Epilogue
People of Wundera, this is not the end. The world is not over.
The Undying is finally slain, Yvrienne the Blood Queen is sealed, and the Wonder of Whispers is gone.
Let your greatest fears fall into the past, and look now towards the future of our wounded world.
Stand proud.
You have endured the worst this world has ever had to offer, and yet you still remain. I ask now that your perseverance be focused not on survival, on living, but on creating a world worth living in. It will not be easy, but we new Wonders will do everything in our power to accomplish this alongside you.
We’re in a world where the best remains to be done.
As long as we all have the courage to grasp fate with our own hands and shape the future we deserve, we can do it.
Together.
- Persistance Baydenst the Everlasting
After the Felling of the Tyrants in the year 1515 B.I., our heroes, now ascended to Wonders, took very little time to recuperate before undertaking the enormous task of rebuilding Wundera.
Together, these five new Wonders shaped the world, guaranteeing a future where all people, Wyrdling or Wunderan, could lead full and safe lives. While these Wonders only had a few decades to accomplish this before the end of their natural lives, they will forever go down in history as the saviors of Wundera, and the founders of a new Golden Age.
Immediately following the Felling of the Tyrants, the party returned to the Last Shady Place to reunite with their surviving allies and assist Paildreo and Grandpappy Faystus in synthesizing the cure for Minero Morphosis. It took a matter of weeks to produce enough antidote for every infected person on Wundera, and Persy and Hugh together designed a hydraulics based dispersal system to douse the entire Dragonborn kingdom at once. This was a massive success, with ninety-eight percent of infected cases making a full recovery. With the Dragonborn restored, Nesvalyn held treaties with the chieftains of their respective tribes, and for the first time in history, the Dragonborn recognized the divinity of the Wonders, understanding that they were the avatars of the Great Mother Dragons.
While Gemini had returned to the Last Shady Place with the party, she was insistent that she was needed elsewhere in the Astral Sea (and of course, would not explain why). Paildreo, knowing that their time off-world was over, gave her the formula to cure the Minero Morphosis virus. Gemini promised she would spread the cure through the multiverse, bid her goodbyes, and disappeared with a loud POP, occasionally reappearing (as Gemini, Reylynn, or Senri) on Wundera when needed over the rest of her life.
After learning the secrets of the old Wonders, our heroes decided that the Citadel needed a serious rebranding to fit the new world. The Wonders were no longer separated by race or bound by bureaucracy, instead they would take an active part in shaping the lives of Wunderans. After long discussions and the establishment of their respective domains, the party decided that transparency was the path forward.
Meetings of the Wondrous Council would be open to the public; these meetings would be known as the birth of democracy on Wundera, a method of government used by every sovereign nation to this day. The party redefined the role of the Wonders. No longer were they deities, but instead public servants and protectors of the people, dedicated to the life of all Wunderans. The party rebuilt the Citadel of Wonders, but rather than a shining dome and massive towers, the new Citadel is a simple building in the shape of a star. The age of oligarchs was over, and so, in the year 1518 B.I., a new calendar was created. Henceforth, the year would be recorded as year 1 After Undying (A.U.), so the world would never forget the dangers of consolidating power into one individual.
In the year 3 A.U., Gemini suddenly reappeared after her time in the Astral Sea, with a warning of imminent danger. She insisted that the crystal sphere of Wundera must be restored to protect it from annihilation. The party, working with the surviving Stone Giants, and combining the entirety of their Wondrous power, resurrected the Northern Stone Giant, sealing the needle above them, and sealing Wundera off from unwanted Astral influence, officially putting an end to the Age of Wyrd on Wundera.
Over the next century, denizens of other dimensions would still arrive occasionally, many of which claimed that a “half-deranged magical rabbit” told them that they would be safe from the devastation of war happening in the multiverse.
After assisting with the revival of the Dragonborn, Eledamri next turned his attention to the survivors of the Blood Queen’s army, helping them process the grief of the Elfswane. From this initial group, he built a new Church of the Dead. The Church spread across Wundera, performing death rites and offering spiritual counseling. He reshaped the former domain of Death into an emphasis on enjoying one’s life. During the reforming of the Citadel, Eledamri’s contributions were instrumental in defining the new roles of the Wonders in society. His teachings of the In-Between and cycle of reincarnation were revolutionary. As Wundera was rebuilt and generations began to bloom, a new culture, one of reverence and honor for the dead, became the societal norm across the world. Given that Eledamri was an elf, he reigned much longer than his companions (and several of their successors), until finally he passed away in 598 A.U. having lived as one of the most prolific Wonders Wundera has ever seen.
After seeing Grandpappy Faystus’ competency in producing the Minero cure, Hugh formulated an idea. Rather than his kin squandering their talents on moonshine and hallucinogenic potions, he urged them to pursue medicine.
These simple country centaurs would later form the Faystus Institute of Medicine and Moonshine (FIMM), the foremost authority on Wunderan medical science.
He spent the early days of his Wondrousness traveling the globe and restoring the ecosystem. He used his command of the elements to recover from the devastation of the sun, changing the planet into one of abundance. He travelled to new settlements over the following decades, teaching them animal husbandry and using his gifts to grow their crops.
After reviving the flora and fauna of Wundera, Hugh retired to the Last Shady Place, and spent the last years of his life amongst dense forests (and of course, his brothers).
After they both completed their respective missions, Nesvalyn and Paildreo finally got married, and adopted Pebbles as their son.
Nesvalyn began collecting and recording as much of Wunderan history as he could. Many of it had been destroyed during the War of Wonders, however with his Wondrous gifts of seeing through time, he was able to recover much of what was lost. He recorded every Wondrous proclamation made by the new Wonders, and spread those proclamations (and every bit of knowledge he could) to every corner of the world. Melody Baydenst was instrumental in telling the tale of the new Wonders, as her songs about their heroics spread through taverns like wildfire.
Nesvalyn published the complete Encyclopedia Wundericca, Vol I, in 22 A.U., and every Wonder of Lore since published a new volume during their reign, while still including Nesvalyn’s original commentary.
He also established Goldheart University, named after a trinket that he had “misplaced” long before, and home to Wundera’s brightest aspiring wizards, scholars, historians, and bards. Nesvalyn is also credited for laying the groundwork for public education for all children, guaranteeing that future generations of Wundera would all be able to read.
Nesvalyn died of old age peacefully, at home, with his husband by his side.
Persy wasted no time at all in working towards rebuilding Wundera. He set out immediately following the Felling of the Tyrants, finding survivors across the world and rebuilding towns and cities. He personally designed the new Citadel of Wonders, and his strong held beliefs of duty and service shaped the new doctrines.
His sister, Melody, accompanied him on his pilgrimages, and after a decade of Wondrous service, they were reunited with their brother, Courage Baydenst.
He established the Baydenst Institute of Technology, an institution that would be instrumental for advancing Wunderan technology in the centuries to come. He also created the Persistence Protocol, a set of laws ensuring the ethical development of research and creating protections for participants in scientific experiments.
The three siblings spent the rest of their lives rebuilding Wundera, and Persy was applauded as a savior to the people for centuries after his passing.
Not much is known about what Gemini did following the War of Wonders, as she spent much of the next century in the Astral Sea. She would, however, occasionally return to Wundera (or Reylynn, or Senri) to aid in dire matters.
Despite her global absence, legends of the Wonder of Sonance, the queen of revolutions and rebellions, spread across the world (and other worlds, too.) Depicted mostly in the triumvirate of Gemini, Reylynn, and Senri, her actual persona is cloaked in mystery, and many intimate details of who she was has been lost to history. Despite this, many of Melody’s songs encapsulate her willful nature and detail her feats of heroism.
The exact nature of what the Wonder of Sonance does may not be understood by many, but it is well known that she defending Wundera from the gravest of unseen threats.