Turning AU!!
Spirit King Yuder!
Spirits have long since persisted in the world of turning, although very rarely are they seen by humans. They’re kind of like fae in that they are elusive, mischievous, and inhuman. Spirits like to make deals like fae, and the only real difference is that they’re all embodiments of elements of nature. The older the feature of nature is the older the spirit is. Although to even look like a child the spirit has to be centuries old (ex: rivers, newer landscapes) spirits of things such as flowers and younger trees are more like sprites or animals, and have a similarly lower intellect. Humans are as aware of spirits as we are of fae (few believe but it is somewhat widely known) spirits typically can’t be seen which is part of why people don’t believe in them. The Awakening happens as per usual and this is where Yuder comes in.
Basically there are two options for this AU
1.
Yuder has been spirit king since forever and isn’t beholden to the same rules as his subjects. So when the awakening happens he gets curious and attempts to insert himself into life near the site of the red stone. This ends up with him joining the cavalry, this time with his motivation being satisfying his curiosity. He ends up in various shenanigans with the cavalry as a result of his clear inhumanity. It would be extra funny if literally everybody thinks Yuder is a spy because of how suspiciously he’s acting (talking to thin air, sneaking around, missing at odd times, disrespecting ALL royalty) and when Enon joins (they already know each other) he adds fuel to the fire because he thinks it’s funny. They probably find out because one of the spirits forgets to hide themselves one day.
2. The ANGSTIER option
The spirits have their own main element(wind, earth, fire, water) kings, but when Yuder gains abilities from the red stone he gains the ability to control all of nature. A power that no one else in the history of the world was able to do. With all of nature (meaning spirits as well) respecting his will, this triggers Yuder’s gradual ascension into a spirit (king).
Btw the reason no other awakened or mage ascended to a spirit is because they typically have one or two spirits following them around where it’s a symbiotic relationship, essentially a deal, where the person gets control over the element, while the spirits powers grow. The difference is literally all spirits listen to Yuder and obey him as long as he as the power to direct them.
In the 1st timeline Yuder found out about the world ending much earlier, along with the Pethuamet’s incident (he didn’t make it in time, although the cavalry got there faster) due to the spirits. This doesn’t actually mean anything and he’s even more stressed (with less evidence but more likelihood in the world ending) and kishiar is not helping. And Yuder’s own pending immortality is going to suck ass in a world that’s ended. The spirits being the mischievous little fuckers that they are tell Yuder to just take kishiar’s soul bcs he likes him and he’ll probably be less annoying. Yuder is understandably distressed by this and tired of the spirits bs, but does agree when the spirits tell him he can just let kishiar live out his natural life span then take his soul, and it’ll be even easier considering their connection and many “deals”.
So things (unsurprisingly) go to shit when Kishiar severs their connection. Yuder at that point had been pretty well into integrating into the world, and having a part of the (eventual) spirit king’s soul ripped out made everything that much worse.
If you’re wondering about how exactly Kishiar had enough power to do that, think a pebble causing an avalanche, with Yuder’s soul being the pebble, the end of the world being the avalanche.
Yuder then goes though canon 1st timeline events with the main difference being Yuder refusing to use his powers, rather than being unable to. ( he feels he caused the end, for no real reason)
I don’t know how much changes other than Yuder’s emotional state (it’s 10x worse) and how much he tries to push Kishiar away bcs he doesn’t want to force him into selling his soul away ( We all know Kishiar would be all in as long as it’s his precious Yuder 😊)
Anyways he and Emon also have existential crises together too now.
