#I did tear up. a little bit. at Merle’s speech about remembering Azteca.

[shining-scion]

ADDING ONTO THIS TBH? (I think I’m reblogging this from someone’s tags I was reading on accident and I am so sorry)

The whole bit about arc 2 was setting up the dynamic between light and shadow and about how the wizard has to become both.

I’m almost done with the last world and that’s the vibe I got, anyway?

And I’m not about to say “azteca died for the wizard’s character growth” so just. Please understand I’m talking about thematics rn and nothing anyone inside the narrative is concretely aware of.

What I am gonna say is that narratively Avalon and Azteca show the wizard the extremes of both

Because Wizard101’s overarching theme is balance

Well

Maybe a better word is harmony

The Spiral cannot exist without chaos. It cannot exist without shadow magic— because shadow magic is change. There is an argument to be made that the spiral is resistant to change in its base state, that to change is to admit something you were doing was wrong or not the best method. That’s what Raven was trying to do, in a way— keep her children and her husband in stasis forever, static and unmoving?

Shadow rejects this notion outright, enabling the caster to make change, should they be brave or reckless enough to face the backlash and consequences because no choice is perfect. Morganthe was the extreme in that she was reckless and uncaring, only wanting the power for her goals, changing and tearing apart with not a thought to the consequences— that’s why it consumed her. She didn’t acknowledge its true nature. The wizard, through their journey, learns the consequence of choice and decision and is thus able to use the shadows for good. (They say use the shadows for the light but tbh this metaphor gets confusing when everyone is suddenly talking like Mickey Mouse is in the room)

The spiral needs to be able to change, but that change should be brought by people who understand what the spiral needs. No one person can make decisions for everyone.

WELCOME BACK TO SLAY THE PRINCESS I’M SQUIDKID AND I’M HERE TO SAY THAT THIS AND WIZARD101 ARE THE SAME THEMATIC THING /J

Is anyone else insane about the fact that Avalon was its own self contained epic hero fantasy and then Azteca had the darkest ending in the entire game.

Crazy about when stories do that thing where they give you the fantasy and the idealism and it’s right there and then it vanishes like smoke.