The Story So Far

Price of Benevolence is an AU based upon the concept that the twelve Alternian trolls never play SGRUB. This is what happens next.

The trolls grow up on violent Alternia, all still nurturing their own dreams and ambitions. When they are nearing ten, Feferi leads her group of friends in a rebellion against the Condesce. In a duel against her, Feferi comes out victorious. She is crowned the new Empress of Alternia.

In a sweep and a half, Feferi transforms the empire. She halts violent conquest and ceases exiling adult trolls, but most importantly, turns the viscous caste system around. She redefines culling to mean caring for the weak and sick, and those unable to care for themselves. Highbloods - coolbloods - are meant to serve the lowbloods, or warmbloods.

But Alternia is no utopia, and generations of trolls brought up on casteism and the blood of their enemies won't stop so easily. Although highbloods do cull lowerbloods, lowbloods are being mistreated nonetheless, treated like dumb children, and they are not happy.

The group of twelve become a Council, spending time in the duties they have taken on in their adult sweeps and helping make democratic decisions for the Empire.
It seems like all will be well for however many sweeps the new empire will last - until tragedy strikes.

Unbeknownst to most, it was an arguement between moirails that started things crashing down. Eridan and Feferi, Orphaner and Empress, argue viscously, and Eridan reveals his plan to commit treason by taking power for himself. Disgusted, upset, angry, and acting on impulse, the entire confrontation ends with Feferi taking her own life; in her dying breaths making Eridan Emperor and revealing her descendant, Scylla.

Eridan and Kanaya become the guardians to a precocious two-sweep-old tyrian in an empire that may collapse at any time. The Council is called back, however, not all attend; Eridan is unstable, they know, but they have no choice but to respect Feferi's dying wishes. There is suspicion, however, to what happened when the Empress died, but Eridan is determined to keep it a secret.

Once coronated, Eridan officially takes hold of the empire, passing off his Orphaner duties to Vriska for the time being. He doesn't feel fit to be emperor nor a lusus, but he tries his best. In this time Karkat returns to stay more permanently on-world, eventually becoming moirails with Eridan

Now, more of the Council is emerging, coming late to answer the call of the new Emperor. More descendants are emerging, a lost brood of wigglers who are the next generation. Scylla keeps learning; Charis must inherit the position of Orphaner. And eight sweeps from now, Eridan will relinquish his position as emperor to his daughter.
If things make it that far.

There is secrecy, pain, and stress, and all these things are the price of benevolence.