#Djek would become an assassin I think

[illarian-rambling]

Question for the writers out there: Who would your protag be if they went down their darkest timeline? (Assuming they aren't already in their darkest timeline, in which case, who would they be if things were better?)

[illarian-rambling]

24 for the edgy OC ask game?

What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

I think about this one a lot, since a lot of my characters' paths tend to be shaped by some pivotal choices, so forgive me if some of these get a little long :)

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If Twenari had never run away from her mother, she would've eventually broken under the strain of being a human weapon and become an emotionless creature very much like Undeta. She would've taken over the Tunnel Wasp smuggling ring and raised it to new heights through her cunning and sorcerous talent. She probably would rule the blackmarket of all Janaz by the time she turned twenty.

If Saius had never been executed and Sepo had never burned the Silver Sovereign's heir and palace, he would've stayed a Singer-Priest, never learning that surface folk are sentient and what the sirens are doing is evil. With his drive and power, he would've become a true terror of the seas, sinking galleons with little trouble. I imagine if he ended up on this path and Twenari ended up taking over the Tunnel Wasps, the two would have an intense rivalry, as they would be haunting the same waters.

If Izjik had never followed that first urge from End, she never would've ended up in the Trench. Given how rare it is for spirits to come to Illaros, she probably would've lived most of her life unbothered by the star demon, as no god or Chosen would come near enough to activate its presence, which would remain rather dormant without that first kill. She would probably become a storied hunter of Edeme’eneha, content to live and love out her days within her swampy home, though she would always feel a vague lack of something in her life.

If Djek had been more willing to kill in service of the Tunnel Wasps, he would've risen much more quickly in their ranks. With his proclivity for shadow magic and fast-talk, he probably would've been trained as an infiltrator and assassin. Unfortunately, I can't see his unstealthy self lasting too long in this line of work. He'd probably get captured and turn coat, only to get captured again, and so on and so forth until he's made his rounds through most of Illaros's criminal syndicates.

If Astra had given up when she learned the Yewbury College of the Arcane wouldn't let her in, she would've returned to her home within the debtor's village, defeated. She still would've been determined to pay off her mothers' contracts, but without access to magic, I think she would end up turning to crime. All those underworld contacts would give her a good network to start something like the SLP she encounters in book 2. She'd probably end up starting a revolution against the landowners in rural Skolan and Sulu'Oku. Unfortunately, I also doubt she would last long in this line of work, though her dream would live on.

If Mashal never took that fateful guard assignment, he would've never encountered Vermir and would've stayed happily with his scouting regiment, protecting Skolan and Sulu'Oku's roads and helping weary travelers. With his older brother taking care of running the household, Mashal would be free to keep at his military career for as long as he liked. I think he'd stay a mounted knight for a long time, only retiring to run the family horse trading business when he hit middle age. There was another knight he was very close with, and though I hint a bit in flashbacks, I think in this timeline, Mashal and Shenlin would be happily married.

If Ivander never violated his contract by leaving his family, he would've never been cursed. Like Twenari, I think his morals would eventually be worn away under the drudgery of very mundane evil. He would end up a perfect Montane, married to a stranger with good connections, and working every day to tie hopeful people to inescapable contracts that would see them bankrupt. He doesn't have the drive to end up as the head of the family, so I think he'd be a very sad piece of middle management.

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And that's a wrap! A good blend, I think, of worse, neutral, and better. Thanks for the ask!