#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.

[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...

[argonblue]

ETHARI CHANGED HIS MOONSHADOW MARKINGS ON HIS ARMS???? FROM THE CIRCLES TO A SWIRL????

A) So does that mean they’re painted on?

B) if they are painted, does he change them because runaan isn’t there anymore to help him paint them??? Because like, an even circle is real difficult to draw on your shoulder without help.

C) in terms of character design, I will be interpreting this as him losing stability. His old design was perfectly symmetrical, whereas now he’s a little off kilter, literally spiraling with grief. To me, there’s a lot of meaning in his markings specifically, especially the ones under his eyes that look like permanent tear tracks 🫶

D) goddamn it now I have to relearn how to draw his markings

[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.

[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

[raayllum]

They share her flying steed on the way back to the Banther Lodge, his limbs still sluggish and eyes burning. Callum knows, also, that Rayla is keeping an eye on his breathing. Kosmo had said the darkness and corruption would overwhelm him, but... maybe the spell was too small? Or maybe it would take him over slowly, but...

He rests his head against her shoulder blades and dozes as much as he dares to avoid falling off.

Eventually, they take a break near the fringes of the Moonshadow forest to make camp, and she helps him down with a steady arm braced along his back. "Careful, there," she teases, gentle and warm, but a shadow of guilt flickers in her eyes.

He holds onto her turn and lets them sink to a sitting position in the soft grass.

Soren takes one look, then peels away with an overly cheery tone, "We should go foraging! In the forest! Hey, who do you think can get the most berries?" and then herds everyone else away.

Runaan gives him a lingering look, and then follows the rest; he and Ethari will go to return to the Silvergrove soon without them.

Then Callum stares at Rayla and waits, till her lips twist and she sniffles, her voice all wobbly and small as she begins, "Callum—"

He places his hand over hers. "Thank you. For having my back in there."

She stares back at him, tears in her eyes. "How can you say that? I was going to—"

"—do what I asked you to do," he says firmly, giving her fingers—the same fingers that had drawn back the arrow that would've taken his life—a squeeze before he cups her face. He traces her indigo marking, brushing away tears as he does so. "I needed you to back me up. I needed you to trust me. To do the right thing." Even as he did the wrong thing, of sorts. "Thank you."

She lets out a sob and throws her arms around his neck; Callum holds her while she shakes and cries, some of his own tears and adrenaline seeping out of him. Fuck, he'd been so tired and so scared and so...

He can feel her heart beating through her chest. Her heart for Xadia. Him, for Xadia, and—

He holds her tighter. "We'll figure something else out, before he comes back. We have time."

Seven years and nineteen (seventeen now?) days. He'll make each one of them count.

I don't want to be separated again.

"You were willing to do what you had to do," he says softly, rubbing her back. However the corruption works, he is corrupted, and that means, when Aaravos comes back, he'll be able to... "Because that's who you are, selfless, brave, and I love you for it. I depend on you for it. And now we can figure out how to do what we want to do... To make sure you're stuck with me."

She hiccups, her tearful laugh still more of a sob, but her eyes are brighter when she pulls back to look at him and wipes away some of his own tears, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks. "Do you promise?" she says, whatever levity she's mustered up flickering this time too.

He holds her hand and kisses her palm and fingers. With enough time, they can make anything work—finding her and him again after her return had made that clear. Seven years will have to be enough.

"Yes," he swears. "I do."

[hazieash]

Here is my fan design for 7-year timeskip Claudia! I included some of my favorite items from the Xadia game, implying she has been to the Moonshadow Forest, the Far Reaches, and the Blacksteel Sanctum. She also has a red feather, perhaps from Redfeather herself? (Someone Rayla met in Scumport in the reflections short stories). I gave her Human Aaravos’s belt, implying she went to find the husk body. She also painted Aaravos’s Star markings on her face. And finally, the dragon scale pendant is now fused with her body so no one can take that power from her.

[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

[beautifulterriblequeen]

12 Days of TDP

Day 3: Favorite Lore

This is an extremely unfair question for a lore enjoyer to have to answer!!!

And also surprisingly easy.

It's Moonshadow horn cuffs representing their devotion to one another, and specifically how Runaan and Ethari wear cuffs that evoke each other's vibes. (obviously)

Runaan's are bright and silvery with a soft edge, and they're decorated with beautiful scrolling swirlies, which Ethari loves putting on everything he touches. These cuffs represent someone with patience, creativity, artistry, and a fine, steady hand.

Ethari's are dark, sharp-pointed, no-frills cuffs with bright turquoise gems inset, representing his husband's broody nature and stabby profession, as well as his singular, memorable eyes.

In both cases, you can take one look at these men and get a good idea who they've chosen to bond with, even if you've never met either of them before. Which, along with the rest of their Moonshadow markings and runes and symbols, paints a pretty clear picture of who they are.

This has long been one of my favorite things about the Moonshadow elves: you can read them like a book if you look closely enough, and they never have to say a single word, as they probably prefer. But at the heart of that appreciation lies Runaan and Ethari's horn cuffs.

[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.

[jal-the-jinxed]

MOONSHADOW MARKINGS S7

a maybe mildly comprehensive rambling

Whenever we meet an elf in the show I stare at their markings and this is what I've got from season 7

Lets kick it off with the Moon Cubs!

First off there's the cub who's making embarrassing Callum her new favorite hobby

From what I've seen, her markings are most like Callisto's

Then we have the cub with the yellow eyes

The only moonshadow with markings I'd call similar is this friend from the tabletop game

But they're only a little bit similar and I don't know too much about the tabletop game so I'm not sure what such markings might mean 😅

Either way, what the elves paint on themselves has meaning, which leads up to the cub I really want to talk about-

Last of all is this little guy, who's got a nose stripe like Runaan

Past Runaan specifically

I'm fairly certain this sketch is of the past bc I'd find it confusing to change up his facepaint and mend his horn for no reason, on top of that Ethari is wearing his og outfit and also has different markings. The markings stay for a long while, I think the creators described them as like extra-long lasting henna's, so the fact that 2/3 cubs might have assassin markings is Interesting to me. There's a lot of moonshadow markings that go across the cheeks like the oldest moon cub's does, so it could be only one cub with possible assassin markings, but i find it curious either way. Like how and why are marks picked for elf children, especially marks that seem to have correlation to roles/careers/etc? Do kiddos get markings similar to what their parents have to kind of show familial connection? Or do parents paint the markings based off what they'd like their kid to be or what the kid seems enclined for? And if so then how often do the markings get swapped? People can change their mind on what path in life they want as they grow, and kids can change their mind on something like that every day.

On the note of swapping markings-

In that past sketch, it looks like Ethari has fewer marks on his cheeks and shoulders, then in the episode we meet him, he has these circle-y markings filling up the space on his cheeks and shoulders.

And then in season seven he has very swirly-ee markings

Similar enough that I didn't notice on my first watch but different enough that I'm staring wanting to know the meaning

Since it seems like markings correlate to roles/jobs/whatever and also the rank the elf has in that position, I'm guessing the increasing amount of circles on Ethari and the second nose stripe on Runaan is to show their moving up in the ranks. But the change from clean, geometric markings to more organic swirlies for Ethari feels like a more personal thing. We know home boy has a steady hand, so even if Runaan painted his markings before they wouldn't look this different now. Maybe he wanted something more spiral-y to lowkey match the mark over Runaan's heart or the patterns he adorned his husband with?

I think I actually know why, though: "Similar but different."

When there's stuff you did with someone and suddenly you don't have that person anymore, doing that stuff is hard. To put it lightly. There's this part of your brain that screams something's incorrect, something's off, something is wrong. Because this isn't a you thing, it's a you and that person thing. But they're not here. It's not supposed to be like this.

That's were the "but different" comes in. If you change it up then it's no longer what you did with that person, at least not exactly, and that can be enough to make it manageable. You still achieve whatever the objective is, just differently.

So if Runaan and Ethari painted each other's markings, then I believe that this is one of Ethari’s Similar-but-Different's. Painting them the way his husband did was painful, it was supposed to be Runaan's hands creating those shapes, but now it was his own. So he changed them. He couldn't just stop wearing them, they're kind of like a uniform, so he made them similar but different.

More on changing markings- As far as I'm aware, no elf has changed markings more than Runaan. Not canonically, but in the Xadia phone game. The game was never compatible with my phone so everything I know about it is from other people's posts, but from what I've seen it looks like Runaan has the most marking changes out of all the elves. He's got different markings in his moon phoenix skin, the wasteland skin, the halloween skin, the theif skin, featherblade skin, another one that idk the name of, and maybe more? No idea how many skins the characters have, but I don't think I've seen major marking changes in the other elves skins? Could totally be wrong though

Either way, I think Runaan's markings are going to change and I think the game might have hints as to how.

Runaan no longer believes in precision violence, hell the boy just realized he's alive, too. So he's probably got a career change coming, which means a uniform/markings change.

So what's a stabby boy who no longer believes in precision violence gonna do? Probably protect, I think. There's a whole brand new city/kingdom and undead souls running rampant every time the sun goes down, so between that and more, there's tons of stuff to protect and defend. And I think he's going to become some type of guard or something like that.

How will this change his markings? I think they'll look most similar to his moon phoenix skin markings

Our guy was "already dead", actually died, came back to life, and realized he's actually alive. That's just got phoenix vibes all over it. We're also introduced to moon phoenix's by a guardian in the show. But besides vibes, I want to point at the marks on his cheeks in this skin. They're these two little lines beneath his eyes atop his cheeks, kind of like...

They're slanted at different angles and I think the dragon guards markings are supposed to remind you of dragons its the shapes for me but I think Runaan's new markings are going to be similar, sort of twin little lines across his cheeks under his eyes like his old friends and his phoenix skin.

I think his arm markings will probably change too, but I'm too sleepy to go on about that, goodnight ✌️

[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

[aviradasa]

Love long lost Pt2

Aaravos x Fem!reader

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

{angst} @delusional-mushroom @hubba-hubba1 @jellyfishxxi

Warnings: blood, wounds, depicted Self inflicted wounds,

Hey my little goblins guess what time it is! Time for my ass to post part 2!! I am honestly loving this little mini series so I've decided a part 3 maybe 4 will be seen in the near future lol. Anyways I hop you all enjoy and thank you for your patience also I will be @ ing all the folks who ask me to!

Ps: don't forget to leave a request! I will be linking my masterlist here please read it before requesting! Anyways have a happy read!

Masterlist

Pt 1 linked here

Pt three linked here

Pt 4 linked here

It takes a moment for my eyes to open again but when they don't see the stone walls of the storm spire, No all I see is that I am in an old Human tavern, As I look around everything has a blue tint-like that of the magic that Aarvos used on me, looking around i see large groups of human and elves sitting at tables, drinking, talking, and listening to the upbeat music, I can even smell the various foods being Cooked in the back the rich scents wafting about and mixing assisting in making the atmosphere even more warm and inviting.

I walk through the tavern and head to the front bar and take a seat in front of the barmaid. I don't know where I am, it seems familiar but I just can't place it. I need to know why Aaravos sent me here and why.

“ Hey, there miss, busy night huh?” I ask the barmaid, earning no response. Maybe she just didn't hear me over the music, I think to myself so I decided it best to possibly try and ask again. “ hey miss, it sure is a busy night huh?” I ask once more. The barmaid does not react at all and I start to wonder if she even knows it there. She has to know I’m there. I'm sitting right in front of her, maybe she just isn't in the talking mood. I think to myself as I stand up, I walk over to a human man who is sitting at a table with some other people and way my hand in front of his face earning no response. He just continues talking to the other folks at the table, and that's when the panic starts to seep in.

I run table to table seat to seat tapping, screaming, hitting everyone I see but I get no reaction each time, no one in the tavern can see me, hear me, or feel me. I am simply a phantom in this place. Once I've exhausted my options I run to the door of the tavern and try to yank it open to no avail, I tug and pull, kick, punch, and scratch at the door until my nails are shredded and bleeding alongside my knuckles, leaving bloody scratch marks on the tavern door as I weep, not just because of the pain I've inflicted upon myself in the moment, but because I am trapped in this place alone and scared. What makes it even worse is that Aaravos put me here and I still have no idea why.

A few moments pass and I wipe my tear-stained face, and take a seat at a darkened table in the back of the tavern. It almost seems like the light from the firepit in the middle of the room is too fearful to illuminate the spot . Once I take my seat the sound of the music in the tavern is changed to a more eerie circus-like sound as one of the bards step onto the stones surrounding the firepit. It appears he is a moonshadow elf mage. Suddenly he casts a spell and The room dims slightly as he begins to speak.

“My good friends old and new, We have a special show for you tonight, filled with frights, lights, and One of the most beautiful creatures of the night. You know her,you love her, she's the one and only Y/n!” he says as a black sheet appears on the floor in front of him. The mage sprinkles some sort of powder onto the sheet before grabbing the corner of it. The mage lifts the sheet spinning it elaborately, sending the purple dust into the air of the tavern giving the little light in the dim room a purple glow before he dramatically throws the sheet into the air, revealing an elven girl dressed as a dancer. Posing in the middle of the room as the whole tavern erupted into cheers.

“y/n?..” I ask myself, I'm confused in every way possible, but before I can think about what I'm witnessing I hear someone speak.

“Amature magic at its best.” I hear an oddly familiar voice say beside me, I jump in my seat turning my head so fast I could have broken my neck. I know that voice anywhere but could it be? My whole body freezes in place as I stare at the figure In the seat next to me, they are wearing a very elaborate cloak with an odd symbol on the hood. They are sipping from a tankard, with their eyes glued to the girl in the middle of the room. But just as I look back to the middle of the room the performer turns her head and everything goes black.

I awakened once more in a forest, it had the same blue haze as the tavern did but this time it was lighter than before. I spin around slowly taking in my surroundings but stop suddenly. Right in front of me is a small pond in a small clearing of the forest, it is surrounded by many types of Xadian flowers and plants being illuminated by the moonlight that is cast upon the small pond’s waters, and standing beside the pond with their back facing me is that same cloaked figure from the tavern.

Suddenly I hear a voice quite like mine call out in a whispered shout, “Aaravos is that you?” the voice says, the cloaked figure turns around and takes down their hood revealing the familiar elf, he looked nothing like he did when I saw him through the mirror, his skin is a more vibrant purple and the star freckles on his face glow brighter than they had when I saw him, his hair is neater and pulled out of his face, its held in place by a golden circlet. He looks divine and ethereal, he almost looks like he shouldn't belong to Xadia, but some far-away planet that we could never even dream of.

I turn around to see the elven performer girl from the tavern, this time I can see her face clearly she looks like me.., but I only see her for a moment as a smile creeps onto her face and she runs to him wrapping her arms around his neck, he returns the embrace and her smile as he wraps his arms around her waist and spins her around for a moment as their laughter intertwined with the wind. She shares my voice and from what I saw my face. But how can this be, Who is she? I wonder as I watch the scene play out. But once her feet touch the ground, their laughter fades and it all goes black once more.

This time I woke up in a cave. I take a moment to gather myself and let my eyes adjust to the darkened area before I feel comfortable to stand. I hastily make my way to the cave entrance and look out and see the edge of a new forest. I hear a loud crack and snap my head in the direction of the sound. I can't make out much but the light the stars provide is enough to illuminate two silhouetted figures moving through the trees in a panic. the taller one dragging the other by the wrist as they run, I have a good idea by now of who those two figures are and I am proven correct when they enter the cave.

They are both visibly disheveled with her hair being knotted with twigs leaves and mud, her clothing is freshly ripped and torn, and she has cuts, bruises, and blood scattered along her skin. His appearance is similar, but his hair is less messy and his clothing is more dirty than tattered, though they share the same amount of wounds it seems. “Aaravos…What did you do.” the girl says wiping away tears but smearing the blood and dirt on her skin more by accident. He doesn't respond to her, he just looks away avoiding eye contact. She visibly gets frustrated and shoves him with all the force she can muster as she chokes out a sob. “WHAT DID YOU DO?” She screams at him through tears.

He still doesn't look at her nor does he respond. He doesn't even seem affected by her shove or screams, he just stands there. She approaches him once more and hits his chest “YOU BASTARD TELL ME WHAT YOU DID! WHY? WHY WON’T YOU TELL ME.” she screams again, I jump back When all of a sudden he snaps back “ I DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE!” he screams back at her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her into the cave wall behind them as she chokes out another sob. “Let go, please… Let go, it hurts.” she cries. He drops her and she collapses onto the ground as he turns his back to her slamming his fists into the cave's jaggad walls. He didn't flinch once his blood started pouring out of the wounds he just placed his head against his bloody forearm and let it bleed, as his love cried in the background.

Then once more the scene went dark. But this time i did not appear in another memory.

I feel myself being shaken awake “y/n! y/n wake up are you ok? Y/n! Guys she's waking up!” I hear Raylas voice call out as my eyes drift open. I take a sharp breath as I come to and I shoot upright. Grabbing onto Raylas shoulder for support and i take in deep rapid breaths i feel a stinging on my forehead and when i reach up to touch it,it burns my fingertips. When i get my bearings I look around at everyone with a fearful,and shocked expression.

“You guys aren't gonna believe me when I tell you what I just saw.”

[argonblue]

Ok I talked abt this a lil before in another post but THE RUTHARI DESIGN LANGUAGE

Ethari outwardly has changed, but that design reflects more of his grief, the passage of time, and his inability to let go of his husband. It’s also all external—his hair is longer, his Moonshadow markings are now asymmetric/unbalanced, his earrings are gay as hell and really show how he is not over his marriage at all. Most importantly, his armor/shoulder things. He looks prickly, closed off, and that’s exactly how he acts when he thinks runaan is a stranger, which is very un-Ethari.

On the other end, Runaan’s design is hugely the same as season one, with the only two changes being A) his weird ass cutout sleeve is missing on his right, and B) his horn. Unlike Ethari, runaan’s biggest character design change is losing a part of his actual body. Hair can grow, clothes can change, but Runaan’s horn is part of him. His being has been fundamentally altered in a small way, and he’s going to carry that change for ever. Both figuratively, with how he’s seen the true outcome of his assassin work, and literally.

Ethari has a design that communicates his relationship with runaan, he always has. In bloodmoon huntress, runaan calls Ethari his guiding light, but in reality I think it’s the other way around. Because Ethari is the most out of character without runaan. He ghosts Rayla out of grief, which is very out of character, because runaan is gone. But after two years, runaan still comes home to an Ethari who is grieving and hopeless, but not broken.

And after they reunite, Ethari returns to the same state we’ve seen him in for pretty much the entire show. And I get why. He’s a minor character, the plot doesn’t need him to have a paradigm shift like runaan, but I like to read into it as Ethari being the moonfam anchor. He’s the home they all come back to, he’s the warm hug they all need, he’s soft and he’s kind and he’s defined by his love for them. So when he loses his family, he loses himself. He’s and anchor with no ship. Runaan is his heart, without runaan, there is no point for there to be an Ethari, and it makes him lash out and ghost Rayla.

So. Here’s why I’m thinking about all this: Ethari making Runaan a prosthetic horn. Ethari, runaan’s anchor, helping him reforge this part of himself and shine truth onto the great lie of assassin-hood that runaan held so close to his persona. Runaan choosing to replace his belief in precision violence with his belief in love. Most importantly to me, Ethari confronting the lie he helped reinforce for runaan. Ethari seeing that he’s been making weapons to fuel the cycle of violence that in turn took his entire family and his heart from him. And Ethari and runaan deciding to help build the new world, Everkynd, where the lie and the cycle don’t have to dictate their lives.

[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

[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