#gren is the number one ally

[ruthari-preacher]

Gren: Do you support gay rights? Runaan: I’m literally gay. Gren: You’re avoiding the question!

[beautifulterriblequeen]

I like the idea of all of Rayla's parents acting the way they did because they have almost only their daughter's safety in mind.

Ok, I have a new headcanon now, about Rayla’s parents, the four of them.

I still don’t have the book (pfff, it’s been 2 months…) but I learned something in an interesting exchange on Reddit : Runaan and Rayla not only have a really good relationship, they have a really strong bond, he’s one of the person she trust the most in this world.

I changed my mind a lot about Runaan when I discovered he wasn’t trying to kill her. And I’m even starting to think this bond is one of the (numerous) reasons he couldn’t kill her, never: because breaking that trust was impossible for him, it’s too precious in his eyes.

But something bothered me (I hope you didn’t already make an analysis on this ’^^): why would Runaan would be so unnecessarily harsh with Rayla that night, in Katolis. Especially in the novel? Why hurting her so much, telling her she’s weak and all? And I think I got my answer (thanks to that exchange on reddit): he knows she’s not weak at all, and he knows they have a strong, really strong bond. If she were to learn he’s about to die, she would follow him to try to save him and so would get killed too. 

Only solution : hurting her to makes sure she stick to her mission and never come back. 

And this led me to think about Lain and Tiadrin. Why didn’t they just run away with the egg? It’s not like it couldn’t have been moved, after all. Ok, they can’t fly, but they could have hid somewhere and escape, no? It would have been smart and Moonshadow elves are maybe all about honor and all, but they’re not stupid. Plus, being stealthy, it’s kinda their thing, no?

So, what if they stayed for their oath, yes, but most of all for Rayla? They know how running away is percieved by their people, they know it would bring shame to Rayla, put her in a difficult situation in their village. So they stay behind for her… too bad Viren didn’t let anything behind to makes the others understand what happened… 

As for Ethari, he was confused and overwhelmed with grief, he made a mistake. But he already proved he can break rules for her, and, another HC, the fact he lost almost everything about Runaan in the Silvergrove will help him to get out of here to go to Rayla when he will find his husband’s flower. I mean, the moonstrider, the moon opal, Runaan himself, Rayla who can’t go home. There’s nothing much left (as far as we know) of Runaan, if not Rayla, no?

So yes, I think he will going after his daughter and his husband, and he won’t let anything stand in his way.

Conclusion: the four parents in the Moonfam really have their daughter’s well being in mind, even if it means for them to die

_____________

Ohoho is this moonfam theories I see in my inbox, @lily-lilou​? *happy wiggles* 

First off, I hope your copy of the book arrives soon. It’s wild that it’s taking so long for some people. :(

I don’t know how many TDP fans here are parents like me, but I definitely see that a lot of parental mindsets got worked into the show as bedrock motivation for the characters who have children in their lives. Viren, Harrow, Sarai, the Queens of Duren, Amaya, Gren by extension, and of course all the moonfam! 

I was a very different person before I had my kids. I think it’s safe to say that I was objectively a worse person, if I’m honest. INTJ’s don’t always get the small picture until it’s right there, every day, changing their world with its gooey smiles and unrelenting adoration. So, knowing that, I’m always interested in how the characters with kids act, and why, and maybe who they used to be beforehand. Because one thing is always the same among loving parents, no matter who they used to be: their children are always, always, on their mind on some level or another, no matter what choices must be made. And the number of cute, dumb, unnoticed, sweet, life-changing, utterly ordinary, and just-because choices we make for our kids literally cannot be tallied. Their smiles, their trust, their courage to head out into a wild and crazy world on their own... we’d do anything for them. Anything. *flailing mom noises*

I totally concur on your view of Runaan. I did write up a post a long time back, with that exact perspective as my take, but I’m glad to see the theory hasn’t dimmed because of the book! To me, the book is just another interpretation of the same issue: Runaan must separate Rayla from the mission at (almost) any cost, even if it means hurting her feelings. At least she’ll still be alive to have them.

That said, he’s a lot more gentle in the show than in the book. I don’t know if the assassins’ rather rabid calling for Rayla’s head in the novel is just a tonal difference or if it’s foreshadowing something sinister about Moonshadow culture which we been knew. It does set a starker difference between Runaan and his team, though. He does have that strong bond with Rayla, and because of it he wants to spare her so much, but he literally cannot say so in front of the others, so he uses his frustration and fear for her life to wordlessly drive her away to safety. 

Both versions work. He’s doing the same thing in each one. He’s still a soft dad in a tight spot, trying to save his precious child from death. And in both cases, he is hard enough to do whatever it takes--even making Rayla feel so bad that she runs off and leaves him to his deadly fate--which he was never going to abandon anyway.

Later in the book, there’s a scene where it’s revealed what Runaan truly thinks about Lain and Tiadrin. In light of that information, it’s pretty clear that all of his insults when he and Rayla were fighting on the castle roof were simply a harder version of his show plan to send her home to Ethari. He’s desperate to keep her out of the fighting, but she’s young and eager and they are bonded tightly, you’re right. So he thinks he has to be harsh in order to save her.

How much easier would it have been if he had felt he could just tell her the truth, I wonder. But that’s not the Moonshadow way, apparently. At least not when you’re layered up to protect your own feels because you’re on a mission of death.

Lain and Tiadrin know what it’s like to love a little one. I think that made them excellent Dragonguards. I wonder, now, if any of the Skywings there had children. Or if their family ties are just looser because of their nomadic tendencies. But Moonshadows are very tightly knit to their families. There was no way in Xadia that Lain and Tiadrin would abandon a helpless child to a dark mage. 

They’d left their own little child with a craftsman and an assassin who would definitely die to keep Rayla out of the reach of dark magic. And they weren’t wrong--Runaan did exactly that. If Rayla didn’t die in the fighting, she’d be captured right alongside him. So that mindset was something that all four parents definitely must’ve shared. Protect Rayla. At all costs. 

And Lain, Tiadrin, and later Rayla all extended that to Zym. Protect the Dragon Prince. At all costs. Because that’s what you do with those little ones you love, who cannot protect themselves yet.

I agree about Ethari, too. He has that protective spirit in his heart, but it’s not nearly as battle-tested as it is for Runaan, Lain, and Tiadrin. He faltered because he lost Runaan, his strongest ally and the love of his life. But he’s never going to make that mistake again. He’s already straight-up breaking the rules for Rayla, and that isn’t going to stop anytime soon. 

He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. He gave her those awesome butterfly swords so she could make the most use of all the years of Runaan’s training. But now, see... now he thinks he’s the only parent she has left.

Ethari believes he is the last remaining member of the old guard, the phalanx that stood around Rayla to protect her. It’s all down to him now. And you’re right, he’s lost connection after connection with the Silvergrove and his old life. Maybe he’ll straight up head out to find himself a new one. And if he does, you gotta know that it’ll all be in service to protecting his daughter the best way he knows how.

Appealing Rayla’s ghosting to the Moonshadow ruler? Fixing the Moonhenge? Ending the war? Freeing the others from their coin prisons? Saving Callum’s life? Adopting Soren and Claudia? Trapping Aaravos in a primal stone of his own making? I know I say I’d put nothing past Aaravos, but listen. There is nothing Ethari could do in service to Rayla that would surprise me. That is who he is. He’s a family man, and his heart is bigger than all of Xadia. He will find a way, or he will roll up his sleeves and craft one. Because Rayla is the daughter of his heart, too.

[ladyandherbooks]

Support Systems

I want to talk about support systems, specifically when it comes to Callum and Rayla.

Although he's become an orphan at only 14 Callum actually has a great number of people to love, care for and support him. He has Ezran, Amaya, Rayla, Gren, Soren, Opeli, Corvus, Aanya, Barius, Ellis and Bait with who knows how many more waiting for him back home. All these people who can help, who know him, his family and who want to and can be there for him. While his parents are gone he still has people who love and support him.

It's a different story for Rayla though. She has Callum and Ezran and she'll almost certainly gain friends and allies from the human kingdoms however they won't always be there for her in the way she truly wants or needs. Yes of course Callum is going to do everything he can to support and be there for her but there are going to be times when Callum needs to focus on and support Ezran, Amaya, or even Soren as well as take time to care for himself. And in doing so he won't be able to be there for Rayla in a way that she truly needs, and that's okay. No one should be their loved one's sole major emotional support unit, especially someone so young.

Rayla's also needs emotional support from her own people, who understand her, her culture and beliefs. People she can vent to and laugh with when humans do and say weird and stupid things.

She needs to be someone's top priority. She needs her own individual support system.

And at the moment only Ethari fits the bill but he's all the way back in the Silvergrove and again this type of support is too much to ask of 1 person. So how does this situation get resolved? And how do we get Rayla the emotional support system that she deserves?

1) Get Ethari out of the Silvergrove and reunite him with Rayla.

2) Free Runaan, Lain and Tiadrin from their coins and then reunite them with Rayla and Ethari.

When Rayla gets her family back she will finally have the support system that she truly wants and needs.

2 very different yet equally important support systems.

[brevoorthistoryofcomics]

I had no idea that it was coming, but in part thanks to the sales success of the two recent Green Lantern-themed reprint issues of DC SPECIAL, the company brought back one of their best-regarded titles: GREEN LANTERN/GREN ARROW. As Green Lantern had become my second-favorite DC hero, this was welcome news. I was less enamored of Green Arrow in general, but had no particular objection to his inclusion, strange as it was given the galactic nature of most Green Lantern adventures I had previously read.

The series was written by Denny O’Neil, who had made the combination of Ring-Slinger and Emerald Archer a point of pride in the past by telling stories about contemporary issues. This “relevance” movement had been a huge boom-and-bust cycle in the years just preceding my entry as a comic book reader, and still held a formidable legend in memory, at least as much for the hyper-realistic artwork of Neal Adams. Stepping in for Neal in this new series was Mike Grell. Of all the projects Grell worked on, I think I like his Green Lantern the best. His work was at once modern and dynamic, and yet still classic. He made both heroes in this title look their best.

This issue, while numbered #90, was effectively a new beginning, and so had to espouse on everything you needed to know about Green Lantern. It opens on the planet Oa, homeworld of the Guardians of the Universe, the creators and overseers of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps of emerald warriors. Here, they provide GL and his fellow with new and improved Power Rings (a new design that will be used for years to come). Grell has some fun by making one of Hal Jordan’s fellow GLs a Mister Spock-esque Vulcan, complete with Live Ling And Prosper hand gesture. But GL has an appointment on Earth, one that he intends to bring his ally Green Arrow along for.

Seems recent atomic testing has unearthed a long-dormant spaceship in the desert outside of Las Vegas. Rather than tamper with it themselves, the military has called in Green Lantern and Green Arrow to investigate. First, though, GL needs to recharge his Power Ring, as he must every 24 hours. But before he can, the ship opens, revealing a telepathic alien being ruthlessly pursued by a trio of aliens brandishing firearms. GL and GA rush in to defend the alien under assault--and at his request, Green Lantern takes him off-world while Green Arrow mops up the remainder of his pursuers.

In space, the alien directs Green lantern to take him to Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons. There, he guides GL into a yellow-hued series of caverns, claiming that he will reveal to the Emerald Crusader the reason he was being pursued. But the Lantern still hasn’t recharged his Power Ring, and the zero hour is growing near, so he materializes his invisible Power Battery to perform that duty. But as he moves to do so, the alien clubs him from behind, intending to steal the battery.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Green Arrow questions the alien’s attackers. They identify the alien as Jinn, a ruthless space criminal who had stolen their Power Battery, and identify themselves as the predecessors of the current Green Lantern Corps. Rather than rings, these guys have stun pistols they recharge from their battery. GA moves to release his captives, but then Jinn returns, claiming that he has killed Green Lantern, and attacking Green Arrow and the lawmen from the past.

Back on Calisto, Green Lantern is bound and lost within the golden caves through which his Power Ring cannot operate. But having suspected Jinn’s duplicity, he earlier had created a homing beacon that allows him to find his way out of the cave network. Swiftly he races back to Earth, crashing down with the very last of his ring’s power as Jinn begins to execute Green Arrow and the alien lawmen.

Unnoticed by Jinn, the Lantern makes his way to his now-discarded Power Battery, completing his oath and recharging his ring. Then, it’s a simple matter to mop up Jinn and rescue Green Arrow and his fellow agents of the Guardians. And the story ends, as most GL/GA tales of this era did, with an overt statement of morality, in this case about a lack of perspective and history causing the heroes to mistake the good guys for the bad, and to not be so prejudicial in the future.

The issue’s letters page, written by Bob Rozakis, contained not only a behind-the-scenes account as to how GREEN LANTERN/GREN ARROW was brought back, but also a pair of advance review letters from a pair of regular correspondents--including Michael Uslan, who had interned at DC and who would go on to license the film rights to Batman, becoming the Executive Producer of all of the future films starring the Dark Knight.

[magpiejay1234]

https://ygorganization.com/rise-of-the-duelist-theme-support/

We also have last remaining support for a few VRAINS era archetypes/series in RotD.

*First card is Nemesis Keystone, a Level 1 EARTH Rock monster with 700/0 stats. It covers the last remaining attribute for Nemesis archetype.

**Once per turn, you can target one of your banished monsters, except itself, Special Summon this card from your hand and if you do, shuffle that card into the Deck.

**Once per turn, during the End Phase, if this card is banished and was banished during this turn, you can add it to your hand.

Since it can’t shuffle itself, you need to remember to add it back to your hand.

*Second card is Megalith Phul, a Level 2 EARTH Rock Ritual with 500/2000 stats that can be Ritual Summoned with any Megalith card. It covers the last unused Olympian Spirit for Megalith archetype.

**Once per turn, if this card is Ritual Summoned, you can target 1 Ritual Monster in your GY, this card’s Level becomes that monster’s Level, then add that target to your hand.

**Once per turn, during the Main Phase -Quick Effect- you can Ritual Summon 1 Megalith Ritual Monster from your hand or Deck, by Tributing monsters from your hand or field whose Levels equal or exceed the Level of  the monster you Ritual Summon.

Pretty art, but obviously this card is for consistency, not for beating your opponent. It is also the only Ritual Monster in this set if the numbering is an indication.

*Third card is Ancient Warriors Allies - Shuanglong, a LINK-2 WIND Beast-Warrior with 1100 ATK, with bottom-left and bottom-right arrows. It requires 2 Beast-Warrior monsters, including a WIND Ancient Warriors monster. Ancient Warriors is the English localized archetype name of Senka.

**Once per turn, if this card is Link Summoned, you can add 1 Ancient Warriors card from your Deck to your hand.

**Ancient Warriors monsters you control gain 500 ATK/DEF.

** Once per turn, -Quick Effect- you can send 1 card from your hand or field to the GY, then target 1 face-up card your opponent controls, return it to your hand.

HANDLOOP babey. Pretty decent for an archetype that is dependent on main Deck monsters.

*Fourth card is Magallanica, the Deep Sea City, a Field Spell Card. It is always treated as Umi.

**When this card is activated, you can place 1 WATER monster from your Deck to the top of your Deck.

**Once per turn, you can target 1 WATER monster you control, increase its Level by 1 or 2 until the end of this turn.

**Once per turn, if you Special Summon 1 WATER Synchro Monster, during your Main Phase, you can look at your opponent’s hand, and if you do, banish 1 card from it face-up until the End Phase.

Probably the most consistent but generic Umi clone so far. Second effect is more useful for Rituals and Xyz summoning than for Synchros, though. Also, Deep Sea series is still not an archetype. Womp womp.

*Fifth card is Ancient Warriors Saga – Southeast Winds, a Continuous Spell. You need to send this card to GY during the 2nd Standby Phase after its activation.

**Once per turn, you can toss a coin once, and if the result is heads, send this card to the GY.

**If this card is sent from your Spell & Trap Zone to the GY, you can activate this effect, for the rest of the turn, your opponent cannot activate effects or cards in response to your “Ancient Warriors” effects’ activations, also all Ancient Warriors Effect Monsters you control gain the following effect:

***When this card declares an attack, you can destroy 1 card your opponent controls.

Since Ancient Warriors are focused on field swarming, this card is pretty good. It is only a Continuous Spell to activate some of their effects, though. I guess you can use this with Hamon or Gravi-Crush/Magna-Slash Dragons or something.

*Sixth and final card so far is Shaddoll Ruq, a Continuous Trap.

**Once per turn, during the Main Phase, you can Fusion Summon 1 Shaddoll Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by banishing the Fusion Materials listed on it from your field or GY, but it cannot attack directly, then you can send 1 monster your opponent controls with the same Attribute as the Summoned monster to the GY.

I’m surprised that Shaddolls do not have a GY Fusion Summon card already. Granted, most Shaddoll decks are mixed Super Poly decks, not vanilla Shaddoll decks which is what this card is aiming for, so it probably won’t see much use besides a Deck that mixes stuff like Metaphys or Gren Maju.

---

The Ancient Warriors Link is also going to be the only Link Monster in this set according to its slot. There probably won’t be much other VRAINS era support considering how they are all clumped together besides the Deck Build Pack and MAYBE Sacred Beast support.

I guess we will wait for a long time to see the Dragon form of Chamber Dragonmaid. 

[beautifulterriblequeen]

It’s discussed a lot about how Callum will react to Runaan when he gets out of the coin, but how do you think some of the other human characters would react to him? Like Soren, Amaya and Gren (it’s unclear if Gren ever actually *saw* Runaan, but for argument’s sake, let’s say he did.)

Ooh what a fun question, anon!

Let’s see, Soren. Well, by the time Runaan is freed, Soren will probably have had months or years as Rayla’s ally, even if he spends all his time with Ezran as his Crownguard. I also hope that Soren gets some real-world experience and education at the Storm Spire and in Lux Aurea before he returns to Katolis, if Ezran’s going to return to being king (which, idk, technically I think Soren’s king now, actually, as VIren’s heir, but that’s a whole ‘nother post). 

Soren is a genuinely warm guy. If he gets some time to learn about what Avizandum and Zubeia’s side of the war has been like, as well as Khessa and Janai’s, he’ll have a pretty balanced viewpoint on the conflict as a whole, which will make him a really solid adviser for Ezran, considering the training and actual battle experience he already has.

He may even contribute to the chain of events that frees Runaan, since he’s the one who put Runaan in the dungeon in the first place. His piece of the puzzle is that Runaan isn’t dead, and was imprisoned instead of being killed, and he knows exactly where and how, and also what Runaan looks like. He got a fistful of that long white hair, which is Runaan’s most distinctive physical trait (out of several, okay), so if anyone ever brings up that hair–Soren included–it’ll be obvious who’s being referred to, and that could direct various characters in their hunt/quest to free/locate him.

But what would he do upon seeing Runaan again? They’ll definitely remember each other. I think the key element will be this: time has passed eventfully for Soren, but it won’t have passed in the same way for Runaan. He’ll be stuck, trapped out of the world, alone with the same thoughts over and over again and no new input to help him grow and change. So Soren will probably have come a long way in his personal development, while Runaan won’t have done much more than spin in circles and rethink his choices.

I think the first thing Runaan would do is go on the defensive–or the offensive–with any weapon he can possibly get his hands on, and the first thing Soren would do is to hold up his hands and say, “Whoa there, Rayla’s Pointy Dad Number Two, I’m not gonna pull your hair this time. Promise. 

“And uhh, look. I wanna apologize on behalf of my dad. Viren. The old High Mage who kept you prisoner? I made some bad choices when I listened to him. And what he did to you was wrong. And I was wrong to help him. I thought I was helping my country when I did what he and my sister told me to do. But I ended up hurting people who didn’t deserve it. 

“And Rayla–she’s great, by the way, taught me how to sweep the leg and everything–she’s helped me understand a lot about myself.. Because she and I, we have a lot in common. Trying to do the best we can for our dads being one of those things, and all. 

“So, what I’m trying to say while you’re still deciding if you’re gonna stab me is this: I’m sorry. I’ve been to the Storm Spire, I’ve lived in Lux Aurea, and I, I get it now. The whole war thing. And, who we are inside it. People like you and me. Warriors, fighting to protect people we love. I’ve learned to see more than I ever thought I could. More than my dad wanted me to. 

“So… really please don’t stab me, because I’m just trying to do what my king says: we don’t have to fight back. We don’t have to continue the cycle. You killed my last king, and I couldn’t stop you. And, yeah, that still hurts, not gonna lie. But Ezran’s my king now. And I’d follow him to the ends of the earth. If… the earth… has ends. Geometry wasn’t my best class.  Anyway. So how about we talk, you and me, okay, just a couple of badasses, and we’ll try not to fall back on old habits, yeah? Cool. And… how many pushups do you think you can do?”

And Runaan hasn’t said a single word the whole time. He’s just let Soren go on and on and on. But Soren’s been paying attention to Rayla, trying to understand his new ally whenever he can. So he’s been very slowly stepping closer to Runaan, keeping his hands in sight and open, using Rayla’s mannerisms. And that whole message hits Runaan just as hard as hearing Rayla’s name on Soren’s lips. Soren does know Rayla. Knows her well. Things have changed. And he’s going to need to go slow so he doesn’t make a mistake. He’ll never let Soren into his blind spot, but he’ll play along after that show of information. He’ll look Soren up and down and say, “More than you can,” and Soren will grin like a little kid, because he’s just made peace instead of war, and he’s so proud of himself!

Aww, Soren is like hay. He’s great.

Amaya: afawk she hasn’t met Runaan directly, so unless they have some clashy backstory, Amaya’s attitude toward him will be a combination of “This dude killed my brother-in-law/king” and “this dude is my nephew’s girlfriend’s dad”.

By the time Amaya meets Runaan, she’ll know about Rayllum and how strong and steady it’s become. She’ll have Janai by her side. She’ll know about the power of love, and that overt aggression toward Runaan for taking Harrow won’t go over well with Rayla, and maybe not with Callum either. Plus, they’re all trying to move forward in peace, and her relationship with Janai is a big symbol of that. So on one hand, she’s a walking symbol of peace through love. And on the other, she can offer Runaan an olive branch to achieve peace through forgiveness.

A big influence is going to be how well Amaya and Rayla get along. I’d love to see Amaya teaching Rayla ASL because Rayla wants to be able to send silent messages. It’s a very Moonshadow form of communication, and Runaan talks a lot with his hands already, so Rayla’s primed for a new language there, I think. And the more time they spend bonding, the more Amaya’s tolerance will rise. 

She may have the hardest time forgiving Runaan, out of everyone. Callum has a huge heart. Ezran is a soft boy through and through. Soren would identify with Rayla pretty strongly, with their dark dads. Gren’s too nice not to feel for Runaan. But Amaya’s whole job has been defending Katolis from elves. And she failed, and her brother-in-law died at Runaan’s hands. So part of her hangup with him will be her own guilt. I’m not sure they’ll ever be friendly. 

Callum has more reason to hate Runaan than Amaya, but he’s young and in love with Runaan’s daughter, so he’s got motive and ability to be emotionally flexible. Amaya, for all her love of Janai, might not be quite as flexible toward a Moonshadow assassin whose actions put her nephew on the throne and destabilized Katolis, leaving it vulnerable to a coup and warmongering at Viren’s hands.

So, I think their meeting might go a bit like this: Amaya sees Runaan for the first time after he’s freed. It’s probably not immediately after. He’ll have a chance to find some shirts and eat something, probably heal up as much as he’s going to. And then they’ll come face to face. They’ll warily study each other for a long moment. And then Amaya will shrug and smirk, and Runaan will narrow his eyes, and she’ll punch him as hard as she can, and he’ll let her. Everyone will get caught off guard. Janai and Ethari, if they’re there, will step forward immediately to see to their partners and eye each other warily. But it’ll be Amaya and Runaan who tell them to calm down. Everything just got worked out, as much as it’s ever going to be.

Unless someone attacks Rayllum. Then I’ll get my cherished hc of Runaan and Amaya fighting back to back. It won’t matter what they’re fighting against. They’ll both be all in. Trusting Rayllum’s other stabby parent would definitely bond them more than anything else ever could.

And now for my sweet boy Gren: Gren is really empathetic, and he knows what Runaan’s last days before the coin were like. Gren had it easy--food, water, light, getting to stand up, not having to endure the odd magical experiment. Runaan wasn’t so lucky. We all saw the level of concern Gren had for his fellow prisoner down the hallway when Runaan started screaming. We saw his horror as he realized what Viren had done and how Runaan was still alive inside that creepy tiny prison coin. 

Gren probably didn’t get a very good look at Runaan in the coin, but he’s very good with voices, and he’d recognize Runaan’s in a heartbeat. He could hear everything he and Viren said down the hall. He knew to ask about Xadian fruit, which means he overheard the “Moonshadow elf thing” comment. He knew darn well that Runaan was a Moonshadow--could easily guess that he was one of the assassins--and he was still horrified at his fate. Gren doesn’t carry a weapon--he prefers to talk. And talk and talk and talk. I bet there are plenty of things Gren wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy, and getting coined is one of them now.

So this poor soft dungeon boy, who called down the hall trying to get Runaan to chat and never got an answer, only heard him talking to Viren, what would his reaction be upon seeing Runaan again? Upon hearing him?

Gren would wait for all the “more important” people to speak to Runaan first. Janai, Amaya, Rayla and Callum. And then he’d step forward when Runaan was available and try to have a quick word. He’d stand mirroring Runaan, trying to use Moonshadow body language as best he could. Maybe he picked some of it up from Rayla. And he’d want to speak, but have no real idea what to say. 

“Hey. I’m glad you’re okay. What Viren did to you was... wrong. Really wrong. No one should have to go through that, no matter what. I... just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I... would’ve helped you out... but...” And here Gren gets caught up in his own memories. He’d tried to stay positive in the dungeon, and he could help himself all day long, but he couldn’t help the guy screaming down the hall. Gren’s no pushover, but that whole experience was really hard for him. The walls of that dungeon start to close in around him again.

“You did,” Runaan says. Reluctantly, but not unkindly. He was too busy trying to hunger strike to appreciate Gren’s overtures of friendliness, but once in the coin, Runaan had ages to contemplate every tiny detail of his imprisonment and what led to it. And Gren would be a bafflingly bright spot. No discernible motive. Just a soft, genuine human who tried to cheer Runaan up despite knowing who he was and what he had done.

And that’s all the encouragement Gren needs. He got to be helpful and communicate and do something good, and that’s all he’s ever wanted to do. He’ll glue himself to Runaan’s side for as long as the elf will put up with him, trying to learn as much as he can about Moonshadows. And Runaan will let him, for the most part, because the true measure of a person is how they treat someone who can do nothing for them. And when Runaan could offer Gren absolutely nothing in the dungeon, Gren offered him kindness and consideration. That’s worth a little bit of Moonshadow trust, and Gren will eagerly use what he leans from Runaan to aid in his ability to make peaceful overtures between Xadia and Katolis.

I think that in general, human reactions to Runaan will be muted by the existence of Rayllum. If Rayla weren’t his daughter, and if Callum weren’t her boyfriend, then I do think some characters would react more angrily to him. But Rayllum is bringing peace and holding it together as the first link, and no one wants to challenge that and cause war again over an enemy combatant who was doing his job by taking out a kingkiller. In the face of Rayllum’s peace and love, Runaan will probably get a bit softer of a landing than he deserves. The humans will get a chance to do what Ezran did: to forgive instead of striking back.