitably be theirs to claim.

Death is seen as a distant dream, and the surface as an alien blind land that doesn't quite understand the history of all that came before it. It's also just, sort of funny to them, and the most adventurous of the race do tend to make their way up, breaching the tides to lurk around with their surface pears and see what the world forgot.

Their magic is old. Old and impossible in scale, in an unexpected way, but so is most Ocean Magic. The inherent one is that they can simply shed some of their existing elf like traits to become more monstrous, alien and full of teeth and slime and coiling muscles, bulging eyes and size. They are a dangerous race, but they are some of the few that recall the good of humanity still, with most having lived alongside them, and still choose to sail the seas in ports hidden and passages found.

They are eternal, and they are the beginning heralding the inevitable deep.

[dragon-susceptible]

I think at this point I associate you with feral elves

I'm very okay with that. I will continue to be loud with my feral elf propaganda.

[moon-sky-sun-earth-ocean-stars]

Vitiligo in the Dragon Prince

So, with season 6 we have now two characters with vitiligo in the dragon prince universe. I don't think I saw characters with vitiligo in media before so I think it's nice the dragon prince has two of them.

Hestia

Kosmo

[milevenstancyendgame]

TERRY'S TEARS BETTER MAKE PLANTS GROW OUT OF THE GROUND OR ELSE-

[its-leethee]

need terry/earthblood meta if it exists 😭 do u know of any?

yes, i can share a few favorites i've saved:

breaking the cycle of abuse by @hermitmoss, comparing terry and claudia's interactions with viren in season 4.

no transphobia in xadia by @thrandilf, with input from terry's voice actor, ben callins!

why does terry seem so chill about dark magic? an excellent meta by @kradogsrats on how terry's culture and earth primal would inform his perspective on dark magic

discussion of terry's characterization, by @aimlacely-sapphic

if you're able to get a copy of Tales of Xadia, there are chapters featuring information about both earthblood elves and earth primal magic.

...really feels like a crime that i don't have more to share. if anyone else has recommended reading, please do chime in!

lookit him he's so <33

[blade-liger-4ever]

Dragon Prince - Blade's Freestyle

So, in my take, there are only four types of Elves: The Tidebound, the Sunfire, the Moonshadow, and the Skywing (I'm keeping that to give Tui T. Sutherland a piece of my mind.) The Startouch exist as the equivalent of the Greek pantheon, though they maintain an elf-ish look in order to seem both familiar and distant from the rest; therefore, they're nicknamed "the High Ones". The Earthblood are like the Ghillie Dhu of Scottish myth: towering, tree-like beings who go along to get along, and generally nonviolent. The dragons are at the head of this hierarchy, as appointed by the Startouch, and thus the Elves are second to them, with humanity at the lowest tier of this creation order. Additionally, the dragons can shapeshift into virtually any form, and possess the ability to use Celestial Magic, and any of the Four Seasonal Magics.

Regarding the sources of magic, there are only four, all derived from the four seasons and connected to something tied to that season. The Tidebound, for example, are intrinsically tied to the spring and the ocean, with their power being based around water, healing, cold, wind, floods, tsunamis, and VERY specific oaths/tithes. When you make an oath to do something, or agree to a tithe that carries on for generations, you'd better dang well adhere to it or your life is forfeit. That's how severe and serious this business is.

The Sunfire are tied to summer and the sun, giving them talents in blacksmithing, warfare, heat, fire, metal, plasma (a rare and dangerous technique), wind, and truth finding. The Sunfire detest lies and deceit, as it goes against the sun, which brings light to all that goes on in the shadows. Thus, not only are they powerful warriors and capable in war, but excellent lie detectors. Any of their kind who turn to deception are anathema to the Sunfire, which also means they have a rivalry of sorts with the Moonshadow.

Speaking of, the Moonshadow are tied to autumn and the moon, giving them access to bending light, traveling through shadows (allowing them real fast travel), poisons of any kind, life cycle awareness and occasional manipulation of it, wind, darkness, and Spirit Sense/Walk, where they walk in a parallel plane between the world of the living and the dead (also allowing them to see/interact with ghosts throughout the year, though especially on full moons and the peak of autumn). For this they are the perfect assassins, but despite this, the Moonshadow have a strict code of honor, and will only take the life of those who have done serious crime in the eyes of the magical community - hence why 1 they're great bodyguards for the Royal Dragon Clan, and 2 why they're so loyal to the dragons. They know serving the dragons is the right thing, and that if they have to take a life, they're better off doing said tasks from the dragons.

The Skywings are the most unusual - and powerful. They're tied to winter and the magnetic poles, and have abilities tied to ice, cold, wind, snow, temperature, magnetism, light, tornadoes, hurricanes, sound, rain, storms, lightning, and can form the nigh-unheard of life-force bonds. When Skywings want to marry, they perform some kind of magical binding rite that is deeply private, to the point no one outside of a Skywing knows how to perform it. This bond is unbreakable and can reach each person no matter the distance, and will give the lingering presence of the deceased spouse to the one still living, often providing comfort from beyond the grave. When a Skywing intermarries with a dragon, a different elf, or - more rarely - a human, they teach the future spouse this rite. They marry for life, with divorce or "separation" practically unheard of; should they encounter one of another race who is divorced/separated, the Skywing will express disappointment or disgust, depending on the situation.

Now we come to Dark Magic.

It's more of an offshoot of Moonshadow Magic, as it still relates to the darkness. However, it's not corruptive; rather, it's tied to the shadows, dark nights, storm clouds, fog, mists, swamplands, bogs, dead forests, and grants access to "grave visits" - you can see and interact with the dead. You cannot bring them back to life, but you can find them and learn things from them. As the Elves were intrinsically tied to the sources of magic, and the Dragons bound to Celestial Magic, humanity had no tie to any source but death and destruction. So when they discovered Dark Magic, it had the Dragons eyeing them nervously, as it was dangerous if you got too into the grave visits, which have the side effect of driving yourself to death if you went to see dead loved ones too much.

The real taboo is Blood Magic.

Blood magic requires the use of blood from still living creatures, siphoning it while the person lives and using it for vile rituals that raise the bodies of the dead, twist people into horrifying monsters, drain the life out of certain targets at will, turn you into a cannibal who cannot live without feasting on human/elven/dragon flesh or blood, and drive you to insanity as you fall further and further away from humanity. Somehow, a Mage Apprentice discovered this magic, and used it before terrorizing the village he dwelled in. Thus began the Great Exile, when the humans were banished by the Elves and Dragons a thousand years before Callum's time to the Western Lands, where fighting had once more begun to settle land disputes and out rose various human kingdoms. However, some Elves also fell from grace, selling themselves out as mercenaries for hire, assassins, or even allying with humans in war.

This brought upon the Mage Wars, which lasted until three centuries before Callum's birth. With the Orphan Queen of Katolis, Queen Aditi, and Avizandum's collaboration, the Mage Wars ended, though the peace was fragile, and skirmishes broke out frequently over the next few decades. For this, Avizandum guarded the Border, the thin patch of land that kept Xadia and the Western Lands divided, himself. However, ten years ago, King Harrow, Vizier Viren, and General Amaya, snuck past Avizandum and killed him in his sleep, his heart being carved out by an apprehensive Viren. However, the egg of Avizandum's son, the Dragon Prince, was left in pieces, leaving all to surmise that the Dragon Prince had been killed.

For this, the world is teetering on the razor's edge of war, though attempts by Viren and a slowly repenting Harrow have stalled the outbreak of war. Amaya has receded into the background, apparently conducting good relations with the neighboring kingdom of Neolandia, likely to bring the countries together in case war breaks out.

However, on the eve of the anniversary of the tenth year since Avizandum's death, a group of Moonshadow Elves have broken past the borders of Katolis on a secret mission....

[greenmoons]

This photo is from tales of xadia, it is mentioned here that the Moonshadow elves have a song about the Startouch elves. Now I'm not sure if it was mentioned in the series but I don't remember Rayla say anything about it and I wonder why. Rayla is a moonshadow elf, she was suppose to know this song, I know it's just random and not an actual information but it is something. You can interpret this song as something that talks about the mysteries of Startouch elves, they are the only ones here with their full name and not the primal source name, so there is a seperation between the startouch and rest of the elf races, it's still something about them. So why Rayla didn't say anything?

[fandom-susceptible]

what if elves purred. In the Dragon Prince fandom specifically, what if elves purr.

Moonshadow elves sound like cat purrs

Sunfire elves' purrs sound much the same, just trending deeper and much louder

Skywing elves have the same instinct but it sounds more like birds cooing.

Earthblood elves purr like bears (yes, black bears really do purr) or badgers.

Tidebound elves don't purr but they do hum, which carries better in water (as most of them are said to live almost entirely aquatic)

(character headcanons under the cut)

Ezran and Callum just thinking Rayla has a cute snore when she purrs in her sleep (I think Callum saying her snore is cute is even canon lmao) but getting startled the first time she just starts purring near them because she's comfortable and feels safe

Callum absolutely loving the surround sound of low purring noises when he's in the Silvergrove in Season 7 and the moonfam are all quiet and content

Amaya never noticing the purrs until she and Janai get to cuddles stage and then feeling the vibrations and being like *squint* are you laughing? why are you vibrating and Janai actually does start laughing and has to explain

It was the fingers that gave Lujanne away for sure but Allen suspected something was up when during their dinner date she started purring at him like a cat

Rayla purrs like a large housecat or a puma/mountain lion, it's a similar pitch to her voice and varies in intensity.

Runaan purrs like a leopard. Very low, easily missed if there's ambient noise, but vibrates his whole chest.

Ethari purrs like a tiger. Both vibrating AND loud.

Janai purrs like a rockslide; she makes Ethari's purr sound like a kitten. She's deafening, not that it's a problem for Amaya.

[jupiter-dragonsong]

The Return

I’ve been wanting to try doing long-form speculative headcanons for a long, long time. Eventually I’d like to do a series on the religions of the world of The Dragon Prince, perhaps things on foods across Xadia, and probably quite a lot about Earthblood elves because I’m a tad obsessed. I was just VERY inspired by a post by @parsbooks, so I guess we’re starting with holidays!

For Earthblood Elves, (and later all of Everkynd) spring begins with a knock at the door.

Nobody knows when or why the Lady will decide it’s spring— perhaps it’s the first robin, a rebelliously bright crocus emerging from the mud, buds on the trees. Even she doesn’t know, after the day is over.

Every year, a girl usually in her late thirties to early fifties (equivalent to late teens to early twenties for us humans) is chosen by her predecessor to announce the beginning of spring.

It’s unclear whether she becomes an avatar for Spring herself that day, or if a sort of madness simply overtakes her, but one day it is winter, the next it is not, and it is considered her doing.

She dons a thick cloak of drab wool and a veil— usually patterned with the story of the first Return— and takes with her a cask of wine and a basket of seeds.

It’s considered a special honor to be the first house to receive the knock at the door. People drop everything they’re doing to answer— they’ve been waiting for days and days. Some gently tease the Lady- “Where have you been?”, “It’s about time!”, “I was beginning to think it would be winter all year!”. Others openly weep. Many rush to shake her hand, to embrace her.

And as a snake sheds their skin, everyone removes their winter clothing. Gloves, hats, cloaks, coats are cast aside. (Depending on how well they were prepared, some find themselves stripped to their linens. It’s not considered a problem, today.) 

Then everyone rushes to their cabinets to find a cup, a goblet, an empty jar— anything that can hold liquid! And in turn, the Lady fills every cup as full as its bearer wishes with dandelion wine.

Household by household, the streets are filled as elves dance and embrace and follow The Lady around, bringing friends and neighbors into the festivities. The wine does not run out.

And finally, once every house has been visited, once everyone has shed their winter selves (the Lady checks and checks again)— she sheds her cloak and veil, revealing bright spring clothes, plain or finery, underneath. The seeds she throws sprout in empty flowerbeds and between cobblestones. Then there’s singing and dancing and people hurry into their houses to share their own wine.

Spring has come again.

[obi-wan-catobi]

Ok I have some questions

1 do earthblood elves that have antlers shed and regrow them like deers do?

And 2 are skywing elves that have wings born with their wings like newborn birds wings?