#skeleton viren

[dreamerwithnightmares]

I can't wait to see them again 🥰

[self-spaghettification]

I'll put my clown hat on for this one

Them casually being huge in the Sea of the Cadtout

[xadian-daydreams]

Aaravos' Plan for Viren

In Reel James S5 interview Ehasz confirmed there was a connection between Aaravos' 'swallowed Aditi' comment and the giant skeleton found at Aaravos prison.

Which has lead to a lot of speculation about shapeshifting Aaravos, or possessing Luna Tenebris corpse etc.

My speculation is that this skeleton is from a creature Aaravos created, but his working was interrupted by the Orphan Queen and the archdragons' plan. Heck, this could be the main reason he was caught.

Aaravos has been tricking Viren into retrying this great working. Only better! Because Viren has something that wasn't around 300 years ago.

Plus, a theory about Kim'dael's Bloodmoon cult.

Spoilers from Season 4 & 5 and Book 2 Sky novel, and stuff from interviews, below the cut.

Warning - really long post...

History Repeats Itself if Someone Weaves Threads of Fate Tight Enough.

Events occurring in the present and 300 years ago are echoing each other extremely loudly.

The Dragon Monarch dies - Luna Tenebris and Avizandum

A human mage/king, that is under Aaravos' influence, plans a war - Viren and unnamed blond king.

A politically important and magically powerful individual goes missing, which would present difficulties in transferring power after Dragon Monarch's death - Queen Aditi and Zym

Both of these magically powerful individual meet 'swallow' fates, though Zym survives his.

There is massive upheaval in the Sunfire kingdom - Queen Aditi's disappearance is blamed on archdragons, Viren/Aaravos corrupt the Sunforge and contaminates Lux Aurea.

While Viren's dragon slaying and eggnapping started this echo, Aaravos has been guiding events so they align up. The only event that doesn't immediately seem to be blamed on Aaravos or Viren are Luna Tenebris' death - but, it does seem suspicious, and I'm going to expand on a theory about that in a bit. But the take away point is that I believe that Aaravos has tried this plan before 300 years ago and failed.

The Great Working - a break down on how Aaravos has been chivvying Viren unwittingly along.

Right from the first silent meeting across the mirror. Aaravos doesn't bother establishing any alternative communication (like writing or signing). After Aaravos notices Viren has Ziard's staff, he simply presents the spell artefacts and, eventually, Viren plays along.

The Blood binding ritual - They both make and drink an enchanted potion, then spill their blood into part of the enchantment artefacts, which combines and enchants their blood, then Aaravos drinks the blood to create Lil Bug Pal. Then Aaravos presents Lil Bug Pal as a means of contact from wherever he's imprisoned.

However, going by Book 2 Sky novel, this spell pre-dates Aaravos' imprisonment.

A little while later the mirror mage returned to view, carrying a small ornate chest. ... Viren felt he had seen this object somewhere before . ... Yes, he could see it perfectly in his memory - a chest which could be this one's twin, or sibling at least, belonged to Kpp'Ar. Certainly, it was among the irreplaceable relics his mentor had destroyed during the profligate tantrum he called his repentance.

Channelling - passing energy/magic between them, which cemented a connection. Viren is being apprehended by the guards, Aaravos warns him that he's in danger and to follow his instructions in battle. Viren could have just gone back into the secret passage, or not made things worse for his defence by fighting. In Book 2: Sky novel describes this as;

He could sense his movements and actions being gently directed. Viren did not feel controlled, but he understood that somehow, invisible strings connected him with the Startouch elf. ... Though his [Aaravos] actual location was a mystery even to him, there was no denying that in this moment he was in a way present and completely connected to Viren.

Gestation - Aaravos convinces Viren to smuggle Bug Pal into the Sunfire kingdom by hiding it down his throat. This has similarity to how Aaravos formed Bug Pal in the first place and Bug Pal becomes significantly bigger.

Empowering - This happens off screen, so speculation here. Between corrupting the Sunforge scene and returning to the human armies Bug Pal grows much bigger. Presumably, this growth comes from energy from the Sunforge. Aaravos possibly presented this as teaching and grabbing the power for the Hearts of Cinder spell used on the army, as that's the next big spell Viren casts. 🤔 My other speculation is it forges a link for the working to the Sunforge - Aaravos has been purposefully targeting the Sunfire kingdom as part of his plan, even before he was imprisoned, as he picked the most disruptive time possible to disappear Queen Aditi. Significance of this in a bit.

Swallowing - While Aaravos original phrased it that taking down Zubeia and capturing Zym would garner him world attention - so more political power, after the Hearts of Cinder spell there's no more beating about the bush. Viren is invested in this ride and Aaravos just promises he can take Zym's power for his own. Aaravos himself casts this dark magic spell via Bug Pal and Zaird's staff. Viren just has to stand there and make off-putting faces and noises while receiving this... bounty. This is clearly one of the crux parts of the working - stealing a world leading power and gifting it to a human.

Aaravos' spell rewinds to - "He swallows your heart. He swallows your mind. He swallows your power." The phrasing matching the disturbing "You're just like your grandmother. Would you like to know the truth of her fate before you meet yours? I swallowed her." Which makes me wonder if Aaravos has done this spell before, only using that blond king shown in the imprisonment flashbacks to steal Aditi's power, rather than some cannibalism thing.

Side note - How could Aditi compare to an infant archdragon for use in the working? Aditi is particularly powerful - even the archdragons respected her. There's also hints she possesses a unique Light ability that helps her make judgments - the archdragon's held her judgment as the highest, she's called "guiding light" and the "Light of the Sun Incarnate" and there's that scene where bright light erupts from her glabella. This power seems Stars adjacent (and potentially a threat to Aaravos' secrets and plans).

“You are not afraid of me—but what of the dragons?” asked Kim’dael. “You would dare invoke their wrath?” “The dragons know better than to invoke mine,” Aditi said. She struck the metal again and again, purposeful and confident. Not a shred of her strength was wasted. “Is that not why you came to me? For my protection?” “I came because the dragons trust your judgment. Your guiding light,” Kim’dael told her, feigning meekness. “But my queen, they do not fear you. The dragons fear nothing.” “They feared you once.” Kim’dael twitched a smirk of pride and quickly hid it. ... “A token of my protection,” Aditi told her. “As I promised.” “A false promise. How…unbecoming. I thought it beneath the Sunfire elves to lie.” “I did not lie. That collar claims you as mine, and as I told you, the dragons know better than to risk my wrath.” Aditi gestured to the thing around Kim’dael’s neck.  The Queen's Mercy

Then Viren took a really long first step down the world's tallest stairs and died. Two years later Claudia uses a resurrection spell Aaravos taught her via Bug Pal, and the 30 day prison hunt begins.

Hatching the homunculus out of the cocoon. Claudia is told this is to create a guide who will lead them to the information they need to locate Aaravos' prison - but Viren is who was expected to cast the spell. Instead, Viren's hesitance means Claudia just decides to perform the spell herself. Kinda curious how this misstep will effect the working.

Consuming the homunculus' essence - Even before Claudia has completed her mission, Aaravos is urging Viren to commit the life extension spell, before the resurrection spell expires.

Now he's here for you. And I will show you how to use every drop of his living essence to restore your own life and your future. The resurrection spell will expire tonight, and you will die. You must make the sacrifice. If you don't, tomorrow, the sun will rise... and you will not. [Infantis Sanguine]

Which harkens back to what Aaravos was promising before Viren died;

When you capture the dragonling, I will show you how to take his power, how to imbue yourself with all his magic and potentials, so that you will transcend the limits of your human form. Then none will dare stand against you. [Final Battle]

If you break down what Aaravos says here as steps - 1, take power, 2, imbue yourself, 3, transcend human limit - then this is a strong indicator Aaravos always intended for Viren to consume the stolen power from Zym (and the Sunforge) by absorbing Sparklepuff's essence. That the absorption occurs during a life extension spell is just making omlets out of broken eggs.

The goal all along was to "transcend the limits of your human form" Very peculiar wording. Remember the giant skeleton at Aaravos prison - the big creature Aaravos created was formerly the blond king.

Why Viren?

At the end of S3 Aaravos' Bug Pal is free to roam, can talk to others (he speaks to Claudia) and can possibly even cast spells. So, couldn't Aaravos pick a not dead dark mage, restart the spell, go wild in abandoned Lux Aurea and just sneak in to spell zap Zym, instead of taking 2 years to resurrect Viren? Heck, he could convince Claudia that, with this method, he could gift her the power to permanently resurrect Viren - she'd even know her way around Katolis Castle to grab the mirror, if it's necessary.

Viren has one accomplishment, with still existing ingredients, that's making him too tempting to pass up. The Mystery of Aaravos opening even hints what's particularly of interest about Viren to Aaravos.

He killed Avizandum with the Weapon of Vengeance spell. The weapon is still there, stuck in Avizandum's remains. A spell powerful enough to fell "the most powerful being in the world" and it's magic is keyed to Viren.

Why I think the cursed unicorn horn is important to the working? I don't think Luna Tenebris just keeled over for no reason, I think she died due to Aaravos' machination to get ingredients for the working. But rather than blond king killing her, Aaravos got the Bloodmoon cult to kill Luna Tenebris.

First, the blatant bloodmoon image when discussing her death. The cult's big rituals require the power of the bloodmoon, so they can infuse essence and powers into blood, which they can consume at their convenience and use their powers outside of moon's cycle.

Go back to the Queen's Mercy short story and Kim'dael is proud of how the dragons once feared the cult. Avizandum only hunts them down after the death of Luna Tenebris - they've been active long enough that most of the horror stories humans have about Moonshadow elves are actually about Bloodmoon elves. It could be because he discovered what they did and believed they'd become too big a threat.

Luna Tenebris is a Moon Archdragon, and the cult is about increasing their moon powers, by sacrificing others using dark magic rituals. Yes, the Bloodmoon cult uses dark magic - that's straight up confirmed by Ehasz in AIPT comic S5 interview.

AIPT: Kim’dael is one cool character. A lot of times when you have graphic novel spinoffs, they’re just that. But you bring a character who you introduced in the graphic novels and introduce her in such a cool way, that she has to be a big player in seasons six and seven, right? JR: She’s awesome, we have plans for Kim’dael that go beyond the show. AE: She complicates the story in a really important way. In the first three seasons, the narrative of the world is that humans use dark magic, primal magic is for elves and dragons, humans are naughty and bad because they do this. Kim’dael shows that there’s elves who have gone there. The way she does, the way that she does, is beyond primal magic. She’s found ways through dark magic to extend her primal moon powers. It’s very evil how she is able to do what she does and extend her life, and use her powers that would normally only be used under the full moon, she can use anytime because she’s infused blood with the light of the full moon. That’s dark. We love Kim’Dael, but we love what she means about the world of Xadia, and the narrative that’s not been acknowledged. There’s darkness and complication across the Elven world as well.

If Aaravos gifted dark magic to humans, then who else could he have gifted this knowledge to? (Kinda hoping he personally knows Kim'dael, that'd be a cool twist). And his prize would have been archdragon blood infused with the most powerful archdragon's essence.

Why is Aaravos after an ingredient related to the most powerful archdragon around at the time? Because he's trying to create his own archdragon - a Stars archdragon. (Possibly also Dark magic archdragon, if that even makes sense, like - dark magic corrupted Stars archdragon?)

There's that info in the Tales of Xadia handbook about Stars Devourer dragons - a myth that when a star disappears it's due to one of these dragons entering the core of a star and absorbing its magic. (Heck, there's even a little legend about a king who wanted to be remembered forever and made a wish upon a star dragon bone. His name was forgotten, but the legend lives on, which does also fit it neatly with the whole bones of a king who failed to become a star dragon).

But, what if the artificial Stars dragon can only really become a true star dragons if they manage to consume a star - in this case, the Sunforge. Which is why Aaravos has been targeting Lux Aurea.

So, 300 years ago, using Luna archdragon essence and the Stars adjacent Guiding Light power of Aditi, Aaravos uses a human dark mage to create a pseudo-dragon, but is unable get around to completing it and it dies. The Orphan Queen's image shows her catching out Aaravos' treachery when his own Key shines the Stars primal - what if she came across this pseudo-dragon and the Key confirmed it was a Stars dragon in the making. The archdragons not only imprisoned Aaravos, they put down his creation and left the remains over his prison as a warning to anyone who might think to release Aaravos about what kind of horror he's trying to unleash. (I'm assuming Jailer arranged the placement).

Now, Aaravos has Sparklepuff imbued with infant Sky Archdragon potential, a cursed unicorn horn powerful enough to fell a Dragon Monarch (unicorns are Stars primal) and the Sunforge under his control. Which should make this attempt much easier (well, except for Viren trying to skip out on it).

Why would Aaravos want to create a Stars archdragon?

Possible reasons;

Viren could channel energy and magic from Aaravos, if this is an open channel, then Aaravos could channel power from an archdragon. He's already mastered all 6 primals, getting archdragon powers is pretty much the only power upgrade he hasn't got.

Aaravos could just be planning to switch bodies with his creation. (Not my fave answer, but you never know).

Going by Ripples short story, Aaravos desires include making the other Startouch elves fall (Plus, the Mystery of Aaravos title includes falling stars). However, they're no longer on Xadia. If they're somewhere 'heavenly' (eyes Leola's Last Wish star suspiciously) and Aaravos is exiled and can't access it, then he'll need a Stars primal creature who can.

I can't think of a more powerful weapon then your own pet Stars archdragon, whoever he's got a beef with will be in deep doodoo. I don't think the Novablade is gonna cut it as a counter to a Stars archdragon.

Do you want to conquer Xadia? The dragon monarch is usually the most powerful archdragon at the time, a Stars archdragon would probably legitimately become Xadia's monarch using this standard.

And that about wraps it up. So, there are a lot of speculations and what ifs in this theory, but I think it ties a bunch of things together nicely.

I also like the way that Ezran/Zym bond would be parallelled by Aaravos/Viren if this theory turns out to be true. One bond being made of friendship and sincerity, the other out of trickery and dark magic. I can see these two bonds clashing and being very embodying of the show's theme. In Book 2 : Sky novel it's very obvious that the scene where Viren fights the guards channeling Aaravos' power, and the scene where Ezran helps teach Zym to fly when at the Moonstone path, are intended to be compared.

Pretty invested in seeing how much I got wrong or if I got anything right come Season 6.

Thanks for reading!

[kiweegamez]

TORANS HERE WE GO.

Ok so Torans, if you knew her you know the gist. I also had this big phase with drawing her in au’s but we don’t talk about those as they shall hopefully never surface the internet. 🗿She’s also had so much crossing lore so I think this will finally be the breakthrough of the century. She has been redesigned so many times and eventually I get bored and spruce her up a bit. Here’s her previous redesign. THIS POST BTW WILL JUST EXPLAIN SOMETHINGS ABOUT HER, if you DON’T want to read just look at the pretty pictures. 🩵

Yucky. However, her two different coloured eyes had been a key feature for her as a character as old as time. However, quite a few things changed in her newest redesign.

(Ignore the anatomical inaccuracy, ALSO HOW DARE YOU TUMBLR FOR REDUCING THE QUALITY 😠)

So clearly there are still some similarities and differences. Such as the new jaw, eyes, horn type ect. As she is now second in command in the Elite Guard. I’m unsure if someone has made one so this will be explained later. Torans is my og undertale oc, she doesn’t have anything to do with any au specifically. Her ecto-body, is a choice controlled by her magic as I imagine skeleton type monsters can learn this to fill out their clothes or make it easier to protect their bones, however as this requires energy she looks tired all the time. Also top surgery since she doesn’t like her boobas 👍 .

So here’s her sword, I’m sure you’re confused. How would she use this as it doesn’t look like it could slash well. Well think of it like this, she could slash but only with the silver top, which does less impact than her main tactic. She will use the main part of the blade to wedge these spikes into the oppositions mid torso or wherever she can latch it such as a leg, then will yank the blade towards herself so the tip of the blade will be pulled into them as the side will roughly rip out attached flesh. However, if she is going against a skeleton due to the lack of flesh unless they are casting ecto-body she will hook the curved points into the rib to pull them close and then attack. The skull like handle is to protect the back of her hand, if someone does grab her wrist she can use the ‘horns’ to try and gouge their wrist if put in the right spot. If in a dire situation she will actually attempt to fling her sword, given its top heavy she will quickly shot put throw it to try and launch it into someone. I haven’t even bothered touching her armour yet lol

She does have a tail! Her hair, ears and tail are softer than they look! But be warned she will not let you touch them easily. As a show of irritation or slight discomfort the first sign to notice is the smoke escaping the ‘vents’ in her horns as they begin to heat up, then if further aggravated it will come from her sinuses as well. When enraged or full on beast mode her horns will spark and light on fire. This smoke is rather thick, but really doesn’t affect anyone’s breathing, the fire does though… She will use her horns to hook others in battle such as gaps in skeletons arms or legs if positioned, she has been reported to hook a skeleton by the eye sockets by her horns then ram them into a wall. Being the second in command of the Elite guard results her taking orders from the first in command, whom deals with paper work and gives her the responsibility of all lower guard groups. If sent on missions there will only be one unless it is a mass mission where two will be sent. In total there are 6 Elite Guards, (In ranking order) Riua (Re-wa), Torans (Tor-rans), Yanku (Yan-Kew), Pirta(Pur-tah), Eliqo(E-lick), and Viren (Vi-ran). They are essentially the bosses of all lower guards, with the responsibility of tasking them all with missions, care for cohorts, provide needed equipment, armoury checks, interrogations, ect.

Now, back to Torans she goes by Loyalty and honesty, she is also. A stiff ass. She’s not taking any shit and is ready to put you in your place and humble you. If she were to show affection to others she is very physical touchy-feely but only in private. She is a beast in the battle field and can take a couple hits. However, a weak spot is to hook something onto her horns and slam her into the ground, causing her to become immobilised for a moment from shock, this time is elongated if in her armour due to the weight. Another weak spot are her hips as they are sensitive she will often tense up and take a moment. She is the type to want a fair fight within reason, so if you are beat to a pulp she will stand there and look down at you waiting for another attack unless able to then she will walk away. Unless, she sees no hope for you, striking when you are at your weakest. Or if one has fought with her before on unforgivable terms she will show that no mercy is given to those of foul nature.

She’s quite stern and often doesn’t respond verbally often, as she thinks that her subordinates may take her tone wrong or that she may something wrong or confusing as she talks rather fast due to some form of minor anxiety. She will set up routines often and wants to know as much as possible, if she is your interrogator she will ‘shift’ herself to match your mindset but she can easily become the ‘bad cop’. A weakness of hers is her short-temper, easily set off by incompetence (which at first annoys her) and back-stabbers. Also loud sounds. You thought I would just give her goat ears without sensitive hearing? WRONG HAHAHA. If she notices somethings going to blow up she gonna get on the floor and cover her ears. Another way to gain an advantage against her. She also doesn’t like suck ups. Straight up. She will cut the bullshit.

This is her soul! Now about Torans’ whole life situation. There’s purely a reason she’s second in command rather than first, she’s a lot more helpful in the battlefield than the average monster. She technically cannot turn to dust. To balance this factor out healing magic cannot work on her, slightly worsens the wounds so she has to tough it out, much like wounds in our world. Her soul will still shatter but will rejoin together eventually. The ‘mini soul’ pattern in the middle represents her ‘undying spirit’ when her soul shatters she will just straight up pass out for hours, girlies eye lights are going out and she’s falling like a brick. The cracks constantly glow hence she doesn’t show her soul as others tend to ask about this sensitive topic. When awakening she will be very unaware and dazed, it usually takes a week to recover basic movements yet will be severely weakened for elongated periods of time hence why she’s so heavily focused on training when she can. But she’s stubborn so you know if you find her she’s going to be stumbling around like a zombie into a wall.

And before you ask, this strange unattainable au was…..erased…. By unseen means, with a few escaping but ultimately separated. Yet this was many upon many years ago, so it is very unlikely that the others are still living as the ‘Great fog’ (the term known for Torans’ experience during the collapse of the Au) happened around 387 years ago. She’s 407 years old. So yes she’s old like a certain goopy skeleton. She can also be quite oddly resentful towards nagging or those overly curious she comes across especially when others ask where she came from as an innocent question, usually causes her to have a flashback causing her to freeze up, or a full on lash out (yet this is much rarer and is usually caused as a after affect of heightened stress or she’s just annoyed). But despite her cold and tarnished personality she is a most valuable mentor to those patient enough to listen to her.

Torans headcanon voices- Coven Morgana 

(I imagine she would link across to being a ex-royal guard member from his Au through his fighting style and stance, so I feel like the lines directed at the knight would sometimes be referring to him) Helmeted Torans- blood hound

Have some close ups, you deserve them especially if you read all that 😭.

Her forked ecto-tongue is unnatural as it formed from an injury, she cannot perceive taste as well or at all as others can.

THIS PICTURE HAS SO MUCH SEBASTIAN SOLACE ENERGY ISTG.

anyways thanks for reading, my ask box is always open.

[meganwasbored]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts Season 4 Episode 7

-unless it’s been 20 years, no

also rayla looks horrified at the skeleton and callum is almost completely unfazed

-first time seeing each other in over two years and this is the conversation, typical sibling interaction

-YIP YIP

-I HAVE QUESTIONS

WHERE DID THE GEM GO WHERE DOES THAT PORTAL LEAD TO

-i gotta feeling that bag that got caught on the branch is gonna be important

-it was so refreshing watching them have fun for the first time in a while

-CRYING

-how was half this scene pitch black and still the most chaotic thirty seconds in the episode so far

-girl you literally have an elf boyfriend what’s all this about them thinking of humans like animals

-“i don’t think we have the same bone feelings”

-girl you lost your needy girlfriend privileges two years ago like fine you can go back out to the lava then

-the way he said that as if she actually would’ve done it right now

because after days of icing her out he decides sit her down and tells her about this very real fear he has showing that even though he’s mad about what she did he still trusts her more than anyone and instead of being understanding she acts like it’s the silliest thing she’s ever heard??? if callum never gets an apology for this and for everything else she did i’m actually gonna be mad

-i don’t want him to destroy the cube because it’s 100% gonna be important later but at the same time him not destroying it is a very bad sign

-viren: “i can excuse murder but i draw the line at transphobia”

-STOP PUTTING SOREN THROUGH ALL THIS TRAUMA I MEAN IT

[luxmaeastra]

Keir stared at the Momento Morii. He'd found them going through the treasury in Hewn. He shrugged it would either be something heartbreakingly devastating or something violent - probably both.

Keir walked back to where his twins were drinking, Iris sat perched on his armchair. Sarai and Orcus were discussing some political issue. It was always a surprise to everyone who met Orcus that he wasn't as violent as his reputation made him to be.

Viren and Lyssa looked up from their chess game.

"What did you find?"

Keir held up the Memento Morii with his fingers and grinned.

"Something fun."

Viren stood grabbing the hard liquor.

"This is going to fun."

Lyssa grinned and leaned into Orcus knees where she sat on the floor.

"Let's home. Either way we can get black out drunk."

--------

The memory was hazy, old, as if it had played again and again till it was stretched and warped. But the words were clear. Keir wondered if Iris could feel the emotions coming from the memory. He made a mental note to ask her later.

"And what will this one be named?"

The voice made him jump. It reminded him of something. But the memory continued and he could stop it even if he wanted to.

The figure moved toward the bed and looked to the female in it. His blood went cold and he exhaled.

So it was going to be a heartbreakingly devastating one.

Nyxia grinned up at him reaching for his hand. She looked so youthful, so at peace.

"You name him Eythos. I named Ignatius."

Eythos. Eythos?

Eythos -

Eythos view turned from Nyxia to the bassent by the window. The breeze blowing into the room was nice, smelled of jasmine and honeysuckle. Keir tried to scan the room, to see what he could from this vantage point.

But the view was distorted, smuged like ink mixed with water. But the direct sight was fine. And Eythos moved his fingers over the sleeping baby. His personal signet ring showed three stars.

Keir didn't have time to detangle any of that because Eythos confirmed what he'd feared.

"Acacius. He looks so innocent like this Nyxia don't you think?"

This was the danger when you started playing with Momento Mori you didn't know the origin of, especially those found in the treasury of your own home. The hidden secrets, the skeletons that families hide away and tried their best to forget. Haunting of another time and place, truths you didn't know if you had wanted to face.

Iris had felt a coldness seep into her very core, the moment she felt the memory was going the way it was she completely detached herself and shut down. Reliving painful memories were not something she enjoyed, especially when you factored in the close personal connections.

Her blue eyes looked across the room towards the raven-haired female who now sat up tall, her own violet eyes slightly widened as a heavy realization also hit her too. The two of them shared a knowing look, in the moments the memory has played she watched the smile slip from her friend's face as she turned and focused upon her own mate.

Hel. How would the three of them react to this? Waiting for the memory to end felt like torture, but it soon did. Iris reached to take a hold of Keir's hand, her own powers reaching out to soothe him.

Sarai had already tapped at Viren's mind before the memory had come to the end, gently easing herself inside as she whispered gentle words of comfort. Once the memory had ended she moved closer to him, her fingers lacing between his own.

"What in Mother's Hel was there?" Orcus exclaimed as he looked between them all. It was a question that hung heavy in the air.

[camilleon713]

Ok ok my dumb ass also has an annotated constellation chart.

1. ???? Looks like a cuddle monkey playing a stringed instrument. Representative of Gemini and Lrya constellations maybe?

2 This appears to be the tree that’s near Lux Aurea, where they had the sun seed, and where Janai and Kim’dael fought. It’s not on the regular map of Xadia we’ve seen, which is interesting—if it’s important enough that they’ve dedicated a constellation to it, why isn’t it on the map? Is it a secret? Are all stars nurtured here? ^

3 Unicorn*+

4 Star+

5 ???

6 ???

7 Leola’s Last Wish+

8 Quasar Diamonds in the Corona of the Heavens

9 Bumblescorp, something Claudia has mentioned before. Greek mythology the Scorpios constellation is representative of the giant scorpion sent to kill Orion.

10 Star Devourer Dragon, “notorious for swallowing the magic stored within the core of stars themselves”~^

11 Mama and Baby Banther, based on Major and Minor Ursa.

12 Garlath, based on Orion

13 Lady Justice?, also curious if this has something to do with the elves at the Star Scraper?

14 Pieces redone with glow toads

15 ??? This one has to be important but I’m just…not sure what it IS. Is it like a face-with those two things being eyes? Is it 2 beings? I can’t. But being in the same place in the chart as Leola, it has to be important.

(At this point I think about half of these, mostly the animals and ones that are really obvious parallels, are just filler constellations based on actual constellations with a TDP slant)

+I think these 3 stars are related. Maybe the progression of Leola (Leola-Unicorn, Leola-Elf, No More-Leola) or something. My thought is that Startouch Elves can change, Leola was both a unicorn and a Startouch elf child~. And the 3 stars are representative of (or actually are) the Quasar Diamonds? If so, I wonder if #15 is related to the Star Scraper—the middle of the chart kind of tells a story if my theories are anywhere near correct. Stars nurtured at the sun tree thing-3 stars-quasar diamonds-Star Devourer looking like he wants to eat the quasar diamonds-whatever #15 is? (Could it be representative of the Star scraper?) idk idk)

~Along with this, Aaravos is both a Star Devourer Dragon and a Startouch elf. HOWEVER, his dragon form is dead, that’s the skeleton the prison was inside. Dragon-Aaravos was Laurelion (and though undying, took last breath/immortal Laurelion was no more.:…White as the star's heart it pierced,/ivory draconic brought deaths bite/known everforth as Nova Blade).

I’m pondering if Leola was Aaravos’ daughter? Like, I can’t get over him telling Viren that Claudia will be a valuable asset. Like he spoke from experience (or can see the future?).

^ “Sunfire elves practice an ancient chant that repels the Star Devourer Dragons from approaching Xadia and it’s sun”

(Also I can’t figure out how this ties in anywhere but it’s so strange how Leola, Elarion, and Laurelion are all so similar)

I don’t usually post on Tumblr, just here to like stuff lol, but would looooove to debate/discuss any of this with people.

OK SO I HAVE SOME TDP STUFF

so this is the pearl. WHO IS THE ELF? akiyu????

yup. at least the same torso covering. both horns too. wonder how she shrunk

will we see these dragon somewhere icy?? like the starscraper?

my own depiction of constellation thingy. anyone know anything else?

no idea what to think of this but this post helps

i like the shapeshifter idea…

anyway. IM HYPED FOR THE NEW SEASONS

i want callums dad

ruthari

more aaravos

what happens to viren claudia terry and sir sparklepuff??

the prison/pearl. are they actually going bowling

new lore

the NEW startouch elf??

ok i’m done have at it

[raayllum]

so like - have people talked about there being something literally Inside the cube before or nah?

[thesupremebagel-lord]

Viren: Hm, why is my hand shaking?

Claudia: Oh! It means your skeleton is about to hatch!

Viren: that's so fucking ominous, thank you

[ask-corvus]

The thing about the Cursed Caldera is that it's *really obvious* the monsters don't belong there.

The place is desolate. I saw a giant skeleton of something that looked like an herbivore, but very few plants it might have eaten. Same thing with the hunters and scavengers. 

For one thing, this definitely shouldn't be bothering about tiny humans. Also, the Caldera is cold and dry. Leeches, like other worms, breathe through their skin. They need to stay moist. For something this size, that fog isn't going to cut it. 

Every single monster has issues like this. The wild is complicated, and the Cursed Caldera isn't even trying to make sense.

If you tell the villagers about this, they just say the monsters are probably magic. They don't call it the Regular Biome Caldera. But even magic creatures have a life cycle, a food chain, a habitat.

If you tell Lord Viren this, he goes hunting. He came back empty-handed. Said nothing he found was magic at all.

In hindsight...yeah. Real answer’s even weirder. I could offer to help @ask-lujanne-anything​ design an ecosystem, but why would she need that? She just needs scary, not realistic.

[dork-empress]

Beach Trip

part of my ‘modern tdp aus’ oneshot collection 

Read on Ao3

It's the beach episode of the fic!

“No!” Rayla said, “nononono, 1000 times no, Absolutely not, no.”

“You’re not even going to bring a bathing suit?” Callum said, “It’s a BEACH trip.”

“I will be perfectly fine sitting on the nice, dry sand, thank you,” Rayla said, “I have an umbrella, a towel and a book. I see no reason for me to dress to be in the water, as that is 100% not going to happen.”

Ezran and Callum exchanged a look and shrugged.

It was the annual Katolis-Dark beach trip, at the lakehouse the two families had under a timeshare. They had gotten it when Harrow and Sarai had first moved in next door. Now they just shared it between them.

This year, with a lot of begging (both of their parents and Rayla), the kids convinced their Dads to bring Rayla along, as she was essentially adopted into their family.

They had invited Runaan as well. Everyone kinda put their foot down on that, though.

“So you’re just going to sit and read the whole time?” Ezran said, “But isn’t going swimming like, the whole point?”

“You can do other things on the beach.” Claudia spoke up, “I’m going to be looking for fish skeletons!”

Claudia never really hid her creepier habits or tendencies, but they were always somehow a surprise.

“Alright!” Harrow said, pulling his minivan up to the parking lot, “We’re here!”

Soren was near the front and purst the doors open, preparing to take off like a shot, “Woohoo! Beach time!”

“Wait!” Viren called, stopping him in his place. “Sunscreen, everyone.”

Soren slumped, waiting as Claudia came up with the bottle to help.

Ezran was finally released from the vehicle, and nearly took off like Soren, but Viren grabbed him by the back of the shirt, “Uh-uh. You too, young man.”

Ezran whined, “But I’m black, it’s fine!”

“That’s a myth,” Viren said, “It’s still better to take care of your skin. You too, Harrow.”

Harrow froze, dragging the beach equipment out of the trunk. “But I--” Viren stared him down, then glanced down to Ezran to silently say ‘set a goddamn example for your son.’ Harrow groaned, and took the sunscreen Claudia offered.

True to her word, Rayla set up her towel, umbrella and book and set down. Ezran and Soren were already in the ocean, Soren throwing him into the deep as he laughed, and then he’d swim back, shouting “DO IT AGAIN!”

Viren enjoyed the excuse Rayla had provided, setting up next to her to read while everyone else was doing other things. He at least wore a swimsuit, as though he was GOING to go in, but he had no more intentions than Rayla.

Claudia at least got her feet wet, scouring the tide for objects that had been dregged up by the water. She was less interested in pretty shells as she was weird fossils or dead animals she could later dissect. Her recent interest in biology was vaguely concerning, but Viren had decided to encourage any academic interests his kids had, after having fought with Soren for 12 years to have any academic interest at all.

Harrow and Callum took a slower approach. The water was still cold from winter months, and so they took a few steps at a time, allowed themselves to adjust, and then continued in. “You know, it’s less painful if you just dive in headfirst,” Soren told them.

“Your lips are literally blue already,” Callum chided him. Soren shrugged as Ezran swam up to him. He lifted him out of the water and tossed him into the deep.

By the time the tide came in, Claudia had joined them in the water, and Harrow and Callum had been fully submerged. Soren started a game of toss with a beach ball. Ezran had started surfing on some of the little waves, tumbling into the tide and letting them take them where they wanted.

So engrossed in their reading, though, Viren and Rayla had missed the encroaching tide that was coming up to their toes. A boat passed in the distance, stirring up a wave big enough for Harrow to pick Ezran up so he didn’t drown….but forgot to warn their friends on land.

Viren and Rayla looked up just in time to see the wave come up over them, which splashed over their heads. Rayla barely managed a squeak before it hit her.

Rayla sat shaking as the wave retreated, eye twitching, still holding her drenched book. Callum winced. “Well, I did warn her to wear a swimsuit.”

[dreamerwithnightmares]

[self-spaghettification]

800 words - T - Missing Virrow Scene (?)

one first time, one last time

“I’ll leave you to your grief.” Viren sighs out sadly, and Harrow can’t stop himself from asking him to stop and wait. To not go, just yet, because he needed him, like he had so many times before, left unsaid. 

Viren stopped.

“I… need you.” It felt shameful to even utter the broken words aloud, broken words from a broken man, but it was true. 

Viren laughed at the unexpected request, eyebrow raised. “What do you need *me* for?”

Harrow’s heart broke at the flippant reply, and he stuttered with a tight throat. “I……”

He needed him in a way that didn’t mean dark magic or “creative solutions”, that spoke to the heartstrings awoken and singing in fear as Viren went to sacrifice himself for Sarai, a way that would only be satiated now that Viren had finally reached back out to him after years silenced by grief. He needed his longest time friend to be there for him the way he used to again, just one last time at least, before either of them might die in a fruitless vengeful effort. 

“Harrow..” Viren sighed, laying a hand on his shoulder in concern.

Set loose by the sudden physical touch, Harrow squeezed Viren in a hug. “Can you just stay with me for a moment please, old friend?” He murmured. 

“I.. suppose so.” He sighed, still surprised and concerned by the sudden strength of Harrow’s emotions, the hatred towards Avizandum and the unexpected need for him.

Harrow sighed into Viren’s shoulder, breathing in his stability in his pain, wishing for easier days where Viren and Sarai and Harrow could have all just been friends, sharing jelly tarts and bantering with no worries of food shortages or political errors or dark magic streaked faces.

He held Viren tightly, the way that signified it was a hug he didn’t wish to end any time soon, and Viren complied with this silent request, easily and confidently bringing them both down onto the couch in foresight, secretly glad for the sudden increase in physical touch.

“Oh, Harrow…” Viren’s voice sighed from above him, hands gently and uncertainly holding him, patting his back as tears dripped down Harrow’s face.

It was like some sort of emotional damn had broken, and as if that were the very structural skeleton holding up the king crumpled on his lap.  

His head against his chest, they sat there silently, intimately, for the first time in a long time, and Viren even felt something wet fall from his face. Perhaps both their barriers had fallen, at least somewhat. 

But this was still a foreign thing, for them to be touching so much, and over time as the sobs subsided and the tears dried mostly, Viren felt his breathing change, and felt Harrow’s mirror it.

Lost in longing, so close physically, yet so far. Neither of them quite able to think anymore in the highness of emotions, Viren’s hand had unknowingly stroked Harrow’s face in an attempt at comfort and with his legs against his. Harrow’s breath shifted at the gesture and he suddenly returned the energy two fold his head shifting to meet Viren’s gaze, their noses and lips inches apart.

& It reminds them of when they were boys, playing around, but never quite as far as now, where the distance is finally bridged, Harrow’s mouth reaching for Viren’s in a needy kiss to fill this gap in his heart, and Viren’s responding almost immediately in kind, almost aggressive in its reciprocation as the last of his walls finally crumbled,

and he lost himself- they both did— in that kiss, repeated and reprised and encored to make up for all those almost kisses over the years, their eyes burning into eachothers to make up for those longing glasses always cut short and their fingers grazing eachothers bodies in the same searing pattern their eyes used to sear.

When it was finally over and they had connected in every possible way—in that act that couldn’t quite be called making love with all the grief and longing for the past that filled the air— they were silent in eachother’s arms, missing a past that had never happened, or perhaps, an alternate future where sarai had survived.

but business was still business.

perhaps the reason they had been so passionate with each other, like lightning striking the ground, was they both knew, with some instinctual, unreasonable feeling, that this could not repeat.

The sun would rise, and, distance resumed and redirected, they would take out the rest of their feelings—those unable to be whispered once into eachother’s ears—- onto a terrible beast: a scapegoat who somehow ruined both their lives,

more than they had already done to themselves.

[themonsterblogofmonsters]

Enchanted Constructs / Toys

Enchanted Constructs and Toys are a rather hard thing to pin down, for sake of simplicity we shall discuss an overview of some of the more common types seen before moving onto less common examples. Generally there is a large overlap with Enchanted Objects - indeed, the basis of a number of Enchanted Toys started as Enchanted Objects of simple purpose (puppets and suchlike with the Animatus Charm, for example) with modern Enchanted Toys having the spells worked in from the very start, preventing the spells from wearing off the same way. Further, many of them make use of magical components and may even be constructed with alchemical means - hence, Enchanted Constructs - which further extends their lifespan over that of simple enchanted objects.

Figs. 1 & 2 are ideal examples of Enchanted Toys. Based on the dragon models given to contestants in the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, the originals were made with a basis very similar to that of Homunculi, but around a core skeleton of Hepatizon wires, which held the enchantments for behaviour and limited movement to what might be reasonably expected of a dragon, preventing the constructs from dislocating their heads or wings in attempting to fulfil biting and climbing behaviours. Modern ones use a fully articulated Hepatizon skeleton with alchemically made flesh and replica dragonhide (usually snake in origin) before final enchantments are placed to ensure the creation closely resembles the dragon it is a model of.

 A more complex example would be Fig. 3., the Wiseacre’s Starsnake, which uses a base not entirely similar to the largely alchemical Viren Snake but with more freedom of movement and purpose when it comes to bespelled behaviours. Instead the enchantments on Wiseacre’s Starsnakes (originally created under commission by the Malfoy family, now highly popular with magical students the world over) are set to show off the zodiac in order down the spine. Come nightfall, the markings on their skin illuminate, depending on which constellations are visible, and the snakes can be asked to coil into a loop, whereupon the constellations will “dance” over the construct’s skin before creating a basic starmap. Many students are known to use these as a basis for their Astronomy and Divination homework, as the snakes will align the constellations perfectly, which is a considerable help on cloudy nights and for students who have difficulty recognising constellations. Wiseacre’s is apparently intending to make further Starsnakes, based on other zodiacs and constellations from around the world.

The most complex of all of these is probably Fig. 4. the full-form construct. Many of these, like with Figs. 1&2 make use of a Hepatizon skeleton surrounded by an alchemically-based compound. Not true Homunculi, like, say, Fleshmade Guardhounds, as the Hepatizon core will allow enchantments to dictate personality to take the place of an ensouling process in a Homunculus, they can be nonetheless eerily similar, especially in those which do make use of some of the more specific and complicated techniques. Indeed, some such creatures are barely distinguishable from actual living specimens, barring their usually near-total obedience to the wix - or sometimes squib - they are bonded to, their inability to reproduce, and their occasional need for an alchemical bath to replenish their bodies. Some can even eat ordinary food, and may do so in place of taking alchemical baths, though this is poorly understood and not much advised.

(Image One, Image Two, Image Three, Image Four)

(Read about the model dragons of the Potterverse in canon over Here. I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.) 

[krytus]

i usually post a group pic but this batch is the special birthday batch So they get mugshots

first up is jeff my friend jeff the skeleton

he cant stand on his own and his arms are permanently fixed in a weird position BUT he glows in the dark so i love him

next is the guy ive decided is merlin's ex husband. i like the dragon theme he has going on so his name is rhaegar

this guys the tournament knight. the amount of detail on his armor fucks so ive decided he's drowning in pussy and his name is chad. no one has ever seen him without that shitty little moustache. he was born with it.

this guy. it wasn't advertised that his helmet opens and you can probably see why. another figure with a great amount of detail but unfortunately he has never gotten coochie in his entire life. his name is mick after my least favorite legends of tomorrow character.

the man. the myth. the legend. the war criminal himself. they went to the trouble of painting his eyes black and making him look like a total chode who would probably runs red lights and has been responsible for the death of millions. first time i touched him he was physically slimy and quite honestly i can't think of a more thematically appropriate name for him than viren.

the happy hen toys guy must love me because my papo knights are. already here.

[raayllum]

TDP and Tarot

So back in like 2016 I did a surface deep dive into the main arcana of Tarot because I was building a fantasy version of Chess and also wanted to take some Tarot associations. Then around S2 of TDP I realized that there were certain elements and inspirations the show seemed to be taking from Tarot, ones that I knew for sure and ones that were fuzzier. Upon taking another at Tarot, a series of cards and choices amid associations, this weekend, I realized there were far more similarities than I’d caught at first glance.

Quick disclaimer: As previously stated, this is surface level research mostly based off citations amongst Wikipedia’s collection. I also mostly focused on the major arcana suite and not as much for the wands, cups, swords, etc. I could miss something or get something very wrong. Please free to chime with your own thoughts, speculations regarding TDP and Tarot in the reblogs, replies, my inbox, etc. 

Also, not a 1:1 sum. Not every Tarot card matches, some could apply to more than one character, etc etc. This is just a collection of thoughts and similarities I found personally interesting.

With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

TDP’s Themes and Tarot

So the clearest similarities between Tarot and TDP are found in the two’s shared thematic associations and some of TDP’s worldbuilding. We can see this clearly in the card of The Tower, which is the card of calamity, and sometimes also seen as “a lightning struck tower.”

The Tower is commonly interpreted as meaning danger, crisis, destruction, and liberation. It is associated with sudden unforeseen change. Given that 1x01 is called “Echoes of Thunder,” the storm motif is strong. Add that to the King being felled in a tower, and it’s a decently apt comparison (in symbolism and literalism, if nothing else). It’s also largely our heroes’ secondary catalyst since they must take up the quest themselves, after finding the egg itself. It’s worth noting that Callum’s journey into the storm in 2x04 and even the Storm Spire can hold similar motifs (monarchy, change, destruction) largely at the risks Callum and co. are taking at each location. 

Death in Tarot is a more varied card, visually, with the one consistency being the skeleton. Sometimes atop a horse (reminiscent of Death as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) and sometimes with the scythe we tend to associate with the Grim Reaper. However, Death in Tarot is not a negative card at all. Rather, it’s a signifier that a great change or transformation is on the way, appealing to symbolic and metaphorical death -> rebirth over any literal idea of death.

We can see this in the series by the way Harrow believes his death will be a new chance for his sons to make a difference, Callum’s dark magic dreams that help lead him to the Sky arcanum, Rayla’s three coined parents, and particularly in the character of Viren in just about everything about him. Death and near-death experiences often force people to re-evaluate and reconcile with the choices they’ve made in their lives, both in real life and in the realm of fiction. This is one of the reasons why I’m more and more sure Viren will have a sort of atonement arc starting in season four and why I haven’t let go of the “Harrow’s soul in Pip” theory just yet.

The Moon is perhaps the card that has the most similarities to TDP with how the show develops, frames, and discusses the Moon arcanum, and why I feel decently confident saying Tarot must’ve been in the back of the writing team’s minds at least a little while crafting the story. The Moon is a card of illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself. This, plus Plato’s understanding of reality, is basically where we get Lujanne’s speech from in 2x01. The card also furthers the theme of duality and lingering concepts of madness, with the dog and wolf on either side of the card representing a dual ‘tamed and wild’ nature inside all of us (citation).

Additionally, the Moon card also has keywords that heavily relate to themes we see running through Moon arcanum characters, such as illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition, deception, difficult period, Hidden things, insecurity, and mental confusion. 

Now for the lengthier more speculative portion:

TDP’s Characters and Tarot

When it came to assigning characters to the different Tarot figures. Harrow and Sarai, with their parental and royalty statuses, were easy fixes for the Emperor (masculinity, fatherhood, kingliness) and Empress (motherhood, femininity, stability) cards respectively. There were other characters like Opeli, who could fit possibly the High Priestess or the Hierophant cards, although the latter and the card labelled Justice could easily go to actual Lady Justice in show as well. The Cycle could be the Wheel of Fortune and perhaps even Rayla partially symbolized by the Two of Swords (“indecision, duality, am impasse,” crescent moon in depictions, needing to trust her own intuition). 

I understandably settled on Lujanne as The Hermit (“a phase of introspection where you are drawing your attention inwards and looking for answers within. You are in need of a period of inner reflection, away from the current demands of your position; solitude, soul searching, etc”) and Soren as the Chariot (“about overcoming conflicts and moving forward in a positive direction. One needs to keep going on and through sheer hard work and commitment he will be victorious; positive associations are confidence, drive, ambition; negative associations are self-doubt, lack of direction”). I considered the Strength card at first for Rayla (or Janai and Amaya), but eventually settled on Claudia due to its imagery and associations: 

“Strength predicts the triumphant conclusion to a major life problem, situation or temptation through strength of character. It is a very happy card if you are fighting illness or recovering from injury. 

Upright card: Confidence, Enjoying power, Inner strength, Potency, Self-belief, Virility, Vitality

Reversed card (keywords): Hedonism, Lack of self-control, Lacking courage, Self-doubt, Vanity”

There were also cards that didn’t seem a perfect fit for anyone or worldbuilding aspect, such as the Sun and The World cards. 

However, I want to talk about the three cards I think fit best and yield the most interesting results / implications, which is to say:

Callum and Viren as The Fool

“Depiction: The Fool is usually depicted as a beggar or a vagabond, he wears ragged clothes & stockings without shoes, and carries a stick on his back.

Meaning: The Fool represents new beginnings, having faith in the future, being inexperienced, not knowing what to expect, having beginner's luck, improvisation and believing in the universe.

Upright card: Beginnings, Innocence, Leap of faith, Originality, Spontaneity

Reversed card: Chaos, Folly, Lack of direction, Naivety, Poor judgement, Stupidity”

Not only does Viren’s S4 look slightly resemble a downtrodden vagabond, the Fool is generally defined by his possibility to evolve into the Magician, a shared arc both Viren and Callum have in the first three seasons. Where Callum is the upright version of the Fool, Viren carries the reverse (or negative) connotations, with poor judgement and a long trail of bad decisions. 

“The Fool is numbered 0 – the number of unlimited potential – and so does not have a specific place in the sequence of the Tarot cards. The Fool can be placed either at the beginning of the Major Arcana or at the end. The Major Arcana is often considered The Fool’s journey through life and as such, he is ever present and therefore needs no number” (citation) with the Reverse Fool meaning that you are taking too many risks, not thinking things through, with possible consequence of hurting you and others, or having your naivety and goals taken advantage of. 

Runaan as the Hanged Man

Although perhaps a more positive card than Runaan’s imprisonment would earn, the perspective of the Hanged Man is one of “of ultimate surrender, of being suspended in time and of martyrdom and sacrifice to the greater good” which fits Runaan’s imprisonment in the coin to a T, literally imprisoned in time because he was unwilling or unable to consider any paths forward than the one he was on. Positive word associations are what Runaan needs to do, in “Breaking old patterns, Circumspection, Letting go, Metamorphosis, Suspension” (citation) with the Reverse word associations being what Runaan chose to do, with his (slight) “Egotism, Inability to change,” and “Missing an opportunity.” 

Aaravos as the Magician 

As previously stated, this card is a key part of the Fool’s possible journey, which given Viren’s path in Arc 1, and Callum’s likely dynamic with Aaravos being explored in S4, continues to check out in more ways than one.

Meaning: When the Magician appears in a spread, it points to the talents, capabilities and resources at the querent's disposal to succeed. The message is to tap into one's full potential rather than holding back, especially when there is a need to transform something.

Upright card (keywords): Determined, Dexterity, Resourceful, Skilled, Strong powerful man (citation) / Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action (citation) 

Reversed card (keywords): Communication blocks, Confusion, Deceit, Ill intentions, Lack of energy / Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talents

This is probably one of the strongest Tarot associations, since it is so straightforward, and we’ve seen it also somewhat be integrated into mainstream understandings and archetypes of power, magic, and wizardry: 

“The Magician card is numbered One – the number of new beginnings and opportunities – and associates with the planet of Mercury. He stands with one arm stretched upwards towards the Universe, and the other pointing down to the earth. His positioning represents his connection between the spiritual realms and the material realms. The Magician uses this relationship to create and manifest his goals in the physical realm. He is the conduit that converts energy into matter [...] On the table in front of him are the four symbols of the Tarot suits, a sign that he has all the tools (and elements) he needs to manifest his intentions into being. Above his head is the infinity symbol, and around his waist is a snake biting its own tail (ouroboros) – both of which signal that he has access to unlimited potential” (citation).

So, now that we’ve established where the Tarot and its TDP parallels currently are, I want to also take a look at where it could be going (and anyone who’s scrolled through my theories post can probably guess) in the future. Again, could mean nothing, but I think the parallels are cool and interesting, so without further ado: 

TDP, Tarot, and S4 Speculation

Callum and Rayla as The Lovers

So realizing how well Callum and Rayla fit, and could fit, the Lovers card is what sent me on this research spiral to begin with. At first, it was to see if there was a card that could suit one or both of them better, and to double check my own understanding.

Depiction: A man and woman stand in possibly the Garden of Eden, with "The Tree of Life" behind the man and "The Tree of Knowledge" behind the woman. Meaning: The Lovers represent relationships and choices. Its appearance in a spread indicates some decision about an existing relationship, a temptation of the heart, or a choice of potential partners. Often an aspect of the querent's life will have to be sacrificed. Whatever the choice, it should not be made lightly, as the ramifications will be lasting. Upright card (keywords): Being at a crossroads, Choices, Commitment, Falling in love, Partnerships Reversed card (keywords): Broken relationship, Infidelity, Relationship issues, Separation

Given that Callum and Rayla’s relationship is significant enough to the show, you can recommend it on the basis of romance, I feel pretty confident saying they have the criteria. I also thought it was interesting, given the Life Giver and Death seeker dichotomy that TDP often has that the man is accordingly associated with the Tree of Life and the woman with the Tree of Knowledge (and devil subsequently). 

The woman also looks up at the angel (who is sometimes also given Death associations). It is worth noting that in one of the most famous depictions of Genesis, John Milton’s Paradise Lost (which I’ve talked about before and will touch on again in just a second) has Adam being aware that Eve has fallen, but he eats the apple solely because whatever happens, he wants them to be together. Most notably, this shift is from the infamous Rider–Waite deck with the card’s inclusion of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil / the serpent is meant to invoke the symbolism of no return from making bad decisions, and the consequences of innocence lost, and intended to be more widely understood from this imagery (citation).

But how does this relate to speculation and S4? Well...

Aaravos as the Devil 

Depiction: The Devil card depicts the devil as the ancient goat-god Dionysius, shown sitting in his throne while watching over a male and female captive.

Meaning: It represents being seduced by the material world and physical pleasures. Also living in fear, domination, and bondage, being caged by an overabundance of luxury, discretion should be used in personal and business matters.

Upright card (keywords): Bondage, Enslavement, Fear, Feeling trapped, Materialism, Temptation, Unhealthy relationships

Reversed card (keywords): Breaking from addictions, Divorce, Freedom from restraints

“The Devil card shows Baphomet, or the Horned Goat of Mendes, a creature that is half man, half goat. Baphomet originally represented the balance between good and evil, male and female, and human and animal; however, more recently, this figure has been linked to the occult and has become a scapegoat for all things considered ‘evil’.The Devil has the wings of a vampire bat, an animal that sucks the lifeblood out of its prey, symbolic of what happens when you give in to your raw desires. He has a hypnotic stare which ‘magnetizes’ and entrances those who come near him, bringing them under his power. Above him is an inverted pentagram – a sign of the darker side of magic and occultism” (citation).

I’ve talked before about Rayla’s bindings as a metaphorical (and later) literal chain, and how the lines around Callum’s wrists in his S4 outfit also evoke chain symbolism. I also don’t think it’s an accident that the one dark magic spell we’ve seen Callum do is one that breaks chains (whereas Claudia creates them) and that he’s been routinely associated with freedom, with Rayla taking Eve’s place as the one who Falls first as she charges (unknowingly) right at Aaravos, while Callum will be the one battling more literal temptation. This is particularly apt as Aaravos has been compared to Lucifer (Satan / the Devil) and Prometheus, who also had a hand in crafting mankind and the first Lovers in Grecian mythos. 

“The Devil card represents your shadow (or darker) side and the negative forces that constrain you and hold you back from being the best version of yourself. You may be at the effect of negative habits, dependencies, behaviors, thought patterns, relationships, and addictions [...] The Devil card often appears when you have been tricked into thinking you have no control over your shadow self or these negative forces, and that you can never break free from their hold” with the Devil reversed being “can often appear when you are on the verge of a break-through or an up-levelling. You are being called to your highest potential, but first, you must let go of any unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs that may hold you back [...] The Devil Reversed calls on you to confront your inner fears and anxieties to free yourself from the chains that bind you to your limiting beliefs and unhealthy attachments” which is exactly the arc Rayla needs to have in S4 as well.

Basically this is a long winded way of saying that my little Cube Hostage Exchange Theory, in which Rayla is captured and Callum trades the Key of Aaravos for her life, has merit in being attached to Tarot inspirations and associations that TDP has already heavily drawn from. The Magician and The Lovers are both cards interrelated to choice above all else, with the Devil clearly having ties to both as well. It is also worth noting that both Callum and Rayla arguably have more parallels to Aaravos than any other character in the show at this time (Callum-Aaravos tag here, Rayla-Aaravos tag here), mirroring the way the Lovers in the Devil’s card are becoming more like him and making ‘bad decisions.’

Make of all of this as you will.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my meagre-ish deep-dive in Tarot, possibly learned something new, or discovered other possibilities of your own. Did I miss or overlook something? Could a cup or sword or wand card fit another character perfectly? Let me know in the reblogs, replies, etc., thank you for making it this far, and thank you for reading!

—Dragons out!