#i know aaravos is a master manipulator

[herwrittenuniverse]

What do you think Kpp'Ar knew?

When Viren comes to ask for The Staff of Ziard and eventually take it by force , Kpp'Ar refuses. Before he's coined, he tells Viren, "I told you that staff must never be used again."

How do you think he knew that staff was dangerous? A spell gone wrong? A gut instinct? A sudden urge to stop seeping life from creatures in order to do Dark Magic?

Here's the thing. We know that Aaravos has been manipulating events for centuries. Viren was just a pawn in his plan for his release. Even without the mirror (which definitely advanced things), Aaravos would be able to communicate and control Dark Mages because of their connection to Dark Magic.

And we also now know that Aaravos' story is that of revenge. He is a parent mourning the unjust death of his child.

I can't help but think that Aaravos preys on those that have deep connections because he knows how far people will go to protect those that he loves. And Kpp'Ar, being somewhat of a loner, doesn't really have any of those connections.

Maybe Kpp'Ar would have been able to break that cycle of using Dark Magic to protect those that you love...if Viren hadn't intervened.

Viren's motif throughout the show ("I'll do whatever it takes - however dangerous, however vile") proves how far he will go for his family - and we see the results and aftermath of those actions. Claudia clearly follows in his footsteps.

They will do anything to protect their family and those they love.

But Kpp'Ar seemingly didn't have anything - or anyone - to protect.

So...would he have been able to break the cycle?

And really, that's what Dark Magic is, right? Being so desperate to help others that you'll take the life of something in order to preserve something else. It's present several times throughout the show - going back to the kingdoms of Katolis and Duren, to Claudia and Viren, and Callum and Rayla. Heck, the show even opens with Ziard using Dark Magic to protect the city of Elarion.

Kpp'Ar wasn't blinded by his love of others - and maybe that was the key. Maybe Kpp'Ar knew that's what needed to be done in order to break the cycle.

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

rational part of brain: we already know that Aaravos is a master manipulator, so it makes total sense for him to be lying about Leola

very not rational part of brain: I'M GOING TO KILL THE STAR COUNCIL RIGHT NOW

rational brain: he's actively manipulating Claudia right now, and we already know that Claudia would do anything for her father and that she thinks doing horrible things for family is perfectly justified. by positioning himself as a loving father who had his daughter ruthlessly stolen by him, Aaravos stands to gain a lot of sympathy and trust

not rational brain: THEY MURDERED A CHILD FOR THE CRIME OF SHARING!!!! HOW COULD THEY

rational brain: they could have used shrinking magic to make a home on earth, but it's a weird thing to just not mention at all, especially when it's revealed he's a giant two seconds later. that could be a clue

not rational brain: I AM OFFICIALLY TEAM AARAVOS!!! LETS BURN SOMETHING

rational brain: sure, we have Leola's star, the Sea of the Outcast, and the corpse in the ocean, but that doesn't mean the whole story is true. we don't know she was his daughter. we don't know he made that sea. the corpse is probably her, but that doesn't mean the story he told was true. maybe part of it was but probably not all of it

not rational brain: JUSTICE FOR LEOLA!!!!!!!!

[raayllum]

So Aaravos and the First Elves are Timeblind, right?

KOSMO: Sister, what are you doing here? ASTRID: Don't you already know? I thought you know everything. KOSMO: That's not how it works, exactly.

Over the years, there's been a lot of speculation on how Aaravos knows what he knows. Even as a "master manipulator" there were still pieces of information that Aaravos had that didn't entirely make sense (i.e. knowing that Rayla was an assassin who couldn't kill, unless he'd looked through Callum's memories) or plans that went away (being surprised when Viren leaves or when Rayla tackled them off the Pinnacle in 2x04 and 3x09 respectively).

However, the First Elves and Aaravos being timeblind would explain a lot, as well as 1) including it at all as a worldbuilding feature since it'd otherwise be limited just to Kosmo and you don't need the Star arcanum to have it, and 2) make sense how they can know some things but not all things.

It speaks to how Aaravos can be confident that his return is "inevitable," as either Callum or Claudia successfully capturing the pearl in 5x09 eventually worked out for him, but not possibly that Claudia wouldn't be initially successful, or that they'd lose the Battle of the Storm Spire in 3x09. It also speaks to Aaravos' knowledge and subsequent advice in certain moments, such as, "Stop, it's over" when Viren is being attacked in 2x09 or "If you tell the truth you will lose her" about Claudia in 3x03, like he's seen what's alternatively played out in a split second (much like Kosmo) and is acting accordingly. Even down to the concern of when and how to tell the truth, or when to withhold it

It also explains how the Cosmic Council can attribute Leola giving humans primal magic as the beginning of the end but without knowing why, or that Aaravos was infinitely more dangerous kept alive and grieving.

[rainwalker-dragonblade29]

Um Guys....

Are ya all gon a talk about the elephant in the room because we might have a slight side character crisis.

AKIYU IS ALIVE AND WELL. AND AARAVOS IS OUT. He is back, which means, soon enough if he gains full strength and sees back with his time blindness he would see her and she is in terrible terrible danger.

Now, saying that aaravos would go kill her out of spite or revenge is stupid. Because why go after her than the actual big bad star elves who wronged him. She may pose a threat since her magic worked over keeping him locked away for such a long time, so no doubt she is powerful and he may suspect that if he knows.

And this raises a whole lot of questions. And a possible theory.

Does he go after her?

Say, he does find out where and who she is. He could either choose to:

A) go after her. Meaning she is powerful enough to be a threat but not necessarily beat him and he wants to eliminate all competition so he can accomplish his goal. This means if he does end up vapourizing her or ending her like he did khessa, it could mean he is removing the plausible support his opposition could get AKA callum.

B) Continue on and ignore. She isn't the enemy. Not right now anyway. This gives the dragang a chance to contact her if they learn of him returning.

Does he find out about her AT ALL???

1) Yes? Cuz Star primal has got divination under its belt and "you have seen what we have all seen Aaravos" Means Aaravos IS timeblind. And how vast that ability is depends on him but for an archmage, maybe he can wield it at will unlike Cosmo who can only see at intuitive or random moments and not all the time.

2) No. For him to not be able to see the archdragons' meeting with Akiyu and the Jailor some spell must have worked in concealing that event from cosmic eyes. And if this is the Aaravos will never know of who made the prison even if he can reckon how it was done and it will probably drive him nuts. Which means it could be on his radar and he will find a way soon enough.

If he does go to take revenge and/or eliminate a supposed threat... does he do so alone or not?

Now comes the theory part. A simpler version of this question is: Is claudia involved whatsoever. Like sure the mighty Star could disappear/ teleport in the middle of the night or something to go on a solo mission or he could take claudia along. And both possibilities hint at one thing.... there is an important person who could play a role in his downfall.

One rift that perhaps even Aaravos cannot stop.

Terry.

I am not the first person to say terry will leave claudia. But here i just state maybe how he would. If aaravos makes claudia do things and terry sees... well, terry could leave and go seek help from Callum and Co.

If he does it on his own and terry sees it happen by sneaking behind him... his own views on aaravos get affirmed. It will be seen as "Aaravos is doing all this for revenge" and terry will, split from his company as a call for help if only to save claudia. He will do the right thing.

Is this how the dragang finds out he is back??? Could be. Or it could be Astrid, who flied to aid after Kosmo saw it in a vision.

But this leads to one other question.

Does Aaravos foresee it and try to eliminate Terry?

The timeblind thing comes back here and it would be twisted if aaravos tries to stage terry's demise to further break claudia. I mean i dont want terry to die and it would also be a petty thing to do and TDP most certainly won't do that mistake. It would be tropy over petty but i digress. A confrontation is natural if aaravos learns that terry found out his true intentions or something.

But aaravos to try and kill him, though not impossible, feels unlikely because then aaravos is just evil for evils sake and that diminishes the whole master manipulator angle. Like yeah he told them of Leola, but he who never lies is not exempted from omiting key details. He might not have told us the whole story and what is not revealed may withold more motives. This is a very gray zone to speculate because terry has no relations to aaravos yet and all we know is he is sad Claudia gave into releasing him and that he will be wary since he suspects Aaravos to be acting on the basis of revenge.

And killing Terry doesnt make sense also because of one more thing. Aaravos fears no other, he actively brought down and essentially trash talked the dragang in episode 4 of season 4. He will not care if the dragang found out about him returning. It's gonna unstabilize Callum, anger ezran on top of the whole runaan thing, put Rayla in a pin because should she wait to take Runaan home? And if she has already split, then if she learns later she'd feel she shouldn't have left callum because he was then vulnerable. And soren will just be hurt to hear claudia's bit from terry so boy will ge sad.

The dragang destabilise will work in his favour. He will likely confront terry without claudia seeing, teleporting them somewhere else, set him loose and push him to leave, and give him only one option that will give to tell callum and Co. Terry will on hos own account tame the step to leave. Aaravos comes back and says "he left you" yo claudia and it won't be a lie at all! Terry gets a character arc and is far from harm. Claudia is pushed further into aaravos' grasp and callum and Co have information to anticipate and prepare their next action!

(PS: if he had to eliminate somebody he could go for Zubeia first before akiyu or Domina and that terrifies me even more😬)

[lolabearwrites]

the idea that Aaravos had a daughter that was his heart and soul is so precious and I love how the writers made him sympathetic-is what happened an excuse for what he's doing now? god no. But damn, do I understand why he's doing it.

However, Aaravos is a master manipulator. I can't tell if he told the truth or if he kinda fudged the story with his daughter to make it sound more devastating.

I don't know what to believe tbh

[unknownentry404]

The Dragon Prince: Pre-Season 6 Thoughts.

(Post finishing my 3rd full watch-through)

It was SUPER weird going from S4-5 Viren back to S1-3 Viren. I think it’s amazing how- like, they didn’t really redeem him? Cause he CANT be redeemed, but they still- Showed us who he was underneath the corruption and- Really emphasised how much of Viren’s villainousness was DUE to Dark Magic corruption which just- And how much he did out of love. (CoughCallumCough) Is terrifying when you think of the other two characters that have ties to it…

Viren turning to dark magic to save his son. “Whatever it takes: however dangerous, however vile.” But then: choosing dark magic OVER his son. Being careless with Soren’s feelings and very life. Telling Claudia to choose the egg over Soren, almost turning Soren into a sunbeast, gaslighting him, etc…

It appears that he first saw the Mirror in his first “dark magic coma,” with his future self on the other side of it. Explaining again why he became so obsessed with the Mirror when he saw it- The fact that S5 Viren would agree with Runaan’s warning: “that mirror? You have found something worse than death-“ Kinda mindblowing.

I have and will always be on the “Viren is an irredeemable bitch” train but- I didn’t expect it to hurt so much when I got back to Season-4-him coming to terms with mortality and just wanting to spend the next 30 days enjoying life with his daughter like- It seemed so deeply unserious and out of left-field when I first watched it, but, post Season 5- Wow, it actually hurts?

His relationship with Terry was actually really sweet? And Terry really helped him unpack so much of the Toxic Masculinity in him… as a certified Viren hater, it’s disturbing how much of this is about him- I always thought the crew spent too much time with him but- He is actually such an amazing foil?

Once again: Harrow is the bird, (Pip), confirmed. Ghost Harrow standing over Viren with the staff saying “your soul is my treasure” in reverse, turning Viren into a Coin? With Pip right behind him for “no other reason?” Also, new theory but: I think this also might be pointing to how the star spell Callum will use, with the Quazar Diamonds, to “restore spirits to their bodies.” Will not only be able to save Rayla’s family, but potentially King Harrow as well…. (Harrow has been on an Oppa bird-side-quest journey this entire time, mark my words: one does not simply emphasise bird and then let bird escape so he is “conveniently” never in the same room as the only known animal speaker, King Ezran, ever again).

Umm, something I noticed that I actually hope is just thematic and is not an important observation but: Callum has learned/connected with both of his Arcanum DIRECTLY after having used Dark Magic… (Also after doing so to save Rayla, but yeah-) And Dark Magic appears to have been something cultivated by Aaravos? Oh great master of all six primal sources?Basically, I’m hoping that it is just thematic and showing triumph over evil! Of choosing your own path! But… there is a non-zero chance that Callum might ONLY have made these connections BECAUSE he used dark magic and- (Don’t let it be so, please- I love Mage Callum, he loves magic why- /scared) It’ll take three to make a solid pattern just- don’t make it three for three, please-

Aaravos is basically whispering in Karim’s ear, via the old high mage that his caterpillar (son) bit, isn’t he? Meaning he’s being manipulated by the person who killed his sister, destroyed Lux Aurea and swallowed his grandmother. And hence Sol Regrem is, too, being manipulated, through Karim, by the person who GAVE humans dark magic, gave them the wizard staff and LEGIT took his eyes- It is LITERALLY the end of S3 again- Karim in Viren’s place. Aaravos, master warmonger-

Rayla to Callum, finally opening up about the coins: “there’s a burden I’m carrying, but I know I can trust you with it.” To trust is to be stronger. If we’re gonna do it, we’re going do it. Together. Meanwhile: Callum carrying the burden of using dark magic alone. And I’m not even sure if he’s TOLD anyone that the cube is called the @Key of Aaravos!” He tried to destroy it but- he couldn’t and- (This is gonnna FUCKING HURT I-)

Another small observation, but to the Earth Archdragon in S4, Callum offered the least valuable item as a gift when- I’m pretty sure if he offered the Key of Aaravos, it would have been enough on its own and really gotten the ball rolling too? Would it have been smart to give it up? Unclear. But that thing is also a potential danger and-

(I love my baby Callum and I fear for his fate a bit more each day-)

Claudia… oh Claudia… I dunno what it is, but the fact she is so “committed to her family,” but at the same time… they are still alive. As far as we know, her mother is still alive in Del Bar. Soren is still there, and even tries to reconnect with her in Season 4. The only one who’s dying is Viren, but all Viren wants is to spend his last month with his daughter in peace and-Oh Claudia

Extra: I bought and read the graphic novels for a fuller experience, and found them quite interesting:

Callum was going to go off with Rayla on her search for Viren. And she accepted as a lie, before sneaking off in the night. Ouch.

It’s not explicitly stated, but it appears Rayla developed her fear of water from when she almost drowned on the Harvest Moon, as a child, after a run in with the Bloodmoon Huntress. She was alone and pushed off a cliff/waterfall into a lagoon where she was too weak/young to save herself and Runaan had to miraculously appear and save her. We see her carelessly dangling on a log over a stream before this scene, with seemingly no fear. And she also hasn’t interacted with the Bloodmoon Huntress yet, as of Season 5: literally JUST missed her but, I wonder if it’ll come back? 🤔

The third graphic novel takes place before Ezran was born and follows Claudia (and Soren) searching Viren’s old mentors house. It is very much a kids book, but one with very sinister undertones. We learn two things of interest: 1). The timeline of events are as follows: “Soren got deathly ill, Viren’s old mentor ‘mysteriously disappeared,’ Soren got better, Viren and his wife started fighting, wife left-“ Which, I’m- well. That’s fun? Also: the King, Harrow’s father, comforts Viren and asks how he’s doing and how the search for his mentor goes which- well then. 👀 2). The story ends with Claudia obtaining a map to a Unicorn, a map that only she can read because she is… “pure of heart” which- is such a standard, happy ending to a kids book until you realise… what she did… once she found that Unicorn… and then what its horn went on to do…

This show is too well written for the tiny fan base it has. If it sticks the landing, like I think it will? Cult classic on our hands people. Again, I’m just pissed about the depth they brought to the show with Viren: how he was a COMPLETELY different person in Part 1 vs Part 2. How that is terrifying not because we love HIM as a character, but because of how much we love Claudia and Callum… How they made me, a Viren Hater, sad that he died? Because his death was a tragedy? Not because he died, but because he died BEFORE he could warn Claudia not to go down this path. HIS path. That he didn’t want this for her- That she could still stop-

Oof. I simultaneously dread and cannot wait a second more for Friday-

[zariahthechocolatecookie]

Thoughts on TDP 6x06 - "Moment Of Truth"

Made it through episode 6! Oh my god are things picking up and is exciting stuff happening! The pace is definitely picking up and I'm very excited to see what comes next, and what the implications of this episode are for later ones.

Starting with what I feel is the most important revelation from the Callum and Rayla section - they brought the wrong pearl!?! What the hell?? That is bad. Very incredibly bad for so many reasons.

Okay, screaming about that aside - onto my actual composed thoughts. So, obviously, Callum having the fake pearl means the real one is back in Katolis. First, the shot of the pearls at the end of the last episode makes a LOT more sense now.

Second, I think everyone is in significantly much more danger now. Two of the people Aaravos has / is manipulating are in Katolis or on their way there: Viren and Claudia. I could very much see a world where one of them is manipulated into freeing Aaravos - which would put Katolis under a lot of threat immediately. Very worried about what will happen then.

The other thing is, what will happen when Callum and Rayla learn about the mistake? Whatever Kosmo did made it so they don't know (anymore), but from what brief glimpse we got of it, Callum was devastated. I imagine that will be significantly worse if he learns about it after when / of Aaravos gets freed.

The other thing is important interest is that the term "timeblind" makes a WHOLE lot more sense now. I was horribly confused about that when it was mentioned in previous episodes, so I'm glad there's some clarification on that. I'm very curious to see how it plays a role in future episodes and/or the next season.

Also the whole scene with Callum finding out that RAYLA is his "deep truth" or whatever it's called was ✨ amazing ✨ Not only is it super adorable, it's a really powerful way of representing their relationship and how they've helped each other through their various struggles. It's just so cute 🥰 Also sparkle Rayla is so pretty!!

Okay, moving to Viren's section... I know there's other things from Callum and Rayla's section, I'll touch on those later.

So, first of all, Viren really fucking sucks. Like, he deserves his lonliness. He deserves to rot to death in his cell. He deserves to never see his children again. I know all the things he did to save Soren STARTED with good intentions, but... Pinning his wife to the wall to get her treats for a spell is WAY too far. Waaaay too much.

Lissa was definitely right to leave him. However, I'm really wondering why she didn't take Claudia and Soren with her. I feel like that would have helped both Claudia and Soren in the long run, even if they did still have some problems that arose. I could see Claudia having an Azula-like situation, if she was still into dark magic, but I think Soren would have significantly less issues. Anyone got any fanfics dealing with this concept / idea?

Viren being a horrible human being aside, the backstory on how he got his staff and his old mentor is very interesting. Specially his mentor. From how it was described, it seemed like he had quit dark magic. I want to know WHY and how he was able to make that choice without going back to it. I'd say Claudia could learn some things from him about not doing dark magic, but he's a coin now, so...

Circling back to the ending... I absolutely LOVE how both Astrid and Kosmo told each other the line about truth being light vs. a burden. And how when Kosmo was saying it, we saw Viren burning the letter? Masterful. I still hate Viren, but at least he did the right thing there. Soren doesn't need to know about anything that was in that letter.

And, last but not least, the Rayllum kiss at the end!!! Oh my gosh was that moment so cute!! They're just so adorable together and it spectacular. And the fact that it was a 'redo' of that one scene all the way back in season 4 - gah it was just a perfect moment!!

Alright, that's everything about this eoisode. Onward to episode 7!

[wheretwofacesmeet]

Dragon Prince season 6/7 theories and ideas about what could feature:

-Terry going dark or trying to,in an attempt to win back Claudia

-When the final battle against Aaravos or of the next season goes down,it's kinda like when the Mystery Shack got upgraded. Villads steers his Giant Hermit Crab ship into battle...maybe against a full-sized colossal towering raging Aaravos?...with Team Zym/his crew/Berto and Nyx

-Callum tries to fly up to the stars on his mage wings. When he flies higher than the sky,he of course loses the wings. But it's on purpose? So that he gets as close to said stars as possible. He must connect to the Star Primal,he only has one chance,super-dramatic heartbeat-accelerating gasp-eliciting scene with probably some new beautiful music...aaand just when it looks like he's gonna fail and fall back...he does it. WHOOO YEAHHH GO BEST BOI CALLUM yells collective audience.

-Terry dies a dramatic sad death. Trying to save Claudia's life again,or fighting the heroes,or both. It breaks her shattered heart into even smaller pieces,and she goes on her redemption arc as a result .

-Aaravos is having a flashback or dream,and not an actual scene? Maybe trauma/grief over elf shown's death.

-We see baby and toddler and kid and young adult Aaravoses. Awwww !!

-The Celestial Elves somehow show Callum Aaravos's backstory,for some reason. OR,via unknown star magic-means,he finds it written in the stars. Callum sees it all...and,so do we. Awesome.

-Aaravos convinces a member/some members of Team Zym he's all repentant now,totally leaving his sins in the past. He just can't STAND this private hell he's been trapped in for hundreds of years!Please,he's paid for his crimes!Or he was just jailed wrongfully for helping humans! He just wants his freedom! Free him please!!

Master manipulator that he is,it works. Maybe it works,because like any good liar,he tells many truths mixed in with all those lies. I bet he's a fantastic actor when it suits him too. Helps if he's channeling his real emotions over his past experiences and current suffering into that performance. Certainly,he could move Ezran's heart.

Option Two of "Aaravos Pulls On Heartstrings With Emotional Plea "Theory:

Aaravos ain't lying. Just not telling everything. Sure,he's got a real tragic backstory,lots of sad stuff in there. Sure,he both does AND doesn't deserve to be where he is,depending on how you look at it. I know TDP writers write complicated situations like that,it's rarely black and white.

And sure,he just wants to be free...

(Plus,hasn't he suffered enough already?? If he IS their worst enemy,WOULD they wish this on him or not?)

...It's just that he's omitting one teeny little detail. Which is,what he's gonna do AFTER they free him. Possibly revenge. And maybe trying to knock down elves and dragons from their thrones,their pedestals,their high horses and hierarchical dominance,and usurp them with mankind +himself.

Those are all my ideas. Wonder if any of 'em are gonna be right?

[avenger09]

The Dragon Prince: Battle Banter

Revisiting an idea I had were TDP is a fighting game with NetherRealm style prefight dialogue, after playing MK1. Now includes season 4 and 5 characters.

----

Aaravos: Poor little prince, lost in the past.

Karim: Our sun will shine glorious once again.

Aaravos: Tomorrow never comes, what makes you think yesterday's gone are any exception.

Aaravos: I'm a master of subtle manipulation.

Callum: Taking over my body wasn't subtle.

Aaravos: Yet, here you are, right where I want you to be.

Aaravos: I know what you're going to ask me.

Viren: How I'm I still here?

Aaravos: I'm curious about that myself...

----

Finnegrin: Only one way you could've gotten out of those chains, lad.

Callum: You set up your own downfall, Finnegrin.

Finnegrin: This time, I won't bother with the chains.

Nyx: Seriously, Villads the one you want to see about getting the Sea Legs back, not me.

Finnegrin: Nice try, Commadore.

Nyx: Feathers! Should've known that would come back to bite me.

Finnegrin: The Bloodmoon Huntress, and the Pirate Lord.

Kim'Dael: Ours will be a Deadly Partnership.

Finnegrin: Xadia, won't know what hit them.

Finnegrin: You cost me my ship and me crew, girl.

Rayla: Oh no. The poor wee pirate is going to have to do his own dirty work from now on.

Finnegrin: How about I start with you then.

Finnegrin: You can't seriously think your leader material.

Karim: I have a whole army of Sunfire Elves ready to follow me!

Finnegrin: They follow your girlfriend man! Your're just the figurhead.

----

Kim'Dael: I remember you...

Rayla: Except I'm not a weak little girl anymore.

Kim'Dael: Aren't you?

Kim'Dael: What does Startouched blood taste like, I wonder?

Aaravos: Sorry, but my blood is far, far, beyond your reach.

Kim'Dael: Ah, but your vessel very much is so.

Kim'dael: Another toy soldier for me to break.

Corvus: You'll find I'm not so easily broken.

Kim'dael: My dear, your not the first to tell me that, nor will you be the last.

----

Terry: So, um, we haven't been properly introduced.

Soren: Yeah, kinda hard to do when you wrap someone in leaves.

Terry: Vines actually, not-the-point, my name's Terrestrius, but you can call me Terry.

Terry: Claudia did some messed up things, but she was still so...

Callum: Brilliant, fun, and sweet. Yeah, I've been there too, Terry.

Terry: You really have, haven't you...

Terry: I'm sorry about what Claudia almost did to you.

Ezran: Why did you follow her for so long?

Terry: She was the first to truly accepted me for who I am. I guess that made it harder to see what was happening to her.

----

Karim: We had a deal, Huntress!

Kim'Dael: One you had no means of actually fulfilling.

Karim: I would have, had you not abandoned me!

Janai: Do you even realise what you are doing?

Karim: I am saving our people from your folly, sister.

Janai: You're forfeiting our future to prop up an already lost past!

Amaya: [You broke Janai's heart!]

Karim: Better a broken hearted sister then a prideless people.

Amaya: [Pride is the cause of ruin not it's solution, and it's not more important than family!]

Soren: So you finally proposed to the General, huh? Congratulations!

Janai: I have a vacancy for a Brideshand, if you're available?

Soren: Sure, but what happened to your first- oooh...That spot was for your brother wasn't it?

Amaya: [Shouldn't you still be in the medical tent?]

Corvus: I'm all fixed up. Urgh, honest General.

Amaya: [Really? Then you wont mind a little sparring match.]

Callum: I know I'm taking a risk but, you're not my Queen, so... technically I don't have to do what you say.

Janai: Then I invoke my authority you as your future aunt instead.

Callum: Aww. But still, no can do.

Guest Fighter

Minsc: Many pardons, my furry friend and I are quite lost.

Amaya: [Uh, who are you? Some kind of adventurer?]

Minsc: We are Minsc and Boo! Protectors of the weak, slayers of Bhaalspawn, and sharp thorn in the boot of evil!

Minsc: (squeaks) Boo says he is not speaking with your luminous toad anymore.

Ezran: I'm sure Bait didn't mean what he said.

Minsc: (squeaks) Boo is sceptical, and so is Minsc.

Minsc: Your buttocks is long overdue for a virtuous kicking, fiend.

Kim'Dael: That... is a new one. What manner of madman are you?

Minsc: The Rashemaaran kind!

Minsc: You did well to escape the clutches of your evil father, Soren. You are in good company.

Soren: Thanks. Still... I wish I could've gotten Claudia away too.

Minsc: In Minsc's experience, for evey noble Gorion's Ward, there is usually a vile Sarevok as well.

Minsc: Your mischievous murmurs will have no affect on Minsc, villain. Boo and I will protect this world from you.

Aaravos: Like you "protected" your dear Dynaheir?

Minsc: Go for the eyes, Boo!

Minsc: Minsc and Boo, are here to help you.

Callum: Hey, nice rhyme.

Minsc: Rhyme?

Finnegrin: Why in blazes are you after me barnacle brain? I don't even know you.

Minsc: Wherever there is evil butt to kick, Minsc and Boo stand ready with their finest boots of justice!

Finnegrin: You are without doubt the most absurd man I've ever met.

----

Here's my first go.

And my attempt at including visuals, with art provided by a very generous guy.

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

Crazy theory time!

So in s4e5, when Stella is on Rayla's shoulder and holding the Key of Aaravos and the star rune is glowing next to her is odd.

We know from an interview that cuddlemonkeys can bond to an arcanum (a bit similarly to Callum, actually, and what I say next will also tie in to that), and Stella has clearly bonded to the Star arcanum (her name literally means "star"; Rayla is as bad as me at naming things).

Stella's done some pretty suspicious things, in my opinion (honestly, just look at some of those facial expressions). Since she is a Startouch creature, what if she was sent by Aaravos to gain Team Zym's trust and help them (or so they think), when he's actually using her to spy on and stop them from stopping Claudia from freeing him?

And while I'm on this tangent, we know Aaravos is a master manipulator; Viren, Claudia, he's getting to Callum, and maybe even Stella. We know how much the creators love to parallel Callum to Viren, and Rayllum to married couples (Harrai, Ruthari, TiadrinxLain), so what's one more? Showing the extent of how much Callum has been and will be manipulated, how he might forge a connection to the Star arcanum as well? There's already some theories about his Icarus moment/fallen angel archetype with the celestial elves from the Season 6 trailer and how it connects to the Star arcanum.

[mnemonicpneumaticknife]

I've had some thoughts about The Dragon Prince, specifically about dark magic and its origins.

Originally I planned on going through it again (again) to look more closely at each use of dark magic, but that didn't happen. I'll probably watch S1-4 again when S5 comes out.

So first, we don't really get told what dark magic is, just what it does (magic, corrupts people that use it) and where the power comes from (living things).

I have a theory that it wasn't always a corrupting, life sucking force. And also that Aaravos was imprisoned with dark magic.

We're told Aaravos had mastered all the primal magics. We see humans (mostly Callum) use primal magic from other sources, such as primal stones or certain gemstones. So even among mages with access to one primal source, they've had ways to access other forms of magic for a long time. You'd think there would be a way to combine them... but there isn't. Not one anyone but dark mages use.

We haven't seen the dark magic nexus, if such a thing exists. I think it does, and, like the sun nexus, it's been corrupted by Aaravos. That he was able to corrupt the sun nexus so easily suggests he's already familiar with corrupting a nexus.

So my thoughts are, that dark magic wasn't always about sucking the life out of things. That it was once used to combine different forms of magic (and still is). Consuming another living being isn't necessarily bad. Some of the magical things we see are plants. Some of the dark magic reagents we see don't necessarily have to come from a creature that's been killed (or killed just for magic). Taking more than the land can sustain is a choice. However, the level of corruption a dark mage experiences doesn't seem to correlate to where the magic came from.

The corruption seems most evident when a dark mage is doing something they're not familiar with or when deeply emotionally invested in what they're doing. Callum doesn't know what he's doing and is attempting to do the right thing when he does one dark magic, and it puts him in a coma while leaving lasting corruption. The visible progression of Claudia's corruption happens when she's trying to heal/resurrect her family members. We see Viren's corruption become visible when he exerts himself. I'm only familiar with the show, but the wiki says the reason (from the novelization) Lissa and Viren split up is she resented and feared Viren after he used dark magic to heal Soren. Seems like something pretty bad would have to happen to make her feel that way if it saved her son's life.

Then, when Aaravos uses Callum like a puppet, he knows all of Callum's deepest insecurities and how to manipulate him. If Aaravos is the source of the corruption, it would make sense that the more invested someone is in what they're using dark magic for, they'd give Aaravos more insight into their mind (and thus more corruption).

That brings me to the sun nexus, and why Aaravos corrupted it. While it did advance Viren's goals, I think that was secondary. Aaravos was very pleased with himself, and he knew the sun nexus was how corruption was purged from mages.

Now, eliminating a way (or the only way) to purge corruption would be very helpful to Aaravos but I think it goes beyond that. I think the sun nexus was an important part of how he was imprisoned in the first place. Specifically, it was the thing that kept him from getting out.

The level of secrecy taken about Aaravos's prison seems unnecessary. Especially when they had the key and could have disposed of it. Unless the people imprisoning him had good reason to hide the prison from themselves. For example, if they had to combine magics, and the only way to do that was dark magic.

If everyone (or just some/one person) involved in imprisoning Aaravos had to be corrupted, either as part of the ritual or to lure Aaravos into a false sense of security, then it makes sense they would take every precaution to avoid him learning how to escape before they could go to the sun nexus and be purged of corruption.

That would explain why not only does no one know where Aaravos's prison is, the key was also just sitting around in a box and not, say, destroyed or, if that's not possible, buried under a magma flow. Nobody knew, because if anyone knew, Aaravos would know. Centuries later, there's just a bunch of rumours. Even the key itself seems like an unimportant trinket (to Rayla). (King Harrow might have known more than he said in his letter to Callum. It's not like he'd have spelled it out if there was a chance of Viren getting ahold of the letter)

This also means if/when he escapes, he can't be imprisoned again the same way, not until a new uncorrupted sun nexus matures. Even if every precaution is taken (again) he'll know enough and have enough corrupted people to get out long before corruption can be removed.

[raayllum]

Hi! Just want to say I really enjoy all the posts and theories that you and many others post here on Tumblr. It keeps me guessing!

I saw a post very recently about Aaravos potentially being a giant, and it helped to solidify another theory I have, but I cannot find the post or who it was from anywhere. Basically it said that the underwater area where the “prison” was looked like a ribcage, and the pearl is like a “heart”. Aaravos as a giant is backed up by the stone “playpieces”‘who we know as the other human characters, yet Aaravos picks them up as if they’re the size of chess board pieces and uses them in a game. (Obviously symbollic and I have seen a few metas about this!) but hear me out because this theory (and I am sorry I can’t find the original author) backs up the other theory I have!

What if the Infantis Sanguine spell isn’t for bringing Viren back… but Aaravos himself? (Or both?) because the spell needed the blood of “your” child… and Sir Sparklepuff is the “child” of both Viren and Aaravos… Avos just needed Viren to do the spell for him to bring his body “back to life”, as we already pretty much can gather that he’s somewhere between life and death (the spirit world Rayla visited in TTM is very reminiscent of the colours we can see Aaravos’ prison to have through the mirror). Viren came back for 30 days because of a spell Claudia was given by Aaravos that sacrificed presumably one person, as we glimpsed at the end of season 3- so we already know the price this magic has to pay… and that in Viren’s case, it doesn’t seem to have to be someone related to him (ok, sure, to make it permanent it might require his own blood so to speak). The fact that the prison the gang retrieved is a “pearl” that glows makes me very suspicious that that is actually the prison itself. I recon that is Aaravos’ magic, or power of some kind, which is why he lacks that glowing star in his chest, and why he can’t just “burst” himself out of wherever he is… as that’s what’s been sealed away under the water- his magic.

Which leads me to Sir Sparklepuff- Aaravos needed Viren alive to perform the sacrifice spell to bring Aaravos’ body back. It is BOTH of their child (homunculus?) so who’s to say that will bring Viren specifically back? We already know Aaravos is a master manipulator… I wouldn’t be surprised if the ulterior motive with this is to bring himself into their world, he just needs someone else to push (pull?) from the other side at the same time.

Now, we know that Callum has the “key”, and the gang now has this “Perl”… again, Callum has been foreshadowed a few times to break or smash rare magical items, and I refuse to believe that the great Aaravos’ prison can be simply smashed like a primal ball and he will rise again like a genie out of a bottle. I think that like the prison’s location was broken down into many pieces, so was Aaravos himself, and not one person/ dragon knows the complete picture, expect for the Jailor. Aaravos needs to be “revived” and magically brought back into the world (hence his focus on mages, on Viren specifically- sure he is a useful tool to engage Claudia, but why not rely on her specifically to cast this spell for Viren? Why does Viren himself have to do it (I suppose we could argue that Viren needs to do dark magic for Aaravos to have influence over him, but he’s already done that once post-revival, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right?) EXCEPT for the reason that it has to be the “blood of your child” (blah blah something about Sparklepuff being the bridge between the mortal world where Viren is and Aaravos’ ��somewhere-in-the-middle’ world theory that’s not fully formed but in my head it makes sense)- so yeah, Sparklepuff is a conduit for this magic that will allow Aaravos to pull himself out of wherever he is and into where a Viren is, through their shared “blood”, simultaneously pushing and pulling to either give Viren permanent resurrection and/or Aaravos a physical manifestation in the real world, which is why Claudia cannot cast this spell. ((Unless Aaravos’ spirit will take over Viren’s body completely until all the pieces of Aaravos himself have been assembled…?!???! Maybe that last bit is a bit too far-fetched of a theory, but maybe this is how everyone will overpower Aaravos as while he’s still in someone else’s body he’s not at complete power? Again maybe too far fetched and I literally came up with that while typing so probably not, lol! ))

I’m curious to hear what you think. Do you really think Aaravos is inside that pearl? Callum’s key is also an interesting factor here. A key to what- I’m sure it can’t be a literal key to the prison. Why would you make a key if you never intent to let Aaravos out? What if it’s a key to finding the star pillar or something like that instead? It certainly can’t have been pointing to the prison as the “prison” was underwater, so that’s pretty useless if that’s the case. It was reiterated many times that no one dragon or elf knew the full picture. Nobody actually knew anything more than what they were told, except Akiyu- but does she really know WHAT is inside the prison? Is it actually him or a part of him? We still haven’t met all the dragons and don’t know what Sol Regem was told, for example. How does the gang have the full picture of the prison, it’s location AND everything else from only three dragons? There are potentially more clues we are missing!

Anyway, sorry for the long message! This is probably the only theory I’ll ever post. I am curious to see what you think! 🤭

Thanks again to you and everyone else for all your lovely theories and metas. I always enjoy reading them when I come across them!!

Hello & thank you for sending in your thoughts!

I don't think Sir Sparklepuff's bloodshed was required for Aaravos' release, especially when he was presumably able to communicate with Viren at any time, and could've subsequently had Claudia on shore as a back up to either 1) do the spell if Viren wouldn't or 2) strong arm her dad into completing the spell. The fact that, if SS's or the blood of one of Viren's children, was all the resurrection spell required means that Aaravos has been manipulating Claudia this whole time, making her believed that she needed to go to a specific place and release him in order to free her father, and that's just not true. I think the manipulation/reality we end up with there is harsher and harder, and a bit more fitting accordingly. It also means, otherwise, Aaravos could've had himself released as soon as SS was 'born', and there's no reason to not want to get himself out as soon as possible.

I also do think that Aaravos is in the pearl given 1) magic can probably shrink things and we know people('s spirits at least) can indeed be trapped or bound to contained spaces, and 2) the white glowy walls we see outside of Aaravos' windows match what the inside of a pearl would look like pretty well.

This is an old pre-S5 meta but it talks about the archdragons so I'm linking it here, but Sol Regem is completely removed from any of Zubeia's flashbacks regarding the prison. Only her, Avizandum, Domina Profundis, and Rex Igneous are depicted, so the kids have each of pieces from the 3 that were entrusted to the archdragons (Zubeia and Avizandum being a pair). So he could have a piece of the puzzle, but it seems unlikely given the framing.

There's also a lot about the Orphan Queen we don't know, but I've long wondered why keep Aaravos' key at all, and suspected that perhaps while she wanted to reveal Aaravos' treachery she didn't fully approve of the direction the Archdragons took with it, given that she seems almost upset in the prison flashback:

The diamond pattern on the clothes of Katolis, presumably started by her line / reign as well, are a perfect match to Aaravos' old diamond patterned crown as well. Her flashbacks with the Key also make it clear that it is, presumably, older than the prison. Which, whether it was ages before or right before he was imprisoned, I believe the Key of Aaravos may hold Aaravos' missing chest piece, and therefore is a double meaning - a literal key to literal Aaravos, perhaps something he wants/needs to be at the height of his powers (and also maybe free?) accordingly.

I'd love to hear more theories in the future if you have 'em, and thank you again for send this one in and for your kind words! <3 Your art is truly a wonder & blessing to the fandom

[self-spaghettification]

rb as this is my pinned post, (despite rebrand) here’s a

preface to my blog

hellooo i’m riley :) they/he, young adult, adhd, pan+nb, & my side / general stuff blog is @freefloatingtemporally , dm for nsfw tdp acct

i moved over to twitter in early july !!

@viiravos : art, writing

other stuff:

top posts, aaravos masterlist & my meta (analysis) list

fic recs

april fools rayllum shipper bit

go here to view the site with the theme as intended :)

this blog is primarily sfw besides cussing i believe!

My page WILL have TDP spoilers and they WILL NOT always be tagged (bc I don’t catch everything/don’t have the time for that tbh) additionally i will be posting tdp criticism sometimes, post s6, but it also will usually be tagged

about me

eensy teensy op lore rant: i am a programmer but i also have a variety of hobbies and bounce between them like a ping pong ball. im adhd, nonbinary, pansexual, and ace-spectrum. my username came from this, i’m not too shy about sharing info about myself. and i’ve been in fandom & drawing since 2016 :)

you can learn more about me here

i also took ap lang and lit in hs so like? analysis credentials ish hwejrwehrwejr lmfao

i’ve been in the fandom since may 2023, although i’ve been casually watching the show since season 1 came out.

i’ve only watched the show like 3 times total except for, mainly, the aaravos scenes (look don’t @ me HFJSKJFDSK) or for screencap reasons aaand i haven’t read through much of the bonus content </3 [puzzle house, tox, etc…. though i believe i do know most of the important bits :) ]

i'm kinda lazy and am a slow reader buuut i do like making fic, meta, code, art, uhh probably whatever you can think of i'm down to make it. actually, i'm not super familiar with 3d art. so. not that. rip

my fav characters are aaravos, viren, terry, claudia, and callum, and crow master (tho every character has their merits) —tier list

i generally do not take interest in ships outside of viravos & kimditi, except in specific contexts: ie, the relationship dynamic affecting how characters will be manipulated

i also made a guide on what i've learned about tumblr so far if you're interested!

boundaries:

be an interesting person worth talking to I guess

I don’t like Leola and try my best to forget much of season 6 happened so—discussion and new perspectives are great, but please don’t come into my askbox only saying how good it was or feeling sad about Leola or Aaravos. Expect a short response if you do 😭

not a pro or an anti but a secret third thing

if you’re going to call proshippers groomers keep that shit to yourself. i’m friends with some and saying stuff like that is not ok i don’t like incest, underage, aged up, or noncon, so you won't see any of that on this page, but —everyone deserves a safe space to do what they want if it’s not harming anyone 👍 also depending on how u look at it like viravos is a weird ship for age differences, dubcon depending and all that too so yeahhh :) —>

i try to operate on a don’t like, keep scrolling, basis: outside of people with the same stance, the occasional salt and sometimes being a hater in a lighthearted way (or i hope that’s how it comes across), i kinda keep my opinions to myself. but if someone is bothering me for what i post, i'll hear you out but i'll defend myself. + if we’re mutuals / interact a lot and something i did made u uncomfortable or upset, please let me know! Feedback is important-it’s the only way people can grow and change. At least, if it’s considered.

i'm picky with blocking ppl. generally, it's fine to disagree with me about things. even if certain things bother me abt someone in fandom as long as we can still connect over something else it's usually not a deal breaker by any means. i favor blacklisting content and tags.

i will take writing/art/analysis requests

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It’s tiny and while I’d say u gotta like aaravos generally please don’t ask to join if I/someone there doesn’t even know you, yk, is mutuals/friends with you!! that’s about it

find me here!!

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tagging system

all of my original posts are under the tag #self-spaghettification if you’d like to see what i think without scrolling thru rbs! (not all my thoughts are bangers. but hey, they’re there!)

i also very much enjoy organization so i tag everything i rb, so anything related to aaravos will be under #aaravos, any tdp theory will be under #tdp theory, and so on :)

analysis tags: tdp meta, tdp analysis, tdp theory, tdp speculation, tdp parallels, tdp s5 speculation, tdp s6 speculation

Foil/ non-shipping-relationship tags:

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have a nice scroll! ❤️

new banner because these fuckers wont leave my brain and they don’t pay rent >:(

[ladyandherbooks]

Illusion Rayla

After seeing the season 4 trailer I am very suspicious about Rayla returning so abruptly and casually. I do think that the Rayla that we see is actually an illusion created by Aaravos to manipulate Callum and to engineer a scenario where Callum will come face to face with himself, Viren and Claudia so that they can take the cube from him and disappear. 

Illusions created by Illusion mages are incredibly powerful and convincing, Lujanne created illusions that are sentient (the spider), illusions that can be touched and used (Ava’s leg) and can conceal (the Silvergrove) or change the taste of something (the illusion feast that Lujanne conjured in 2x01). Therefore it would be very easy for Aaravos, an ancient and powerful elf who has learnt and mastered all arcanums to create a perfect Rayla illusion, especially if he has been observing Callum for a long time. An illusion of Rayla could get behind Callum’s defenses and could convince him to do almost anything. It’s the perfect tactic to use to manipulate and control him like a puppet. 

I also think that it’s too convenient for Rayla, a girl who was desperate to not only save her family but also keep her boyfriend out of danger to suddenly return when we know that she hasn’t found or freed them yet. Returning to Callum and Katolis, regardless of her reason seems very out of character for her. 

I’m also very curious about what reason she gives for returning, does she say that she’s learnt that her family is gone forever and so she decided to return?, Or does she say that she’s freed them and they’re back at the Silvergrove with Ethari? Or perhaps she said that she has info about Viren that she wants to share with them and that she needs their help?

All of these explanations would be something that Callum would believe and wouldn’t question too much, at least initially. 

I also think that anyone who isn’t a Moonshadow elf would be very easy to trick, especially with a well constructed illusion. And humans, being the least familiar with Moon illusions could potentially be the easiest to trick at all, especially by a master of illusions who is showing you exactly what you want and wish to see. 

Rayla’s new little pet also is very suspicious, especially since it can choose which arcanum that it wants to connect to and its just so conveniently connected to the Star arcanum rather than the Moon. Very suspicious.

So how could this illusion be discovered?

1) Illusion Rayla says or does something very suspicious or very un-Rayla like and Callum realises that it isn’t really her.

2) Lujanne or another Illusion mage meets with them and very quickly realises the truth and destroys the illusion

3) Ethari unexpectedly turns up and illusion Rayla, created through Aaravos’ observations of Callum can’t convince him that she’s the real Rayla.

4) They journey to a Moonshadow village or city and the illusion or protection magic around the community destroys the illusion.

5) A magical, Moonshadow item e.g. Moon staff is found, used and ends up revealing the truth about this Rayla.

6) The real Rayla turns up, either alone or with a friend and the deception is uncovered. 

[theredhairedmonkey]

I don't know if you've already been asked this but what do you think about the "the cube hostage theory" that has been going around in the fandom?

Eh, not my cup of tea. I've mulled it over, and while it initially seems compelling at face value, the more I think it over, the less it makes sense.

The main version of this theory that I've heard is something along the lines of: Callum trades the cube for Rayla, knowing full well that the cube unlocks Aaravos' prison (or something to that effect). And I'm of several thoughts about this.

For starters, Aaravos doesn't know where his prison is, and the cube once belong to Aaravos. That combination makes it exceedingly unlikely that the cube unlocks the prison, since if it did, then Aaravos (the original owner) would have undoubtedly been aware of this, and thus would have been aware of where his prison is, what it is, etc.

Now, lemme assume I'm just misunderstanding something (or the issues above don't matter) and actually the cube is actually the key to Aaravos' prison. Well, then why did he have Claudia resurrect Viren now? His only leverage here is that both mages need Aaravos freed in order to save Viren, but this has to happen within thirty days. So...wouldn't it make the most sense if Aaravos waited until he already had the cube in his possession, rather than half a continent away, before beelining for his release? Seems a bit of an unnecessarily rushed timeline on his part. If the cube mattered this much to Aaravos' release, he certainly would have sent Claudia for it by now, before resurrecting her father.

So as you can see, the deeper we delve into this theory, the bigger the logical issues grow. And this doesn't even get into the biggest problems with this theory, which are twofold: First, as of Harrow's letter, Callum is already looking into unlocking whatever "great power" the key of Aaravos is guarding. So, the hostage exchange really doesn't even need to exist to create motivation, since Callum would have wanted to figure out this mystery for himself even without some sort of hostage situation to drive this plot forward.

Second, and more importantly, is the fact that whatever Aaravos wants from Callum, it has less to do with anything in his possession, and much more to do with Callum himself. This has already been alluded to and implied in the official promo art here:

But, I'll give this theory some more runway. I have also heard that the cube hostage exchange theory isn't actually about the cube (aptly named theory then, I'll say), but about Callum trading "something" (maybe himself?) to Aaravos in exchange for Rayla's life in a dramatic display of love. And the biggest question that this theory can't seem to answer is: Why?

Why does any of this need to happen? It doesn't reveal anything we didn't know about any of the characters involved. We already know that Callum and Rayla would sacrifice almost anything for each other. Rayla knows that (in fact, that's probably one of the reasons she left on her own), so it doesn't really inform her arc in any way. And since there's no reason for anyone to keep their word in this exchange (least of all the villains), it really is anyone's guess as to why anyone would agree to it.

A hostage exchange also seems a bit too blunt of a way for Aaravos, a master manipulator, to win over Callum. Which is something I'd personally be a little cross about, since watching Aaravos tempt, rather than trick or coerce, Callum is something that would otherwise be a pivotal moment in his character arc.

Personally, I think this theory is the result of prioritizing abstract themes and literary parallels over characters and plot lines. But I'd also be a bit of a jackass if I criticized a theory without offering an alternative idea, so let me have a crack at this:

Aaravos tries to win over Callum by pitting him and Viren against each other. He indeed has Claudia and Viren capture Rayla (or they capture Rayla and he simply finds out about it), then communicates with Callum through the mirror, "offering" him the power he needs to save her (with literal strings attached). Basically he plays both sides and hedges one of his pawns against the other, preparing to snatch the winner as his personal lieutenant (which brings him to the same endgame he was planning in s3, just with himself out of his prison and with two mage apprentices to choose from. It is then up to Callum to break free from this temptation and reject Aaravos.

Are you can see here, Rayla--as well as Ezran, Soren, etc.--still play a role in this as well. Of course Callum would want to protect those he loves at all costs, but it's (i) not just Rayla and (ii) not a hostage exchange. But we'll see what story TDP has in store. It has surprised me before, and I expect it to keep that trend going!

[inflammatoryfandomblog]

Wait, you hate Aaravos!? What, why?? Saying he's boring..can you explain? Because to me he and Viren are pretty much the only interesting characters. :'D Like elf who possibly taught people to use dark magic, dissecting his fellow-elfs because he thought they were too high and mighty, that's boring? (Ok, show hasn't outright said some of these things, but writings on their website have very much hinted that.) I'm not hating at all, I just want to understand your opinion in this. :D

oh yeah no i get what you mean, no hate gotten here!

the first thing to know about me hating aaravos is that it’s exaggerated for what is intended to be comedic effect. sometimes i like to be a Hater, and one of the best things to be a Hater about is fictional characters, because nobody is actually hurt if you just really hate a fictional thing.

but anyways, aaravos i think makes me kind of annoyed for a few reasons, the main reason is just his character archetype--you know, the chessmaster ancient being who is a secret for some reason. the illuminati guys. there’s nothing inherently wrong with this trope, but it’s super easy to do mess up, and i’m always extremely skeptical of the value that such a character brings to a story.

first,  it relies on you “buying into” the story. you have to trust that the mystery and such will be worth it--and i have no such trust in the writers of the dragon prince. 

second, it requires that the character is woven in such a way to meaningfully interact with the plot/story, so that there are real mysteries to uncover. aaravos does a lot of shady stuff, but simply making a character do powerful and shady stuff is super easy; what they have to do is tie into the existing themes and characters. aaravos is supposed to be super convincing, but viren trusts him for... not very good reasons. aside from a few throwaway references, he’s not well-integrated into the show proper and it doesn’t really feel like he’s sitting on anything particularly connected to other things the characters care about--he never says anything like “oh well you know, i helped the humans” or anything to convince viren even though it would make complete sense for him to do so. he just kind of sits there, smirks, and does things like atomizing people, which feels dissonant from the magic system rather than anything that makes me feel wonder. he doesn’t even really have a meaningful relationship with viren--all he does is smirk ominously, and it feels like smoke and mirrors. (that is, unless you know supplementary material--i always try to stay away from that or try to integrate supplementary material with scenes already in the show.)

third is what i’ve alluded to above: i am not sure that the dragon prince would be a better story with aaravos in it anyways. does a complex war that goes back thousands of years really *need* a master manipulator that is so prominent so quickly? apparently, yes, because the writers always fail to do interesting things with the 1000-year-old conflict. but there are plenty of plots here that he can seed himself in without becoming the main driver or focus--organically building up interest instead of signposting “look!!!! what a big deal!!!! WHAT A MYSTERY!!!!” it’s just very clumsy to me.

now, from a backstory perspective, i think he can be an interesting figure and i think he is interesting in concept given what we get in the supplementary material--with solid writing i can see him having roughly a similar relationship to viren as he does now (just without the shit-eating “conQuER xADiA????” stuff that makes me not take him very seriously). viren is a character who is not good at being a leader and needs someone to play off of, and aaravos is a leader-type. makes sense and there are a lot of places you can go with that. it’s mostly just his execution

these are the writing-related reasons as to why i find aaravos to be boring--it’s mostly that i don’t buy into him rather than his concept being bad. he feels very smoke and mirrors and very “written-in” and as a result i think i have less patience for his quips and mannerisms, which are more grating to me than anything else, and that becomes multiplied with how prominent he is. as with all things, i could always be wrong and aaravos might surprise me. i hope that i have answered this question to your satisfaction.