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dragon-susceptible · 28 days ago

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Different Path Taken

Fandom: The Dragon Prince

Rating: T

Characters so far: Runaan, Rayla, Callum, Ezran, Callisto, Andromeda, Skor, and Ram

Summary: The assassins really can't take vengeance for a life that was never taken, and when Rayla shows him the egg Runaan realizes they're doomed to failure no matter what. He gathers the other assassins and they make a different call.

Note: This may become a much longer fic that covers more of the events of the show. I'd actually like it to be a longer running AU, but I genuinely don't know if I'll be able to hold onto my writing groove long enough to just follow through the ripple effects this change would have on every season. So for now, it's going on tumblr as chapters, and if I get through all of season 1's events I'll put it onto AO3 as a proper fic.

How Things Changed: Moonrise

“How can we take vengeance for an act that never happened? Ye have to call it off.” Rayla pressed.

His mind was already racing. They couldn’t. They were bound to take vengeance for a death, but if the original victim was not yet dead, their mission was impossible. They would fail tonight, no matter what actions they took, because their task could not be completed.

“Rayla, you know it doesn’t work that way. We bound ourselves. There’s only one way to . . .” Runaan broke off. There was only one way for them to release themselves. If the victim they fought for called off the mission, then -

“Runaan, please,” Rayla begged. “There has to be another way. This is a miracle, a chance for peace!”

Peace? “The humans struck down the King of the Dragons,” Runaan snapped back. “And stole his only egg. What chance is this for peace?”

“Because we want to give it back,” The small boy holding the egg replied before Rayla could, gray eyes wide and earnest. “If we bring the egg back to its mother, maybe she won’t be angry anymore! We can have peace again.”

He was just young and naive enough to believe it, too. “No. Give me the egg. We will take it back to Xadia ourselves.”

“Nope. Sorry. The gesture that matters is if it comes from us.” The older boy argued, though as Runaan bared his fangs he saw his gloved hands shaking. “We want to do this. To make up for what our people have done to the dragons.”

This was rapidly going sideways. Rayla couldn’t stop him, but she could slow him down long enough for the boys to escape with the egg if he tried to take it by force. Aside from that, if anything happened to the egg and the Dragon Queen discovered they had not recovered it, her wrath would come down on Moonshadow Forest as well as Katolis. It had to make it back to Xadia. Worse, it had to at least leave the castle with these human children.

They would have to leave the king alive to make it work. If they killed only him the news would reach Xadia before they could return, and the consequences for the assassins’ families could be severe. No sending the shadowhawk, then. If the mission simply was postponed, the dragons would at least wait for the next full moon before they reacted, assuming something had delayed their journey.

“Runaan, listen,” Rayla pleaded again.

“Wait here.” He said shortly. “I will gather the others. This . . . changes things.” He glanced over the children, one frightened but too naive to understand what danger he was in, one terrified, and then-

He turned away from Rayla’s face and added the rest over his shoulder. “A vote must be taken. Stay here. Stay hidden.” He leaped back up onto the crenellations and ran for Andromeda’s pathway.

Runaan sent Andromeda to fetch the others and fell back to Rayla’s position. He could not risk her trust in him failing, and her bolting again. Luckily, she and the human children, and the precious dragon egg they carried, all remained where he had left them. For once.

The other assassins weren’t far behind, and when he spotted the shades begin to approach, he showed himself again, dropping onto the rampart path with her. He stood across from her as before, but faced the approach of the other assassins. He did not draw his weapons. They would know not to attack.

“What is this?” Callisto was the first to speak, shimmering back from Moonshadow form on a crenellation just ahead of the human children.

“Is that what it looks like?” Andromeda asked in awe, her eyes already fixed on the dragon egg as she landed on Rayla’s other side.

Skor landed in a crouch and his eyes fixed on Rayla, his teeth bared, but he didn’t move towards her. Ram landed beside him and ignored her entirely. “You can’t just disrupt the entire plan once it’s already begun, Runaan. It’s a path to failure.”

“No plan survives direct contact with the enemy.” Runaan replied dryly. “And circumstances have changed. Dramatically.” He gestured at the egg. “Rayla, tell them what you told me.”

“Me?” Rayla almost yelped, but she gathered herself when he raised an eyebrow at her, and turned to the other assassins. “The egg of the dragon prince wasn’t destroyed. It was stolen. These human princes found it and now they wish tae return it in hopes of makin’ amends for what was done, an’ foundin’ a new era of peace. We can’t take vengeance for an act that never happened, we have tae help them get the egg home to its mother!”

To its mother.

Runaan’s lips thinned, thinking of the same thing he imagined Rayla was, and the betrayal of the girl’s own mother, which had led to all this. “She is right,” He said firmly before any of the others could reply. “No matter what actions we take tonight, we will fail. We are bound to take a life for a life. If the death we avenge has not yet happened, the life we take is not an exchange. We will not be unbound.”

The other assassins exchanged glances, and Skor finally shimmered back from Moonshadow form to press his lips into a thin line. Ram jumped down from the crenellations. “So we kill the king, and then take the egg back to Xadia.” He said, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“We would rather you didn’t,” The older prince said, and Callisto’s mouth twitched up at the corner.

Runaan shook his head. “No. If we kill the king and word reaches Xadia that we completed only half our mission, and abandoned the rest, you know the price our families will pay.” He met Ram’s gaze until the boy dropped it, eyes widening with realization. “Likewise, if word reaches the dragon queen that we did not recover the egg when we had the chance, consequences could be far worse.”

“So why not just take the egg back ourselves?” Callisto asked practically. “Why do we need the extra weight? They’re children. They won’t be able to travel as fast as we can. They’ll slow the whole mission down.”

“Perhaps. But they believe they can make amends for what was done to the Dragon King, and Rayla believes in their cause.” Runaan said, and looked at each of them in turn. “And she may not be able to stop us. But she can hold us here long enough for them to escape with the egg - or at least raise the alarm to ensure that we fail at all of it.”

“She wouldn’t.” Andromeda said, but her brows were furrowed.

Rayla flicked open her butterfly blades, her face hardening. “Care tae gamble on that?”

“Having the human children with us would provide an advantage movin’ back through Katolis.” Callisto said without quite looking at anyone.

“What possible advantage could there be in that?” Ram demanded.

Skor looked through his hair at Callisto and bared his fangs. “We don’t. Take. Hostages.”

Callisto shook their head. “No. We don’t. But they don’t know that.” He looked up at Runaan. “We have willin’ volunteers to make confrontation we have on this side of the border easier.”

Runaan nodded. “We do not judge. We do not decide right and wrong. We take life only when it is necessary to prevent greater evil. The king in that tower has committed a terrible crime, but if we kill him now, when this egg lives, and fail to bring it home, we bring down the wrath of both human kingdoms and the dragons upon our home. I believe our best course of action is to assist the human princes in their gesture of peace, for now. If we lose too much time . . . we may reevaluate.”

“We’ve got a week.” Skor said flatly.

“He has a point,” Andromeda said with a frown. “We didn’t even make the trip here in a week with just the six of us. How will we make it with those two slowing us down?”

Callisto tilted their head and jumped down to the ramparts. “Then it may be useful to us to bring them, even if the peace doesn’t work.” He said, and shrugged when they all looked at him. “To carry the egg.” He added with a meaningful flex of his wrist, where the assassin’s binding was already fitted where it had been loose.

“I believe our best course of action is to leave.” Runaan said bluntly. “We cannot risk losing time or resources in an attack. We take the egg and the children and bring them back to Xadia as quickly as possible, to minimize the damage this disaster may cause, for dragons, humans, and Moonshadow elves alike.”

“You’ve always led us well.” Callisto said simply, meeting his gaze, and then looked over at Rayla. “And what Rayla’s found here changes things. We took an oath. That oath is impossible. Our only path to freedom for our people at home is to make certain this egg gets back to the Storm Spire.” Callisto took a long, deliberate breath, and met Runaan’s gaze again, and presented their bound hand as they had when they took the oath. “My breath for freedom. I am with you, Runaan, and Rayla.”

Runaan nodded, something in his core eased at having one of his most trusted warriors at his side. Callisto had served as his second on this mission and would continue to do so. He turned his gaze to the next noise, a rustle from Andromeda.

She was looking at Rayla, and then the egg, and shook her head in disbelief. “I pledged my eyes for truth,” She said simply. “This is the truth. We have to make sure the world knows it. I am with you, Runaan, Rayla, Callisto.”

Skor finally jumped down from the crenellations, the last of the company to do so. He looked at Rayla, then at the egg, and finally to Callisto. His face did something complicated there before he looked back to Runaan. “I swore my strength for honor. These boys will honor the dragons with this, or we all die trying. I doubt your motivations, Runaan. I doubt their convictions. But if this works?” He shook his head. “Then perhaps some humans have honor in their hearts after all, and we can work with that outcome. I am with ye.”

Runaan nodded slowly. He had expected nothing less. Skor was one of the oldest assassins in the Silvergrove aside from himself, and his trust was hard-won, his loyalty even harder. He was proud to have attained it, enough to make this work - and fortunate. If Skor had fought back, he was strong enough to have proved a real problem.

He turned his gaze to the last member of their group. Ram stood slightly apart from the rest of them, and the young assassin’s gaze moved openly towards the king’s tower before lowering to them. “I pledged my blood for justice.” Ram growled. “There is no justice to that king being left alive after what happened to the King of Dragons.”

“A life for a life? Is that justice?” Rayla protested, and took a few more steps towards him.

“If you kill him, it just becomes a cycle,” The older prince argued, more firmly than she did, and Runaan’s interest in the boy grew. “The humans strike back again, and then so do you, and it never ends! We have to stop this, and it starts with getting this egg back to where it belongs.”

Ram bared his fangs at them and looked at Runaan with a challenge in his eyes.

Runaan shook his head. “It’s too risky to start that fight. If we are to recover the egg, we must leave. Quickly. His justice can come later. But Ram, life and death are a cycle - but life must always come first.”

Ram glanced toward the egg again when Runaan gestured at it, and his clenched fists slowly eased. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. “My blood for justice.” He said slowly, but he nodded when he opened his eyes again. “I am with you.”

“My heart for Xadia.” Rayla agreed, and looked to Runaan hopefully. “So we’re doin’ this? All of us, together?”

“Yes.” His heart ached seeing how eager she was to have them all on her side, as if this were a game she were excited to play. There was a new depth in her eyes now, though. She knew what she had risked for this. “We will need to slip out undetected. Andromeda, Skor, Ram, retreat the way you came in. Callisto, find us an exit the children can traverse. You, Rayla and I will guard the egg and the princes.”

“Oh, we can just go down through the halls and leave through the courtyard.” The older prince said. “All the guards are pretty focused on the tower right now. There’s no one down there.”

No one? At all? He’d encountered no guards on his entry path, either. Runaan frowned. “Has anyone seen guards outside of the tower?” He asked suspiciously.

“No.” Callisto was the only one who replied verbally, but all the assassins shook their heads.

Alarm bells rang in the back of his mind. What angle was this? Was this a trap to begin with? Why wouldn’t the humans be trying to block every entry point? “Rayla, when did you enter the castle?”

“Oh, uh, I dunno?” Rayla answered, clearly caught off-guard by the question. “An hour or so before sundown, I think? Maybe a little longer.”

“There was still sunlight and you saw no guards?”

“Yeah. I thought that was a bit weird.”

Weird indeed.

“I can, maybe clear this up.” The older prince - Runaan really needed to use his name - said. “The Crownguard are concentrating where they know you’ll hit the hardest. They don’t think they can stop you from getting in, spreading out to cover the entrances will spread them too thin. They’re just all blocking one location instead.”

It still didn’t feel right, and Runaan was inclined to distrust humans’ word on anything, but he had nothing else to go on. “Go.” He said shortly to the trio he had sent ahead. “But stay on high alert. Do not engage. Just leave. Meet us at camp.”

They nodded, and split up. Andromeda dropped back down into town, and Skor and Ram darted to other stretches of the wall. Callisto looked to Runaan with a quirked brow. “We’ll likely not be able to slip through the halls unnoticed. Especially not you.” They pointed out.

“We’ll go down through the halls. I’ll keep an eye on the humans.” Rayla volunteered. “We’ll meet ye in the courtyard below.”

Well, she struggled with orders, but she rarely failed at things she’d volunteered for. Runaan nodded shortly. “We will meet you there. Move quickly.”

She nodded, and turned to usher the human children back inside. Callisto gave him a look that Runaan firmly ignored as he turned to the castle walls again and aimed for the courtyard. She would succeed in this. While she had violated his trust, and his orders, she believed in this, and so he believed she would do it. It had nothing to do with his soft heart, no matter what Skor or Callisto might think.

Fortunately, the other assassin remained silent as they followed on Runaan’s heels. Whatever they thought of his agreement, they would not discuss it here.

#tdp fanfic #the dragon prince #my fic #runaan pov #tdp runaan #tdp rayla #tdp callum #tdp ezran #tdp callisto #tdp ram #tdp andromeda #tdp skor #moonshadow assassins #TDP AU

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nobredoesart · 3 months ago

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So, since seeing the new season announcement about The Dragon Prince I've been ruminating and wondering what I would differently with this universe. And I reached the conclusion that I would do a lot different, and so, wanted to explore that, in what will hopefully be a series of posts!

With that in mind, here is the first one! Effectively, they are just my initial notes and sketches, but they are important to what I want to do. I want to make the world feel more vast and involved in its own magic system, and to do that, I wanted to alter some of the Primal Sources/Arcanums, and I wanted to change the elves! Especially the elves. I'll definitely make a post just about the elves in general too, but first-

Moonshadow Elves: Of course they aren't all assassins, or even close to that. They are the most competent assassins, sure, but that portion of their society is less than 1%, and whilst it would have some focus due to Rayla's role in the story, I don't believe it should be the focus. I'll expand more later in the post, but the moon Arcanum and Source are deeply entrenched in Liminality, in Unreality, in Deception and in Death. Creatures that have a connection to it are, therefore, deeply odd. They are in a constant state of vague of uncertainty, but instead of it bringing them distress, it makes them flexible, malleable and more often than not, capable of connection with that which surrounds them.

Moonshadow society is, therefore, filled with philosophical discussion, an odd state of impermanence, and a loving relationship with transitional periods, such as youth, equinoxes, death and journeys. They have a tendency to be "grounded" by choice, choosing to dress down to earth, fulfill simple tasks and keep a steady hand, while letting their mind wander, and keeping their thoughts flighty. It is also, of course, nocturnal for the most part, with most Moonshadow Elves feeling a little lightheaded when out in broad daylight.

Truth is, of debatable usefulness to a Moonshadow Elf, because it is mutable to them, just a trick of the light.

Rayla, and her band, for example, are wonderful assassins, because they do question what is given to them, they question and wonder and thrive in the uncertainty of what is in the balance, only finally using the binding ritual to assure they can go through with it in the end! I think it's an interesting tool, that Bindings like that are used within that society to assure that one can't let their mind wander once more!

Also, as will be touched on later, all elves know some inherent magic, and have more innate magical properties than canon, with one of the weirder ones for the Moonshadow Elves being the fact they can feel any boundary line, metaphorical or not.

Skywing Elves: Freedom, Idealism and Change, Skywing Elves embody their Arcanum all their life, and try to always reach beyond their measure. They all, also, have wings, because damn it, it's in the name, and it makes no sense for a race that is hyper-connected to the sky to not be capable of flight! Those wings, usually coming in pairs, but at times more than that, are useful in a society that tends to reside among mountain tops, cliff-sides and high altitude environments, with great spires, bridges and nests built all over the continent, but mostly within their Principalities!

As they value Freedom and Change above all else, if there is a race of elves that keeps trying to push for progressive measures, for acceptance and constant change to that which existed for long, it is the Skywing Elves. To avoid the whole, Planet of Hats scenario, this isn't of course, universal. But the connection to the Sky does push a lot of elves to become mages, speakers, inventors and even bards, traveling and pushing others to change and fight. Though, you will also find many Skywing Elves love exploring the land, and come back home to roost.

As the image shows, they usually dress in bright, airy clothing, with a lack of attention or rigor to modesty, because it's not like it matters too much to people so focused on the freedom of everything, The brightness of the colors is also so they can spot one another at a distance, even in flight, and the loose fabrics help them feel the wind and currents, even through layers and layers.

A small constant pull that affects all Skywing Elves is that they always feel a passive restlessness when entrapped in some manner, and their instincts sharpen to compensate, from reflexes to even pushing their bodies further than expected.

(You'll also note, that due to the Arcanum being explored more, it will affect Callum's connection to his first Primal Source, which I'll address later!)

Startouch Elves: Frankly, I didn't like the idea that Startouch Elves barely canonically exist. So no, they do exist, and are just, around, though they are a smaller population than most others elves.

They are weird, even by elven standards, as will be their opposite, the Tidebound/Oceanbound Elves, because both of these races are connected to the Primal Sources that most deal with time and existential concepts. The Stars touch on Paths, Possibilities, Understanding and Vastness of the Cosmos, and so, the Startouched are almost fully alien from most species in Xadia that aren't also connected to the Arcanum. Slightly displaced in time, Startouch Elves effectively have a limited distortion of time, existing in a sort of fugue state half the time where they're nigh on prophetic, but not to a grand scale without the assistance of magic. Due to this, they tend to seem, space-y and displaced, not quite understanding what is going on around them, or understanding it to a level that is so uncanny as to make most uncomfortable.

Their society is therefore truly a disorganized collection of families and lands, all kept with hundreds of years ahead in mind, haphazardly constructed structures and half incoherent communication that still ends up making sense to those within it. They produce a great many researchers and academics, many historians and prophets, and a fascinating amount of friendly faces, even if disconcerting. There is a lot of things odd about them that will require more exploration, but I wanted them to feel, alien and kindly, but almost not in the same plain as others. Distant, but watching, like stars, finding meaning in the emptiness and connecting dots that aren't there, like constellations.

I also gave them antlers because they all shine on the tips, resembling constellations!

I'll add the other 3 races later, and start expanding on the Arcanums and more, because gods do I have so many ideas!

#worldbuilding #the dragon prince #tdp #the dragon prince worldbuilding #skywing elves #startouch elves #moonshadow elves #art #seriously I'm going to worldbuild it till it makes sense #I love the elves #but they need reworking #same with the arcanums

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fandombymanynames · 3 months ago

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some season 7 thoughts mostly focusing around the disaster that was Runaan's second trip to Katolis...

buckle up lads, it's gonna be a long one

First of all, do i think Ezran was wrong for locking up Runaan?

absolutely not

This kid just had his entire kingdom burn down and is now staring at the man who killed his dad seemingly but that's another matter. He's allowed to be pissed, and he's well within his rights to arrest Runaan. I was honestly shocked he was the ONLY one acting upset. I thought for sure the second Soren saw Runaan that he'd be drawing steel, since if I remember correctly (and i could totally be wrong, it's been a while since i watched it thru from the beginning, so have mercy), Soren actually fought Runaan while trying to defend Harrow??

So Ezran's actions are not what bother me about the whole plot point. What bothers me is that this is only happening now??? Like, I'm not even convinced Ezran fully knew who Runaan was other than the assassin that killed his dad. Did Rayla ever tell him that's her dad and I just forgot? Did Callum ever tell him 'hey we're trying to free Rayla's dad (the man that killed our dad) from his coin prison that Viren put him in, just a heads up so you can digest that'? That seems like a massive thing to just spring on a person when you've been planning it for several seasons at this point. Couldn't have written him a letter even... smh

And then on top of that...they bring Runaan to Katolis like absolute dumbasses. Like if you're not going to have the decency to warn your brother that you're planning to break Rayla's dad out of coin jail, the least you could do is just let Ezran keep his blissful ignorance and peace on the matter. It was just an objectively stupid move from all three of them (Callum, Rayla, and yes Runaan himself like wait outside my dude). As the saying goes, play stupid games win stupid prizes. Naturally you bring the guy who killed the king to the kingdom...he's gonna get thrown in jail, and it was all perfectly avoidable if they rubbed even two brain cells together.

okay maybe that was a little mean, but it was a stupid thing to do and i hope we can all agree on that.

but it's what happened so we move on to the next domino in this disaster: rayla breaking runaan out.

Was I all for it?

Yes. Let me be very clear, Runaan is my favorite and he and Ethari's reunion was literally the only thing i cared about this season

Was it ALSO a stupid as hell thing to do?

YES

Like you didn't even wait for night?! You're MOONSHADOW ELVES! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT????

I wanted to strangle someone.

The only good thing, imo, is that she did tell Callum ahead of time. That's growth! She knew what she felt she needed to do and let him know. And very critically, she did not want him involved because she knew this was going to hurt Ezran and didn't want to put Callum in a position to directly pick her over his brother. It is so clear that Ezran is in turmoil and he deserves to have his brother there with him. Callum SHOULD have stayed with his brother, but they had to be stupid and stage a prison break in broad daylight like absolute bafoons. I just...it's so dumb.

I get that the idea is to not keep Ethari waiting 'one minute longer' than needed, but come on guys. You can still race back to the Silvergrove while taking reasonable precautions to ensure you actually make it back to Ethari alive. I think he'd prefer that actually.

It just all felt contrived for drama, at the cost of characters acting reasonably intelligent especially my man Runaan who's a fully grown adult and should have known better than just walk into Katolis, ffs man critical thinking skills

What's my take away from this long mess? That this should have been a building conflict within our original trio starting from the moment Rayla got the coins and understood what they were. Ezran should have been involved in the discussions on freeing Rayla's parents, especially Runaan. If that's too much to ask for, we should have atleast seen some conflict out of Callum on the matter (Harrow was his dad too). It's a fumbled arc in my opinion, thru and thru

but hey that's just me, just needed to put some thoughts to paper as it were. hopefully this mess makes sense

#the dragon prince #spoilers #tdp spoilers #the dragon prince season 7 #ezran #runaan #callum #rayla #tdp critical #i mean just a bit #probably comes across harsher than i really meant it

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greenmoons · 1 year ago

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Andromeda's age

So because of what Runaan said here I thought Andromeda is the youngest besides Rayla. She and Ram looks pretty young and they were at least teens when Rayla was a child. But look at her horns cuffs, she is already married. So she got married when she was sixteen or seventeen? She is not fully trained yet because she can't access the moonshadow form yet, so she is young. It might not be weird in their race to marry at a young age.

By the way and it's not related but my headcanon is that she was married with Eljaal from Tales of Xadia. He is also assassin and he left because he was afraid their partner won't agree with their action, because they didn't kill their target so it's make sense their partner is assassin as well. They are married because of their horn cuffs so it's nice to think they are married to each other.

#andromeda tdp #andromeda #eljaal #the dragon prince #tdp #silvergrove #hollow wood #rayla #tox eljaal #tox #runaan #moonshadow assassins #moonshadow elves #the bloodmoon huntress

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zuppizup · 8 months ago

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Sixish Sentence Sunday - Rayllum Month

15th July: Second First Kiss

When he just continues to simply stand there and stare at her, Rayla raises her eyebrows mockingly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “I thought you were supposed to be the morning person?”

She had grumbled about the ceremony being at dawn but there’s something so endearing about her morning grumpiness, he thinks he’ll never tire of it. She’d told him Moonshadow weddings begin at midnight and his heart raced as he asked her more and more questions about Moonshadow weddings.

“Callum?” Her smile drops a little and she begins to look concerned.

He sighs, laughing and shaking himself. He’s acting like a complete idiot. He gestures to the crowd before them, numerous couples moving in rhythm. “Do you want to dance?”

Rayla’s face lights up as she looks to the crowd for a moment, then back at him. “I don’t know any of the dances.”

“Neither do I.” He shrugs, reaching for her hand.

May I interest you in two awkward dorks being super awkward but in pretty clothes?

At a wedding?

Flustered Callum POV, perhaps?

~2.5k, all things going to plan, it shall be posted tomorrow.

#the dragon prince #tdp #rayllum #rayllum fanfic #rayllum month 2024 #zuppi fanfic

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raayllum · 2 years ago

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happy pride month featuring. demisexual rayla and mayhaps some aro spec vibes too

Rayla has never really felt the stirrings, before, as other elves call it.

Her training ramps up when she’s twelve, but the other kids her age are starting to be consumed by crushes, blushing and making fools of themselves unnecessarily. It’s hard to understand, and even more annoying to watch. Can’t they just focus on what needs to be done? They’re the future warriors, defenders and protectors, of their village. They don’t have time for silliness, never mind the time consuming foolishness that comes with often short lived romantic (or even sexual) entanglements she sees the older assassins in training partake in.

She supposes she’s just much more mature than they are. It’s the only explanation.

Then she meets Callum.

It’s not that they suddenly start, exactly — but for the first time, it feels like there’s potential for them to. How else is she supposed to explain this want to always be close to him, unable to resist from placing her hands on his shoulders, getting all up in his face as she teases him with her human impression? This maddening need to see him smile, to lift his spirits on the rare occasion he’s the downtrodden one (a situation that becomes less and less rare once he learns the truth about his father)? The racing of her heart and incessant thoughts in her mind that she can’t lose him, her fingers hesitantly touching his cheek, because she’s felt so many things since she ran away with two human princes and a dragon egg, but this — this is something else.

His hand in hers makes sparks buzz in her chest, their interlaced fingers before the blind Sol Regem wholly for their own benefit. Her heart feels like it’s about to burst out of her chest with fondness and affection when she catches him blushing, when she catches him staring at her the way she imagines she’s been staring at him for quite a while now.

Once the embarrassment of the Oasis has faded, Rayla curls into his arms that cool night on the back of the ambler, and lets herself chase that warmth, a blanket draped over their laps and his lips firm against hers.

They explore a little more at the Nexus and the castle—kissing in dark alcoves and pressed against walls, pulling him close by his scarf, exploring more confidently the further they go, as far as his shirt being off one unbearably hot summer night, anyway.

Then she leaves, and is achingly cold.

It’s not as though there are no offers while she’s away. The pubs and inns she frequents as she crosses through Xadia, when she can afford to and when camping isn’t an option, are home to many travellers looking for a good time. When she breaks her leg falling from a stupid tree, the clerk at the apocathery is very sweet, and asks if she’d stay a little longer once she’s healed up. His eyes are so green it’s almost tempting, but Rayla knows what she knows, and especially knows her heart.

There’s no one else. There never will be.

The jitters grow worse the closer she gets to Katolis when she finally turns around, Stella doing her best to soothe her nerves to little avail.

She misses his birthday by one night and spends most of the next day crying, pacing outside the city walls till it’s almost nightfall. What will he say? What will he do? How has he changed, and what if he hasn’t? What if he still...

She climbs through his window, catching sight of the back of him first—broader, taller, with shorter, spikier hair swooped to one side—and then he turns around, gasping.

Still her Callum.

Boom. Stirrings.

She spends most of the night admiring him once he’s relaxed enough to fall asleep, basking in the fact she’s by his side again, that she can do this—that he didn’t leave.

She thinks of the time one of the other Moonshadow kids had made a face when she didn’t have a crush on anyone, calling her strange.

Runaan had taken her aside and explained that sometimes, falling in love works differently for people, if they fall in love at all. That it was the same for him with Ethari. “Sometimes you fall in love only once,” he’d said.

She watches the way the sun catches Callum’s hair, illuminating a face that’s only grown more handsome since she left. In spite of everything, or perhaps precisely because of everything, she smiles.

This is it.

#aspec rayllum #headcanons #rayllum #happy pride 🌈#ace tag #asexuality #tdp #my fic #fic #ficlet #tdp rayla #pining!rayla #arc 1 #arc 2 #canon compliant #the dragon prince

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moon-sky-sun-earth-ocean-stars · 11 months ago

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Tales of Xadia characters-Fentheth

Name: Fentheth Pronounce: He/him Race: Moonshadow Elf Living place: Hollow Wood Profession: Bug trader Information: He is old elf with wry grin and it's hard to read him. He trades mantigrades.

#the dragon prince #tdp #tales of xadia #tales of xadia characters #tox #moonshadow elf #moonshadow elves #hollow wood #tox fentheth #bug trader

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rainwalker-dragonblade29 · 2 years ago

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The beauty of The Queen's Mercy

I doubt it struck any of us before that Kimdael's collar was of importance. Taken to be just a jewelry element, but never of Sunfire make.

Look at this, it's been centuries now and the collar is still on her neck in The Bloodmoon Huntress...

And there is an interesting implication I've gleaned after reading the story, here come the first thoughts...

In the new short story, The Queen's Mercy, Kimdael goes to Lux Aurea to seek the Protection of Queen Aditi. Protection from the dragons who had driven Moonshadow Elves out of their own forest and "killed them one by one" leaving only Kimdael.

Which we know is a lie, because the moonshadow race is perfectly fine in the show and that does not make her the last of them. Also, multiple times, she pretends to plead while it is evident that inside she is plotting something. That her visit to Lux Aurea is for another crime. She pretended to be meek to gain Aditi's protection. But she is there for a different motive for why else would the Bloodmoon Huntress walk in broad daylight?

As Zubeia mentioned, there was a time when, after the death of Luna Tenebris, the dragons fought over succession. So their wrath is very real. And Xadia did descend into chaos... but Lux Aurea held strong through it. So it seems evident that of someone wanted to seek protection at the queen's mercy, it was the place.

What is interesting is that the dragons killing other moonshadow elves. Specifically the reaction of the other elves in the court:

It may seem like a rumour because we know moonshadow elves lived and that Kimdael is lying. Or perhaps twisting a truth...

Given reason, the dragons could have attacked the moonshadow elves, if they decided to intervene and help sort the matter. It is possible that the moonshadow elves are hiding from the dragons and that no one has seen them in a while that Kimdael's desperate plea raises the question in the minds of the court elves that it could be truth.

But Aditi sees through it and takes her to the forge where upon, she makes the ornament and puts it red hot, and burning, sealing it around Kimdael's neck. Even enchanted so if Kimdael tried to kill her, the collar will choke the huntress, and thus it binds her to the Sunfire royal line.

Here's where it gets messy. Aditi says:

As of what Kimdael said, she pledges in return, the remainder of her entire life to repay the Queen's Mercy. And this moment a spark:

The collar can only be removed by a member of Aditi's line. Kimdael is bound to servitude.

That leaves only TWO people: JANAI and KARIM...

The question is... who will remove it? More importantly, who will Kimdael side with?

One obvious answer is... well, Karim.

Courtesy to this shot, it seems he will leave Lux Aurea. And Aaravos tempts makes into serving him by offering them what they seek. Karim has drive, he seeks a brighter future for Lux Aurea despite the way his ways clash with Janai's. And to better his own fate, maybe he would have left/escaped after the generals apprehended him.

Kimdael could rarely be accepted on Janai's side as she is obviously with the trio or will be later anyway, and Rayla will not let Kimdael anywhere near her friends.

And because of my previous meta here, between a possible connection with Kimdael and Aaravos, in the sense that maybe he is the one who gave her the longevity, in giving her knowledge of dark magic that she uses for the ritual and that he has kept her alive for some cause. (ie given her the opportunity of immortality that she followed in herself unknowing of a greater role she has to play)

She is a tool to him. One of his chess pieces.

She will be useful to Aaravos after he is free or perhaps she has something to do with the freedom... but anyway, it makes more sense that she joins the Aaravos party, and later or before her, Karim gets bound in it too...

Also it could be that she met Karim first, before Aaravos is released, and they are the ones Amaya, Rayla and Callum are against here:

Whatever happens now, Kimdael, by the collar, is bound in the narrative.

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thejadevampire · 9 months ago

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As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the dynamic between the reader, Runaan, and Ethari evolved into a harmonious trio unlike any other in the mystical realm of Xadia. Their interactions were filled with a delicate balance of adventure, understanding, and unwavering support for one another. Runaan, with his stoic demeanor and unparalleled skills as an assassin, found solace in the reader's compassionate nature and Ethari's calming presence. Together, they embarked on daring missions that tested their limits, relying on each other's strengths to overcome every obstacle in their path. Runaan's icy exterior melted away in the warmth of their companionship, revealing a depth of emotion he had long kept hidden. Ethari, the talented blacksmith with a heart as pure as the moonlight, shared in the reader's joys and sorrows with unwavering loyalty. His gentle guidance and boundless wisdom provided a steady anchor for the trio, offering a sense of security and comfort in the midst of chaos. Ethari's genuine affection for both the reader and Runaan created a sense of unity that transcended boundaries of race and culture. Together, the reader, Runaan, and Ethari embarked on a quest that would shape the destiny of Xadia itself. Their bond became a symbol of unity and understanding, inspiring others to set aside differences and embrace the power of love and friendship. As they faced formidable challenges and formidable foes, their unwavering belief in each other never wavered, strengthening their resolve with each passing day. In the annals of Xadia's history, the tale of the human reader, the Moonshadow Elf assassin Runaan, and the compassionate blacksmith Ethari was immortalized as a testament to the transformative power of love and camaraderie. Their legacy lived on as a beacon of hope for future generations, a reminder that true strength lies in the bonds we forge and the hearts we touch along the way.

#thedragonprince

#fanfictions

#runaanxetharioneshots

#runaanxetharixreader

#runaan x ethari x reader #dragon prince

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starrylayle · 1 year ago

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I am in desperate need of some long-form, magical canon-ish marauders fic recs y’all — I can’t keep rereading atyd lmao. The issue is is there are plenty of fics like this nowadays, but they all have jegulus in them and I’m sorry but I just don’t like that ship 😭. I read ‘choices’, ‘just lovers’ and ‘only the brave’,, and as well written as they were that’s enough jegulus to last a lifetime lol. I know there’s a lot of wolfstar long form fics but idk some of them are a little bit fetish-isy (cough cough casting moonshadows) and a lot of older ones aren’t really up to my taste (e.g. the shoebox project, the lost generation). I also feel like a lot of fics don’t really delve deep into themes of queerness, disability, race, class, etc. (Which is totally fine btw!!! I just personally prefer when they do). And as much as I love jily I don’t like ships centred on them because i only like str8 couples as side pairings in my fics lol. Also for some reason everyone’s white in those long jily fics 😭

The last two long-ish fics I read that I enjoyed that basically hit all my requirements (besides atyd lol) were ‘The Hand that Feeds’ (dorlene my loves <33) and ‘As the Worm Moon Dies’ (both by Rollercoasterwords I’m actually they’re biggest fan fr). They’re so well written, explore deeper themes and flesh out characterisation,,, and ATWMD makes my world building heart so happy coz it addresses all the issues I had with the magic system and life style in the og series and takes a much more critical/interesting approach. Actually side tangent to say that everyone should read ATWMD — it’s a wolfstar au where voldy won and sirius is a death eater and remus is in an illegal werewolf-fighting ring and it’s literally SO GOOD!!

I’ve also read ‘That’s the art of getting by’ (I forgot who it was by) and I enjoyed it coz I love my magical fix it fics too. I’ve heard, ‘It never gets out’, ‘the penigwens marauders series’ and ‘the last enemy: the howling nights’ are interesting portrayals of world and characters so I’m wondering if anyone would recommend them?

Also I’m open to a fic being centred around any characters/themes as long as it has some gay stuff somewhere lol. Like an exploration of peter’s character as he slowly succumbs to ‘the dark side’? Yes please!! The Black sisters family dynamic? Yummy. lady zabini and bellatrix having lesbian murder sex as they kill their husbands? fuckk yeah. Anyways point is i just want a long form marauders fic to obsess over and would love some recs!!

#marauders era #marauders #the marauders era #marauder headcanons #marauders hcs #anti jegulus #I wouldn’t mind some unrequited jegulus tho #jily #jily fanfiction #jily fic #wolfstar #wolfstar fic #maybe I should just write one myself lol #dorlene #omg I love marylene too #especially when it’s unrequited lol #I love pain

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bittrlys · 8 months ago

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Hi, I have a question that I hoped you or your followers could answer. I stopped watching tdp after S3 but now S6 here and I've heard many say that it's the best season we had since S2. I'm watching S4 now so it's been some time since I touched anything tdp. Now here is my question, which might be silly I apologize, why do the Moonshadow elves need assassins? As much as I remember there isn't any conflicts between the elves and the assassins were sent after Harrow and Ezran after the dragon King's death. So either the elves do have conflicts and it was cut out? Or the elves kill humans a lot, like they kill any human that they consider a threat to Xadia(or for revenge). As far as I remember they trained assassins so it's a reall job for them and you can't be an assassin if you just kill 2 humans a be done. Do we have any evidence of elves having conflicts with each other or sending assassins after other humans?

This is something I've wanted to write on but never did, so your ask made me smile when I saw it!

A very short answer to your question: No explicit evidence, but we can draw assumptions that the assassins were used -- however, I believe the assassins exist for cultural reasons as well.

A much longer answer to your question: A lot of series love the idea of assassins because they're cool and sexy, but don't like so much actually making their characters stone cold killers, so they end up being assassins who don't assassinate. TDP falls more into the latter camp, but there are some things that give you pause.

In the very first episode we have this exchange between Harrow and Viren:

VIREN: Assassins. HARROW, more resigned than surprised: I see. VIREN: A scout on patrol discovered them just before dawn. HARROW: Well, don't look so grim. We've fought off plenty of assassins. Haven't we, Pip? VIREN: It's different this time. We believe they're Moonshadow elves. HARROW, visibly more perturbed: Moonshadow elves? Then how did the scout escape?

They go on to express concern that tonight is a full moon, which means the Moonshadow elves will be at "the height of their power."

This conversation raises immediate questions. If they are used to fending off assassins, but Moonshadow elves are different, who the hell has been sending assassins after them? The human kingdoms aren't in active conflict with each other. Non-Moonshadow elves? Dissidents in the kingdom, like Queen Aanya has? All this despite Viren (admittedly not the most truthful person) stating it was a peaceful time in Katolis? Who knows! However, we can say that Moonshadow elves have a clear reputation as they're aware of how they operate and treat them as highly lethal. Later, when Viren tells his children they have "unwanted visitors" from Xadia, they jump straight to "assassins" instead of "invading army and/or dragon" which would be a logical assumption with Xadia and the human kingdoms being established as on the brink of open war.

Is this just human bias? The Moonshadow assassins take their job very seriously. We see throughout the show they have a number of rituals with very real consequences to ensure their devotion to their death cult. "We take (life) but we do not take it lightly." Runaan doesn't hesitate to send his most untried member off to kill a human. (He is, however, unable to tell berry juice from blood so maybe he's just LARPing as an assassin too.) Honestly, Rayla's presence almost feels like going after humans is a beginner mission, even if the human in question is guarded by a castle full of people. Still, if they aren't going after humans all the time, who would they be targeting?

In the trivia section for Elves on the TDP fan wiki it states "For the most part, there is unity among the elves. However, not all of the elven races get along, and conflict is not unheard of." Sadly, the citation is to some kind of creator interview that has been taken down and I can't find, so we can't rely on that -- if anybody knows the video in question, I'd be curious to hear the exact phrasing. Turning to available canon and ancillary canon material, in the short story 'The Queen's Mercy' we get this exchange:

“You are not afraid of me—but what of the dragons?” asked Kim’dael. “You would dare invoke their wrath?” “The dragons know better than to invoke mine,” Aditi said.

This implies Sunfire elves see themselves as a powerful independent force who resent the implication that they should answer to dragons. We also know that there are certain elves in an insular community that keep drakes as pets and mistreat them, something that doesn't seem to line up with the way other elven societies treat magical animals. I can believe there is some tension between Xadian sub-groups, but for the most part they do seem united as allies, if only because they have the 'common threat' of humanity to often bring them together. Maybe when there are less humans about, they are less united.

The Kim'dael above is a member of the Order of the Blood Moon -- Moonshadow elves who went vampiric and were exterminated by dragons. I don't believe it's outright stated Moonshadow assassins helped with this anti-vampirism campaign, but I assume so. In the Rayla backstory comic she decides to become an assassin after a run-in with this Bloodmoon elf. She wants to be like Runaan and protect others, and this includes protecting them from other elves. It seems very likely that Moonshadow assassins operate against internal threats to Xadian society like this. However, you may presume from this very noble description of being an assassin that within Moonshadow culture, 'assassin' seems equivalent to 'warrior.'

Personally, I think the Moonshadow assassins are partly an active combat force, and partly a ritualistic bit of tradition. Essentially, they play an almost ceremonial, spiritual role in the society. Moonshadow culture and magic is very centred around illusions and the line between life and death, and the assassins are perfect distillations of all of these elements. Even if they were never killing anyone, I could see them still existing and being seen as highly valued members of the society. Symbolic assassins, you know?

That being said, I do think they kill people -- (Runaan definitely seems to have done so as it's said he truly understands the value of a life and the taking of one) -- and though I think they probably primarily operate as an internal security force, based on human reactions to the mere whiff of them it's very possible they have infiltrated human kingdoms before. After all, we know they have a sneaky way in and out of the human kingdoms via the Moonstone Path. When the world was divided their Nexus was left in human territory so they have non-assassinating non-spying reasons to be visiting the human kingdoms, but paired with everything else it is interesting that they want such easy access to the human kingdoms. I'm not saying they were doing a lot of assassinations there -- it seems the degree of interaction between these two halves of the continent have intensified only recently -- but it's all very suggestive.

Ultimately, I think they probably don't kill a lot in general, but it would be really funny if the show would just go there. Like have Runaan look the camera dead in the eye and say "I have taken sixty-two lives and I don't regret a single one." Hashtag let assassins be assassins!

Thank you very much for the question, this is a subject I've thought at length about so I'm happy to finally discuss it. ♥ I hope my answer was helpful despite the lack of explicit evidence in any one direction.

#the dragon prince #tdp #tdp meta #ask #*#if someone has anything to add please do!#i love thunder having a personal hit squad #the idea of him deploying it against humans when he takes a break from roasting them alive like he lives that life 24 7

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blade-liger-4ever · 6 months ago

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Dragon Prince - Blade's Freestyle

So, in my take, there are only four types of Elves: The Tidebound, the Sunfire, the Moonshadow, and the Skywing (I'm keeping that to give Tui T. Sutherland a piece of my mind.) The Startouch exist as the equivalent of the Greek pantheon, though they maintain an elf-ish look in order to seem both familiar and distant from the rest; therefore, they're nicknamed "the High Ones". The Earthblood are like the Ghillie Dhu of Scottish myth: towering, tree-like beings who go along to get along, and generally nonviolent. The dragons are at the head of this hierarchy, as appointed by the Startouch, and thus the Elves are second to them, with humanity at the lowest tier of this creation order. Additionally, the dragons can shapeshift into virtually any form, and possess the ability to use Celestial Magic, and any of the Four Seasonal Magics.

Regarding the sources of magic, there are only four, all derived from the four seasons and connected to something tied to that season. The Tidebound, for example, are intrinsically tied to the spring and the ocean, with their power being based around water, healing, cold, wind, floods, tsunamis, and VERY specific oaths/tithes. When you make an oath to do something, or agree to a tithe that carries on for generations, you'd better dang well adhere to it or your life is forfeit. That's how severe and serious this business is.

The Sunfire are tied to summer and the sun, giving them talents in blacksmithing, warfare, heat, fire, metal, plasma (a rare and dangerous technique), wind, and truth finding. The Sunfire detest lies and deceit, as it goes against the sun, which brings light to all that goes on in the shadows. Thus, not only are they powerful warriors and capable in war, but excellent lie detectors. Any of their kind who turn to deception are anathema to the Sunfire, which also means they have a rivalry of sorts with the Moonshadow.

Speaking of, the Moonshadow are tied to autumn and the moon, giving them access to bending light, traveling through shadows (allowing them real fast travel), poisons of any kind, life cycle awareness and occasional manipulation of it, wind, darkness, and Spirit Sense/Walk, where they walk in a parallel plane between the world of the living and the dead (also allowing them to see/interact with ghosts throughout the year, though especially on full moons and the peak of autumn). For this they are the perfect assassins, but despite this, the Moonshadow have a strict code of honor, and will only take the life of those who have done serious crime in the eyes of the magical community - hence why 1 they're great bodyguards for the Royal Dragon Clan, and 2 why they're so loyal to the dragons. They know serving the dragons is the right thing, and that if they have to take a life, they're better off doing said tasks from the dragons.

The Skywings are the most unusual - and powerful. They're tied to winter and the magnetic poles, and have abilities tied to ice, cold, wind, snow, temperature, magnetism, light, tornadoes, hurricanes, sound, rain, storms, lightning, and can form the nigh-unheard of life-force bonds. When Skywings want to marry, they perform some kind of magical binding rite that is deeply private, to the point no one outside of a Skywing knows how to perform it. This bond is unbreakable and can reach each person no matter the distance, and will give the lingering presence of the deceased spouse to the one still living, often providing comfort from beyond the grave. When a Skywing intermarries with a dragon, a different elf, or - more rarely - a human, they teach the future spouse this rite. They marry for life, with divorce or "separation" practically unheard of; should they encounter one of another race who is divorced/separated, the Skywing will express disappointment or disgust, depending on the situation.

Now we come to Dark Magic.

It's more of an offshoot of Moonshadow Magic, as it still relates to the darkness. However, it's not corruptive; rather, it's tied to the shadows, dark nights, storm clouds, fog, mists, swamplands, bogs, dead forests, and grants access to "grave visits" - you can see and interact with the dead. You cannot bring them back to life, but you can find them and learn things from them. As the Elves were intrinsically tied to the sources of magic, and the Dragons bound to Celestial Magic, humanity had no tie to any source but death and destruction. So when they discovered Dark Magic, it had the Dragons eyeing them nervously, as it was dangerous if you got too into the grave visits, which have the side effect of driving yourself to death if you went to see dead loved ones too much.

The real taboo is Blood Magic.

Blood magic requires the use of blood from still living creatures, siphoning it while the person lives and using it for vile rituals that raise the bodies of the dead, twist people into horrifying monsters, drain the life out of certain targets at will, turn you into a cannibal who cannot live without feasting on human/elven/dragon flesh or blood, and drive you to insanity as you fall further and further away from humanity. Somehow, a Mage Apprentice discovered this magic, and used it before terrorizing the village he dwelled in. Thus began the Great Exile, when the humans were banished by the Elves and Dragons a thousand years before Callum's time to the Western Lands, where fighting had once more begun to settle land disputes and out rose various human kingdoms. However, some Elves also fell from grace, selling themselves out as mercenaries for hire, assassins, or even allying with humans in war.

This brought upon the Mage Wars, which lasted until three centuries before Callum's birth. With the Orphan Queen of Katolis, Queen Aditi, and Avizandum's collaboration, the Mage Wars ended, though the peace was fragile, and skirmishes broke out frequently over the next few decades. For this, Avizandum guarded the Border, the thin patch of land that kept Xadia and the Western Lands divided, himself. However, ten years ago, King Harrow, Vizier Viren, and General Amaya, snuck past Avizandum and killed him in his sleep, his heart being carved out by an apprehensive Viren. However, the egg of Avizandum's son, the Dragon Prince, was left in pieces, leaving all to surmise that the Dragon Prince had been killed.

For this, the world is teetering on the razor's edge of war, though attempts by Viren and a slowly repenting Harrow have stalled the outbreak of war. Amaya has receded into the background, apparently conducting good relations with the neighboring kingdom of Neolandia, likely to bring the countries together in case war breaks out.

However, on the eve of the anniversary of the tenth year since Avizandum's death, a group of Moonshadow Elves have broken past the borders of Katolis on a secret mission....

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