As mentioned earlier, Fitz chose to go with Sophie when she fled the Lost Cities to join the Black Swan. And his involvement in an attempted prison break in Exile led to him (and the rest of his friends, as well as his sister) being officially banished, expelled from Foxfire, and assigned to Exillium—which was definitely a first for his prestigious family (and quite the scandal, until he and his sister were allowed to return home and resume their studies at Foxfire, thanks to the role they played in stopping the gnomish plague).

FURTHER VACKER SCANDALS:

There have been murmurings of a “Vacker legacy” for some time—though the term has been used in both positive and negative ways. As such, it’s unclear exactly what the label is meant to imply—but it should be noted that the legendary family is not without its share of controversy. Rumors have circulated for centuries about Fallon Vacker—though it’s difficult to locate any specific accusations. And Luzia Vacker worked closely with Vespera before Vespera’s scandalous arrest. Luzia also had a secret alliance with the empress of the trolls, which recently caused a deadly scandal. Evidently Luzia allowed the trolls to hide hives at both of her residences (Everglen and Dawnheath), and the trolls used at least one of those hives to breed an experimental army. Luzia claimed to have no knowledge of the trolls’ experiments, but her son seemed to suspect otherwise. Orem even helped the Neverseen expose his mother’s activities by providing the DNA they needed to open the hive at Everglen—which unfortunately unleashed a band of mutant newborn trolls, who then went tearing through the property on a deadly rampage. The Council has yet to punish Luzia for those crimes, because her sentence is still being determined—and investigations into Orem (and other Vackers potentially involved as well) remain ongoing. And then, of course, there’s Alvar Vacker—but he needs his own section.

A TRAITOR IN THE FAMILY:

After the Neverseen’s defeat in Ravagog, Fitz’s older brother, Alvar, boldly declared himself to be a member of the Neverseen. He was also directly involved in the destruction of Lumenaria and the abduction (and torture) of Wylie Endal. He’s additionally suspected to have been involved in Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee’s kidnapping, as well as the Everblaze infernos that tore through the Forbidden Cities and Eternalia—and he likely fought with the Neverseen in their skirmish with the Black Swan on Mount Everest and helped with the Neverseen’s attempts to capture the alicorns. But all of those accusations unfortunately remain speculation because of severe damage that occurred to Alvar’s memories. He was found in a cell in the Neverseen’s “Nightfall” hideout, seriously wounded and heavily drugged with soporidine (a dangerous sedative the Neverseen developed), as though he’d been betrayed by the order and left for dead. Alvar remained unconscious for weeks, and when an antidote to the soporidine was finally acquired, his mind was completely erased. Despite the amnesia, Alvar was brought to Tribunal for his crimes. But the Council found themselves uncertain of how to punish someone who no longer remembered what he’d done and seemed genuinely remorseful. So, in an effort to be fair (and despite very vocal protests from numerous members of the Vacker family—including Fitz and Biana), the Council sentenced Alvar to six months of house arrest at Everglen. Alvar was moved to a heavily guarded new apartment that Alden Vacker had built for his son, and was required to wear a gadget called the Warden (designed by Dex Dizznee) to keep track of his every move and render him immediately unconscious if he should do anything suspicious. The Council used the time to study Alvar’s behavior and assess whether he’d truly changed—and all tests seemed to indicate that Alvar had legitimately become a different person. Unfortunately, though, Alvar’s amnesia turned out to be part of the Neverseen’s plan, and his memories were triggered during the most recent Celestial Festival. He did appear to hesitate once he remembered the role he was expected to play. But in the end, Alvar chose to open the gates of Everglen for the Neverseen and helped them unleash the newborn trolls from the illegal hive hidden on the property. The Neverseen then lost control of the situation, and one of their members—a Shade who called herself Umber—was crushed to death before the rest of the Neverseen fled to safety. Alvar tried to escape as well, but a series of events (which still remain murky) left him trapped inside one of the troll’s birthing pods. Everyone assumed he drowned when liquid filled the pod soon after. But it appears that Alvar’s mastery of basic skills allowed him to escape once again. He’s only been seen once since and apparently was in very poor health. But there’s no telling whether he’ll cause any final havoc before he dies—a fact which seems to infuriate Fitz more than anyone. He’s made it clear that he’s determined to ensure Alvar can never hurt anyone ever again, even if it requires deadly force. In fact, during the confrontation on the night of the Celestial Festival, Fitz came shockingly close to ending his brother’s life. The moment was broadcast by the Neverseen for everyone to witness, and many have mixed feelings about Fitz’s behavior. Fitz’s friends talked him out of causing any harm, and it’s unclear whether he regrets the decision. The Council may or may not regret it as well.

GOBLIN PROTECTION OF HIS OWN:

Given how many enemies Fitz is fighting, it’s not surprising that the Black Swan decided to arrange a goblin bodyguard for him. He’s now under the protection of Grizel, who volunteered for the position. She’s proven herself to be a fierce and fearsome warrior, but also appears to be quite high-spirited, often turning things into games or bets with interesting consequences. Additionally, there seems to be some sort of connection between Grizel and Sandor (Sophie’s bodyguard). Neither goblin has been willing to update the Council—or their queen—on their relationship status. But all evidence suggests they’re currently a couple.

BRAVE RECOVERIES:

Fitz has suffered numerous minor injuries over the years, as well as two major brushes with death. The first took place while he was living with the Black Swan, after he and his friends were caught breaking into Exile. During the confrontation with the Council, Councillor Clarette used her ability to call forth several arthropleura in an attempt at intimidation. And when the situation escalated, Fitz ended up impaled through the chest and shoulder by one of the creature’s antennae. Sophie Foster then negotiated a deal for his freedom, and Dex Dizznee rushed Fitz to the Black Swan’s physician, who was able to heal the wound and draw out the venom. (It should be noted that Councillor Clarette was found blameless for her role in what happened, as it was simply an unfortunate accident—and the arthropleura involved was not harmed.) Fitz’s second and perhaps more frightening injury occurred during an ambush with the Neverseen. He was with his bodyguard (Grizel) as well as Sophie Foster and her bodyguard (Sandor) when several members of the Neverseen appeared out of nowhere and attacked. Reports on the incident indicate that Fitz was tortured by the Neverseen’s Shade (who called herself Umber) in an attempt to make Sophie cooperate. And since Umber used shadowflux for her attacks, Fitz’s injuries were complex and long-lasting. He and Sophie (who’d sustained similarly frightening injuries) spent several weeks in the Healing Center, and both of them needed additional weeks of therapy after they returned home. (Grizel and Sandor were also injured during this incident, as was Dex Dizznee; his bodyguard, Lovise; and Wylie Endal, who’d arrived after Sophie sent out a call for help.) Fitz occasionally walks with a slight limp as a result of the attack, but otherwise seems to have fully recovered.