#thanks a lot Viren

[starry-skies-writes]

I like how they have things to remember their fathers by

Ezran has Harrow’s sword (crafted into his crown)

Callum has Damien’s scarf

Rayla has Ethari’s crafted swords, and her braid that is like Lain’s

Claudia has Viren’s staff

And Soren has Viren induced trauma

[raayllum]

me sitting here with my "broyals having a quasi sunfire sibs conflict over the cube" crack theory waiting for ezran to have one (1) line of dialogue or scene with the cube:

like why would they do this to me:

[an-actual-attack-helicopter]

A headcanon of mine is that Viren has megalophobia, the fear of large objects. I think his desire for control manifests as the fear of that which is larger and more powerful than him; that which lies far beyond the scope of his comprehension.

He was likely raised without high status and grew up trying to gain power in fear of becoming poor and weak again. Like the tsunami in his dream, it felt as though the unspeakably powerful elves and dragons could just swallow him up. He wanted to rise above the tsunami and rise above the elves and dragons because he was scared.

[svperluminous]

I love Viren so much it hurts ;__; there is no one else like him in cartoons. I don't know what I'll do once TDP ends, knowing there probably won't be any more new Viren content...

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Do you think that Viren will survive into S6 so that he can reconcile with Soren?

I do think Viren will survive into S6. I don't know if he'll get to reconcile with Soren, but I do hope they get a chance to at least reacquaint and realize they're each different people now than before.

I think that conversation could do each of them some good, since it seems they have such negative feelings tangled around who they both used to be to each other.

[bittrlys]

🪻send this to ten blogs you think are wonderful🪻

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[stardustamaryllis78]

I was thinking about Zubeia's info dump about Aaravos and how she calls him a villain for "pulling strings and causing all the world's crisis."

But then I started to think about in season 7 and the conversation between Aaravos and Ezran where Ezran says, "Your crimes cannot be counted Aaravos. But they're remembered by your victims throughout Xadia." Aaravos responds, "It seems you have already decided upon my guilt." To which Ezran responds, "Guilty or not, a king must look into the faces and hear the words of those he judges. Aaravos, what do you have to say for yourself?" Aaravos replies, "I am innocent."

And remember, Aaravos can only tell the truth whereas Zubeia is capable of lying.

So then I started to think about the rest of the conversation and how Aaravos states that the reason he "betrayed" the Dragons and the Elves is because he gave humans magic. This is even backed up with Sol Regem and Rex Igneous calling Aaravos "Betrayer".

So, at the end of the day, it would appear that Zubeia was incorrect about her claims with what Aaravos had done. Aaravos appeared to have been aiding humans, especially humans with magic he gave them but saying he created every world crisis is just outright wrong. Especially as, after he was imprisoned, many crisis' still occurred. He was literally hated for giving magic to what Dragon's and Elves considered to be lesser beings.

Now of course, there is the whole "compromise" thing where of course Aaravos can control Dark Mages if he so wishes but let me put this to you, why didn't he control Viren when he first saw him? Why work with him instead of outright controlling him? Plus, before Callum was purified of Dark Magic, Aaravos possessed him once so he could talk (roast) Team Zym before he dipped, why not just control him there and then? It would appear that Aaravos does not use Dark Mages as vessels very often, if at all, unless he really has to. A back up if you will. Aaravos likes to plan things ahead after all.

Another thing to think about is the fact that literally everyone was saying that if Aaravos was released from his prison, all hell would break loose but what really happened? A few spirits were released and he killed the Archdragons. Aaravos' main goal is to take down an unjust Order even if that villainizes himself.

In conclusion, it seems like at the end of the day, Zubeia's story was heavily exaggerated and Aaravos' biggest "crime" was giving magic to suffering human beings.

Has Aaravos committed crimes? Yes. But a lot of characters in this show have. And at the end of the day, Aaravos taking out the Cosmic Order for a world of equality is actually a good thing in the long run. Even if some of his methods of going about it are questionable.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[m4rs-ex3]

so naturally i was up at 1am the other night watching tdp related youtube videos and i figured i'd watch the 2020 comic con panel since it'd been a while and oh my god some of this shit

(also just me talking about how much i love this cast)

"IT IS I, DARK_MAGE_DAD420" i cannot believe that is real

aaravos: "if i want to do a screen call, i must perform a cosmic blood ritual. with a mortar and pestle. AND FLOATING KNIVES" you are fucking kidding me (edit: i realize that pertains to what he did in s2 but still like "cosmic" "ritual" "knives"? cmon)

jason simpson playing the ukulele. that's all.

jack: *talking about how he had a baby in quarantine* eric: i've been doing a lot of gardening... uh i haven't had a baby, but you never know! i mean if it's possible through social distancing aaron: if anybody can make that happen through social distancing it's aaravos you are F U C K I N G KIDDING ME

racquel: some fun things i did- i uhh died my own hair and burned my scalp and i would like to inform you all it's finally healed and we're good to go, i'm ready to do it again! i'm obsessed with the fact that racquel is quite literally claudia irl

the ttm read is awesome. jack came with the Rayla Voice fucking PREPARED oh my god

i don't think i've ever actually talked about the dnd sketch but it is one of my favorite things in the entire world

rayllum in this sketch is amazing particularly callum he is SO down bad like "my character is a mysterious elf assassin with two beautiful blades to match my two beautiful eyes~~ ✨" like hello that's canon idc if it's a sketch that is canon

"my character cannot help but look at her. he locks eyes with rayla's mage" "....there will be time for roleplaying later" HELLO THATS GOLD

viren in this skit is genuinely one of the funniest things i've ever seen. i cannot emphasize enough this is comedy

necromancer ezran. i think about him daily.

s: "i start swinging my sword at, uhh, idk, rayla's mage" r: "WAIT WHAT" c: "uh wait wait i take it back MY SWORDS GLEAM INTO THE LIGHT AS I LEAP TO THE DEFENCE OF THE BEAUTIFUL MAGE!" s: "hey no takebacks!" sibling ass fight i love them

"LIKE WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO?"

i rolled a 1 😐

i loot their corpses for blood >:D

"do elves have four toes?" "i always assumed that they would have 6 so they could learn how to count to 20" paula my love

someone get sasha some hamantaschen

i don't need arc 3 actually i just need the beta script including as many guns n roses references as possible

racquel: ok call me crazy, call me crazy... jesse: you're crazy, racquel racquel: THANK YOU FINALLY they are literally just them

"I WILL NOT BE POSTING A SINGLE THING ABOUT ICE, FOR I AM JULIA" (okay but.... venous frigoris anyone?)

paula: ugh, no one likes soren jesse: well no one likes rayla racquel: you two should fight 😈

long hard sigh

bonus: jason: literally no one likes viren so let's move on

"how old is bait?" "sasha, how old do you think bait is?" "3."

"is-is a glow toad kinda like a toad?" "................kind of"

i fucking love sasha have i ever mentioned that i fucking love sasha

"i think that he's 56." "either 3 or 56 only, apparently"

the saga announcement is great i love how everyone's is so excited they don't even know all of their characters are about to be destroyed physically and emotionally

the way aaron says it so fucking funny "is there gonna be a season 4?" "uh so i think it's really important to emphasize: yes-"

"i too want to cry" "just cry, just-" "IT'S A PANDEMIC. NO TEARS. THERE'S NO CRYING IN A PANDEMIC." "...where is this rule coming from?"

and finally there were a handful of moments that i could not do justice by transcribing in a post so here is a masterfully edited compilation i made

[forget-me-nightingale]

My favourite things about S7 of the Dragon Prince (part 1)

Because I need to let my emotions OUT and I know there is a lot of people here who will understand that<3 And also because I need to thank @dragonprinceofficial for creating a masterpiece of a show and because I am so sad there's so many posts about being disappointed in the season - like sure, it might've not been perfect, but it was SO GOOD and there was SO MUCH WORK put into it that I just HAVE to show how much love I have in my heart for these characters, this story and this entire show Part two will be posted tomorrow<3 1: DEATH ALIVE

Ethari's deep "Hmm…" at the beginning, his new design, the denialllll

Runaan being so stubborn about getting back to Ethari and ALLEN PICKING HIM UP BRIDAL STYLE THAT CAUGHT ME SO OFF GUARD

Also Runaan lying in bed shirtless groaning and whimpering was not something that was on my 2024 bingo list but ho boy am I glad

Callum's grief after he got back to Katolis-- they showed it SO WELL, the heavy breathing, and then the mumbled "Soren, what happened…?" and Soren's voice breaking as well at the "There was nothing I could do!" as he breaks down crying that was SUCH GOOD PERFORMANCE FROM BOTH OF THEM SO RAW AND GENUINE AND EMOTIONAL Also the RELIEF Callum must've felt when he saw Soren after fearing that everyone died hgjdhgk you can literally see it in his eyes

Huge Aaravos just sexily lounging around next to the bones of his archdragon archenemy

Astrid going "I never promised." was so badass

Ezran going "We have to find Sol Regem and destroy him" after giving several speeches on how he wants to end the cycle of violence and just stop it all made me laugh so hard-- Like don't get me wrong, I know he's a kid and he's hurt and angry and that his reaction's justified but I just heavily dislike his character, and the fact that he threw his entire philosophy away the moment his emotions took over only strengthened it lmao

Aanya has such a gorgeous soft voice, I love listening to it SO much

Claudia and Terry's little flinch as Aaravoss gestured to show "an Archdragon's bite" hgfjdghjdfk

THE THUNDERING FOOTSTEPS AS HE WALKS like- It shows so well how MASSIVE he is in that form I love

THE FASHION SHOW AARAVOS PULLS OUT GDFKHGDFJK "Startouch may be too dazzzling, don't you think?" and the way he turns towards them with this flirtatious ass smirk jkdgfhkg

"I know you like Earthblood, Claudia" 😭

Runaan's moment of silence before going "NOT. ONE. MINUTE. LONGER." and the dramatic zooms on his face had me IN STITCHES

Also him going "Katolis…? Is t… is that necessary?" he's probably having like PTSD flashbacks thinking about that dungeon and the pain of Viren putting his soul in the coin 😭😭 and also Jonathan's voice as he says it is SO SMOOTH and velvety and I'm in love with that voice so much, I could listen to it for hOURS

We finally het to see Aaravos' human form and it's INCREDIBLE, and the fact that the first thing he does is to fake being injured is so Aaravos of him LMAO

Also I wonder how did Callum not recognize his voice??? I'm sure he thought a LOT about what happened when Aaravos possessed him that one time, and he sure had a lot of time to hear how he sounds like, and besides-- a voice like that would not be easy to forget even he Callum didn't have such traumatic memories attached to it lol

And the fact that Aaravos literally said Sol Regem killed his daughter :(( He literally never lies, not even under a disguise

The famous shot with Runaan and Rayla looking at Katolis<3 it was so nice to finally see it in the actual show

"Are you not the elf who killed my father, the King of Katolis?" "…I am." it was so soft and sad gdhjghfdjkghjfdk And then him WILLINGLY getting on his knees and putting his hands behind his back 🥺

2: TRUE HEART

I love the theme that sounded playing when Aaravos' team was approaching The Puzzle House, like it was the main theme but with like- circus undertones? Or these little music box rhythmic parts and clock ticking? Very cool vibes especially with how the house was portrayed in the little comic, with this almost steampunkish robotic inventions, LOVED it

"You don't have to ask!" I'm not a HUGE Rayllum shipper but oh my God that was such a sweet moment And then Callum going "That was salty" and Rayla chuckling "the tears" njgfdhjgjfjdd

Runaan having his wrists chained up AGAIN in the Banther Lodge give that man A BREAK

THE SCENE where Stella attacks the guards and they stumble over each other and Runaan just looks at them with pity and the camera zooms in on him I HAD TO PAUSE JUST I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD, the comedy of that moment was just 👌 And then Runaan going "hello there" 🥹 he's so soft and then calling out Rayla's name and smiling up at her???? hgfjkghjkdf

"Stop right there, Rayla! Part of me wishes I hadn't seen you… But my eyesight is perfect." so dramatic gdhg I love him And they Rayla's dark and low "Then just look away, Soren." was SO badass And poor Runaan having to hide behind her-- he's probably so upset that he can't fight them off on his own

"But Ez, this is exactly the cycle of violence you fought so hard to end! You forgave Zubeia!" "What?" "Who do you think sent Runaan to kill Dad?" EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING And then he STILL throws it away and orders the soldiers to arrest him fjkhg I'm sorry if I'm upsetting the Ezran fans but I have such beef with his character LMAO

Soren desperately yelling "RICKETY SNICKERS" at the top of his goddamn lungs during their fight must've been SO WEIRD for Rayla without any context LMAOOO And Runaan giving her tips to help in that way at least was SO COOL I LOVED THAT "He overextends himself, Rayla! His front leg!" We finally got that father/daughter mentor/student duo LET'S GOO

Terry giggling at the sight of the carousel made me giggle and smile so much too it was SO BEYOND WHOLESOME AND THEN AARAVOS ACTUALLY HAVING GENUINE FUN ON THE RIDE AS WELL LMAOOO it was SO FUNNY but also SO wholesome at the same time I loved it SO MUCH

And also it was very very cool to see the carousel ride itself after seeing it in the House of Riddles comic - like, it's one thing seeing it there on paper, but it's a whole different thing to see it actually animated, it was AWESOME

"Oh no, are you okay??" "Okay?! I was confined to a tiny sphere in the mouth of a clam at the bottom of the sea for thee long, lonely centuries. That… was the most fun I've had in AGES!" THE EWAY HE LAUGHS AND GIGGLES like you can hear the genuine joy in his voice oh my God I was smiling so much We got a glimpse of how he would've been if Leola hadn't died and he could just play and goof around with her 😭

The Dragon Prince just casually mentioned a character practicing self-cannibalism and didn't even linger on it for a SECOND before moving on LMAO

Aanya shooting at Runaan actually got me SO SCARED especially when Rayla threw himself in front of him frjgkfdh please don't stress me out like that Thank God it was just his arm that was nicked but the man CAN'T GET A BREAK

And holy shit the expression on Ezran's face when he lifted his hand to give Aanya the signal, it was like-- so sad and hesitant, like "don't make me do this", the artists captured the expression SO WELL

And the lighting and the scene and the music that played during the scene when Rayla, Runaan and Callum ran to the boat was SO GORGEOUS-- like, the contrast between the golden light of the setting sun and the deep blue of the shadows, how Ezran's face and the soldiers were in the shadows but the rest was bathed in the light, and the scenery and the sky was just so breathtaking

Also Runaan caught Callum when he jumped in the boat 🥹

3: THE GLITTERING BONES

The Sunfire soldiers chanting "Queens of Mercy" was so epic

Soren going "You're the bread" at Corvus to try and lighten the mood at least a little bit and it completely not working broke my heart, he's trying so hard

And then Ezran snapping even at Zym??? Bro.

Claudia doing the nose tap thing again!!!!!!❤️ It's back!! And she was so happy giggling and laughing and everything, like yesss let a girl be happy and goofy

The Garden of Innocents was soooooo gorgeous

Aaravos saying "There is nothing to be afraid of, Claudia" as she reanimates the unicorn bones 🥹 Was that a callback to him saying "there's nothing to fear" to Leola or am I reaching too far And THEN him saying "Well done" gjdfhfgdkj

"You remind me of her" THERE WE GOOOO he has such a soft spot for her "…and silly"❤️

That scene when Janai snaps at Karim!!!!!! The performance was SO GOOD, the raw FRUSTRATION and helplessness and anger and desperation in her voice!!! Especially that "How many times do I have to attempt to spare you?!" line??????

4: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Callum, Runaan and Rayla doing the ritual dance all together was so beautiful already, and then Runaan's "I dreamt of this" gfdjkghdk

"Yeah, but… You'll want a minute with Ethari, right? A minute alone…..?" and Runaan being quiet and hesitating for a bit and then just going "…. yes. :)"

Okay so the Reunion scene-- I'm a huge Ruthari shipper and Runaan is my absolute favourite character in the show (if you couldn't tell by now), along with Ethari, so you can imagine the state I was in at that scene--- Like- First the way Ethari looks at Runaan in the reflection, cause he's probably so used to doing it to see if Rayla came back to him???? And calling him his "beloved phantom" and Runaan's expression changing to confusion- you can literally SEE him smiling softly at the "hello, my beloved" but as Ethari says "phantom" his expression immediately changes and it's portrayed SO WELL GJDHGDJ

"I see you everywhere…. Hear your voice when you aren't there… But I am BEGGING you, Runaan, leave me be. Let me let you go." "But I made you a promise." "And I long to make peace with its breaking." That was such an absolutely gorgeous piece of dialogue, and I've already talked about how I love Runaan's voice, but Ethari's as well??? The accent, the slight rasp, the kind of rough-iness in it, the hard 'r's, like oh my God, every time he speaks I am just enchanted

And THEN Ethari flinching away as Runaan touches him cause he was so sure that it's just his imagination-- and Runaan kissing his hand-- and the "It's me. I'm home." sounded SO GORGEOUS and if you look at Ethari's lips you can see them trembling cause he's about to cry--- AND THEN THE KISS OF COURSE I WAS CRYING SO MUCH WE'VE WAITED LITERAL SIX YEARS FOR THIS DAMN KISS CAUSE RUNAAN GOT IMPRISONED IN THE FIRST SEASON WHICH CAME OUT IN SEPTEMBER 2018 SIX YEARS IN AZKABAN

And the music that plays during the kiss too? ;_; I need the entire soundtrack out ASAP

RAYLA PANICKING ABOUT RUNAAN CATCHING HER AND CALLUM KISSING GFJDHGJDHGD She almost threw him off the damn branch LMAO

Ethari going "Not another word, Rayla!" as she starts to try and make her problems smaller gjddhkgd "Your family is here for you" 🥹🥹🥹

The slow realization I had of why exactly Aaravos needed Terry to find a BIG feather and a SMALL feather The way the creators intentionally made it set in so slowly And Terry going "I SAID STOP" with this pure RAGE in his voice, and Aaravos just flicking him off with a single gesture

"She would do anything to return to them, but she can't." subtle reference to Leola again And also Aaravos' coldness in that scene hfjgkdghjj no wonder Terry was terrified

The fact that Runaan has a title of "Master of Blades"?? I love it so much

"Rayla yet lives." "You speak the name of a Ghost." "I SPEAK THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER." !!!!!!!!!!!!! 🥹🥹🥹❤️❤️❤️

The way Rayla holds her hands over Runaan and Ethari's joined ones as she appears gfjdhk I love the Moonfam so so so so much

"To invoke the ritual, one of you must bind your fate to hers." "Both of us, Keeper." SAID WHILE HOLDING HANDS AND LOOKING AT EACH OTHER SO LOVINGLY JFDKGHJKD

Terry telling Aaravos "You're sick." HOHOHOHOOOO and the way Aaravos circles him like a predator around his prey was so scary

Ethari putting a hand on Runaan's shoulder and Runaan covering it with his own to reassure him gdjfhgdfjk

Rayla calling the four assassing by names and their names being spoken in general for the FIRST time in the series--- I was so happy and surprised to hear it And the references to the pledge they made so long ago in the first season 🥹

"A life for a life… is that justice?" the way Rayla said it was so nice and soft and sad and jdgfhk

RUNAAN HUGGING RAYLA OUT OF HIS OWN INITIATIVE GHDFJGHDJKGHK

I was literally SO SCARED when the Keeper snapped and revealed he was Ram's father, I literally whimpered out loud cause I was SO FREAKING WORRIED that they won't get through to him and he won't unghost her I was STRESSING

And then Rayla just crying in Callum's arms??? 🥺🥺

[kradogsrats]

@dragonprincedrabbles prompt Harrow + Damian, Breathe

—

A particularly nasty cold works its way through the castle, the first winter after they move in. Even Sarai gets the sniffles, though fortunately no more than that. Being sick and six months' pregnant would be truly miserable.

Callum stays healthy, thanks to diligent hand-washing and restriction from the areas of the castle where germs are most freely spread, but he grows moody and standoffish. He was already struggling to adjust, obviously feeling like an out-of-place guest in the castle and seeing Harrow as more like a distant uncle than a stepfather. Sarai knows he needs time—the only way encourage growing into a home and family is to allow the space to do so, and then step back. She just hates seeing her son unhappy.

Then Claudia, the one playmate he's truly grown close with, gets sick enough to spend a week in bed, and he starts acting out in ways he never has before. Not even when Damian was dying.

Harrow spends most of that week with Viren, who is understandably beside himself over his daughter's condition, mild though it is. Once she's undeniably on the mend and Harrow's able to escape, Sarai shares her own frustration and worries about her son. Always thoughtful, he suggests that they go to the lodge—there's a blanket of fresh snow on the ground, and a change of scene and activities will do Callum good.

It's a fantastic idea, one Sarai is embarrassed she didn't think of herself. Of course, she's not exactly used to having an entire lodge to retreat to for relaxation.

The first few days go better than she could ever hope—he and Harrow sled, build snowmen and snow banthers, and have snowball fights more epic than any Border skirmish. Sarai joins them sometimes, though she feels a little too pregnant for some of the more vigorous activities and is content to watch from inside, sipping hot cider. Callum runs to her pink-cheeked and laughing when they come back inside, happier every day than he has been in weeks. In the evenings, he falls asleep on the couch, nestled between them as Harrow reads aloud in his deep, soothing voice.

Then the castle cold catches up with Harrow.

Sarai suddenly finds herself caught between overseeing regular deliveries of hot soup and honeyed tea to her husband and near-constant tantrums from her son. Everything becomes a battle—getting up in the morning, what food he'll eat for any meal and when, putting on warm clothes before going outside, baths, bedtime. After a particularly bad fit over wanting to go ice skating—it's not cold enough for Sarai to trust the pond's ice without it being checked—she gathers him up into her lap for a talk.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she says, rocking them both gently back and forth while he snuggles in her arms. "I can tell you're having a lot of big feelings—are you sad or mad that Harrow can't play anymore? Do you miss the castle?"

He shakes his head against her chest, but says nothing.

"Did something happen that scared you? Have you had bad dreams?"

Callum hesitates, then buries his face in her shirt, clinging to her. "I'm sorry, Mom," he says through fresh tears. "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry—"

She shushes him soothingly, stroking his hair. "I'm right here. It's okay to be overwhelmed. You haven't done anything wrong."

He takes a hiccuping breath. "But I did! I—I wished that King Harrow would die, so we could go home. I just wanted everything to be like it was before, with Dad. Now he's—I don't want him to die!"

He's crying hysterically again, and Sarai holds him tight. All the pieces suddenly come together—this year's cold takes root in the chest, leading to a wet, hacking cough. Harrow's coughing fits, while already subsiding, had been loud and frequent for the first few days. Loud enough to be heard from nearly anywhere in the lodge.

She and Damian had kept the worst of his condition from Callum, but not everything could be hidden, especially if Damian was to have any kind of life in his remaining time. So Callum saw when he coughed convulsively until he strained to breathe, air barely wheezing in and out of his lungs. Even if that wasn't the case, he'd heard his father's labored, rattling breaths at the end.

"Oh, sweetie," she says. "He's not going to die, I promise. He'll be just fine in a few days."

Callum shakes his head wildly, clinging to her. "I'm sorry," he sobs again.

"It's okay," Sarai soothes him, rubbing slow circles into his back. "It's okay, Callum. Sometimes, when we're angry or scared, we think or say things we don't really mean. There have been a lot of big changes, and that can feel scary and unfair. I wish we could have done things differently."

She swallows around the lump forming in her throat. "Your dad—I was angry and scared for a long time, when we found out how sick he was. I was angry that he wouldn't get to see you grow up, and I was scared of what life would be like without him. I had a lot of mean thoughts about people who I knew loved me, and were only trying to help. I didn't let those thoughts take root, and I know you won't, either—you'll breathe, and let them out."

She inhales deeply through her nose and exhales slowly through her mouth, repeating until Callum was breathing with her. His crying slows as he relaxes.

"Harrow can't ever replace your dad, but whatever he becomes to you, I know he loves you very much." She hugs him close, smiling when he hugs her back. "How about this? We can toast some cheese sandwiches and bring some soup up to him for lunch, like a picnic. He'll be happy to see you."

Callum nods, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. Sarai pokes it lightly. "Then, if the Crownguard say the ice is safe, we can go skating."

"Maybe, instead of skating," Callum says tentatively, as he hops down from her lap, "we could play a game from the game room this afternoon."

So Harrow can play, too. All of us together. She smiles, levering herself up from the couch. "That's a wonderful idea, sweetie. Go pick one out, and I'll start the sandwiches."

She's still smiling as he scampers off excitedly, and she heads for the kitchen. Lunch and games with all three of them, together—it looks like they just might be becoming a family.

[youruinedmylifebynotbeingreal]

Something about Soren not being able to initially believe that Terry is complimenting him breaks me.

We don’t see him get compliments too often in the show. Especially in Arc 1, he’s belittled by Viren more often than not. Yes, he acts cocky and confident. He knows he’s super strong and great at most tasks associated with being a Crownguard (whether he thinks he’s actually a good Crownguard is a whole other mini essay, but I digress). But that’s all more like a task, something easily measured objectively. And it’s something totally different to be told that you’re good at those things by the people around you, or to be complimented on other things about yourself.

The biggest instances I can think of include:

Corvus calling Soren the mastermind of the plan to get Ezran out of Katolis. Soren immediately makes a joke out of it.

Ezran: you’re the best Crownguard a king could ask for. *hugs him* Soren: *cue shocked silence, followed by literally running away from the situation*

Everybody laughing at his comedy routine (not exactly a direct compliment, but similar in nature in my opinion). He actually accepts this pretty well, but it’s also something he’s been rehearsing and is proud of and is expecting a good reaction to. He even says thank you to the crowd.

“Well, if your sword is as sharp as your wit, then the young king is in good hands.” “Wow, but, thank you. Uh, dragons are SO nice.” He gets super sheepish about this and then in turn compliments dragons. One of the few times he’s okay at accepting a compliment, yet he still turns it around to make it about others.

“Soren, you’re amazing!” “Smort Longpocket is amazing.” Deflecting. Enough said.

“A good man with a big heart.” He gets so overwhelmed he can’t even verbally respond and just has to hug Corvus.

And now. The big/most complicated/messiest one. Viren in season 6. “Oh, you’ve grown so much. You’re so strong, so true to your heart. Your good heart. Somehow… you found the right path, in spite of everything I’ve done. I’m so proud of you.” “What are you trying to do?… Stop it! Just - just stop it! I know who you are. You’re dangerous. Everything you’re telling me is… is some kind of lie! And I’m not going to let you manipulate me again!” “It isn’t a lie, son, please.” There is so much to unpack here, but I want to focus on two big things: Viren compliments both his heart (aka Corvus’s compliment) and his strength (aka Terry’s future compliment). Soren’s gut instinct is to believe that Viren is lying. No deflecting, no avoiding the compliment. Straight up accusing him of more manipulation. Which is completely fair, when that’s all he’s ever known from Viren. So what does that mean for Corvus’s compliment, when it so closely echoes something Viren says? Was he lying, too? But it’s Corvus. He would never. So, of course, this would lead to some Big Feelings Time. (We Were Born the in the Valley/ Of the Dead and the Wicked on AO3 delves into this topic a bit and I think about it SO often. Of course, season 7 adds even more to the idea.)

*If there are other examples please remind me! I’d love to work them into my thoughts.*

Anyway, back to my point. He doesn’t seem to accept compliments very well and doesn’t know how to react to them a lot of the time. From resorting to physical affection, making a joke, or deflecting the compliment, Soren just does not seem to know how to handle people being nice to him. Because, ya know, childhood trauma and a father that was emotionally abusive. He’s used to lies and manipulation and any “compliments” having an ulterior motive.

So here comes Terry. Someone who has also been a bad guy. Who is trying to reform. Soren sees a lot of himself in him (peep the whole speech about abandoning Claudia).

And… he’s nice? And kind? And doesn’t seem evil? But of course, Soren is apprehensive and expects the worst, unsure if people can truly change.

“No, I don’t trust him. Nobody is this charming and, and nice. Nuh-uh.”

This is both an insult and a compliment, yet Terry just takes it in stride, not even hesitating:

“Thanks! You seem great too. Very strong and very, uh, loyal.”

A compliment for Soren? Echoing something Viren said? Oh, that must mean it’s manipulation.

“Ah-ah, I know this trick. You’re just buttering me up.”

I’m pretty sure the last time “buttering something up” was mentioned in canon was likely season 2 (if I’m wrong please somebody correct me), when Soren and Claudia are attempting to get Callum and Ezran back to Katolis. And it includes Soren straight up lying to them. “I know this trick” because he recognizes it, he was raised with it, he has used it before.

Now, we never see Soren’s eyes shift. But in the background he’s sure to see Corvus looking at him encouragingly. Corvus, who somehow has so much hope even in the darkest of times and believes in the best of everyone. Who knows people can change for the better because he’s seen it happen. With Soren. (@stuck-in-jelly made a GREAT post about Corvus and his optimism the other day. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and it inspired this bit of analysis.)

“But thank you. I kind of needed to hear that today.”

Soren relents. He accepts the compliment. He admits that he needs support, which we know is difficult for him. After he says thank you, the screen cuts to Corvus looking at Soren like he puts the stars in the sky every night.

I like to think that Corvus helped him talk through some of those thoughts and struggles he had after his conversations with Viren. We know they share a lot with each other.

Overall, throughout the series Soren has not been great at receiving compliments. But it seems like he’s got people around him trying to help him see how great he genuinely is. Hopefully in Arc 3 Soren gets ALL OF THE COMPLIMENTS and actually believes them, too.

[sorinethemastermind]

After the End of the World

They stopped the end of the world. Callum doesn't know why he's having a panic attack now. #Rayllum @endergriffin444 thank you for participating in the Review Fic-Athon! I hope you like it :)

 They had stopped the end of the world. Callum didn’t know why he was having a panic attack now.

 Lack of logic didn’t seem to be stopping it, though.

 His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table, breath coming in short, shallow gasps. He knew he shouldn’t have hung that mirror there. It had been stupid. A stupid idea.

 Why was he always so stupid?

 He made the mistake of glancing up, spotting the white streak in his hair again before jerking his head back down to stare at the desk. He tried to focus on the positives; he wasn’t horribly scarred, the way Viren and Claudia had been.

 Maybe that would come later. After Aaravos came back and possessed him and he did who knows what to his friends and everyone he loved in the world and they all died because of him and it was all his fault because he was that horrible, twisted version of himself he’d seen in the forest and that was his destiny and-

 The door opened, almost as silently as the footsteps that followed.

 “Callum? Are you okay?” Rayla’s voice was low, concerned. He didn’t turn to face her.

 “I’m fine!” he forced out, voice oddly high pitched as he tried to sound cheery. The footsteps grew closer.

 “Oh, Callum.” she stopped beside him, reaching out a hand to cup the side of his face and tilt it towards her’s. He didn’t meet her eyes. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

 “It’s nothing.” Callum said, trying to look away even as she attempted to meet his gaze. He didn’t want to see the way she looked at him now that he was-

 She brushed the hair out of his face, tucking the white streak away. She didn’t flinch as her hand touched it, just smiled at him a little sadly.

 “Do you want to talk about it?”

 She wiped a tear from his cheek. He hadn’t realized he’d started to cry.

 “I did Dark Magic, and for what?” he asked, bitterly. “It didn’t even do anything. And now- now…”

 She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his scarf. He could feel her hair tickling his neck as she held him. “It’s going to be okay.”

 “How could it be okay!? It is not going to be okay.” Callum maintained. “I couldn’t stop him then, and when he comes back, I won’t be able to stop him then. We only have seven years, Rayla. Seven years and fifteen days! I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s not. It’s really not and-”

 “We’ll be ready this time.” Rayla assured him, giving him a squeeze before pulling back to look him in the eyes. The corner of her lip twitched upward into a small smile. “And we’ll have each other.”

 “No, we won’t.” Callum pressed his palms to his eyes. “Everything I did, I only played right into his hands. I’m so stupid. Stupid.”

 “Callum-”

 He threw his hands into the air, gesturing wildly at everything and nothing. “I did Dark Magic again! What did I promise you? That I wouldn’t do Dark Magic again. And now look at me! Corrupted forever, ruined all over again. And what did I get for it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And now when he comes back…”

 “We’ll figure it out, Callum. We can… we can banish the darkness inside you again!”

 “No, we can’t.” he shook his head. “I already asked Astrid. It’s a one time thing. One second chance! No third chances. No third chances for Dark Mages who can’t learn from their mistakes.”

 He slumped into the chair behind him. “I screwed up. I screwed up again. You all should have left the first time.”

 “We’re not leaving you.” Rayla said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m right here with you.”

 “Maybe I should leave, before one of you gets hurt. Before I hurt you. Ez probably won’t even miss me and-”

 “Ezran would definitely miss you.” Rayla cut him off. “And then he’d have to send Soren and Corvus to go and track you down instead of finding King Harrow.”

 Callum groaned. “Our Dad. What am I going to say to him? How am I supposed to tell him that I abandoned Ezran when he needed me most and-”

 “Callum, stop this! You and Ez made up. Your Dad loves you. He’ll love you no matter what.” she knelt down, throwing her arms around him again. “Just like I love you.”

 Callum wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

 “I love you, Callum.” she said again, voice muffled by his scarf. “And I’m here for you. Just like you’ve always been there for me. And for Ezran. We’ve got you. But we need you to trust us to help carry this burden.”

 “I do trust you.” Callum sighed, taking a deep breath. “And I love you. So much.” 

“Then we’ll figure it out. It’s like you said. So long as we love each other, no one can control us. We write our own destinies.”

 Callum tried to take a deep breath. To focus on that. On the fact that, even when Aaravos did return, they would have each other. They would write their own destinies. He didn't know how, but he would make sure that Rayla was safe. That all of them were.

 They would carry their burdens together.

[raayllum]

could you talk about the bridge scene with the leaf falling over rayla

anon i was literally thinking about that specific shot just a couple days ago so THANK YOU for the opportunity bc it's soo freaking good like

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the four Banther Lodge bridge scenes (Rayllum twice in 7x02, Ezran and Aanya in 7x03, and Rayllum's final scene in 7x09). Bridges in fiction usually symbolize transition, thresholds, or unity, but none of these ideas are particularly present in half the scenes on said bridge. I do think we can see some overall arc though if we look at Rayllum's scenes together in 7x02.

Rayla is fronting with anger and frustration, since that's what she's always done with her sadness and guilt, particularly when she feels helpless. The fact that it's a beloved friend who's unexpectedly being an obstacle to her when this was never the case with Zym/Zubeia has also gotta sting. This is also Rayla in some ways at her least mature / most impatient (beyond the marginally better council meeting, even if Rayla is canonically terrible at explaining things).

We also know she's reacting emotionally (as previously stated, Callum is literally the only person Rayla can count on to be in her corner here whatsoever; without him, she has no one, whereas Ezran has the entire council + Zym and Aanya) since when Callum does offer to be on her side and actively help her, Rayla rejects it out of love for him and Ezran. She wasn't necessarily asking him to take a stand for her earlier on the bridge, but wanting to know that someone else understood her perspective (and he does).

This episode in particular establishes a strong visual language for the two (i.e. Rayla standing in the dark during the council meeting, Callum's chair being closest to hers, etc). The visual parallels between the bridge meetings, as well as set up for later in the episode, are no exception; I'll talk about the couple more I noticed in a bit.

And Rayllum does have a nice moment of unity on the bridge, even if it ultimately is supposed to be their goodbye for an unknown period of time. The last time they were on a bridge of sorts, it was the pathway Viren had carved with dark magic in 5x02: "But it's a bridge between our two worlds, and now here we are, crossing it together." "Maybe you're right. It's an old wound that's healing."

Now, they're being forced apart by their own choices / circumstances, and reopening an old wound of sorts in doing so because Ezran hasn't healed (and at this point, largely refuses to try).

With all that out of the way, we can actually talk about the shot(s) you requested! The most interesting one to me, I think, is the choice to frame it in water. Now it could just be a nice way to freshen up the shot, give us a different perspective, etc. Water reflections and such are present in the other bridge scene with Aanya after all, and are commonly utilized in animation, storyboarding, etc to make things look more interesting when there's an opportunity to do so.

Most of the time in TDP, even when including Rayllum, water shots are framed rightside up, accentuating but not dislodging the audience's natural perspective of things.

For example, even in Ezran and Aanya's scene on the bridge, we don't see this inverted perspective the way we do for Rayllum here.

Which begs the question why? I think there's one more likely / direct option, and another more beloved tinfoil hat version. The one I think they were actually going for (the first) is to invoke a sense of unnaturalness. Callum and Rayla separating feels fundamentally wrong to both of them, especially this time, and turning things upside down, away from how they should be, helps create that feeling.

The other more tinfoil hat one is that — in a season with an episode titled "Inversion" — we have seen this "upside down" thread in TDP before.

We have King Harrow's "there's a beautiful upside down truth" in 2x05, which doesn't really fit with the above (although maybe there could be a connection with "forgive me" / "i now believe true strength is found in forgiveness, in vulnerability, in love" etc).

More directly, there's the Key of Aaravos, whose repeated 'turning upside down' has been a segue to dark magic use routinely, specifically in 7x06's case at the "If you love her, you'll be the you that can save her." (More on that here, if you're curious.)

With this in mind, the tinfoil idea would be that the Rayllum reflection inversion is set up to further connect with 7x06, and highlight how much Callum wants to help her, is only willing to separate from her for her own genuine good, and that he'd do anything for her. ("You don't have to ask. I would do anything for you." / "If you love them, Rayla, Ezran, all of them, you'll do anything to save them.")

After the above shot on the bridge, Callum begins to walk away, a reversal of earlier where Rayla left first. In doing so, Callum passes behind her, being totally covered up by her like they are one person. This is again to reinforce the pain of being potentially separated and how unnatural it feels, especially because this feeling of Callum-and-Rayla as one entity is going to be further reaffirmed in the finale (wherein unlike Viren's heart and body/life being sacrificed together unto himself, Rayla's heart and Callum's body/life would be sacrificed together).

Then the leaf pops up, obscuring Rayla's face/head — but this isn't the first time we've seen this framing. We actually just saw it earlier in the scene!

There's a few reasons, I think. The first is to accentuate division and absence. They're going to be separated, Rayla is going to be gone, anchoring us a bit more to Callum's thoughts/feelings accordingly. I also think there's an element of outside, externalized forces more so being the reason for their separation (i.e. everything with Ezran) rather than it being something either of them actively Want, either. There's also an element of erasure, reminiscent of Ghosting erasing not an elf's body necessarily within the spell, but their faces as a sign of the banishment. The boys and Katolis have been Rayla's second default home, but now everyone (except Callum) is against her, refusing to acknowledge her pain or perspective (although she hasn't done a great job at acknowledging Ez's, but she also doesn't have Power over him the same way he does in this situation), and she feels compelled to turn against them this time to do what feels right for her family.

Then we have the closing shots of the scene with the leaf.

The leaf causes ripples (which is loaded as a concept: Rayla causing ripples by chucking rocks at her still floating Lotus; her "ripples of mercy" in sparing Marcos in S1 that have not yet stilled; Aaravos' fascination with ripples as laid out in the TDP short story of the same name). We do know presumably that Callum's choice to go with Rayla to the Silvergrove (and help her father) was somewhat set in stone, since if Astrid had flown to Katolis she would've just found ruins, wouldn't have known to go to the Banther Lodge (or gotten info there since nobody knows who she is), so Kosmo must've told her where the Mage and the Warrior would be ahead of time. Very 'fated' in some ways.

The ripples also lead to distortion. This can convey impact (threaded back into the tinfoil lens) or Rayla being further obscured (negative). The leaf moves further to be a 'physical barrier' between the two on the bridge, as Callum leaves Rayla standing alone (but still, she's gone before he turns around).

I do think the choice to set it on the water is a nice piece of possible setup for water (the boat, aided by Callum's magic) being their successful (positive) getaway later.

Another little piece of symbolism I love this episode is their hands, specifically how they reluctantly part with Callum's lingering in their goodbye on the bridge, and how the hands are used to symbolize being reunified after he comes to her rescue.

[colonelpancakes]

Watching The Dragon Prince Season Six Part Eight: We All Fall Down. I made so many distressed noises while watching this episode that I actually hurt my throat

Under the cut as per usual.

Already, the shots of the people looking up at Sol Regem combined with the music is making me so fucking nervous is Katolis about to get destroyed??? Nothing better happen to Barius and Jellybug you hear me, they better make it out unscathed.

sakfdljskla it’s okay Soren, I heard “physical exercises” too. This is why I watch shows with subtitles.

OH MY FUCKING GOD THAT ESCALATED. SHIT.

That’s really bad, oh my god. Fuck.

Oh noo, honey… She had to leave her toy behind no…

Oh thank God, Soren and Opeli are somehow okay.

Guys, I appreciate the efforts, but I DON’T THINK ARROWS ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING. Ballista? Maybe. Arrows? Definitely not.

OKAY CRAP IT GOT WORSE. They burned the bridge??? Man’s really just trying to kill as many people as possible, huh. That’s. Oh my god.

Oh crap.

OH FUCK! SOREN!

Okay, shit that’s a lot of blood um. Okay. That’s definitely a concussion. Hat’s okay, that’s good. Fuck. Soren you need to survive this episode, you hear me? You are not allowed to die.

Oh my god, the score here is. Oh my god. It really drives home the sense of fear and tragedy. The composers are fucking killing it.

SORENNNNN!!!! MY BOY!!! I LOVE HIM SO FUCKING MUCH OH MY GOD. I love the fact that he prioritizes citizen’s lives over the castle because 1) it’s absolutely what Ezran would want done in this situation and 2) it’s a direct contrast to season two where Soren causes MORE harm by insisting that a dragon be shot down but then 3) it’s a continuation of his character arc from that episode because after he realizes he made a mistake, he frees Corvus so that he can help evacuate the town. And then here, he’s making the call to stop shooting, sacrifice the castle, and focus entirely on evacuating the people. I love Soren so much, look at how much my boy has grown.

Is he going to get Viren out of the castle?

SOREN. SOREN, NO. NO SELF-SACRIFICING you hear me? NO. You are GOING to reunite with Opeli and you are GOING to be there to take care of Hat, Soren, I swear to god-

Oh, Hello motherfucker! I am about to reach through this screen and start biting you. Is that a fight I’m going to win? No. But it would be cathartic.

Oh, wow. Viren’s facial hair has really grown since the episode before last. I guess he doesn’t anything to shave with so that makes sense. Sure caught me off-guard though.

Oh? He’s asking VIren for help, I didn't expect that.

Oh! Soren you are so smart, I would not have thought of that, that’s a really good idea.

There’s a lot going on here, but also, ooh that’s interesting. I’ve always wondered how staffs were enhancing primal magic but then this answers it! They have primal stones embedded in them. Cool, I like that detail. Now back to heart-crushing drama.

Ohhhh Soren… I love Soren. The way he’s prioritizing people’s lives over EVERYTHING else, over any moral objections to dark magic, over the potential cost of any ingredient. Soren… You are so good.

Oh, god, what’s the ingredient for this one. It better not be another situation where you have to kill your child, if it is, I swear to god, Viren-

Oh. Oh shit. Ohhh noo, that’s um. Oh. Okay. Uh. Fuck.

SOFNREN! SONR NO. SOREN. NO. Not allowed, nope. Given all the emphasis on Viren’s value of his family this season I don’t. Think that he would sacrifice Soren. But. Honey. Darling, Sweetheart, no. I reiterate what I said earlier, Soren, you are NOT ALLOWED TO DIE.

VIREN DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE.

Viren. Viren where’s Soren. Viren.

Oh, shit, Viren stabbed himself didn’t he. Fuck.

Yeah… Yeah, he did. Shit. That is. Yeah, that is a lot of blood.

I'm out of images??? Already??? Oh my god. Uh. Continued in reblogs

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

and i don't even like you that much... wait, i do (fuck)

Speculative s7 fic by @sagegreenfrogs and I! Next up, Camp Counsellor AU!

Soren gave General-Queen Amaya her arm-punch much sooner than he'd thought. That was nice, but the cons outweighed the pros. The cons being that Katolis was in shambles and still burning, that after everything, Viren still managed to evade justice, and, oh yeah, Aaravos was out of his prison. That had been hard to miss.

Commander Gren had directed him to a tent near the hall where the wedding had been held, to where Ezran sat, talking in a low voice with Queen Aanya of Duren and Queen Janai.

The younger girl looked up when he entered quietly and bowed, placing a hand on Ez's back and nodding to Soren. “Why don't I go make arrangements for you to come to Duren with me?”

He reached out for her before seeming to remember himself, curling his fist around thin air. “But what about… What about my brother? What about Rayla, my people? The Crownguards, the castle staff?”

“I'll find a mage to send word to Prince Callum,” Janai promised, getting to her feet. “Your people are always more than welcome here.”

Aanya nodded in agreement. “The same will go for me. We can consolidate our powers, Duren and Katolis and New Aurea. We will find a way to defeat Aaravos, and we'll help you rebuild Katolis. There every step of the way.”

Ezran took a deep, shaky breath in, and soldiered to his own feet alongside Aanya. “Alright. Thank you two so much.”

Queen Janai squeezed his soldier gently. “Of course. We are not only allies, King Ezran, but family.”

The two queens took their leave, and Soren was left alone with a shuddery Ezran. He waved him over, wiping his hands on his bright red pants in the heat.

“Hey,” he said. “How bad is it, really?”

Soren averted his gaze. “It’s… bad, King Ezran. Really bad. The castle is in the ground, and so’s the town. But we got a lot of the citizens out, nearly all of them.”

He stayed quiet for a long moment, an uncomfortable one.

Soren stepped forward. “Listen, evacuating and abandoning the castle was my idea. No one else's. Get mad at me, but don't blame-”

Ezran cut him off with a tight hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. “That was a good choice. The right one. I'm so proud of you, Soren. I trust you.”

For once, it didn't feel like what Soren was being told was the right choice was an ulterior motive in disguise.

Soren held him back, wishing he didn't have to deliver the next news. But Ezran was his friend and the king, his king, and so he had to.

“Viren is dead,” he whispered, and Ez lurched back. “He used his heart for a spell to protect people, to make them fireproof.”

“The one from Lux Aurea? The Storm Spire?” Fear flashed in Ezran’s eyes, but not fear of him, fear for him. Because Ezran had known how desperately terrified of becoming a monster, especially at his father’s hands, that Soren was, and then had handed him all the tools to do it on a silver platter.

He nodded. “Yes.”

Ezran looked down. “Okay. Okay. It's not- it's not great, but we can work with it. At least he's not a threat anymore, right? Assuming he doesn't get resurrected for a third time.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t tend to stay gone,” Soren agreed, laughing in spite of everything. “But, King Ezran- it's- okay, I have one more piece of bad news for you.”

Ezran pulled away from the embrace to look up at him with apprehensively raised eyebrows. “What?”

He bit his lip.

“Soren.”

He looked away. “Aaravos is out. My sis- Claudia freed him.”

Ezran lurched away and spat out a string of words that Soren couldn't exactly say he approved of, but sure did accurately describe the situation.

He eased the younger boy down onto his chair, holding a glass of water to his lips as he struggled to breathe. “Hey, it's okay. Breathe in and out.”

Ezran shook his head, fisting his hand in the fabric over his heart and using the other to slam down on the table. “No. No, I’m fine. I have to be fine. Letters. I- I need to send letters, get help and tell Callum-”

“I already did that,” Soren assured him. Written on the ride over, handwriting wonkier than its usual wonkiness, but he’d gotten word out across the continent asking for aid.

Ezran gripped his sleeve and looked up at him gratefully. “Thanks.”

“Don’t even mention it. Now, why don’t we go get you some fresh air?” Soren offered a hand up.

Ezran ducked his head and took it, allowing him to adjust the gleaming crown around his head. Just once, Soren wished he could yank it off and let the boy be a kid. Not a king, not someone with the weight of the world on his young shoulders. Just a kid who hadn’t even gone through puberty yet.

“You’ve got this,” Soren assured him, because, well… there wasn’t much other choice, was there?

Ezran’s eyes saddened. He knew it, too.

Read more on ao3!

[fleoshc]

I feel like Micah was watching "the Dragon Prince" while writing the end of Wight Winter.

V-king Nyve and the V-head (I forgot his name) have a lot of parallels to lord Viren and prince Ezran. So many, in fact, that I think Micah might've taken inspiration from these characters.

The first obvious parallel is that Nyve is a child king who has a regent ruling for him until he gets older. Not only that, but his regent is his uncle, much like prince Ezran and lord Viren. The V-head is also shown to have a pretty bad personality, telling servants off for the smallest things, and trying to kill his own nephew for the throne, which is also what lord Viren attempted to do to Ezran.

And if I didn't convince you yet, V-king Nyve can talk to animals... YOU KNOW WHO ELSE CAN TALK TO ANIMALS?!!?!?

Anyways, thank you for coming to my deranged Ted talk...

Tldr: I think V-king Nyve and the V-head are inspired by prince Ezran and lord Viren from the Dragon Prince.