#maybe i'll add on to this in a future reblog if i remember other scenes that stood out

[dragonknightofsummerset]

The Vestige

Alright, so going through the Elsweyr chapter/dlc has me thinking about the Vestige, cause I love me characters that fall into the hero role (willingly or not) and how sometimes it is more tragic than not.

DISCLAIMER: My tes lore is not good, I have not played every chapter or dlc (definitely no trials) so there might be stuff I don’t mention because I can’t or my knowledge is just lacking. Also, I forget stuff. This is me just trying to make sense of my feelings and thoughts about the Vestige. Thoughts under the cut.

“An empty vessel that longs to be filled”

I first started thinking about how the Vestige is a chosen one, so not necessarily a hero by choice, when Varen (The Prophet) explains why he calls you “Vestige”. Which is something that I was reminded of when going through the Southern Elsweyr storyline. See below:

Both Ja’darri and Khunzar-ri talk about the cycle repeating:

“It is not a place, but a story that has been and will be told time and time again.” -Ja’darri

“The story repeats, and this is your turn in the cycle.” Khunzar-ri

And to tie it up, we have what Nahfahlaar says below:

I know they’re different people, this is more of a head canon I suppose, rather than a theory. What with the cycle repeating, the story being told over and over, and there being a hero in every cycle, and the Vestige being described as an empty vessel longing to be filled. And Nahfalaar himself saying at the end of the conversation that he will not repeat history just ahhh

Nahfahlaar had confused the Vestige (aka “hunter”) as Ja’darri. It just lends to Varen’s explanation of why he refers to the Vestige as such and describes them as a vessel. The Vestige is a vessel, they are a hero through and through in each cycle and (a hc of mine) is that Nahfahlaar (maybe all dragons?) can see the souls of mortals and that is why he had confused the Vestige for Ja’darri. In a sense they’re the same person, or soul in this case in a reincarnation type of way.

*EDIT: Not in a reincarnation type of way per se, but more like a past self. Idk something along those lines.

Below is just what makes the Vestige tragic:

“No, the real lesson of these heroes is that legend always carries a price. You must be prepared to pay that toll when it comes.”

“But when the weather turns foul, we must act on our own. The most consequential moments rest at these crossroads of faith and choice.

In this moment the choice is yours.”

“You’re kind of like me in a lot of ways, aren’t you? An outsider caught up in things we don’t fully understand?”

“But now that duty lies upon your shoulders. Bear it wisely.”

“I’m just whatever’s needed at the time” - The Vestige

^These just show how the Vestige is told that there is a price to pay for being a legend and to be ready to pay the toll when the time comes (during one of the base game storylines) and then in Murkmire, the Vestige is faced with a hard choice of choosing which friend will give their life to bring back a tribe thought lost.

Then we have Darien in Summerset, relating with the Vestige, in terms of just being thrown into the unknown even when they come across as an “outsider” to what’s going on. Followed by Ja’darri proving his point in saying that the duty of slaying the demon now falls on the Vestige.

And to finish this off, even though this was more for the Vestige to keep their cover, it’s interesting that they say that they’re just what’s needed at the time. Again, going back to what Varen said, that the Vestige is just a vessel longing to be filled!!!