I just saw your fc5 au post and the art is so nice that I found myself thinking about it later still. I hope you don't mind a few questions that came up during that time? What happened to Faith? And what to the Sheriff's Department? What are the Seeds doing now? What is the Deputy doing? Are they still a Deputy? dhsfghfge sorry for all the questions
Oh my god I never get asks this is so exciting!! I hope you don’t mind me rambling 😁
Okay, so the story isn’t SUPER solidified yet, I’m still working out some kinks, but essentially the plot banks off of the idea that Rook plays this almost biblical figure in that Joseph’s lieutenants (his siblings) HAVE to die in order to bring the apocalypse, otherwise nuclear crisis is averted. So what Joseph does not realize is that he can either have his siblings (greed), or he can be right about the Collapse (pride). And when it comes to Rook, they can either choose benevolence (languish in prison) or they can choose wrath (killing the Seeds) and end the world.
“What happened to Faith?”- I think that Rachel, once free from the influence of the Bliss and going through withdrawal (like in the bunker in the Collapse DLC), would defect and threaten to testify against the Seeds. Unfortunately, this means that she would either need to be pacified with more Bliss and brainwashed again, or she would die in some kind of orchestrated “accident” right before she’s set to testify. If the second were to occur, I think that Joseph would move on to look for another Faith to replace her and continue the cycle. This could be anyone- a bailiff, someone in holding, a Peggie, so the options are pretty open.
“What happened to the Sheriff’s Department?”- Great question! In this au, Rook is the only survivor (and only makes it out of Hope County/has the Seeds arrested after making contact with law enforcement.) It’s revealed in court that, obviously while under Jacob’s influence, Rook is the one who killed Pratt, and thus begins the frame job. Sheriff Whitehorse took his own life while dosed on Bliss, and Hudson is still missing and presumed dead. (Hudson is being held by lingering cultists under John’s command, but Rook is ultimately blamed for her disappearance as well.)
“What are the Seeds doing now?”- Most of this au hinges on the court process! They go through a very, very public spectacle and trial, and through a lot of rigging they walk free with no charges and begin the work of reestablishing the Project and ensuring Rook gets tried and convicted. Joseph’s ultimate goal is to break Rook in prison and make them so desperate to get out that they’ll join him and let him “save” them. John, devoted as ever, turns his focus onto forcing Hudson to atone, and Jacob begins to have doubts about the legitimacy of the Project and Joseph’s leadership.
“What is the Deputy doing? Are they still a Deputy?”- As you might’ve guessed, no, haha. They’re the perfect sacrificial lamb in Joseph’s eyes, to take the fall for everything that went down in Hope County. They’re torn apart in the media, harassed by journalists, and eventually convicted and sentenced. While in prison, all they can think about is revenge. Revenge on Joseph, revenge on the cult. Their wrath begins to consume them in isolation while Joseph continues to visit and tries to tempt them into either violent action or submission. For the purposes of the story, Rook feigns acceptance in order to get the charges dismissed and be released, and then begins their plot to sequentially kill the Seeds like they should have done in the first place. Of course, this cements them as the harbinger of the apocalypse + only confirms that they could have never escaped their fate.
That’s most of what I have so far! Sorry if it’s long or a little convoluted, I’m working on more stuff for it to flesh it out a bit :)
