#she would be a skywing hehehehe

[dooblez]

She may be the reason I survive / The why and wherefore I'm alive

For where she goes I've got to be / The meaning of my life is she

[lily-lilou]

Great thoughts on magic systems! I just got recommenef to visit your blog and it's wonderful :-D what do you think about how the human half of the continent is devoid of magic? Almost as if it has been drained of it's magical sources a la dark magic. Or perhaps the continent not having magic is it's natural state and xadia somehow became magic infused? So many questions.

ooooh hello, nice to meet you, Anon!!!

and thank you, for the ask and the compliment :D

Well, I do have some theories about why the human half of the continent is devoided of magic.

First of all, I think we should notice that it's not entirely devoided of magic. Some places are still filled with it even though they're located in the human part of the continent. But they're hidden, hard to find (the moon nexus, the grotto where Claudia found her glowing fireflies in s1 and probably other places we don't know about yet).

And with that I do have some theories. (under the cut 'cause it's a little long ^^')

1) it's because (like you said) of dark magic

Since dark magic destroys what it uses and leaves nothing behind (if not for corrupted remains, it seems) it could be the overuse, along the years, of magical ressources that slowly drained the land of it's physical/primal magic.

It would fit with the "hidden" part of it, if the places where we still find magic are still like that because no one found them or, if they were found, weren't completely drained of their magic...

I would add to this theory that, if it's in any part close from truth, it could also be a long-game move from Xadia. We know from the creators (don't remember where, but I'm pretty sure it was in one of the earliest AMA on Reddit) that Xadia is more characterized by "timelessness" and "perfection".

And since we also know that Archdragons and some type of elves have extra long lifespan (several thousands years for startouch and archdragons, several centuries for the rest, apparently), time would indeed mean nothing to them.

With that in mind: dividing the continent to let humans use all of their part's magic until there's none left? In almost one millenia (so not much for Xadia) = no more magic = no more dark magic = disappearance of that higly controversial practice. problem solved and it's not Xadia's fault. Because Xadia is perfection and killing innocents along the bad ones it's not perfection (yes, we know Xadia and it's view of innocence is higly controversial too, but that's another story, another theory... and we would need more informations about what truly happened 1000years ago, we only got unreliable narrators, until now...)

It would also fit with one of @beautifulterriblequeen hc, where Moonshadow elves are some kind of police for humans. After all, they're sent after "bad humans" when they do "bad deeds" to correct them, give an example. We also see how Sunfire elves have a lot of intel about humans (Kazi and KSL, etc.) while humans don't know much about Xadia. It's as if Xadia is acting like a (distant, cold and really condescendant) parent with an unruly child. (... we all remember Sol Regem)

In fact, when you see how Xadia is looking down on humans, I'm pretty sure they're totally convinced of their own magnanimity. because "there's nothing worth saving in humans" and yet they let them live.

But I'm digressing and drifting again... sorry...

so! second theory

2) It's about who live in the land.

I think I mentionned that in one of my theories, but here it is:

Magic (in my theory) is one part physical (primal magic) and another part... well, about "love", and "feelings" and everything related to the heart. It's forgiveness, empathy, all of that.

I'm really not sure this is close from truth, but I do like to think that while Xadians have an affinity for primal magic and so infuse the land with their presence, humans have one to the other part of magic. But it's so... invisible that it doesn't look like magic at all. And yet, we have an Ezran with strong empathy who can talk to animals... (however, I'm still up for @kotikala 's theory about Ezran having an afinity with the stars, hehehehe)

Anyway! with that theory, some things seems to fit: the human part of the land is almost devoided of magic because there has been almost no xadians here since the division. But we can see that the kingdoms have come to an alliance. Despite their differences, and all, they're united, they even created a temple for the summit of the pentarchy in Allhaven Hill (the place where we saw all the other kings and queens). Because their magic is just about this, (I guess?)

As for Xadia, it's filled with primal magic, sure, but when it's about the heart, about being together... I mean... In the 1st episode of s1, when we got those... screenshots of the first wars, on the elven part: we never saw tidebounds or earthblood elves. (maybe they''re not fighters, but somehow I highly doubt that...

nobody will convince me that these two can't fight. NOBODY!!!)

Moonshadow elves? Messed up to the last extent, so much that apparently (according to Devon in HBMP ep5), it can be confusing as if you're allowed to show your feelings or not... (and seriously who ghost a 15 years old girl without even giving her a chance? WHO? SHE'S A BABY AND SHE NEEDS HER DADS!!!!!!! ... sorry, sensitive subject...)

Skywings? Loners, it seems. even Ibis, who's supposed to be an ambasador between elves and dragons according to his descritpion on the official site. Aaand... I mean... The dragon queen is dying in s3 and except for him, they're absolutely NO ONE on the storm spire. Nobody seems to care?

hem! Dragonguards? 6 of them just let their king and most of all another baby down just to save their freaking lives.

Startouch? ahahah! Seems, from Callum's spellsbook, that it's extremely rare to see one of them, so they're kind of never here (And I won't even talk about Aaravos... and since we got that wonderful tweet from A.Ehasz I won't not talk about it:

I'm pretty sure Startouch are nothing but walking disasters...

I'm not sure if it's me coming with this or if I saw that in an interview, but I'm pretty sure A.Ehasz said once that Xadians aren't that close to each other (amongs different kind of elves, especially, I mean).

Okay, digressing again. All of this to say what?

That of course, nothing is as white and black as what I wrote above, I'm more talking about tendencies who would be influenced by magic. But Humans infuse... people with their magic, Xadians infuse the land, and they're both supposed to work together because magic is a whole thing.

That's why magic created both. (see that like some kind of yin and yang?)

and finally my 3rd theory. The most stupid but somehow my favorite:

3) it's Aaravos fault.

No reason, just like that.

Because he plans. Because he knows! Because he gives me a "mad scientist" vibe. The "why not" more than the "why" kind of mad scientist(still sure he has a hand in the creation of dark magic).... you know?

did he do it without anyone noticing? Or did he convinced Luna Tenebris, 1000years ago, after the fall of Sol Regem and Elarion, to mess up with magic and remove it from the human part of the land, presenting it as a faster way to erease dark magic but in fact planning something sinister?

I don't know.

In fact I don't know if any of these theories are right, but they're fun. I wonder if you have another, however ^^

Thank you again for asking, have a really nice day, Anon :D