#God forbid the supposedly complicated advocate of humans have any genuine feelings of compassion or sympathy for them

[t-n-c]

Some of my worst fears regarding Aaravos under the cut

The person that Aaravos cared about so much was violently killed and/or abused and all Aaravos wants is revenge for them regardless of what it will cost innocent people. He’ll have no other redeeming traits besides his love for his former friend/lover/whoever-they-are

Aaravos has only cared about that one person and not anyone else before or since because apparently having a character feel empathy for others and/or be conflicted about his actions and still do bad things is impossible in tdp

Aaravos never really cared about humans; he sees them as lesser beings just like the other elves and dragons. His only ‘interest’ in them was how he could use them and their struggles to help his own agenda and/or bolster his own arrogant ego. He gave them dark magic so they’d revere him and follow him against the rest of Xadia. He doesn’t care about the physical (and potentially mental) scars it leaves on them; his ‘advocacy’ extends only so much as “I gave them magic because I felt sorry for them. Who cares if it hurts them or drives them mad or causes them to die early? They live short, meaningless lives anyway! They should be grateful that someone of my prestige is helping them, lol!” 

If he does care about humans it will be little more than thinking they’re cute pets

If/when Viren confronts him, his response will be essentially “you really thought you mattered to me or that we were equals?? Lol!!” He’ll humiliate him, remove him of his magic (if he hadn’t lost it already by that point), manipulate Claudia into turning against him, and leave him to die. Because a relationship between the two of them being actually complicated is too much to ask for. Having Aaravos hold any genuine affection/liking for someone in the present story is too much to ask for. And, of course, Viren is a Bad Person(TM) so it’ll be depicted that he deserved to lose his magic and Claudia and/or he’ll only be able to change if he loses everything and ‘humbles’ himself.

Alternatively, if Aaravos doesn’t cast Viren to the wayside, he’ll use his love for Claudia to control him. He’ll threaten to hurt her or reveal the truth of Viren’s manipulations to her. And once he’s sure that Viren won’t leave him, he’ll continuously taunt him for thinking they were actually equals (“Really Viren? You were only ever a tool to me!”) or act like nothing has changed in their relationship and continue to try and evoke cutesy banter and/or confide in him (“And then the Sunfire queen tricked me into following her to Avizandum’s lair...What’s with that look? Cheer up! Just because you’re naturally lesser than me doesn’t mean I don’t still like you!”). Because, again, he can’t be a villain and feel any sort of compassion or remorse for the people he’s hurt/is hurting. He can’t feel affection for anyone beyond surface-level “they’re so cute!” or “they’re remarkably powerful for a human!.” Viren will be depicted as deserving his manipulation and abuse because he’s a Bad Person(TM).

Just as he’ll use Viren’s love for Claudia to control him, he’ll use Claudia’s love for Viren to control her

The invasive, creepily sexual undertones between him and Viren will continue in the worst ways possible. And it’ll be depicted like Viren deserves it.

He’ll have a Tragic Backstory(TM) that’ll be used to excuse him/redeem him; he won’t have to work to make amends or apologize.