Updated Dragon Prince theories.

[gullwhacker]

Two cuts here. The first is a crosspost from Pillowfort because I can't be bothered to be active there any more, the second is my followup.


This is a bunch of incomplete thoughts about The Dragon Prince, and how the sources of magic generally work. There's some pieces left to figure out, but we've gotten some clues.
We can observe that most beings have some sort of innate magic, as illustrated by Callum's handy-dandy cube thing. Rayla, as a Moonshadow Elf, has Moon magic. Bait is tied with something, presumably Sun magic (by process of elimination). That sea monster was definitely Ocean-powered. Humans by contrast don't, but I'll get back to that.
It feels to me like a safe bet that most sources of magic aren't just power - they lend themselves to a particular theming. Some of this is pure speculation, some is more evidence-based. Without further ado, thoughts on Sun/Moon/Star/Earth/Sky/Ocean magic.

• Moon - This one is honestly as clear as anything. Moon magic is all about illusion - the elves' innate invisibility under the full moon, the veil that kept them hidden from Soren's scouts, everything in that final episode. The power of the moon's reflected light is magic centred around trickery.


• Sun - Somewhat speculative. We've heard of the blades forged by Sunfire elves that burn forever, and we've seen Bait's flares of light. Fire magic is an obvious option, but I almost wonder if it's themed around creation. Creating light, life, magical weapons...and the sun being the source of things would be neat.


• Star - We've seen some star-themed elves, but don't know much about them yet. I feel like this should round out a trio with the other two - if the Moon is about what isn't real, and the Sun is about making things that are real, then maybe Star magic is about what could be real. Divination, prophecy, reading what's written in the stars. Not much more than a gut feeling here.


• Earth - What should be the most straightforward we kind of know the least about. Could be anything from helping plants grow to earthquakes to rocking out - this is the one we don't have any sources for yet.


• Ocean - Water is the easy answer. If these types of magic are more fundamental, though, then there should be more to it. Gut feeling speaks up again, and suggests that it could be related to movement - travel magic, swiftness, that kind of thing. Giant fish was pretty fast, after all.


• Sky - Hail to the king. If the primal stone is any indication, sky magic is wonderfully direct. It's about force - the strength of the wind, the fury of lightning, the power of the storm. If you want something flashy and dramatic, this is where to go.

And there we have it. Six faces of a cube, six elements. Earth aside, I feel like there's some themes to pick up on here. There's just one challenge - it's not six, it's seven. Where does Dark magic fit in? One fun thought is this: Humans don't have any innate magic detectable by that cube...but that does not imply that humans have no inherent magic. Maybe humans are naturally in tune with dark magic, and using it is less a cheat and more their birthright. But what is it?

• Dark - Putting aside the creatures that might go with it, what we've seen has generally had a theme of taking. That snake's soul-stealing venom makes it a good candidate for a dark creature, and much of what we've seen takes life from something else for some purpose. Even Claudia's fire spell took the life from a spider - how that produced flame is the mystery. Either dark magic is a shadowy general-purpose magic that can mimic other things - or maybe the spider was itself a fire-aligned creature, and its life became the flames she needed. There's some things to unpack here.

And that is it for my ramblings this day. Magic theory in fantasy settings is often interesting, and one of the curious hallmarks here is that we don't have any obvious dualities. There's no direct-opposite elements so far - each one has its own place, is part of a whole. I'm honestly looking forward to what future seasons might give us to add to this - and how many of my ideas just now are complete lunacy.
But if I trick anyone into thinking I know what I'm talking about, then I've at least got Moon magic under control.

So that's what I had to say before. Since then season 2 has aired, and more information came to light. This lets me revisit a few of the aforementioned points...

• Moon - Lujanne as good as confirmed this. "But those of us who know the moon arcanum understand we can only truly know the appearance itself. You can never touch the so-called reality that lies just beyond the reach of your own perception." That's as clear an illusion manifesto as I've ever not-seen.


• Sun - The only new information here is by deed, not by word - seeing what Sunfire elves can do.
  Specifically, powering up enough to punch holes in stone. I'd guessed creation, but I'm wondering if the spark of life might be what's going on - making a living weapon, powering up the self. Mind, it could just as easily be destruction - whatever side of fire is most fitting.


• Star - "All you need to do now is accept it. Your destiny is already written." Aaravos has knowledge of all the Primals, but he's a Startouch elf first and foremost - and his words seep with the knowledge of destiny. Prophecy, divination, however it's described I'm that much more confident that this is the nature of the stars.


• Earth - Nothing new learned here, sadly.


• Ocean - No new Ocean creatures to study, unless that tentacle Callum used for a dark spell is any hint. If that's the case, then maybe making snakes appear suggests something to do with life - it seems more fitting than my earlier guess.


• Sky - Callum learns the arcanum of Sky, about the power of the wind, and how it's the world in every breath. It's flashy at times, the wrath of the storm, but it's also the wind that drives sails. Were I to be poetic, I'd say it's something like command - ruling the skies, ruling the self. It's not just wrath, though, it's got that connotation of freedom.


• Dark - Yup. This is the magic of taking. Taking the lives of other creatures, to use their magic, or to use their lives. Simple dark spells can mimic the other primals, as seen with the spider or the tentacle. Diving deeper into Dark magic is more direct in a way that stains the soul - taking a soul to put in another body, taking a deer's life to restore Soren's. Viren's been doing this for years, and Claudia's starting to go deep. It's an easy path and a terrific one.

So I can't quite put Sky into words at the moment, and I'm iffy on Sun and Ocean - but I feel justified on Moon, Star, and Dark magic. Definitely looking forward to seeing what we learn in season 3.

Comments

[eastofthemoon]

Also just struck me that you use stars to navigate when you're out exploring. So, maybe star magic is also useful like a compass or even just spiritually finding your path in life in a way, like Tarot card reading.

[gullwhacker]

That's...a really good theory. What else might be written in the stars?