#moonshadow markings

[ask-runaan-anything]

I always thought elves' markings we naturally occurring, but something Ethari said implies you guys choose these markings yourselves? would you be willing to tell us more about it?

I cannot speak for other elven traditions, but among Moonshadow elves, it is traditional to choose face markings very early in life. The adults will help the elflings with their paint until they're old enough to have steady hands.

Markings chosen for our arms are often related to what we choose to do with our time - work or hobbies, or accomplishments related to them.

Any other markings we bear are usually more personal than that, either for aesthetics or vibes or, in my case, duty. *places a hand over the mark on my chest*

One of the aspects of the Moon is its inherent change. Nothing remains the same under the Moon - neithy reality nor meaning itself. So our markings are applied with a temporary paint. If something happens to a Moonshadow elf to change the course of their life strongly enough that they want to reflect that change on their skin, all they need to do is paint their markings differently next time.

Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Moonshadows are tightly knit in community. It is traditional to paint your loved ones' markings for them. To know another's chosen markings is to know what they value most, and to paint their identity on their skin is to see and accept them with your whole heart.

There are a few things in life that feel better than the cool lines of Ethari's paintbrush across my unmarked skin, but not many. My husband sees me for who I am, and he loves me anyway.

[ask-ethari-anything]

Your markings are very pretty do they indicate anything?

They do! I'm glad you appreciate them - I've my husband's steady hand to thank for their clean lines.

My briery face markings are similar to those you'll find on anything meant to protect and shield people, which can include protective items and clothing, and even things like doors and blankets. It's never just a swirly!

I take great pleasure and pride in keeping those I love safe from harm. And Runaan has been known to call me a big warm blanket, which I took as the high compliment it was. I do my best to be the shield between my loved ones and the danger they face, whether that's through my crafts or my words or my big strong arms. And the markings I wear reflect that to all who can read it.

[sexually-confused-goblin]

My first thought after seeing the new season six trailer: oh no, now Rayla's trauma is manifesting as corrupted Runaan!

Quickly followed by: Wait, the only other time I can remember seeing glowing red eyes like that in the show or graphic novels was when Kim'dael was on screen...

[m4rs-ex3]

no one me making and deleting a twitter account within a 7 minute span just for show info ANYWAY

fuck you

GOD IS NON BINARY

FUCK GOD AAA. also YES GRACIE bro knows rayla hasn't had nearly enough restful nights throughout the course of her life the Only boyfriend

i am still loyal to the concept of rayla's tats starting to fade and bein kinda sad bc she can't go home to redo them and callum doing a bunch of research on moonshadow markings and surprising her and doing them for her and this is further solidifying that idea in my head and and and an

canon

NO /POS. FURTHERMORE NO /NEG shits gonna FUCK me up

mhm

IM CRYING THE FACT THAT OFFICIAL SCRIPTS LOOK LIKE THIS MAKES MY LIFE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER

[theplotmage]

Halloween-themed Fantasy Festival and Unique Events for Worldbuilding:

1. Whispers Eve – A night when the spirits of the lost whisper secrets to the living.

2. Harrowtide – A festival of fear where nightmares walk among the people.

3. Veilfall – The thin barrier between worlds collapses, allowing passage for the dead.

4. Moonshadow Revel – When the moon is dark, shadowy creatures come out to celebrate.

5. Hallowed Lanterns – A night where enchanted lanterns guide the dead home.

6. Soul’s Gate – The gate between the mortal world and the afterlife swings open.

7. Glimmernight – A festival where ghosts appear as shimmering lights.

8. Dreadmasque – A masquerade where each mask hides a dark secret.

9. Reaping Hollow – An event where spirits return to reclaim what they’ve lost.

10. Bloodfire Vigil – Bonfires are lit with blood magic to protect against the undead.

11. Darkmoon Ascendance – A night where the moon turns black and dark magic reigns.

12. Spectral Tide – The dead rise as the tide reaches its highest point.

13. Twilight’s Grasp – The setting sun never fully disappears, keeping the world in twilight where horrors lurk.

14. Night of the Wraiths – Wraiths descend to collect souls and drag them into the underworld.

15. Frostgrave Feast – A feast in the frozen woods where the spirits of winter grant wishes, but at a price.

16. Bonefire Rites – Sacred fires are lit to honor ancestors and keep malevolent spirits at bay.

17. Witch’s Mark – A night when those who bear a witch’s mark gain immense, but temporary, power.

18. Gravemist Rising – The fog from graves rises, filled with whispers and secrets from the dead.

19. Shadowveil Crossing – A ritual where people cross over into the shadow world to commune with spirits.

20. Autumn’s Curse – A festival where the curse of eternal autumn brings creatures of decay to life.

21. Lantern of Souls – A single lantern, said to hold the souls of the departed, guides the lost on Halloween.

22. Phantom’s Requiem – A symphony is played by phantoms, echoing through the realm of the living.

23. Cindershade Festival – Celebrating the power of fire to keep the dark spirits away.

24. Nightmare’s End – A gathering where the most vivid nightmares are summoned and must be conquered.

25. Hallowveil Procession – A grand parade of masked figures representing both life and death.

26. Gloomhaven Masquerade – A ball held in an eerie town where no one knows who is mortal and who is not.

27. Midnight Harvest – A harvest festival under the blood moon where sacrifices are made to dark gods.

28. Ebon Wreath – A wreath of black flowers is hung on every door to protect against roaming spirits.

29. Soulthorn Festival – A thorny forest springs to life, and only those who navigate it can escape the spirits within.

30. Eclipse of Ashes – During a total eclipse, the ashes of the dead rain down, bringing with them cryptic messages.

31. Gravenight Dance – A dance held in a cemetery where ghosts lead the living in one last waltz.

32. Night of the Void – The stars disappear, leaving the world in utter darkness as creatures from the void emerge.

33. Horror’s Ascendant – A festival that celebrates the rise of a forgotten terror that once plagued the world.

34. Tide of the Forsaken – A night when those forsaken by the gods are given one last chance to walk among the living.

35. Mournstar Vigil – A night when the mournful star rises and the dead follow its path back to the mortal realm.

36. Graveshadow Feast – A festival where the living feast with their deceased ancestors.

37. Shroudfall – The shroud between life and death dissolves, allowing creatures of darkness to invade.

38. Hollowlight Procession – Spirits of lost children carry lanterns, leading a parade through the haunted woods.

39. Doomveil Gathering – A gathering of witches and warlocks under a cursed sky to summon forbidden magic.

40. Veilfire Festival – A festival where fire dances upon the veil between worlds, granting glimpses of the afterlife.

41. Ruinwake Revelry – A chaotic festival celebrating destruction and chaos, where dark beings rise from ruin.

42. Blackthorn Masque – A masquerade in a cursed castle where everyone wears masks of thorns.

43. Echoes of Dust – A ceremony where the dust of ancient beings blows through the town, and their voices are heard once more.

44. Ashen Sun – The sun turns ashen, and with it, the spirits of forgotten warriors rise from their graves.

45. Night of Unraveling – A night when the fabric of reality unravels, and the boundary between dimensions fades.

46. Hushmoor Eve – A silent evening where all sound is banned to prevent awakening the slumbering dead.

47. Cryptwatch Festival – Vigilant watch over ancient crypts, where treasure seekers try to unlock the secrets of eternal life.

48. Wraith’s Breath – A chilling wind blows through town, said to be the breath of wraiths hunting for souls.

49. Duskmire Celebration – A festival in a swampy region where creatures of the mire rise to celebrate with the living.

50. Moonless Descent – A night where the moon disappears and the world descends into a temporary abyss, where anything can happen.

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[never-ending-fanfic]

The Dragon Prince x Rebels AU

I'm excited to announce I officially finished drawing the designs for the Spectres in The Dragon Prince universe! I already talked about it in this post, but made a few changes. Their elf race is based mostly off of their personalities, not appearance so:

Hera- Skywing Elf (she loves flying and as a pilot, she needed to have wings, so she's in this small percentage of Skywing Elves who are born with them)

Kanan- Startouched Elf (both he and Erza fit with this, because Startouched Elves are the most myselterious and powerful race

Ezra- Startouched Elf (^)

Sabine- Sunfire Elf (I mostly went with the fact that I can give her a bow and she could shoot flaming arrows at her enemies- you know, like bombs. Also Mandaloria s kinda remind me of Sunfire Elves in general)

Zeb- Earthblood Elf (that should be obvious- he's big, he's strong and I don't know if that's because of all the headcanons about Lasats being very close to nature, he fits with Earthblood Elves the most)

Kallus- Moonshadow Elf (perfect for an assassin spy, who would join up with the Spectres later on- and also by the light of Lothal's Moons- COME ON, IT'S PERFECT)

Also I'm so so so excited for their marks to match with their Rebels designs- Hera's lekku markings, Kanan's Jaig eyes, Sabine's helmet designs, Zeb's stripes and Kallus' freckles- the only problem was Ezra, I had to get a little more creative

[raayllum]

Allegorical Rayllum in "Dreamer's Nightmare"

Really thought I'd walk out of Dreamer's Nightmare thinking more about the broyals + Harrow, or an Ezran centric meta (and there may be ones to follow) but this was something that stuck out to me on my first two read throughs and was a truly unexpected part of the graphic novel so...

This is exactly what it says on the tin, and full spoilers for all of Dreamer's Nightmare.

Let's go

Crumbs

The biggest crumb(s) we get are arguably Callum 1) recognizing the mural as belonging to an elven temple, and 2) this panel below that definitely made me chuckle.

I also, accordingly, lost my mind over the elf-toy from 1x04 being a gift given to Ezran / the boys by the end of the comic, which seems to be modelled both after the Moonshadow elf featured in the story, and of actual canon Rayla per 1x04 itself, down to the girl having a similar hair style, markings, and being a sword wielder. (This also informs our basis for the next section.)

However, the definitely meatier stuff has to do with the Dream Warden (DW) creature, its history, and Ezran's interactions with it, so that's where we'll be focusing, and subsequently big spoilers for the graphic novel. Last chance to get out if you hadn't read it yet!

Identity and Loss

So there's a few things we learn about DW and their little mortal friend.

Long ago, a Dream Warden, still new to the world, befriended a mortal child. This violated the traditions of its kind, but the Dream Warden was young. Each night, it flew to the silver shores of sleep and each night found its friend there, wide-eyed and waiting. And beneath the watchful stars, they could adventure together through the child's dreaming world. But one night, sleep blossomed into dream, the Warden found itself alone. The child did not appear that night, nor any night that followed. The Dream Warden searched dream after dream for its friend. Sorrow became fear came anger, and soon the Warden left nothing but nightmares to flower in its wake.

This happens, of course, because the child has grown up and left their old dreaming behind, and the relationship between youth and dreams vs adulthood (actual and perceived) is something the comic is likewise interested in. Callum wants to be grow up so he can help, but as Harrow says, "Part of being grown-up is looking out for others," and there are many moments Callum acts far more like the 9-11 year old child that he is here than an adult, even if he is definitely more mature by the novel's close than he was at the beginning (and so on and so forth into S1 / beyond).

It is these two things — the abandonment of dreams (a life with Callum) to taking up an 'adult' task (assassinating Viren) in the name of "looking out for others" (Callum, the world) — that leads to Rayla leaving in Through the Moon. This is due to having fallen out of favour the idea that she's "stronger together" (BH) with anyone and missing the memo the boys receive/believe from Harrow—and their mother's actions—that they are "safest together".

So we have a Moon creature (seemingly) befriending an elven (mortal) child, even though doing so goes against the traditions of its kind. Then one day the Moon elf disappears in the action / guise of growing up, leaving the DW despondent, angry, and alone. Saddened, fearful, and furious they leave behind nightmares. [Sidenote: I do love the consistent metaphor of blossoming to flowering, it's nice.] Eventually, they fall into a deep depression and slumber.

This is a pretty close beat-for-beat of Esmeray as well, down to being left behind by a creature connected to the Moon arcanum who specifically "mysteriously dies"/leaves and subsequently causing an icy, snowy storm that shrouds the heavens (hides the starlight) until a return and/or reconciliation.

When she disappeared, she left you all alone. In pain. The storm isn't your rage. It's your grief. Your loneliness. On moonless nights, you miss her the most.

All of this is, however, mostly subtext, even if Callum and Esmeray match up in S6 and S4 in more than one instance, so I thought going through Dreamer's Nightmare that Callum's evident parallels to DW, and even Rayla to the moon child, that it would likewise remain subtext. Imagine my surprise when it wasn't.

Ezran

I've talked about Ezran and Rayla and their parallels before, decently extensively. Despite having different personality presentations, they have very similar cores. Both are less inclined towards violence in spite of Ezran having access to power and in spite of Rayla's upbringing, both have received prejudiced consequences for things they couldn't control (the assassin hit out on Ezran due to his father's crimes / Rayla being Ghosted partially because of her parents' as well as being seen as a monster), and these things contribute to them questioning perceived monstrosity more than, say, Callum, would.

We see this even reflected in Dreamer's Nightmare, where Callum despairs and in a desire to protect him and Ez, defaults to, "If I can't fight it, what can I do?" versus Ezran stating, "I can't fight you, and even if I could, I don't want to."

And while I have other thoughts on Callum and the 'monster' motif / label that you can read here, what I want to reaffirm here is the way through Ezran's connection with the Dream Warden, we also highlight his understanding of Callum both in the graphic novel and while Rayla was away / in the early days of her return.

Callum as a character has always been a character with a tenuous grasp on his own identity, especially in arc 1. He states in 2x04 that "when I got magic, I finally felt like myself" in trying to explain "how I've lost that. I'm just trying to find my way back". I think we can draw a point of comparison between Callum losing magic and not feeling like himself and Callum losing his mother and not feeling like himself, both in the immediate aftermath and repeatedly on the anniversary of her death. We also see elements Ezran mentions of Callum not feeling like himself (not drawing, his anger) that come out in S4 / 4x01 and 4x02, notably while Rayla was gone. It's only after she returns and they've begun to reconcile that we see Callum draw again (5x02) for example and indeed be more relaxed (somewhat) with his temper.

Through these periods, though, Ezran has been his cornerstone. Callum was lost in grief with Sarai, but finds his way back to Ezran; Ezran guides him out of the tower in 1x03 and into the quest to Xadia; Ezran is there even when Rayla is not, and Ezran encourages him to open up, recognizing there just as he does with the Dream Warden:

But it's easy to lose ourselves if we don't let others in. And I don't think you want to be angry and alone forever.

So Ezran through his assertions and understanding of both his brother in the comic's present, as well as the Dream Warden, takes everything that was previously subtext for Callum in the graphic novel as a character in the context of how he responds to loss (specifically Sarai and Rayla's loss), and makes it text:

DW lost their Moon arcanum connected best friend and fell into a furious sorrow, and that sorrow being disturbed is what brings the angered splintering back in full force. Dreamer's Nightmare ends, of course, with the creature being pacified and presumably going to bond with more new children, rather than just being shut away forever. Since Rayla isn't fully gone, and since she comes back, his tale of moon-friend-disappearing related woe ends differently with the full reconciliation, but the period of processing the grief and anger to "to hope and maybe forgive and love again" (4x03) remains the same.

This bodes well for theories regarding his love for Rayla and despair/desperation over losing her being what turns Callum into a 'monster' in S7, by which I mean Callum believing himself to become a monster through helping Aaravos / dark magic corruption, and believing himself to be something worth killing (4x07, 6x03) should those things transpire. But as Ezran says, all it takes is one (or two) people seeing you through the periods of anger, sadness, or splintered corruption to bring you back to your whole self again. Given the basis for Dreamer's Nightmare, I'm extremely hopeful that both Ezran and Rayla will have their roles to play in bringing Callum back to himself, just as Ezran's bonds with Callum and with Rayla will undeniably play a part in bringing Ezran back to himself, too.

With all this in mind, let's talk about the doll.

The Elf Toy

So the elf doll haunts me, nor is this new, by any means. I posted a bit about it when Dreamer's Nightmare had just come out, but I've had my eye on this thing since I first noticed the game motif some time after S3 aired. While it's since expanded to include Aaravos and his pawns (and dark magic) more directly in arc 2, said game motif in arc 1 mostly referred to the Key of Aaravos, with the motif and key itself being properly introduced in 1x04: "This is the game room, cube should be in there" / "It's a toy. A piece from a children's game."

A game motif oriented episode that then, therefore, likewise introduces a toy Rayla stand in, and one that Dreamer's Nightmare, purposefully being released before S7 for evident reasons for both brothers at least, harkens back to directly.

Like I think I can speak for all of us when I say I never thought we'd see the damn thing again. It's in 1x04 primarily to just emphasize how humans (namely Amaya) have always seen elves as scary monsters, it looks like Rayla to drive that subsequent point home, and yes it's a toy in an episode with the series' core Game Motif being centred for the first time, but that doesn't mean it's automatically connected. I'd like it to be, I think it'd be fun and very on brand for TDP's style of writing if it was.

That's said, let's go over it from various angles, starting with order of events:

Kid has elf toy, is buried under rubble

Callum and Ez pull them out and usher the kid to safety

The boys / Ezran resolve the conflict and defeat the 'monster,' with Ezran realizing it's not a monster, and instead relating it to Callum explicitly

The boys receive the elf toy as a gift

The most direct reasoning here, then, goes twofold:

Placing the toy here adds depth to Ezran thinking back in 1x04 about what makes something/someone a monster, which is the subject of the conversation at hand, and how it was incorrect

It is here in DM because we're revisiting the Banther Lodge next season, and there's going to be an emphasis on seeing people (others towards Callum; Ezran towards Runaan) not as monsters / reminding Ezran of his love for Rayla. We may see the toy, probably not, but that could be the thread

Therefore, that is where I think I'd leave it in terms of being a toy with a deeper purpose... if not for the fact it's referred to as a Gift. I've talked about the gift motif here in TDP and how arc 2 makes it much more of an emphasis, largely in regards to magic and magical sources of power:

However, where it's most notable in the 'gifts' Aaravos gives: his pawns are not just his pawns, but often tethered to him through magical objects. Claudia's current pawn intro has the Sun staff, which was given from Aaravos to Viren to her; Callum has the cube, a similarly ancient relic passed down through generations; "Lay it down? But it was a gift," Ziard says, the Staff clutched in his hand, and Viren later cites it explicitly a toy: "You had a lifetime to play with your toys, but now you hide them all away or destroy them."

To the point that throughout the various gifts given (the moon opal pendant, Rayla's goodbye letter, the sun orb from the Sun, the trio's gifts of sacrifice to Rex Igneous, Janai's sword and Miyana delivering the sun seed, and more I'm sure) the only things referred to as / that are both gifts and toys are the Key of Aaravos and the Relic Staff.

And, now thanks to Dreamer's Nightmare, the Elf (Rayla) doll.

Obviously this doesn't mean the elf doll is an ancient relic, or powerful, or even important, I think. Not on a literal level. But the final pages do tease it's a bringer of misfortune, which Rayla absolutely is (or is supposed to) when she lands on the boys' doorstep 6-5 years later. She's assumed to be a bringer of misfortune at said Banther Lodge where both the toy and cube are found, which is why she's taken captive.

What characters thus far receive things in the graphic novels, too, comes into play later. Claudia's map to the unicorn she acquired in The Puzzle House seemingly fulfilled its purpose pre-series with her tracking one down already, only to have another purpose in mind as of 7x01.

It's not beyond the realm of possibility to me, therefore, with all this in mind:

The doll was included as a throwback to 1x04

It will have importance

This importance will possibly relate to Rayla

If the motif of it being a gift and a toy is relevant, than the objects on par with it are the Relic staff and Key of Aaravos

Something something "Rayla's life is a fair exchange for the Key of Aaravos" because we all know what we're doing here by now

In summary: you lost your Moonshadow elf best friend and that caused you to become a monster / nightmare ("we had to fight our own people, it was a nightmare") and Dreamer's Nightmare just expected me to feel totally normal even before interweaving the gift motif into the game/toy motif with the damn Rayla stand in doll from 1x04 of all episodes. Yeah.

And that's really all I got for this one, but I hoped you enjoyed the allegorical thread break down and the game motif theorizing!

[sunstone-nerding]

If we assume Moonshadow elves see painting each other's markings as a bonding activity, something done with family or other people important to them...

...especially if spouses paint each other...

... Then in S5 E9, when Callum is drawing mage gills on everyone, I can see Rayla trying not to blush and thinking over and over It's not the same to him it's not the same to him.

Edited to add: Bonus if Callum knows it's kinda personal and is also awkward about it.

[zuppizup]

A Dark Alternative: Chapter 1

Summary: In a world where the border between Xadia and the human lands never truly existed, humans and elves live along side each other, but not together. Years ago, Callum made an unlikely friend, one he thought long lost to time. By chance, their paths cross again, but considering how much they’ve both changed, is it possible to rekindle their friendship? Or have their differences become too much to overcome?

Pairing: Rayla/Callum

Rating: Mature

AO3 Link: A Dark Alternative

Someone came up behind him, slender and lithe, obviously elven underneath the large cloak they wore. The attendant standing awkwardly to his left immediately looked around him, beckoning the figure closer.

They spoke quietly, discretely, appearing to negotiate something. Hushed voices and hurried whispers and then the attendant pulled back a curtain, gesturing for the cloaked figure to proceed.

She ducked under the attendant’s arm, her hood slipping off her head as she did so to reveal striking features, high cheek bones adorned with traditional Moonshadow markings, large lilac eyes, sad and downcast.

Callum knew this elf, her face immediately familiar. “Rayla?” The name slipped from his lips without conscious thought.

Her reaction appeared to confirm his suspicions, head whipping around seemingly unconsciously at the sound of her name.

Read More On AO3 – A Dark Alternative: Chapter 1

[random-fandom-ramble]

Is Redfeather Etharis mother?

I just read the new short story about Rayla in Scumport, where we were introduced to this wonderful new MILF character, Redfeather:

Some things we learned about her:

She’s a moonshadow elf

She has matted messy hair

She has pale markings and likely has a darker complexion (“like shining leather”)

She was ghosted about 15+ years ago

She doesn’t regret the thing(s) she was ghosted for

Now 15+ years ago doesn’t place her at any important events that we know of yet. Rayla would’ve been 0-2 years old at the time, so it probably doesn’t connect to her. The whole ordeal with Sarai getting killed by Avizandum happened about 10-12 years prior, so it couldn’t be connected to that.

But you know who would’ve been in a very interesting age back then?

Ethari and Runaan

Ethari and Runaan were once referred to as “uncle-ish” age, which the show runners have clarified means somewhere between 30-35 years old. That means Ethari and Runaan would’ve been 15-20 years old at the time when Redfeather got ghosted by her village. And as we all know, 15-20 is the perfect age for fictional characters to get traumatized✨

One theory I had was that she was somehow involved with the assassins (target? Former assassin? Who knows) and that her crime, which somehow affected a younger Runaan, got her ghosted. But that is a theory for another time.

What caught my attention first was the specifics of her description.

Pale markings and “leather colored”(darker) skin

When it comes to the colors of markings, moonshadow elves tend to have very deep or even dark blue/purple markings. Ethari is the only moonshadow elf we’ve encountered till now who has significantly lighter, or paler, lavender colored markings amongst moonshadow elves.

This means that Redfeather having specifically PALE markings would be significant, if the paleness is referring to the color.

Another point is the eyes

While Redfeathers and Etharis face’s aren’t THAT similar, the eyes very much ARE

Look at that shape! Look at the lashes! Look at the curved lower lids! If this doesn’t mean anything, then this would be one heck of a coincidence for eyes to be drawn THAT similarly.

Another reason I like this theory isn’t just because of looks and appearances, but also because it could explain a bit about Etharis behavior regarding ghosting family members and strong feelings about abandonment.

See, when Rayla first comes back to the Silvergrove, one of the first things he says to is:

“They’re gone Rayla. He’s gone. Because you abandoned them.”

And later on, when he briefly lifted the ghosting spell to talk to Rayla, he says again:

“But I don’t understand, how could you abandon them like that?”

On a similar note, in the novel the bloodmoon huntress, when Runaan realizes that Kim’Dael is out there, there isn’t even a question about wether or not Ethari is coming along; he said right away “I’m coming with you”. He was NOT gonna stay- or be left behind. It’s like he has some very deep rooted issues surrounding abandonment, and being left behind. Maybe because his mother had to leave him when he was young? Or maybe pertaining to the crime she committed, where she left someone behind and surrendered them to their doom? Who knows…

And yet, for someone who has such strong feelings about someone being left behind, he was very quick to ghost Rayla. Yes he regrets it, and yes it was a decision made with feelings and grief and not his sound and sensible mind. But regardless of how much he regrets it now, he still ghosted her for “abandoning her team (and Runaan)”, and he seemed very sure of that choice at first.

If we looked at him as a regular person, a godfather who loved and cherished his goddaughter, and had raised her since the age of 8, this behavior doesn’t make any sense!

But if we look at him as someone who’s had to do it before, someone who had to learn long ago that family ties don’t excuse crimes, and that sometimes you need to cut out and ghost those closest to you - like say, your own mother-, well then it makes sense why he was able to do that to his goddaughter, even if he regretted it later…

——

And a final point close this whole theory off, though it is more of a meta textual point:

Ethari rarely gets talked about by the creators of the show. He was maybe mentioned here and there in the past, and on Twitter Aaron Ehazs promised that they hadn’t forgotten about Ruthari. So any mention of him that actually includes his name and something other than „he’s Runaans husband/Raylas substitute dad“ is pretty special and rare to find outside of the graphic novel Bloodmoon huntress . But in this new short story, he wasn’t just mentioned by name; he was specifically described along with his profession, his crafting.

And the first time that Ethari gets mentioned again outside of the bloodmoon huntress is when a new Moonshadow elf with eyes almost identical to his gets introduced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✨Thanks for reading!✨

Feel free to add your own thoughts to this theory in the comments or in reblogs!

@beautifulterriblequeen @sunstone-nerding @hoothalcyon @legend-of-the-fandoms @anybody-else-who-wants-to-join-the-fun

[ask-runaan-anything]

Do you know why Lujanne doesn't have markings? Is that an illusionist thing, a protector of the nexus thing, a Lujanne thing, or something else?

Moonshadows paint each others' markings. Lujanne lives alone.

Part of our identity is reflected in the eyes of those we love, and those we trust. We are our fullest selves when we are surrounded by friends and family, and so we trust that paintbrush to the hands of those who care for us the most and want us to be our most authentic selves.

Fewer smudges that way.

also my husband has exceptionally steady hands

[honeii-puff]

I have a small tdp headcanon/theory bordering onto au that has near zero canon backing i just like it bc its fun.

The theory/headcanon/au is that Soren's mom was a moonshadow elf, and this is literally only because i like the idea of Soren being half-elf. This does make Claudia and Soren half-siblings, but I think the consequence of being a half-elf was Soren's health issues as a kid, i haven't thought that part fully out yet.

So essentially, she used moonstones to cloak her appearance from people. Only Virien knew, and the spell to help Soren i think its just a bit weird that it required the mother's tears, so I feel it wasn't specifically mother, but elf. She left after like in canon because hey, Virien is crazy. This could also be part of what fueled Virien's hatred of elves.

It also kinda helps to why Soren doesn't look like Virien or Claudia. He did look more elfish, but Soren used dark magic to cloak that, and I think it started fading once he died the first time, but that Soren doesn't have the blue markings on his face, but his arms and back. Idk if the face markings are like a requirement or if they can be anywhere, but hey I make the rules here. His hair was also originally white, which is why the spell made it blonde instead of, you know, brown.

I just really like this idk

[thatartiststudios]

Rayllum Month 2024 prompt "An Outside Perspective"

Opeli had always prided herself on her keen observational skills. As a trusted advisor to King Harrow and now to his son, she had seen and heard more than most. But watching Callum and Rayla’s relationship unfold over the years had been… interesting, to say the least.

Rayla’s initial arrival in Katolis, as one of the Moonshadow assassins sent to kill King Harrow, had been met with understandable suspicion and fear. Yet, her return with Callum and the others after the battle at the Storm Spire had marked the beginning of a transformation. Opeli had watched the shy but determined elf navigate her place in a kingdom that had once been her target.

Despite her initial reserve, it had been impossible to miss how shamelessly affectionate she was around Callum. It was clear to anyone with eyes that there was a deep bond between them.

Then, Rayla had left. For two long years, Opeli had witnessed Callum’s struggle with grief and heartache. His moods had swung from explosive anger to quiet despair, and everything in between. Opeli had done her best to be understanding of him, allowing him as much leniency as she could.

When Rayla finally returned, the shift in their dynamic was palpable. Callum, who had once been reserved and careful, now wore his heart on his sleeve. His affection for Rayla was evident in every touch, every glance. But Rayla... Rayla seemed hesitant, almost ashamed. It was as if the confident, bold elf who had once stood by Callum’s side had been replaced by someone much more timid.

Continue on AO3

[lesorciercanadien]

La Saint François d'Assise

October 4th marks St. Francis of Assisi's feast day! St. Francis if Assisi (1181-1226) was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Venerated across multiple Christian denominations and traditions, he has patronage over the environment and animals.

For today, I blessed all four of my cats with a little cross of holy water on their foreheads, and said a prayer over my cat Moonshadow's collar. She wears a St. Francis of Assisi medal on her tags.

Cherish your animals today, and love them, pray for a long companionship.

[nightflower-stuff]

🐲TDP arc 3 week (no. 7 )⚔️

(Sept. 29th)

- Arc 3 speculation/Hopes/Theories

- As for my opinion/theory in next Arc 3 such as Season 8, 9 & 10:

• Does Runaan have a parents & siblings aka Rayla's foster grandparents, uncles/aunts & their ancestors. But thing is about she ask her foster father that who will be charged their home & forest since who's the leader of SilverGrove in each generations or either the Moonshadow royal blood family. What if Runaan has his secret without telling everyone & humans for what will happen to his past life because of his history 👀✨❣️

• Ethari has his parents are Sunfire Elves that I made them for him since other people/artists have theory was Ethari was Sunfire Elf because of his marks on his face & his backstory past in Lux Aurea ☀️

• These characters need more newest design outfits, especially Runaan want his new outfits in the Arc 3 🙏😭.

Hope you like them ❤️👌😀

If you wanna see more art contents of mine. I'll posted later on next month (October) 🤭. Be patience 🙏❤️

Follow @night_flower.artdoodle & @nightflower_of.dimension 🙌

This TDP prompt & hosted by @visspellbook

[raayllum]

me being like "yeah the elf girl in the dream warden story kind of looks like rayla i guess, thanks to the sword and the hair, but that could just be because it's a general moonshadow design and—"

she has basically the exact same markings in one shot / the markings are slightly different in each panel so... markings changing as the elf grows up, maybe?