#shannon says vague things about grady like his 'never again' thing in nightfall and then doesn't expand...

[bookwyrminspiration]

i don’t know if you take them, but headcanons for mesmers in kotlc? because I feel like they’re not the most developed

I'm not very experienced with headcanons, but I can certainly try! This may just end up an assortment of details I would've included myself if it were my story. Some are already in line with canon, but not explicitly stated, so I'm saying them here

When mesmerising someone, one's mind is vulnerable and more susceptible to all other kinds of influence (beguilers, telepathic invasion, other mesmers, etc)

The more involved and intense the actions another is being mesmerized into doing, the more vulnerable the mind

(e.g., making someone slap themself once vs prolonged holding your hand in fire. also affected by number of people under control)

There is a finite amount of power one has, which can either be concentrated in one person's complex task, or spread out across multiple people as simpler tasks

This varies from person to person, and with practice you can increase your capability

There's a passive side effect to the ability that makes mesmers inherently more persuasive

This creates notable distrust in some, who constantly question their own conclusions and subtle actions in the presence of a mesmer (this is just canon but more relevant here)

More powerful mesmers can, with practice, utilize others' abilities effectively via mesmerising them

For example, mesmerizing a hydrokinetic and being able to use their hydrokinesis vicariously (this could be argued as existing in canon, but I'm making a distinction for no particular reason)

The more one practices with another's ability, the more skilled they become and the more they can use it (the benefits in one area also seep into all areas, making them more adaptable and skilled overall). This leads some to try and practice via trusted people repeatedly

However, the more time one spends mesmerizing one person, the more accustomed their mind becomes to it, and the harder it is to separate and break away

The adaptability and skill one gains in all regards of their personhood can come at the cost of the mental security of others, which can deter many from trying

I few of these are more canon than others, but I am very canon oriented so it's to be expected. I hope this is sufficient for your request, at least for now! I'm sure there's much more that could be explored or added, but these are the ideas I thought of first :)