#possible death of viren

[wheretwofacesmeet]

[stuck-in-jelly]

Maybe I’m delusional but I cant be the only one who believes that the “Rise Again” short story is a parallel to what must’ve happened when Lisa realized what Viren “had to do” to save their son.

Pretty consistently we see that Claudia is a parallel to her father meanwhile more subtly we see Soren as a parallel to his mother.

I believe it is strongest in the scene where Soren makes the decision to runaway and he tries to ask Claudia to come with him. Claudia shakes her head overwhelmed with whats going on and begging Soren to not make her choose between him and their father, much like when their parents asked her to choose which parent she’d stay with.

And so, just like their mother, Soren chooses for Claudia. Telling her goodbye.

I feel like it is especially reinforced with these images.

With that established i want to clarify my thoughts on exactly what happened to Soren when he was a kid.

I know a lot of people believe Soren didn’t actually die and instead was just really sick and about to die but between the symbolism of being turned to stone=death and how whatever spell he did crossed a line even his Mentor wouldn’t to the point of getting into a physical altercation I believed Soren actually died.

It seems to me that to at least to some degree this was resurrection. But why it didn’t require a blood of his child?

Soren was young and small and probably not dead for very long unlike Viren who had been dead for TWO YEARS.

But now onto ‘Rise Again’.

Of course the spell Claudia used wasn’t as strong as bringing something to life. She didn’t actually bring back a dead cat she was just animating cat ashes into the form of the cat she loved but regardless other she and Soren treat it as if the ashes were truly the cat and not a puppet Claudia made. But these snippets stuck out the most to me

If we take this short story as a parallel of their parents after Soren’s death/near death I feel like the language paints a good picture of how it went:

Viren:

“- I know but I fixed it.”

“It wasn’t fair that [he] died. [He] wasn’t even that old.”

Lisa:

“We had a little ceremony remember?”

“Because [Soren] died.”

But I think the biggest one is this scene:

[yourbuerokrat2]

Predictions for season 5 and 6 regarding the Mage fam

Considering the trailer, I am going to be making the prediction that Viren won’t survive the sereies but won’t necessarily die in Season 5 but probably in season 6 or season 7 tops. Season 5 will be the built up for finding a way to stop the Mage Fam (or at leat what remained of it) while also trying to find a way to kill Aaravos in case they fail (which they will). 

I think they are going to keep Viren around for at least season 6 since I think Viren is going to sacrifice himself trying to stop Aaravos even if Virens only and main motiviation would be in trying to keep Claudia from becoming another one of Aarvos puppets like he had become. 

Season 5 is probably going to end with Claudia and Terry freeing Aaravos despite Rayllumm and Cos. combined efforts. And it’s going to be just in time before Virens ultimate demise. 

The big difference is that now that Aaravos has kept his word, Claudia is even more convinced that he is the Good Guy and that he is going to make good on all his other promises regarding Humanity and she would be all the more willing to help. Meanwhile Terry, who is not really understanding what is going on and too blindly in love with Claudia to see that he is on the villains team, could still end up trying to become Claudias conscience like he was in season 4. 

And I think Viren would be so conflicted with having gone through an entire journey of self-discovery, self-reflection and now knowing the true person that Aaravos is but maybe being actually afraid of him now?

Season 6 is probably going to be how Viren actively tries to save Claudia from becoming like him and he ends up sacrificing himself in a moment of brief betrayal towards Aaravos that might not seem to have any effects now but will ultimately factor in Aaravos inevitable doom. 

Of course, Aaravos is going to make Virens demise/death all of Rayllums fault so Claudia would be even more motivated to do as he says. 

But then there is Terry. And the romance between him and Claudia was shown in the Trailer and Terry does have a sort of bond with Viren as well.

And I don’t think the crew from The Dragon Prince would kill of a fan favorite and a clear trans representation off. 

[nasgard]

"You must make the sacrifice."

"So dies the Sun King"

I've been thinking about this. Aaravos guided Sol Regem to attack Katolis for no apparent reason. No one there was responsible for his imprisonment or the death of Leola. He aimed directly at Viren in that final attack and then he look satisfied and guided Sol Regem to retreat as soon as he realized Viren's spell worked. So, this attack seemed random and senseless but had some clear consequences:

It forced Katolis/Soren to seek help from the only person who could protect everyone from a dragon attack (funny how this keeps happening despite the general disdain for Viren and Dark Magic).

It obviously pushed Viren back into using Dark Magic.

It forced Viren to sacrifice his own heart, leading to his death and downfall (again).

It resulted in the death of Sol Regem

Of course, Sol Regem dies after the attack, but I don't think it was because of the arrow wounds; it was because Sol swallowed Pharos' corrupted body.

So... why make Sol Regem attack Katolis? How does that affect Sol Regem? If the goal was just to kill him, couldn't Aaravos have done it without attacking the kingdom? Unless the attack's target wasn't really Katolis or Sol Regem. In a way, the target seemed to be Viren.

So, what was it? Revenge for Viren abandoning him? Was Aaravos creating a situation where Viren could atone for his past mistakes? A final test for Viren to prove himself? Or some other hidden objective? Unless none of these options fit, and the show's writers just made it confusing.

But it's curious that the writers chose to make Aaravos say the name Sun King instead of using the Latin version, Sol Regem, making it easier for the viewer to associate this line to his line for Viren in the season 5.

yeah, there's still one more possibility, of course with the entire castle destroyed it was easier for Claudia to find Aaravos' prison and then free him. But that seems like such a boring reason.

[kradogsrats]

I am Near, I am Here: Rayla, the Moon, and Love as Presence

I was originally going to add this to @raayllum's post about Rayla's lullaby and Ethari but then the number of screenshots I was taking before I even started to write indicated that it had gotten out of hand.

Rayla's lullaby ties in with a lot of stuff going on in s6, most of them related to her relationship with Callum, which has its last barriers broken down and leaves their bond stronger than ever. Surely so strong that nothing in s7 could possibly challenge it. Most of Rayla's life has been defined by absence—the absence of her parents, her own forced absence from her community, her chosen absence from Callum. The lullaby, however, affirms that even when the moon appears to be absent, it is still there, and has been all along.

This is an interesting facet of the Moon arcanum, which is usually focused on certain dualities—life and death, reality and illusion, presence and absence—but also on the permeable borders between them, on change and cycles between those states.

We also actually have a window into Rayla's own understanding of the Moon arcanum—her first transformation into Moonshadow form in Bloodmoon Huntress. Look, just... bear with me, okay?

It's explicit that not all Moonshadow elves can achieve Moonshadow form, and that for most it takes months or years of meditation and training. I read this as that, while Moonshadow elves are born with an innate connection to the Moon primal, attaining Moonshadow form requires developing a deeper understanding of its arcanum. Runaan describes it as being about the balance of life and death:

Rayla can't reach Runaan's understanding of the Moon arcanum, which is somewhat hilariously about recognizing yourself in your enemy (something Rayla winds up being very good at) and understanding why you have to kill them, anyway (something Rayla winds up being very bad at).

What does work for her to achieve Moonshadow form at a terrifyingly young age is focusing on her wingaling, and a statement from Ethari:

Both are about love as being present—something Rayla is conflicted about in her parents' absence. The wingaling represents a promise that Ethari and Runaan will always come for her when she's in need. Ethari's statement is originally made in the context of explaining that Runaan's devotion to his people may require him to make great sacrifices, but that devotion can also be the smallest act of presence, and both are necessary. Her understanding of the Moon arcanum is about that presence—the moon that is always there, even at times when there is no light.

As Rayla is struggles with why her parents Runaan leaves those he loves to risk his life for others, Ethari explains that he and Runaan both know he may never come back, and that is something Ethari has to accept because Runaan can't be separated from that devotion and duty when it comes to loving him. What's missing from the conversation is acknowledgement of the trust and commitment that underpins that acceptance—Ethari's trust that Runaan will come back, and Runaan's commitment to do so.

The moon is there even when it has waned to invisibility, but it goes unstated that it also always waxes back to full. You can trust that it's there when it can't be seen, and you can trust that its light is coming back. You can trust that it's there when it can't be seen because you can trust that its light is coming back.

I am near, the lullaby says. I will be with you again soon. Until then, remember that my love is always here.

That's an understanding that Rayla crucially doesn't have when she leaves. In Dear Callum, she never once promises or even suggests to Callum that she will come back to him, even if she finds Viren. The closest she gets is the lukewarm:

I wish I could say that we will see each other again, but I don’t know if we will. I hope so.

So not only is she shattering the trust Callum had in her by abandoning him after she told him they would stay together, she won't even offer any real reassurance that she will return. Because she doesn't really think she will. Her only commitment to keep him safe, and as long as being separated accomplishes that, she will stay away. How is he supposed to accept that? What reason could he ever have to believe that she and her love are there, even when out of sight?

And yes, all of this does stem from things she learned from Runaan—Mr. "I do what I must so those I love don't have to"—but the key difference is that when push comes to shove, Runaan understands something else:

The same thing that Tiadrin and Lain did:

And that Amaya does:

That love is ultimately strengthened through presence, and through presence it strengthens us, in turn. When we open ourselves to strengthen those we love and trust them to strengthen us, then our love cannot be diminished by distance or absence.

Somewhere between Bloodmoon Huntress and s1, Rayla loses sight of that, and she doesn't rediscover it until confronted by Amaya over how her leaving harmed Callum—and how it harmed Rayla herself. Amaya isn't the first to tell her how she hurt Callum, but she's the first one to really convey to Rayla that keeping her secrets and burdens from Callum isn't sparing him from their weight and pain, only weakening her. It has always weakened her. Until she turns that around, she is denying both of them their best selves—her as the light that will bring him out of any darkness, him as the anchor that will bring her home from any distance.

The end of s6 beautifully shows the culmination of all Rayla has learned in the slow return of her relationship with Callum, and to top it off, she gets to demonstrate it to Runaan. (Since Callum already knows.)

Trapped in the In-Between, Runaan is consumed by guilt and self-loathing—he fights Rayla's attempts to guide him back to life because he doesn't believe he deserves to go back. He's too ashamed to want to go back. The way Rayla brings him back is twofold:

She reminds him of his promise to Ethari—his promise to return. She made no promise to return to Callum when she left. She probably wanted to, but she believed that the sacrifices that might be demanded of her would be more important. It would at least be out of the question to return before finding Viren, but in the end that's what she does—she returns to Callum, even though she must do it defeated, ashamed, and alone.

She also tells him that she needs him. She needs her father. She's weaker with him not there for her. When she left Callum, she genuinely believed that things would be better that way. He'd be better off safely away from whatever danger her search brought her, and making sacrifices for the people she loves—taking on difficulty and danger alone, so they don't have to—has always been her duty. She's spent three seasons re-learning the strength she has with Callum, now it's time for her to do the same with Runaan.

Rayla is very different now than she was the last time they met, and Runaan—like Callum—is going to finally see the truth of her: that she was never meant to be an assassin, but not because of failure or weakness. She was always meant to be a hero.

[sorinethemastermind]

Terry - The Dragon Prince S7 Theories

According to the unofficial TDP wiki Season Seven is about;

"Following Sol Regem’s destructive rampage on Katolis, which saw the death of Viren, a grief-stricken Claudia has been manipulated by Aaravos into freeing him from his prison, against the wishes of her boyfriend Terry."

I think there's a lot there to unpack there. And very important things to unpack for Terry's storyline. I already have a post about what I think will happen with Claudia in the next season, and I think that Terry will be a crucial part of this. So let's talk about him a bit.

I address "a grief-stricken Claudia has been manipulated by Aaravos" in my Claudia post. So let's focus on "against the wishes of her boyfriend Terry"

Claudia might not know that Aaravos was manipulating her, but Terry does. He even warns her. But she's so desperate for direction, so hurt by the loss of her father, that she doesn't see through Aaravos' manipulations and releases him anyway.

Terry had been there for Claudia through thick and thin, and he's always been able to see that no matter what terrible things she's done, she's had a reason. She's done it all for her family.

However dangerous.

However vile.

So I don't think that he'll leave her. Instead, I think that him standing by her is going to be part of what helps her finally choose the right path.

Terry doesn't use her need for direction like other people in her life have. She gives him every chance to, but he stands by her. Not by what he could turn her into. Or what talents of hers he might use. He's there for her, and I think he's going to help her learn to find her own direction and make her own choices. He's going to teach her to tell herself what to do.

This could happen in one of two ways, I think.

Terry will warn Claudia about Aaravos' intentions, continuing to do so until Aaravos begins to view him as a threat and attempts to turn her against Terry. Claudia may be tempted to choose Aaravos, but will ultimately choose Terry and someone who loves her just the way she is. Someone who wants to listen to what she has to say and what she wants to do.

Alternatively, Terry will pull a Soren. Let me explain this a bit more.

Rayla and Callum, even Ezran, have all seem to have given up hope that Claudia can turn good. But Soren hasn't.

I think that a possible storyline of the next season is Terry realizing that Claudia is being led further and further down a dark path, and going for help to lead her away from it. Because remember, he's met Soren and I'm sure he's heard about him too.

In Season Three, Soren helps Ezran, but remains by Viren's side.

I think it's possible that Terry will find our heroes and ask for their help, specifically Soren's, in guiding Claudia back from the brink of darkness. He'll stay by Claudia like he said, but to truly stand by her and try to protect her, he'll have to go behind her back to get help to save her from Aaravos.

After all, Claudia still has people out there who love her for her.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Has anyone looked at the Moonshadow implications for inverting life and death yet? Wondering if the entire act of Rayla saving Runaan's soul from the Moon Nexus is preparing her for something... Worse.

We saw the Oasis for like 5 minutes, but it wasn't even the point of the scene. If the Starscraper is a place that can focus on dark skies, then so is the Midnight Desert. But the Oasis has Moonshadow occupation and a moon-shaped pool, like the Moon Nexus does.

If anyone's qualified to jump into the underworld to stop Aaravos now, it's Rayla. Maybe that's why he looked at her like this the first time he saw her:

Maybe he's known for a long time that someone with that face is going to be a big problem for him - much bigger than merely tackling Viren off the Storm Spire.

Maybe everything he's done to Callum has simply been to undermine Rayla. To distract and discourage her, so she won't have what it takes to stop him when it matters most.

That adds a much more dangerous layer to the threat of Callum possibly using dark magic one more time in S7. If he does it, he could lose himself in it, maybe even become a threat, and that could distract Rayla from striking when she must, allowing Aaravos to get what he wanted all along: the inversion of life and death.

[raayllum]

because @kradogsrats got me thinking about it with their analysis on the pawn intros and I meant to go back and give this aspect a gander after s6 and then never did, so better late than never but

the magic / purple that changes Viren and Claudia to stone vs Callum is different, now that we have Claudia to compare it to

Viren's is a slightly darker purple we associate more hardcore with dark magic use, whereas Claudia's is a near perfect match (perhaps with a little more star magic thrown in there, for obvious reasons) as it seems just a bit 'lighter' more magenta-y. The point is that they're both still very distinct from Callum's:

Now, this difference isn't exactly news. It was noted pre-S5 and I expanded on it post-S5 with the theory that although connected, dark magic and star magic were different entities, and that deep magic had a heady tie to blood magic, and that all three different magics could compound each other (and were used to help save Soren).

Given that the staff - and therefore quasar diamond inside - was required to save him, and some form of star magic is used for most of dark magic's most powerful spells (both versions of the hearts of cinder spell - at least to have it apply to hundreds of people, seemingly; the archdragon killing spell needed a unicorn horn, etc), the lighter magenta purple representing star magic (or... deep magic) does make sense. We know that deep magic (possibly Kpp'Ar's arm wounds, and canonically the Sir Sparklepuff sacrifice) can overlap with dark magic (6x01 resulting in Claudia's corrupted face) and exist separately from it (6x09 release spell)

Now this could just foreshadow that Callum's going to understand deep magic and break away from Aaravos (as I expect both things to happen in S7), but it being included in the pre-stone turn is interesting. After all, you could have him turn to stone with the dark magic purple, and then toss in the deep/star magic purple episodes later as a blink-and-you-miss it "he's breaking free this episode" heads up.

If the magenta purple is star/deep magic, though, the "life and death magic require sacrifice"... it would also make sense that'd play into Aaravos' lure of him (and that damn cube, which represents primal magic and was probably used to help create dark magic, anyway).

[gold-eye]

the importance of breath in the dragon prince

Spoilers for Season 6 of the Dragon Prince.

Breath, by its nature, is everywhere in the world of storytelling. But what I've noticed throughout the show—especially in S6—is that the importance of breath really

There's a few different mechanisms that I see. The first: breath as balance and reflection.

We learn relatively early in the season that Callum's biological father, Damian, was a poet—a man who struggled with a "terrible breathing sickness" for his entire life. Meanwhile, Callum's magic has always been derived from breath. The first spell he cast (back in S1 with the Primordial Stone) was Aspiro—from aspirare in Latin, literally "to breathe." When he recovers his magic in S2, the first spell he casts is once again Aspiro.

That reflection of father and son is poetic in its own right, but it becomes even more significant when you consider that there is a genetic component to many respiratory conditions, from asthma to more complex respiratory conditions. We see breath take its toll on Callum: he's the first to collapse and struggle to breathe due to the thin air while climbing to Zubeia's lair, and Rayla catching Callum after a breath-based spell is so common that I've seen several posts dedicated to it.

So much of his magic is derived from breath, but that magic is where Callum finds his purpose. Callum has been open about the fact that he struggled with finding a sense of confidence and belonging as a child. When he lost his magic, it was like losing a part of himself—and those who know grief knows how it can feel like a punch to the lungs. When he acts as a mage, utilizing his breath as his power, it feels right. It feels like he's able to breathe. Every time he accesses magic, whether it's his own or another (like Star Magic during the ceremony in S6), Callum breathes it in like a man drowning.

Callum and Damian are linked by blood, by genetics, even possibly by the same respiratory condition in different degrees. And therein lies the greatest balance of all: the thing that killed his father—breath—is the very thing that gives Callum life.

We see another application of breath as balance, though on a slightly darker point. Like Damian, Soren was also born a child that struggled to breathe (though we don't know if the two had the same condition). As a result, Viren took the last breath of Kpp'Ar for the very chance that his son might be able to breathe.

Unlike Callum and Damian, that exchange of breath was far more intentional, and its result was far more detrimental. Soren was finally able to breathe, but Viren turned cold towards him. And at the same time, that gift of breath was the first step that Viren took towards his use of dark magic—which, as we know, had numerous implications over the course of the series.

The second mechanism is partially derived from the first, breaking down breath into inhalation and exhalation: acceptance and release.

This is something that is the most evident at beginnings and ends, which one would typically link to inhalations and exhalations respectively, but that is not always the case. We see different applications of this throughout the series, though I'll focus heavily on S6:

In the Starscraper, when Rayla and Callum redo their reunion meeting, Rayla exhales sharply. It's a steadying thing; it seems to signify a release of nerves, of anxiety, of all the fears she'd had leading up to that point.

Zubeia's first discernable breath when she wakes up in S3 is (to my ears) an exhale: a release of all the pain and grief that she had felt.

When Rayla says goodbye to Tiadrin and Lain in the Moon Nexus portal, they both tilt their heads upwards—the movement echoing one last inhale. For them, it is acceptance of their own death, of their departure—something that they hadn't truly realized up until that point. But for the two of them, Dragonguards until their last breath in both worlds, it's also acceptance that they have passed on their role to their daughter: the next generation of Dragonguard. (Bonus: Rayla exhales right before she tells the two that she has to let them go: one last release. It's not a release of her love for them, which is something that she may never let go, but it is a release for her pain—something she'd kept locked up for so long.

When Runaan turns into the flower for Rayla, you can hear an exhale in the music. For him, this is a release of all the pain and fear that he'd had, all the regret of attacking his daughter. Once Runaan has been returned to his form, he inhales again, accepting the role of her parent. He inhales hard, and it sounds almost painful—and in some ways, I think it has to be. In that moment, he accepts that their past is a part of their present: that even though both of them have done things that they regret, they still share the same bond.

As Sol Regem dies, he does not breathe in: he can't, since he is choking. He cannot accept what he has done to his mate. Instead, he tries to exhale, tries to release his grief and pain, but without the balance of acceptance, all it can do is burn him from within: in this case, in the most literal of ways. (Bonus: Sol Regem also inhales to see if Aaravos is telling the truth. He can smell the truth from a lie, and what is the first step to acceptance if not the truth?)

After casting the Hearts of Cinder spell, Viren inhales as soon as he's done casting the spell, perhaps accepting that he is a servant of the people—and of course, his last breath is a release of a lifetime of pain.

Of course, this isn't an exclusive list, and there's plenty more, but these are some of the ones that have stuck in my memory.

This balance of inhalation and exhalation even applies to the mechanics of magic in the world, with inhalation and exhalation being more directly reflective of giving and taking. (Mechanism number three!)

The elves of Xadia breathe through their magic. (Callum too!) Magic comes as naturally to them as the air in their very lungs. We see this most obviously in the warriors: they let out a cry, emptying their lungs as they activate their primal magic. Janai stands out in my memory, since we see her fight often throughout the series. The six primordial sources: these are a magic of giving, of life. It is a release. The elves don't have to constrain themselves; instead, they are their truest selves when they are in touch with that primordial power.

Dark magic is not so natural, as the show reiterates, and to be honest, it often sounds painful. The words of spells are reversed, but when we hear Claudia and Viren complete spells, it sounds almost as though they are inhaling through the words. They are, in the most literal of senses, taking through the dark magic. It twists the acceptance of an inhale by turning magic from something freely flowing into something that is taken—accepted by the one who takes, but not released by the being that gives.

All of this results in one world where breath connects everything. It lives in every human, elf, and being: the essence of the sky connecting everything.

[halyasgirl]

Speculating on season 7, I'm wondering what might happen if the Katolis refugees meet Aaravos before Ezran and co. show up

Aaravos is last seen in the Valley of Graves, where Katolis buries their dead (especially those killed in conflict with Xadia), and I think it's possible that's where some will go in the aftermath of Katolis' destruction. But even if they recognize a Startouch elf, will any of them truly recognize him? He hasn’t been seen in 300 years, far beyond any living human’s firsthand memory. And while Ezran has apparently been leaving Katolis for Xadia at the drop of a hat, Aaravos has a reputation for staying to help humans, in direct contrast to Sol Regem and other Xadians (as far as they know). They might not know they have reason to fear him.

Aaravos does not lie and he wouldn't have to. Sol Regem tried to kill him, but Aaravos managed to kill him first? Definitely not incriminating. His home and family were ravaged by Sol Regem? How many bereaved parents fled Katolis? They can relate. Viren saved them with Dark magic and the Staff of Ziard, both of which Claudia attributes to Aaravos? Aaravos suddenly looks like the only person bothering to help them.

Meanwhile, Ezran returns from Xadia claiming that Aaravos is responsible for more death and destruction than any being in history! Where did he hear that? ...Well, the Archdragons, who are definitely our super-best allies despite oppressing us for centuries, abandoning us for years after the Storm Spire, and now have apparently attacked us, or allowed us to be. Where was Ezran? Attending a wedding. In Xadia. Where he drew Katolis into a war because he cared more about the Sunfire elves than his own people. Look around you, Ezran. Aaravos isn't the one who caused the death and destruction. (But he was).

And then Callum appears, with his Xadian girlfriend and father-in-law (the man who killed King Harrow), whom Callum spent time and the some of the world's most precious resources to save, because that's where their priorities lie.

Of course we know that's twisting the truth. We know that's not right. But you can see how the people of Katolis may understandably be very, very angry. And Aaravos has made Katolis into a second Elarion.

[bat-snake]

Some more things I think about with Potential Leola revival is

Aaravos has probably tried to find a way (look at all the times he's revived Viren - and possibly other humans in the past), and probably isn't able to for a number of reasons. The main reason being the Star Council being in his way.

He probably doesn't even have her coming back in his cards. Of course he would take her if, somehow, it were to happen. But unless, oh, some other Dragon Prince were to demand a reversal of a previous Dragon Prince's "Mr Electric, kill him", he gave up hope a very long time ago.

With the idea of her response to him being so different...she probably might still remain with him. She's nine and doesn't really have anyone else but him. Plus, the experience of her death is probably pretty shattering for herself. Neither of them are going to be the same after All That. For as different as he is going to be, she's going to be different too.

And then she'd have her own grieving to do, with her friends from ~2000 years ago being long gone. All the newer potential friends are significantly older than her, and would probably just be in the league of Older Siblings once the dust settles (especially as far as Claudia and possibly Soren go, depending on if one or other other survive). Wacky Cousins otherwise. She'd be needing to make new friends otherwise and that would probably be difficult while having to get used to being alive again.

[rainwalker-dragonblade29]

YOUR SOUL IS MY TREASURE

So, I can't remember whose post it was, but I think someone has hinted that Callum could trap Aaravos in that cursed coin, sealing him in that realm between and death forever to solve the "what to do with the unkillable immortal" problem. And I think that's a genius solution. Aaravos in a coin? Twisted irony but deliciously scrumptious.

But crazy part is this.

IT IS DARK MAGIC. THE SPELL ITSELF.

And there are three mages who can perform it:

1. Claudia: for this outcome she has to betray Aaravos. Something she is unlikely to do unless she sees her own path and STOPS IDOLIZING VIREN AND AARAVOS (she will idolize him, be let down more corrupted roads abd terry will steer her clear maybe #wishlist). She definitely can joi the good side and stab him in the back and save the world in a cruel sense of irony.... or she might not. But this is an outcome i truly deeply want. Claudia's realization of who aaravos truly is.

2. Callum: he gas shown to break his morals to do the right thing before. Thus he can do it again. As saving the world is very very important. And if he realises this solution? Well hurray for the world but not for him.

3. Kppar: he's in a coin, but Rayla found that coin. They have one quasar diamond, maybe they'll break him out just to ask of his help or smth related to the jailor etc. And rayllum will be a lil disappointed that he gave up dark magic at first maybe, but then he will do the spell anyway for them? But thematically this is not a strong option. The weight has to be either callum or claudia because if the choose to do this act this means two very important outcomes for their character arcs.

WHY CLAUDIA?

Firstly Claudia, the whole "I have to see my dad again", exactly stepping I'm viren footsteps in his dream, the "I will do anything for family, however dangerous, however vile" all speak of one fatal flaw. Her idolisation. As i mentioned before. She had only viren to look upto as a kid, thus he became the one whose words she religiously followed and believed in hum her whole life, for other than viren she knows no truth. It had been the only stable thing in her life, everyone else has abandoned her. Left for themselves. Viren? Never. But now he did. And now she questions her belief.

Her father was everything, so him choosing different path and changing his fate... messed with that core belief. She needs to follow him to know. She needs to get answers from him cuz he is what she looks upto, her only truthful eye. And now that I aaravos. Who will give her answers. And most importantly, direction. The one thing she needs. And that's why she will now plave him in Viren's place, and his every word. Will. Be. Followed.

So to break that. Would mean a change to good. To the right side. A negative spiral fixed.

Thus she could coin him.

WHY CALLUM?

He has had a lil touch of darkness. And now he has rid that. He is free because of Kosmo's inner truth ritual.

He has done dark magic for Rayla, both times. With aaravos back, there could and would most definitely be an all states high ultimate fight with him. And maybe then, he will again have to face this. Rayla's life, or dark magic and save all this time. And the thing is he will choose dark magic.

Rayla has extracted the promise to sacrifice her for the greater good yes. But will he stick to it? If no... . IF all that rayllum talk in the ship and then the whole Moment of truth episode is foreshadowing, then he will do dark magic again.

If yes? Well, I'm sure my boy will not see Rayla die. IF HE WILL THAT MEANS HIS CHARACTER ARC ENDS AT A NEGATIVE NOTE EITHER WAY. YES OR NO. THATS WHY KOSMO SAW DARKNESS DIDN'T HE? IF CALLUM KEEPS THE PROMISE, DARK CHOICE FOR LOVE. DOESN'T KEEP, DARK CHOICE FOR SELF, FOREVER CORRUPTED BY DARKNESS, OVERWHELMED BY THE MAGIC AND POSSIBLY INJURING HIMSELF. BOTH ARE BAD OUTCOMES IN CALLUM'S CASE.

A long conclusion.

Sorry for caps locking but this is crucial people! Callum's arc will have a low note, claudia's a high note. Dragon prince has very complex things that it explores, a show like that might choose to take Callum down the dark path because the tragedy creates beauty. Terrible beauty. Sometimes life is like that. Cruel. A half moon. Bright and dark. Both combined. A dark deed for the greater good screams it thematically that both coexist. How did this become Yin Yang?

I think the dragon prince always had this planned for callum that his journey to learn all primals will push him to question dark magic itself and see it not as an agent of evil but a tool that is helpful in certain times but comes with a heavy price. And besides, it could also be said that kimdael arguably does dark magic even as an elf, so this practice is not only for humans.

He will resolve the while dark magic conundrum forever. Perhaps. So it makes sense for his arc to end in acceptance of inner darkness and doing the spell that seal aaravos' fate. One could say he faced his inner darkness in Finnegrin's Wake but no, the act gave him more fear in S6 that peace that comes from acceptance.

It has to he callum if he has to become the game changer and break the laws of magic in a way that leaves the world shocked.

OR

Ir has to be claudia if she has to fully realize herself and break free of the darkness with one final act.

I may not be the best theorist like @raayllum but this show and its story roles me up every time I think about it!

GOD DAMMIT WHY IS THIS SHOW SO GOOD!!!

(Forgive my typos I wrote this at 1 am at lightning speed 😅)

[rayllurn]

Okay, so now that I’ve had a chance to slightly recover from the rayllum brain rot (i’ll never make a full recovery) here are some of my (mostly) non-rayllum related thoughts on s6:

-I’m actually shocked the age rating is as low as it is…there was a lot of really emotional and shocking stuff (I’m looking at you, Viren’s death scene, Claudia screaming and crying over Viren’s body, Sol Regem eating Pharos, Soren offering to sacrifice his literal heart, the entire first half of episode eight, the startouch elves murdering a literal child).

-I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show where the relationships feel so intimate to the point of making me feel like I’m invading on a personal moment (before remembering that the characters aren’t real lol). Specifically, Terry bathing Claudia (I’m so soft for this) and Callum and Rayla sharing a blanket (and a very sweet and intimate moment) on the frozen ship. Idk man it’s just so fucking good. It all feels so sincere and mature. Also whatever the heck happened between the end of 06x06 and the beginning 06x07…y’all know what I’m talking about.

-I haven’t seen enough people talking about the music because oh my god, it’s phenomenal!! The standouts for me are the end of 06x06 (aka rayllum kiss scene) and when Viren is casting the “hearts of cinder” spell in 06x08. Score release when????

-On the topic of 06x08, it’s objectively the best episode of the season, maybe even the entire series (although on a personal level, 06x06 is my favorite for *reasons*).

-The Janaya vows were spectacular. 10/10 no notes.

-I REALLY loved Ezran and Soren this season. Ezran was so grown up and showed tremendous leadership and strength when negotiating with Karim, who was incredibly disrespectful and arrogant towards him (also, that dude was plastered lmao). Soren taking control and making the choice to evacuate the castle (which is 100% what Ezran would have done), and then begging Viren to sacrifice him to cast the “hearts of cinder” spell and save lives?? HELLO?? That was so emotional and made me love Soren that much more (which I didn’t even think was possible).

-All of the voice acting was A++. Racquel’s sobbing and screaming gives me CHILLS. Jason’s acting during Viren’s sacrifice scene? Outstanding. Sasha lowering her voice as Ezran gets older? So talented. They are all so good holy crap. They really have the A Team.

-The scene of Rayla with her mom and dad is devastating, but also bittersweet. I’m glad Rayla has a sense of closure here.

-Ruthari reunion when??

-Sorvus and Sorpeli are REAL and I’m not mad about it.

[kradogsrats]

I'll be doing a scene-by-scene breakdown of Viren's dark magic fever dreams at some point, but I just want to get out the part making me go absolutely feral:

In the first sequence with the mirror, he says, also for the first time:

We meet again. Only this time, here I am on the other side. The path of fate is already chosen. Every step I took, I took because I had to.

Now, who is he speaking to? His reflection? Well, maybe... but at literally no point in this sequence is the shot angled to see the face of the mirror:

He seems much more to be addressing the mirror itself, as a symbol of where everything went horribly wrong pivoted to the events that brought him to this point. He's on the other side of a whole bunch of things: history, death, several moral event horizons—but, figuratively, he's also implying that he's on the other side of the mirror. Which, you may recall, is a literal prison.

Now, just to quickly summarize the thesis of the eventual big meta on this: every single thing in this entire dream sequence is about choice and free will. Yes, including the Twin Peaks section. Exactly like Callum's was.

The second time we see the mirror, we do get to see Viren's reflection, as it changes from showing his younger self to his corrupted self. This is much more explicitly referencing a crucial pivot point in his past—immediately before this we had the section with Soren, at the end of which Viren protests, "I had to do something. I had to save him. I had no choice!"

Then we have the final mirror sequence, also the final sequence in the dream:

Viren again stands before the mirror, and delivers the exact same monologue... but this time addresses his younger self, seen on the other side of the mirror.

I think, because of the shot framing and various other things, this is almost definitely what Viren saw when he had his first dark magic vision, years earlier. The mirror, and himself—older, more powerful, but also ravaged by corruption and regret—delivering this warning. That's why the monologue sounds weirdly rehearsed, he's literally delivering the lines he heard years earlier. As he must.

And this is again a pivotal moment in the path Viren took—the first time he did dark magic—but it's also a pivotal moment now. Because, like younger Viren says:

No matter where you are on the path, no matter what you've done before, every step forward is a choice.

So why does he apparently not remember his own reaction? Well, Viren is quite possibly the only person to ever have two of these visions, which we now know occur only the first time a person does dark magic, so we're already deep into some weirdness. Maybe he remembers it happening differently. Maybe he didn't remember it at all, until now. Maybe he remembers it clearly, but years of poisoning himself with pragmatic bitterness have twisted it in his mind into something he could dismiss as naivete, and only now is it suddenly hitting different. (It's that one.)

But ultimately what we have here is young Viren asserting to himself and to current Viren that no, he has a choice, and always will have a choice. That is, in and of itself, a choice he is making—he's choosing to reject the excuse that his older self made the foundation of his life, I had no choice. He also extends the same choice to current Viren—I am free, and so are you. And current Viren, having now been given that choice, chooses to take it. It's an absolutely crazy time ouroboros of choices, and I fucking love it because the absolute crux of Viren's arc here, at the end of this season, is knowing he still has a choice.

[xadian-daydreams]

What's been mentioned for the Dragon Prince Season 6: Book Stars so far...

Having listened and read a bunch of interviews, here's my collected notes (Updated for October 2023);

No current release date, but confirmed 9 episodes, same as previous seasons.

Seasons Four though Seven are all the Mystery of Aaravos arc.

While there's not going to be any real time skip between S5 and S6, there will be a small one within S6. Update - there's a few days time skip between S5 and S6.

Season 6 will be more mature to the point the age rating is increasing. It will also go into deeper emotional stuff - "fans should enjoy the breather before being emotionally wrecked by the next book."

(Most of) Episode 1 of season 6 was shown at NYCC 2023 panel. Notes on summaries people have posted here.

New characters to be introduced;

Astrid - voiced by Boone Williams - Female Celestial Skywing elf. She's mysterious and there's 'something cool' about her design.

Character based off Moonberry Surprise.

A new Startouch elf. Possibly the Merciful One (they/them) from the Sea of the Castout statues.

Upcoming for main characters;

Callum - every time you do dark magic, it becomes harder to come back from it. Info on Callum birth-father. (Callum and learning Moon Arcanum - Giehl's opinion is doesn't want Callum treading on Rayla's thematic territory and stealing her thunder). Rayllum note - how would Callum using dark magic affect the trust and friendship they've been building up?

Rayla - On the curse coins - too spoilery, so they won't answer questions related to that. On Rayllum note. Would Rayla do anything for Callum? And what would Callum call upon her to do if that was the case? Questions getting asked next season, just to make you suffer.

Callum, Rayla and Stella confirmed visiting the Starscraper.

Ezran - sticking to his ideals and pacifism will be tested. Rough and tough decision(s).

At some point Ezran and Callum will visit some 'weird' ruins.

Soren - has had lighter seasons so far, but is about to face darker questions. There is trauma that the writers haven't told anyone about that will come to light at some point. Soren is getting an opportunity to confront Viren about what happened at the Storm Spire (they did meet up in S4E7, which is covered in the short story Strangers, but writers felt it lacked the satisfaction needed, as neither really was in the headspace to talk), but uncertain if this is just a therapy thing or if Viren lives.

There's going to be a funny Soren and Corvus story later on.

Claudia - S5 she was under a lot of pressure, and it's not easing up. How will Claudia be impacted by Viren's decision - further into darkness or pulled back into the light? Claudia being willing to risk life and limb for her goal(s) - and then actually paying the cost of a limb - what does that mean for her and Terry?

Karim - is about to get in over his head. He doesn't realise the kind of alliances he's making.

Amaya and Janai don't get enough love in these interviews. 😢

Zym - Goes with Soren to find Zubeia. Spoiler indicates Zym has a heart to heart with her

Characters we'll be seeing more of;

Aaravos - there's a lot more of him coming in S6.

Kim'dael - 'big plans' that even go beyond the show, though specifically refused to answer if she'll met Rayla again (they met first time in Bloodmoon Huntress graphic novel).

More with the pirates and Scumport (however, Finnegrin while not confirmed dead, won't make a reappearance in S6/7). Scumport set up a bunch of stuff for going into season 6.

Kpp'Ar - confirmed there'll be more stuff about him in both S6 and S7.

Mukho - the mushroom mage, Earthblood elf who's a world expert mycologist.

More shadowpaw content.

Possibly Ellis and Ava briefly, but could be S7.

Lore -

The lore about Stars primal and Startouch elves and other mythology will be explored. How you kill a Startouch elf will be answered - including more info on Laurelion (mentioned in the Death of an Immortal poem).

(Going by how the graphic novels releases are generally introducing things that are mentioned in the next season, Puzzle House's emphasize on unicorns, and how there is a big bit of unicorn lore mentioned in the novels, is a good hint that this unicorn lore is getting explained in show too. But, just to clarify, it's not confirmed this is happening - however, it is a impactful bit of backstory and there's only 2 seasons left).

Most likely information about how Primal Stones are made - specifically how a storm was trapped from the top of Mount Kalik to create the Primal Stone Callum smashed. Ehasz mentioned that something brought up in the second episode will be expanded on in S6, and the info about the Sky Primal Stone is the only info that hasn't been addressed elsewhere from E2 that I could pick out.

More lore about golems (as in the rock guardians and Elmer)

Other notes;

Season 6 will have an explosive start.

Questions raised by Ehasz;

Was the dragang moving Aaravos's prison smart or would it have been safer to have left it? It's something they'll grapple with right away.

Is Aaravos being honest with Viren about what's going to happen? (I'm wording it as being honest rather than saying is he lying, as Aaravos's thing is manipulative truths and misdirections etc, rather than outright lies).

No context: 🔥 (Can't help looking at the use of explosive start by the NYCC notification)

There's stuff in Season 2 that will get explained in Season 6 - while they're not exactly clues, there will be referencing from S2.

Keep an eye on changes in the openers - they're continuing the hints - like when they swapped out Viren with Callum to let you know Callum and dark magic/Aaravos is going to be in the episode.

Season 7 will be Book 7: Dark.

The next graphic novel will be about "family and building trust." Update: Title Dreamer's Nightmare

Can young Ezran and Callum quell the brewing storm in the quiet town of Noct, or have bad dreams come to haunt for good?

Giehl says this story has Ezran as the lead character and the artist said they enjoyed doing the many animals.

There were hints dropped at NYCC 2023 that there may be other projects based on the Dragon Prince world, but they'll come under a different name. TDP will only be the 7 seasons. (Most hints I've seen suggest they may be working towards an Orphan Queen film/series, but it could also be a continuation).

Sources; Hot Brown Morning Potion Podcast E27 Reel James Season 5 interview with Aaron Ehasz AIPT Comics 'The Dragon Prince creators dish on season 5 post-mortem AnimationWorld: The Dragon Prince Season 5, a swashbuckling blend of design tricks and emotional turmoil Screenrant SDCC 2023: The Dragon Prince creators on taking the Mystery of Aaravos past Season 5 CBR: The Dragon Prince creators reveal the secrets of Season 5 and the road to Season 6 ComicBook: The Dragon Prince creators talk season 5 and entering the show's Empire Strikes Back era Game of Nerds: SDCC 2023 The Dragon Prince All Aboard for Season 5 Official Discord Season 4 Q&A NYCC 2023 panel Secrets in the Stars Random tweets and Discord stuff from the creators and official social media.

[whazzyo]

A lapse in faith (and judgement)

“But there is nothing here- no feeling, nothing evoked.  Why am I-“

“Because you do not believe in the Gods, Viren.”

“I’ve had just about enough of you and your whispers!  I have been faithful my entire life!”

“But not to them.”

“…yes… yes I-“

“You did not find your faith with the church, Viren. Your religion was him.”

His words were soft as a prayer and yet they still resonated in viren, ricocheting around the hollowness inside him.  He shook.  Deep within his soul, he knew that this was right.  It was almost a relief.  He was almost able to breathe knowing the truth of his faith now.  But nearly just as quickly that relief faded into a new, fresh, terror.  

“If… if he was…”

He looks almost desperately around, seeing nothing but the shadows in his peripheral as always.  His voice shakes

“He is gone.”

Both the silence and his dread grow louder.  Harrow was gone.  And with nothing anchoring him to the ground he was in free fall, aimlessly spinning unable to grab hold of anything.  He was lost without him.

“I have nothing left to believe in.”

He had so much belief, so much hope, and no where for it to go.  Nothing to hope for, nothing to believe in, nothing to-

“Yes, you do.”

Silence, once again.  Even though his fear, he felt a small twinge of confusion.  Aaravos did not speak, letting that confusion linger, trying to inspire understanding.  Because Viren did have someone.  Someone intelligent, someone powerful, someone who desired change.  His breath caught.  

Aaravos was real on some level, this he knew.  But there was a difference between knowledge and faith.  Viren doubted him in his motives, his wants, his sincerity.  He had asked for proof, asked for assurance and never received.  Faith was belief without proof, and Viren was nothing if not a skeptic.  But now, as he was free falling away from everything he knew, there was something to grab on to.  Something to hope in.  Someone to keep close.  He only had to reach for it.

“Aaravos.”

His eyes were open bur for the first time he saw, truly saw, who was in front of him.  Tall, lithe, and speckled with stars.  Aaravos smiled.

Wrote this a while ago for a demon/priest viravos au I’ve been working on. Unfortunately you sometimes you have to kill your darlings, and this doesn’t fit in the story anymore. I still really like how this came out though, and I wanted to share! Context: Viren is a priest whose faith has been wavering since the death of his boyfriend and leader of his sect, Harrow. Aaravos, a demon, is getting him through it in the least healthy way possible (becoming his new god).