#Eir and Zojja are so dear to my heart in this AU. especially their roles in IBS.

[mistfallengw2]

Okay, list of main differences in Vesska's AU:

Phlunt adopted Vesska for political reasons. Not much of a parent, but took proper care of their education and later was instrumental in a few ways.

Vesska officially joins the Vigil, but their contacts from their years spent in Lion's Arch as progeny made them also a member of the Order of Whispers by technicality.

Forgal survives Claw Island, along with both Sieran and Tybalt. Along with a series of different factors, Vesska takes initiative a lot sooner and reinforcement ships arrive to evacuate the troops stationed there just before Blightghast lands, so no sacrifice is needed there.

Due to a bunch of favorable circumstances (including Phlunt being convinced by Vesska to pressure the Arcane Council after the CoE mess and even more after the Aetherblades), the Inquest is put under investigation. They start to collaborate with the Pact (or at least not interfere directly) as part of their proclaimed effort to clean up their act, but they still manage to find loopholes to do things in secret. Events in Dry Top, Draconis Mons and Rata Primus go differently as they're pressured to maintain their deal and each new "discovery" puts them on shakier ground (especially with Vesska who has the official right to lash out in such cases).

Thanks to Tybalt's survival, Demmi survives the encounter with her father, and she is the one doing the Shining Blade stuff in Vesska's stead.

Caithe steals the egg, but she enters HoT along with the Commander, only running away out of necessity when chased by a Vinetooth.

Eir barely survives thanks to Vesska, but remains bedridden for months and is permanently disabled due to her wounds. Later finds out that Wolf form makes moving around easier, and eventually finds a purpose as a Shaman of Wolf, helping others struggling like her, as she did with Zojja (the two grew much closer as family, and they remain active in story).

Trahearne survives thanks to Vesska, but the partial link with Mordremoth being severed the way it did ends up making him his Scion. Residual magic absorbed during the ritual at the Source of Orr made him also attuned to Zhaitan's magic, which is channeled through his now-OP necromancy. However, his body was not made for such a flow of magic, so he needs to rest for increasingly longer periods of time as his body slowly changes and adapts, and eventually he slumbers for months at a time. He instinctively links himself to the Pale Tree to help it recover and make use of the magic excess, turning it into his Champion. New sylvari are more magically powerful on average due to it.

Vlast survives the fight with Balthazar, finds purpose in helping his sister as he sees her as the focus of their legacy, then ends up becoming an elder dragon along with her.

Vesska doesn't die because of Balthazar, nor ends up in the Domain of the Lost at any point. Instead, they become Vlast's champion as well, as he is the one to save them and that links them together. After the connection to him, the Commander discovers they can use any magic they absorbed (the dragons', bloodstone, and everything they've ever been hit with).

Caithe still becomes Aurene's second Champion, just as her Herald instead of her Voice (she started talking after the trials). [Current idea is that Caithe was badly wounded and Aurene refused to let her die]

The Steel warband is only captured and Cinder gets handed over to Ryland unharmed as a sign of good will. Bangar plays his cards wrong with his second, and ends up becoming Jormag's Champion after Ryland mortally wounds him and switches sides. Golden boy gets to tackle some of his daddy and mommy issues in much less destructive ways.

Braham doesn't become Champion of Primordus. Instead, Eir and Zojja manage to find Owl and they devise a plan to stop the Twins with her. Zojja puts all her golemancy and magic skills into a way to allow the Spirits to bait Primordus to the surface, while Eir allows Owl to use her as a host and they sacrifice themselves to break Bangar apart from Jormag. Eir survives the magical explosion thanks to Owl, becoming her "avatar" as the Spirit recovers (when she will die, Owl will return) and her new havroun, which allows her to turn into Owl form almost indefinitely. [They get to avenge Snaff and honor his legacy in their own way]

Vesska and Aurene have to mercy-kill Vlast while they're in Echovald, as he couldn't filter magic efficiently like his sister and a seed of Torment (like Kralkatorrik's) in him acted as the catalyst for the Void takeover. If he had been alive, maybe they could have won against the Dragonvoid, but everything started going terribly after his death and until the End.

Vesska is polyamorous. They dated Trahearne, technically Caithe (messy and fine as it is) and Braham. They also had a fwb thing going on with Rytlock (early, stops when he gets with Logan) and Canach (fun with no strings attached). Some serious flirting happened with Rama and especially Yao, but then the End happened.