#maudra mera

[multi-lefaiye]

nine lines, nine people tag

hehehehe :3 i was tagged by both the lovely @void-botanist and @vacantgodling! and i was so excited to share more gelf/heat wip content.

have some kylan thoughts,,,,,

cw: references to emotional abuse from a parent and fantasy racism/xenophobia.

There’s a fluidity to Rian’s movements that speaks to years of training, to being handed a sword and taught to fight practically from birth. He’s a soldier in every sense of the word, that much is plain to see. A champion in a clan of warriors. As Kylan watches him, he feels an ugly, twisting pang in his stomach that he recognizes as envy for the briefest moment. But just as quickly as it comes bubbling up in the back of his throat, he swallows his jealousy down, his ears pinning back as he averts his gaze. Still, it continues churning inside him, a festering whirlpool of anger he’s never allowed himself to feel. This is a son that Mera would be proud of, he thinks to himself, taken aback by the bitterness the thought brings. The Spritons may not be proud fighters the way the Stonewoods are, but they produce many fine warriors. And Kylan has always, always, fallen short of the expectations placed on him in that regard. It was rare that Mera ever said so directly, especially to him, but he knew that he wasn’t what she wanted him to be. The half-born son of two warrior clans, too soft and weak to even hold a sword without trembling. It sounds like a bad joke, but Kylan can’t quite find the humor in it.

this is a bit more than nine lines, but idc-

tagging, with no pressure to any of y'all <3: @corvus-rose @skitzo-kero @anexor @paradoxspir1t @albatris @transmasc-wizard @northwyrm @vacantgodling @void-botanist (tagging y'all again because i'm greedy and want more writing /silly)

edit: also tagging my bestie @potatolordofficial bc i CAN!!!

AND YOUUUU DEAR READER. consider this an open tag :3

[eanfee]

Dark Crystal Barbie AU

An old invention of mine that I never showed much here: An alternative Dark Crystal universe with Barbie The Island Princess!

Story will come in part two.

CAST:

Tavra as Ro

Naia as Tika (it will make more sense in the story)

Gurjin as Azul (it will make more sense in the story)

Onica as Prince Antônio

Cadia as King Peter

Maudra Ethri as Queen Danielle

Maudra Mera as Queen Ariana

Kylan as Princess Luciana

Juni as Tallulah (it will make more sense in the story)

Freckles as Frazer (it will make more sense in the story)

Maudra Mayrin as Queen Marissa

[talkin-tdc]

TDC Halloween AU

Ordon is the type of dad to strictly give out one piece per childling you can’t convince me otherwise

Laesid and Bellanji like to just leave the bowl out (Naia always steals it early into the night before anyone else can get it.)

Mayrin will just make the butler do it, or Seladon if she doesn’t make her take her sisters.

Skeksis usually can’t be bothered to give out candy, but when they do, they make the poddling do it and usually SkekAyuk likes to put in gross ingredients (make some candy spicey or cause burping, that sorta thing.)

Rian likes to gather all the kids who are either his friends or like to get a lot of candy and delegate them to maximize profits and all get the most candy for all of them. The older kids like Tolyn and Gurjin are sent to take them trick or treating to keep them in line, Tolyn does but Gurjin turns his eyes away or joins in.

Kylan has to remind everyone to play civil and most of the night breaks up other childling arguing over trading. He does it so much that often Tolyn has to ask for candy for his brother since Kylan is always too busy with making sure no one fights to get candy.

Juni’s house is the most popular on the block as they not only put up spooky decorations but give out full sized candy bars.

Brea likes to look up facts about the candy companies or candy in general and tell everyone as they’re getting it.

Tavra dislikes candy, but goes out to spend time with her sisters, always giving up her candy to Seladon who she knows loves candy even though she denies it.

The librarian tells stories to childling who come up to his door, often his house getting avoided as while they are spooky, they take up a lot of time.

Cadia lives across the street and does the same thing. Who’s ever trick or treaters leaves the door last wins. They try to one up each other, both having the best candy in the neighborhood and trying to get Rian to come to their door as he’s the town’s poster childling tricker treater. He never goes to either though since Ordon tells him not to and it’d be a time waster.

Deet reminds everyone not to give candy to any animals. Also brings treats of her own in case kids can’t eat candy they’re given due to health issues.

Deet’s dads don’t like giving out candy since it can exclude kids so they give out stuffed animals instead.

Rek’yr throws a party for all the adults at night. Most go to discuss the night’s events, kid’s costumes, decorations, though Mayrin and Ordon skip out to spend time with family while the rest of the adults go.

Maudra Argot is said to be a “wild child” at said parties.

Maudra Mera bakes cookies from scratch for trick or treaters.

SkekMal will take one childling per Halloween and childling are told not to go near the forest. It’s why big kids are forced to watch after the younger ones (even though some would rather be studying or going to the big party on the block).

That’s it! Give me some recs for anyone I missed ^^

[beasanfi1997]

"Your orders, Chamberlain?" Asked Galadriel

"Find the Stonewood Gelfling," SkekSil ordered.

At the Twilight Realm, the Garthim broke down the portale and Midna turned and saw the Garthim ransacking the store. They moved a barrel and pulled back a rug, revealing a trapdoor, which opened, revealing Grottans.

Later, they were handcuffed and standing outside of the Twilight Realm.

"Ten pieces of silver for Rian from Stonewood Clan," Gothel said, offering the exact amount of money.  The Grottans said nothing but remained silent.  "Lock them up!" SkekSil ordered.

Later, the Garthim pushed a wagon into the river, and as it began to sink, Rek'yr the Dousan, Onica the Sifan, and Maudra Mera the Spriton surfaced.

"Twenty pieces of silver for Rian from Stonewood," SkekSil said, offering the double amount of silver. Like the group of some Gelflings from different Clan before them, Rek'yr, Onica, and Maudra Mera remained silent and glared at SkekSil. "Take them away!" SkekSil ordered.

Galadriel frowned and shook her head, not at all liking SkekSil's method of hunting down Rian.

Later, SkekSil and Galadriel were at a castle.  A group of people were gathered nearby, watching, and Rian and JB turned up in disguise.

"Poor Princess Carolina," Princess Zelda said.  "She's never harmed anyone!"

"SkekSil's gone mad," Link said.

Inside of the castle, SkekSil was interrogating Princess Carolina and her family.

"We found this Sifan talisman on your property," SkekSil said.  "Have you been harboring Gelfling?"

"Our castle is always open to the weary jugglers," Princess Carolina said.  "Have mercy, Chamberlain."

"I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this," SkekSil said, as she and Galadriel turned to leave.  "If what you say is true and you are innocent, you have nothing to fear."

"But we are innocent!"  Princess Carolina protested.  "We know nothing of those Gelflings!"

SkekSil closed the door and barred it with a spear, before he turned to Galadriel and said, "Burn it."

"What?" Galadriel said in shock.

"Until it smolders," SkekSil said, handing a torch to Galadriel.  "These humans are traitors and must be made examples of."

Galadriel frowned and said, "With all due respect, Chamberlain, my Brother and the Silver Elves were trained me not to murder the innocent."

"But you were trained to follow orders," SkekSil said. Galadriel backed toward the house as if to burn it, but doused her torch in a barrel of water with a defiant glare. "Insolent coward," SkekSil said, before he took a torch and held it up to the castle, setting it on fire as well.

The cries of Princess Carolina and her family came within and Galadriel jumped through the window into the burning castle as Rian watched in concern. Galadriel broke down the door and she and Princess Carolina's family ran out. Galadriel handed the children to Princess Carolina and Prince Ivaldo and they both left, giving Galadriel grateful smiles.

[oz-the-sorcerer]

TDC MEMES BUT I DON'T EXPLAIN THEM

(contains spoilers from the YA book series)

[tdc-incorrect-quotes]

Maudra Mera: I believe you said your childhood was "satisfactory"?

Kylan: No, you misheard me. I said it was a "sadness factory".

[sifanjewel]

Reasons Maudra Mera is the most disliked Maudra

So I know Maudra Mera shouldn’t be counted as a “villain” of The Dark Crystal but her behavior through most of her time in the books and the small bit we get in Age of Resistance definitely lands her on many TDC fans’ shit lists, and there are very valid reasons to this. Let’s go in order, shall we?

Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t read the books/hasn’t finished them

1. She’s racist/xenophobic. It’s pretty much the first thing we learn about her. When Naia first encounters her in Shadows, Mera makes some not-so-subtle judgements toward her appearance (which included touching her hair. the fuck) and backhanded remarks about the Drenchen. She even went so far as to say the Drenchen mattered the least of all the clans (I’m paraphrasing but that’s pretty much exactly what she said). Even when she does act cordial and gives Naia supplies she needs for the rest of her journey, it’s all to make herself look good for treating a fellow Maudra’s daughter with hospitality and respect.

And her calling Naia her “Soggy Dear” is just... stop. Just stop.

2. She’s a horrible guardian to Kylan. While it seems good on her that she took in a young orphan after the sudden deaths of his parents, she did the bare fucking minimum of raising him. She gave him a home, fed him, taught him the Spriton way of living, but there was definitely a lack of compassion for him. It’s bad enough that she never believed Kylan’s parents were taken by the Hunter, but in doing so she denied him the ability to cope with his trauma by not giving him any emotional support. Not to mention the fact that their deaths were partly if not mostly her fault. Kylan’s mother was Spriton but his father was Stonewood, and it’s canon that those two clans have rivaled for ages, so in order to preserve her clan’s image, Mera likely had a hand in pushing them to live in dangerous territory near the Dark Wood. The most likely reasons she took Kylan in were:

a) she felt at least some guilt for what happened to his parents as a result of her actions and raised him as a way of possibly redeeming herself

b) It’s stated in the Seven Clans book that it is a Maudra’s duty to take in a childling of their clan if the parents are unable to support them for whatever reason, so he would have become her responsibility regardless

c) he had nowhere else to go, because it doesn’t seem like any other Spriton or Stonewood would willingly raise a childling that is half of the clan they despise most.

Oh, and backing off that last point, Kylan is constantly teased and pushed around by the citizens of Sami Thicket, and Mera doesn’t seem to do shit about it or try to defend him in any way. I mean no fucking wonder he ran away the first chance he got, she practically pushed him away.

I think some part of her must have cared for him, seeing how she greets him upon his return to Sami Thicket in Flames, but she really shouldn’t have been all surprised Pikachu face when he up and left in the first place. She and the rest of that village made the Skeksis feel more welcome than him.

3. She nearly betrayed her own kind for her own clan’s safety. She basically pulled a Seladon and initially sided with the Skeksis even the she knew exactly what they were doing. Even though Mera never touched Kylan’s petals she knew that the Skeksis were capturing Gelfling, they even kidnapped a bunch right before her fucking eyes and yet -- SHE WENT CALLING FOR KYLAN'S RETURN SO THAT NO ONE ELSE WOULD GET TAKEN

HOLD UP

I’M JUST NOW REALIZING THIS

SHE WAS GOING TO FUCKING TURN HIM IN TO SAVE HER ASS AND EVERYONE ELSES

I HOPE I’M LOOKING AT THIS RIGHT IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE ACTUALLY READ THE BOOKS BUT HOLY FUCK

DID SHE REALLY CARE ABOUT HIM??

FOR FUCKS SAKE MERA

GOD

SHE KNEW THE SKEKSIS WERE LOOKING FOR HIM AND MESSAGED THE OTHER MAUDRAS ASKING WHERE HE WAS SO HE WOULD COME BACK AND FOR WHAT?? DID SHE THINK THE SKEKSIS WERE GOING TO GIVE THE TAKEN BACK??

I MEAN YEAH I’M SORRY SOME VILLAGERS GOT TAKEN BUT ARE YOU SERIOUSLY WILLING TO TRADE IN THE BOY YOU FUCKING RAISED FOR... PROTECTION FROM THE SKEKSIS?? BY SKEKSIS???

I’m actually fuming right now. Whether or not she had known the full truth it’s completely possible she would have turned him in. At that point in time she would have handed Kylan to the Skeksis on a silver platter GOD FUCKING DAMMIT--

Oh and, she wouldn’t let the Drenchen pass through her territory to fight the Skeksis and avenge the Stonewood clan, and that she was gearing up her soldiers to go into all-out war just to keep them out under SkekUng’s orders. How desperate do you have to be to fight your own kind in favor of the Skeksis? How far was she willing to go to protect her clan? Yes, Maudras should fight for the well-being and safety of their clan but if she’s going to let the other clans fall so her own can prosper?? Bitch that’s just a whole new level of selfish.

AND NOW FOR SHOW CANON

So Mera didn’t have much of an appearance in AoR except for episodes 6 and 10, but we didn’t need much to know how she is.

Her first and obvious mistake was siding with Seladon instead of Fara and Laesid after the coronation. I know Ethri and Seethi did too but at least they ended up fully believing what was going on in the end, while it seems it took Mera much longer, because Kylan tells Fara in ep. 9 that the Spriton wouldn’t listen to him when he tried to rally them against the Skeksis. This doesn’t surprise Fara, because she knows Mera’s an expert in ass-kissery, given what happened at the coronation and the fact that their clans rival enough as it is. Just another reason we stan Maudra Fara, she knows how to call out fellow Maudra’s when they’re clearly in the wrong without fear of repercussion. Vala didn’t raise no bitch

I like to think Fara is the Maudra that Mera thinks she is, but even she knows that’s bullshit XD

OKAY. That’s my rant on Maudra Mera. If I missed anything by all means, please, do tell.

If anyone is just going to defend Mera, please note that I know she does truly turn around in the end, I just needed to remind everyone why there is slander on her character to begin with. Hope this was enlightening somehow.

[n1na-l3vich]

is that what you guys wanted?

[fenth-eiria]

You can tell which Maudra I like more.

Anywho… Enjoy these technically neglected Maudras!!!

[imagin8]

"I can record our journey in exchange for protection from ruffnaw and- and fizzgigs!"

- Kylan, Shadows of The Dark Crystal

[rocky-fennek]

RoyalMelody Week: Day 2 - Opening Up

(oops I missed posting yesterday)

One thing I imagine Brea and Kylan have in common is a fairly lonely childhood. Brea probably would have seen how strict her mother was with Seladon and tried to stay out of the way, which is why she turned to books for escapism. Kylan, meanwhile, was taken in by Maudra Mera, but other than providing for his basic needs and education, she didn't pay much attention to him.

Really, it's a wonder they grew into such well-adjusted Gelfling.

@weekofroyalmelody

[multi-lefaiye]

heads up, 7 up tag game

rule: share 7 lines, tag 7 people

haven't done any writeblr games in a while!! :3 hopping in here to share some dark crystal fanfic. i'm having fun here.

tagged by: @transmasc-wizard (ty <3)

“Really?” she asks, unable to keep the incredulous frown from her face. “Not a single one of you?”

She’d always known logically that the other gelfling clans didn’t necessarily need to swim, but to never learn at all? It’s nearly impossible for her to wrap her head around.

Kylan, sitting with his legs crossed only a few feet away, looks sheepish as he stirs his pot of broth over the flickering embers of their campfire. “Well… no,” he says softly. “Maudra Mera taught me many things, but swimming was never one of them.”

He sounds embarrassed, as though his adopted mother’s failure to teach him basic survival skills is somehow his fault, and he expects Naia to be disappointed in him.

tagging, with no pressure to any of y'all: @vacantgodling @corvus-rose @angsty-prompt-hole @drawnecromancy @albatris @northwyrm @paradoxspir1t

[your-super-paper-grandma]

can you draw the Maudras together? Please 💘

✨✨ Some precious, strong queens of Thra ✨✨

[talkin-tdc]

Late TDC modern easter AU

Ordon and Mayrin both competed to have the ‘best egg hunt’ at their respective houses since they have the biggest in the neighborhood for around five trine when their kids were young. Shoni and Kam’Lu get so annoyed with them trying to one up each other in the neighborhood, they go behind their backs and create a big egg hunt that spans both properties. They ended up sleeping on the couch the next day but both agreed it was worth it to end the rivalry.

Eventually, through the hunt the families became friends, particularly Ordon, Kam’Lu and Bellanji and Mayrin, Shoni, Fara, Laesid and Mera.

Dads would grill, moms would make decorations and sometimes plant flowers.

After that, the annual egg hunt happened at two locations, one at their homes and the other at the castle

The Skeksis feel weird at the idea of hunting/eating eggs, so the egg hunt at the castle is purely chocolate. Also things like arathim or makrak are painted on them. The castle is usually for older kids and the younger ones go to Ordon/Mayrin’s because of it (except their bio kids they stay when they’re older or are expected to).

SkekAyuk gets tired of finding places to hide the eggs so Tek makes a machine to do it for him at the castle.

SkekEkt likes to paint all the eggs at the castle

The winner of either egg hunt gets a special basket which is filled with expensive stuff (year free to the movies, skip out on tithes, etc).

Eventually as the trine go on Rian, Brea, and Seladon want to see what the egg hunt is like at the castle after doing the Ordon/Mayrin thing for so long. Tavra disagrees till she sees that Onica is going so goes along (even if she doesn’t agree as both sets of parents said no as Brea can’t go till 15 and she’s 14 so it’ll be ‘too much for her’ and ‘unfair to let anyone go without her’).

They go with Gurjin, Tolyn, Kylan, and Juni. The maudras and others from the local high school are there as well.

Deet doesn’t want to go as she likes spending time with her family. Naia also doesn’t participate as she knows she’ll get too competitive

She knows that because when she was younger her parents took her to Ordon/Mayrin’s and she came to blows with Tavra when it had been a tie and the adults were told they should share the prized basket.

Anyway, for the annual egg hunt, after the kids set up they sneak out.

No one notices as it’s usually a lot to set up so the parents think they’re just ‘around’.

Eventually, Laesid and Bellanji arrive with Pemma and Bell says goes over to the dads and say it’s great they’re being less strict with their kids.

Ordon’s like “what do you mean?” And he’s like “Well, aren’t they going with Gurjin and his friends this trine?”

The moms are informed.

They are PISSED

Fara flies to the castle, makes a scene, and they all get ground for unum. Not before Rian won the basket though.

Gives basket to Brea. They’re all still grounded though and end up doing community service.

Seladon and Rian take most of the blame.

They also ended up getting banned from the castle festivities because Brea ended up in the restricted section of the library, Rian used some less than ideal methods to win the hunt, and Seladon yelled at everyone to follow the rules, making some of the more sensitive kids cry (mainly Kylan).

They all agree next trine maybe after the egg hunt at home they can go watch a movie or something.

Ordon also gets temporarily demoted because of the whole thing. Mayrin has to ask the lords to give him his position back (which he does thankfully).

[thebibliomancer]

Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 30

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because the battle is over! ... Now what?

Last times on book: Team Naia completed the work of two books by lighting all the flames of resistance and uniting the seven Gelfling clans. The Emperor responded by attacking the Gelfling Gathering at Stone-in-the-Wood with most of the extant Skeksis. The tide turns towards the Gelfling with reinforcements from all the clans that took longer to arrive and with skekMal the Hunter exploding because of his counterpart sacrificing himself. But the real turn in the battle occurs when all the Gelfling join hands, sing, and dreamfast to harmonize with the Crystal Shard in Rian’s broken legendary sword. And Thra answers by going nuts and writing some new words on the walls of Stone-in-the-Wood, startling the Skeksis into retreat.

It was pretty wild.

Chapter 30

The gathered Gelfling make plans for the future, aided by Thra’s impressive graffiti.

After the Skeksis were gone, Naia and the other Gelfling gazed upon the etchings.

They covered every stone surface in the ruins, interlaced with the etchings that had already been cast by the lighting of the seventh Gelfling fire. In every nook and every toppled Stonewood structure, pictures of stars and suns and moons were emblazoned like brands. Naia traced her fingers over the shapes -- many images, but many words as well -- wandering silently from wall to wall. Every etching was different, bleeding into the next, in a chain of hundreds, if not thousands, of passages and illustrations.

At the beginning of her story, Naia was illiterate as many Gelfling are.

But now, after her journeys and adventures, she’s still mostly illiterate.

Kylan and Amri have been trying to teach her but its been an indeterminate but fairly short length of time. Months maybe. Or unum, as they say on Thra.

But even though she can’t read it, she knows what she’s looking at.

She and her friends and all the Gelfling had asked so many questions. Finally, Thra had answered. She knew without a doubt that the answer to every question was here. Somewhere, scattered among the remains, burned by the fires of prophecy.

Huh! I guess Maudra Mera was right!

Kylan and Rian call Naia over to a particular wall that had been part of Maudra Fara’s meeting chamber. Geez, the Skeksis did a number on Stone-in-the-Wood. And we still don’t know what they did.

But on the wall behind the stone maudra’s chair, Kylan finds and reads a section for everyone present.

“The legacy of the Gelfling race,” Kylan read aloud for all to hear. “What was sundered and undone shall be made whole. The two made one.” He glanced at Naia, then at Rian, before he finished: “By Gelfling hand, or else by none.”

“Look at those below,” Amri said, joining them. Along the bottom of the Gelfling tableau were more familiar shapes, these more ominous: Skeksis. urRu. urSkeks, and the Castle of the Crystal. One thing in particular caught Naia’s eye.

“That looks like the shard,” Gurjin said.

Rian looked at the thing in his hand, a miniature version of the Crystal of Truth that was trapped deep in the heart of the Castle of the Crystal.

“The shard heals the Crystal,” Naia said. “It’s the missing piece. The real way for us to mend the Crystal. Stop the darkening and heal Thra again. It’s telling us what to do.”

OOOOOOOH SNAP, THE PROPHECY!

But more to the point, implied to be the exact prophecy wall that Jen and Kira see in the movie.

I’ve suspected for a while that the ruins that Jen and Kira run into was Stone-in-the-Wood. It makes the most sense on the map we have of Skarith. And the architecture was closest to Stone-in-the-Wood.

Flames leans into it with the meeting hall that lost most of its hall and has a chair. The chair that Kira sat in and became (in Jen’s eyes) maudra.

Plus, the way Kira describes some faint awareness among the Podling that something Bad happened at the ruins of the ancients matches with the Skeksis doing Something that destroyed much of the village.

It can be a problem in prequels to try to explain too many things and set up too much for the established future. Gives the impression that nothing important happens between point A and B.

I don’t think this qualifies for that.

The books have done a good job building up to this point. Naia becoming aware of the extent of the problems on Thra and that defeating the Skeksis won’t solve them by itself. Her desperation to heal the crystal and to resist the Skeksis without killing them. The repat hopes that Thra will provide answers which Thra then provides with gusto!

If I don’t mind something being explained in the prequels, its where the prophecy came from.

(That plus showing the Skeksis were being dicks to the Gelfling before the prophecy. This isn’t a situation where the Skeksis were minding their own business and overreacted to a prophecy by doing a genocide. They were well on their way to that point before Thra dropped a hot prophecy.)

Speaking of prequels, the crystal shard is a weird example. Because in both this and the show, the crystal shard is discovered by the protagonists. And then Something happens between the show/books and the movie and Aughra winds up with a basket of shards and doesn’t know which one is the real one. Could be explained by Aughra jamming it into her junk drawer and forgetting to label it but maybe Something Else happened.

Anyway.

Stone-in-the-Wood! Movie! Thronechair! I’m unreasonably excited about these dots I’ve connected! Moving on!

Onica pops up to offer her oracular two-cents to the wall prophecy. And that is that its not just a list of instructions and a solution. Its a guarantee.

“This wall reveals the future which will come to pass. The Gelfling will heal the Crystal. The Skeksis will be rejoined with the urRu. The urSkeks will return to the world from which they came... and Thra will heal. It is not a suggestion or an instruction.”

Onica’s sea-green eyes passed over the wall once more, a bold smile crossing her lips. Naia shivered at the determination in the Far-Dreamer’s brow as a breeze ruffled her crimson hair.

“It is our future,” she said. “And our legacy.”

That’s reassuring!

I assume that the worst could still come to pass if the Gelfling just sit on their thumbs and don’t try. “By Gelfling hand or else by none.” It won’t get done if they don’t do it.

But if they DO their part, if the heed the instructions of Thra, everything will be set right. It’s nice to have some certainty!

I mean, uh, in the movie it did get done but only after the Gelfling population was maybe dropped down to two. But then a hundred years after THAT the population was doing good again.

I’ll call that a lot better than the worst case scenario.

Aughra then just shows up out of nowhere.

Where have YOU been?

She’s called out as looking disheveled so probably up to something. If she were drunk (drank? Exploded into essence.) then she respawned somewhere else.

Anyway, she tells the Gelfling gathering that the Skeksis have seen the prophecy and now they fear the Gelfling. It gives the Gelfling some breathing room because they’re too afraid to start anything anytime soon. They’re going to go and barricade themselves up in the Castle.

Rian suggests that being the case they should take the night to recover from the battle and everything that’s happened. Treat the wounded, pay respects to the dead.

“For when the Skeksis come after us again, it will be relentless. They have no reason to pretend to love us any longer. They’ll come after us with everything they’ve got.”

Naia took Rian’s hand once more, holding it out so the shard gleamed in the light.

“But the Skeksis saw the prophecy as we did. They know they can no longer divide us. These signs are proof of our unity, the shard a promise. The Gelfling will prevail.”

Woo! Hope!

More extended cast cameos: Periss and Erimon help the Spriton and Vapra repair Landstrider gear. Rian’s sister Mythra shows up again, helping prepare Gelfing bodies for their last rites.

And when night falls, Naia gets invited to the all maudra’s fire, as in all of the maudra are around a fire.

Naia hesitates because she still feels like her mom should be at the maudra drinking circle, not her. And the absence of Laesid, Fara, and Mayrin is felt around the circle.

Also, booze.

What’s the drinking age on Thra, I wonder?

She took the flask Ethri offered her, tasting the sweet pungent wine that smelled of fermented sogflowers. She pushed down a cough and handed it next to Maudra Mera, who was not so succesful.

HA.

Maudra Argot asks Naia how she’s holding up and Maudra Naia admits that its hard not to dwell on all that’s been lost.

“It is important to remember what has been lost,” Seethi said. Naia had never met the Dousan maudra, but the time for first greetings had long past. They had seen battle together, and survived together. Now it felt as though Naia had known the blue-and-gold tattoos across the older maudra’s face forever. “But it is also important not to dwell on it. To dwell is to become attached. And it would not do to become attached to what is in the past.”

The Dousan would make good Jedi, probably.

Also, heh, yeah. It does seem weird that Team Naia did the whole desert questline without running into Maudra Seethi. With so many of the other clans, lighting the fire meant convincing the maudra of something. But with Maudra Seethi, the fact that she never arrived was what clued the team in that they had to book it to Ha’rar.

Missed opportunities.

We just never get the chance to know her like we got to know Mayrin, Seladon, Laesid, Naia, Mera, Fara, Argot, and Ethri. She’s the odd maudra out.

Maudra Mera cleared her throat, waving away the last coughs from the nectarwine. “Precisely, Naia. My soggy dear. In these times, it is more important to value what we have. It is what Mayrin and Fara, and your mother, would have wanted.”

YOU’RE STILL CALLING HER THAT?

Has it transitioned into “soggy (affectionate)”?

It always felt a little condescending before but Naia never specifically objected to it. Aside from confusion that people thought the swamp smelled bad.

The Gelfling are all united now but some prejudices and grudges will take time to fade and I just don’t know if soggy dear is one.

I’ll have to go with Naia not seeming to mind or object or take any notice.

One more person shows up to attend the all maudra fire. Or awkwardly ask if she can.

“May... may I join you?”

The timid request came from a Vapra girl, who stood at the perimeter of the fire just outside the golden light as if she feared what might happen if she stepped within. She looked like Tavra, with long silver hair and pale skin. Naia recognized her from a Far-Dream she’d had long ago. This was Seladon. Tavra’s older sister, and the one who had taken All-Maudra Mayrin’s place after she had been murdered by the Skeksis.

A strange stillness came over the ring of maudra. Seladon had sided with the Skeksis after they had killed Mayrin. But in the end, she had heeded Rian’s call. She bowed deeply, folding her hands across her knees.

“I understand if you do not wish me to sit among you,” she said, voice muffled but no less sincere. “The crown of the All-Maudra was invented by the Skeksis to drive the clans apart. I accepted it when they killed my mother for fear of what they might do to the Vapra. But I know better now. I hope I can earn your trust, even after all that has happened.

Naia took in her tattered robe and bruises, the weary look across her wide, bare brow. No crown rested there. Just the sign of loss and loneliness. She waited for judgement from the others at the fire, and Naia reflected that the last time she had asked for their blessing, it had been Laesid and Fara who had withheld. Two maudra who were no longer with them.

“Maudra meant something long before the Skeksis invented the All-Maudra,” Naia said. “So long as you wish to be true to that, then you are always welcome here.”

The smile that crossed Seladon’s face was brilliant as sunlight on snow. Maudra Argot even moved her cane, making room, and then they were six around the fire. Ethri nudged Naia with an elbow.

“You see? Waves recede, but only for a moment. The tide is ever changing, and yet it beats upon the shore as it has since the beginning of time. We are all part of the world, as it is part of us. We bear in our breast the sparks of the flame that lives in the heart of the world. Things change, but life goes on. We are that life. We are that song.”

Naia’s mother’s words came out of Naia’s mouth, as if Maudra Laesid had been there to say them herself:

“The forest is everlasting.”

Aww, forgiveness.

Helps that what Seladon did or didn’t do has been entirely off-page.

The worst you can say about her is that she was a collaborator. And that’s given the excuse that she was trying to protect the Vapra.

If she sold out her mother, it’s not mentioned. If she tried to sell out as many Gelfling as necessary to protect the rest, it’s not mentioned. If she blamed Brea for everything, it’s not mentioned.

No need for an on-page character arc learning better if you’re never on-page making bad decisions.

If I want Seladon’s story, I’ll just have to watch the show again.

Which I have started doing for reasons of I wanted to.

This bit is just establishing Seladon still exists and that she’s still going to be the Vapra maudra. Which was maybe needed after all the talk in Tides about how Tavra would be a MUCH BETTER maudra then her older sister. Granted, the talk came from people that know and like Tavra so there may have been bias.

Also, I like that the All-Maudra title/role/job is being phased out.

As has been discussed a lot, the Skeksis used it to set one clan above the others, fueling the friction between clans.

Even Brea had to unlearn the idea that the Vapra were Just Better than the rest.

What’s to replace it though? A council of maudras?

The Gelfling are united, more united than they were under an All-Maudra. So probably something.

Questions, questions. Too many questions.

Rian, Gurjin, and Amri show up and sit down at the maudra fire because you can get away with that if you’re protagonists. They’re also probably Naia’s plus three. Rian asks what I’m asking: Now what?

“Recover,” [Naia] said. “Fortify. Realize the prophecy by returning the shard to the Crystal. Fend off the Skeksis until the next Great Conjunction and wait until the light of the triple sun unites them into urSkeks and sends them away.”

Good to have a plan! Or a prophecy.

Maudras Seethi and Ethri have been discussing off-page. They’ve found that the Sifa and Dousan have a lot in common. In terms of sailing ships or things like ships. The Sifan and Dousan outlooks are pretty different.

BUT POINT BEING, they argue that if enduring the Skeksis for the trine between now to the Great Conjunction is one of the goals, maybe the Gelfling should evacuate the areas closer to the castle and move to the desert or aboard Sifan ships.

They’re definitely implying that Ha’rar needs to be abandoned though.

Maudra Mera offers Sami Thicket as another rallying point. But more out of good hospitality. She immediately undermines herself, pointing out that Sami Thicket is small and easy for the Skeksis to get to.

The caves of Domrak are not safe for the Grottan anymore.

And Stone-in-the-Wood definitely isn’t safe for the Stonewood.

“Then come further south,” Naia said. “Only one Skeksis has ever stepped foot in the glade under Great Smerth, and she was defeated. Though the darkening has touched the swamp, as it has touched everywhere, the forest is eternal. Anyone who wishes to come with us is welcome... so long as they can withstand the scent of my beloved swamp.”

Naia winked at Maudra Mera. To her surprise, the wiry Spriton sighed and nodded.

“Thank you, Naia,” she said solemnly.

HEY

This is pretty intriguing.

Sucks that their best plan involves abandoning some of their homelands.

But the plan is for all Gelfling to withdraw to the deep swamp, the deep desert, and the oceans.

Places where it’ll be hard to for the Skeksis to check for them.

I don’t know what the range of Garthim and Crystal Bat patrols will be. But these three areas should be fairly safe from them.

I’ve morbidly commented on how trying to take the moral high ground of not killing the Skeksis or following the prophecy will result in the majority of the Gelfling dying but maybe not!

Maybe most Gelfling managed to hide and try to wait out the Skeksis! Jen and Kira may have been the children of families that didn’t manage to evacuate or chose not to. Maybe the introduction of the Garthim chaosed up the situation enough that people got left behind.

I don’t think evacuating four clans is going to be easy. I don’t think its going to be met with enthusiasm by everyone. Probably some will decide to stay despite the danger. It certainly presents logistical concerns with moving Gelfling from heavy agricultural areas to not very agricultural area. And doing so without giving away what they’re doing. For the Gelfling who do agree to move, there’s going to be a massive adjustment since Gelfling are pretty well-suited for their respective environments and they’re going to be dropped into a new one.

But its intriguing for the hope spot it implies.

The Skeksis assumed all the Gelfling were dead (especially with the Census-Taker/Collector maybe dead with head asplode). Jen and Kira individually assumed that they were the last Gelfling. But once the Crystal was healed, maybe all kinds of survivors popped out of the woodwork. Wham bam there’s your population for the Power of the Dark Crystal comic and Kira and Jen don’t have to work overtime to bring it into existence.

Maybe!

Rian decides that he’s going to take the crystal shard and try to return it to the Crystal. And Gurjin declares he’s going with.

Aw, Gurjin is a bro.

But this sounds a good plan to Naia!

“The two of you know every corner of the castle. The Dark Wood can’t hide an entire clan, but it can hide two. You’ll be safe, and you can make a plan.” Naia faced Gurjin across the fire and felt a resonsance she’d missed for a long time. Face-to-face with their mirrored eyes, reflecting a moment that had separated them once before in their childhood.

“I will return to Sog and protect the Gelfling who go with us there. And you will go with Rian. Take the shard. Heal the Crystal... It’s what Mira would have wanted.”

It does sound like a good plan! I think!

Is it actually desirable to jam the shard back into place early if the Skeksis can see it and knock it loose again?

Like... is that how we get from Point A: The Gelfling have the Crystal Shard and are motivated to jam it back to Point B: Aughra has the Shard but doesn’t know which one it is?

Do they get captured and the Crystal Shard taken by the Skeksis? For Aughra to later retrieve since she does like to steal stuff from the Castle. Do they jam it in and escape giggling into the Dark Forest only for the Skeksis to pry it back out and then Aughra steals it?

Any Dark Crystal prequel has the foregone conclusion of the movie on the horizon. Flames of the Dark Crystal has reduced that a little with the Great Gelfling Relocation Plan. But now it has insinuated a possible bad fate for Rian and Gurjin given that the Shard has to get to where it gets.

Ah well.

(Maybe the reason why no other Gelflings show up in the movie is because they assume the Crystal Shard has been jammed into place and they’re waiting for after the Great Conjunction to start filtering back.)

Hey, with all this talk of Rian and Gurjin and just those two moving into the Woods and maybe sneaking into the Castle... where has Deet gotten to?

If she goes with the Grottan, she’ll probably wind up in the swamp but, like, it seemed like she and Rian had a thing going on. And in this version, it doesn’t seem like she’s going to wander into the woods to be a cryptid.

Anyway.

Naia rose with the others when the deep tone of a Dousan horn rang through the clearing. Erimon was calling. It was time for the final rite, to pay respects to the dead. Under the light of the moons, the Gelfling gathered a final time at the Stonewood hearth. The coals had smoldered, and it blossomed with blue smoke when Onica and Maudra Ethri anointed it with Sifa coral dust. Naia linked hands with the others, their voices in a tri-part lament led by Maudra Seethi.

“We return you to Thra,” Maudra Seethi sang. To the Gelfling who had passed that day and in the days before. “May you sing the song of eternity in the light of the fire in the heart of the world.”

After the rites were finished, an air of relief came across the clearing. As if a breeze had finally blown the last scent of darkness from the ruins, as the moonlight lined every rock and boulder in silver.

Naia hears a Sifa bard play NOT AS GOOD AS KYLAN and it makes her think, hey where’s Kylan? So she decides to go look for Kylan. But first, a talk with Amri.

“You’re coming south with us tomorrow, right?” she asked, anxious about his answer, though she didn’t know why. As if he might not be there when she came back.

He only chuckled, brushing his silver hair over his shoulder.

“Um, obviously. You promised we’d have a soft-talk. Remember?”

Naia felt a blush creep up her neck. “As if I’d forget!”

Then she shoved him away and snorted, pushing past him and his sideways grin and heading toward the wall where she’d last seen Kylan.

Such shameless flirting!

OK so I picked a lot of it apart and this chapter was dense with stuff but dang am I loving this.

If Dark Crystal the franchise is on hiatus for a while, then all of these in-universe Gelfling plans for the future are a good hook to end things on.

(Please make more Dark Crystal though!)

[oz-the-sorcerer]

The Monument

Here's the fanfiction I wrote regarding to the dream I saw.

Warning: Angst