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Ok I mean to get this up three days ago but forgetfulness+lethargy prevented me. BUT. Just spilling my ideas of that AU of Ysayle joining the Holy See
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Responses currently turned off as I'm going to be doing a lot of disorganized blathering but I will turn them back on once done!
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Emphasis on disorganized
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So I have a thread going on that will sort out some things in the very beginning here
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TLDR when Ysayle was young and in Falcon's Nest she was more vocal about her visions. She happened to get some from dragons whether by them flying overhead or during an attack of ambushes they had planned for later which allowed her to warn soldiers of them
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Which was met with great suspicion but as it aided they took it once proven to be true
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And mostly kept quiet about it but when she began to see dragons as people from those memories and the ones they had of a time of peace and began to speak about that that's when people were like "oh hell nah" and reported her
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We're mostly winging it from what we planned out but essentially a young Aymeric is going to be the one who convinces the people not to kill the child so when she's brought in to figure out what to do with her instead they decide to make use of the Echo
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As she will probably never travel to Dravinia (or if she does it will be much later in life) she'll likely never have that chance encounter with Hraesvelgr and so never adopt the belief she is Shiva and so not become a Primal. I've tried to think of ways to still fit this but everything I've come up with so far feels very forced and so unsatisfying
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So in place I'm thinking maybe she'll just have gotten a good handle on the Echo enough so that she can actually prompt said visions since she came to feel that now that they decided to keep her around for the Echo it was the only thing still keeping her alive
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So she becomes a scout of sorts, being sent out with soldiers and/or priests to where this dragon activity in order to gain new insights into their plans thus turning what was once a defensive use of her powers into an offensive one
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Which
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She ahtes
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hates*
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She probably had a lot of Halonic teachings beat into her and so she would end up much more devout to Twelve and Halone and probably have a lot more guilt over many things including but not limited to: feeling any positive thoughts or sympathy she might have for dragons is wrong, thinking anytime she heard Hydaelyn that she was hearing something evil trying
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to tempt her away, and general guilt over impropriety, not fitting her role sufficiently, or sexuality
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But core Ysayle is still there so she would constantly be combating it and when she eventually did learn the origins of the war--likely through a dragon other than Hraesvelgr, she would still stand by her desire to see a peaceful end to it all
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But having fought alongside Ishgardian soldiers and of course devotion she would have towards Aymeric for saving her life would leave her feeling a lot more conflicted
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Inevitably she'd still end up siding with the dragons but god damn would she feel like shit
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Personality wise as she grew into adulthood outwardly she would be much more fitting of the name "Iceheart" than her canon persona. Partly due to having a much harsher upbringing, some conditioning, and also just playing the part.
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But again, the core canon is still there.
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Mostly she's just afraid
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Ideas I've been turning over in my head for when she eventually does go turncoat if maybe her running something akin to a nunnery that doubles as helping out folks more disenfranchised while similarly trying to aid in the effort of gathering information to put the final pieces of Ishgard's true history together and then figuring out the means to help the war
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Even if it means helping the dragons and fighting as she did with her group of heretics
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Yknow behind the scenes of course
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Another thought that is fun in concept but again can't integrate is instead of her creating a Primal out of her idea of what Shiva was it instead ends up being Halone. Just because that was such an integral part of her character but. I can't see her wanting anything of Halone enough to somehow channel her and any possibility of others projecting that
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onto her would feel unlikely since I'm sure that'd be stamped out real quick
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UMM
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Feel like I'm missing some things
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Possibility of her having spent time with Aymeric and Estinien in the fields for a chance for them all to know each other, but not necessary.
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As far as how the WoL can eventually come to know her perhaps they get sent to investigate said nunnery when folks begin to suspect things and find out the truth of what they've been doing. OR they could be sent with her on a scouting mission when something else important is going on that occupies whatever soldiers she usually goes with elsewhere
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But anyhoo this opens up the possibility of her coming across a lot more canon characters
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Maybe she and Hilda are friends here and Hilda is a part of everything
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Ok now commentable
Lea
So, here's a thought. She's getting the visions of the Echo, hearing Hydaelyn, but resisting her voice because she thinks what she's hearing is something wicked and profane. She's a useful part of Ishgard, helping hold the line against the dragons in the war but also kept on the fringes because Ishgard is... Ishgard.
Lea
... Would this make her a good target for Ascian attention?
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PROBABLY YEA
Lea
PLOT TWIST: SHE DOES IN FACT STILL BECOME SHIVA, BUT FOR VERY BAD REASONS.
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Sorry not quite catching your drift. As she's unlikely to have met Hraes Shiva proooobably wouldn't be in her periphery? Which is one big factor that makes it hard
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Like she's prooobably still aware but she wouldn't be someone that she often really thinks about
Lea
Mmmm, true. My brain just keeps linking Ascians with Primal Summoning at this point, but that doesn't particularly work so well here...
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Understandable given they pushed most is not every single one
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if not*
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OH RIGHT
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The other idea I had
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And this is more just a silly thing but thinking about how the nunnery could be the place for a new job. Another quasi support that focused on buffs/debuffs. It being a place of healing that sought out to help those in need that didn't have the means to go elsewhere would lend them a lot of experience in healing arts and raising up others. Which would be the
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part that would be slightly more on the surface (tho still low key but that kinda healing is accepted round these parts)
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But by that same token it would give them insight into how to weaken and chip away at enemies
Many Birds
'-'!
Many Birds
maybe she could have been encouraged towards becoming a different exemplar, or saint? idk but becoming a miracle healer maybe?
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Perhaps! might need to come up with someone entirely new in that case
Many Birds
maybe one of the saints under Halone? :|a