#something happened to Galbatorix that made him act cruel towards Morzan I think

[umunschaas]

*heaves this up from the tags like a box full of gold*

Thank you so much @tonhalszendvics !!! This is lovely brainfood; I didn’t even think that far xD

Buuuut yes. I like that idea of Morzan being the first and Brom the last. Maybe whatever happened at Bachel's place of bullshit has mentally scarred Morzan so much, that he left. Or maybe something happened to Galbatorix there and with him being the og reason why Morzan joined, whatever change happened made him leave. It might take him a while to make that decision, during which he already gains a bad reputation, while Galbatorix goes around collecting allies. He switches sides when he decides to warn/save Oromis, despite them not having the best past. (Maybe he just wants some safety back.) His dragon still has their name then of course. Both get hurt enough during the fight with Fomora and Kialandi and the flight after, that they can't fight in the battle of Vroengard or Ilirea.

As for Brom. Hmmm. Maybe he got fed up because everyone kept telling him to stay put and do nothing, while Morzan is out there. So with riders and dragons being ambushed and the Order starting to fall apart in front of him, he might start thinking. Maybe remembers how much he respected and idolized Morzan. Ponders if maybe he was right all along. Now if we go with Brom and Morzan really missing each other by a short margin of time; maybe Brom gets the false news that Oromis and Glaedr have died and he and Saphira loose it a little with grief and fly to finally do something. They meet Galbatorix though, who with his charisma and nice words convinces them to join them, because you know; your old friend Morzan is with us too, riiiiiight? Galbatorix already had a feeling that Morzan might not be as loyal anymore and thus makes Brom swear a ton of oaths (consider that Brom is even younger than Morzan and maybe doesn't even quite grasp the severity of some of these oaths). Galbatorix gets some more oaths out of him when he tells him that Morzan has been killed by some remaining riders of the Order. When Brom hears rumors that Morzan has fled instead, it's too late already. And in that time Galbatorix has found out their true names anyway. Saphira and he can't escape.

After the banishing of names, Brom spends days and nights simply sitting with Saphira, afraid that it will start taking her mind any second. It doesn't. Maybe because they aren't there out of their free will, or perhaps because with Glaedr and Morzan’s dragon, there are two dragons left weaving the spell that have some strong fondness left for Saphira and that is maybe just enough. Even if they don't know that she isn't with the forsworn because she wants to.

So while Morzan and his dragon poke around, accidentally building a resistance with the Varden (while Morzan regularly snaps at Oromis that he is a coward for staying all hidden, simply for good measure and his stress relief), Brom tries to make the best out of his shit situation. It's not really working. He's very likely struggling with depression, considering the stress with thinking Morzan death and not getting full confirmation for years that he is indeed alive, as well as the long waiting and fearing on if Saphira’s name and personality maybe disappearing, and constantly having to do stuff he doesn't want to and hates to do, because Galbatorix lets out his frustration over Morzan’s escape on Brom even decades later by giving him all those cruel tasks.

.... also yes, let Brom change his true name later (maybe because of Eragon? :3 ), let him escape and put Brom/Morzan in there :D

Inheritance cycle were everything is roughly the same. But Brom was the forsworn (for some reason) and Morzan built up the Varden (by accident probably).