~~~~Epilogue~~~~And so, the evil being that called itself Chaos was defeated, and the world was saved from its evil influence. Our heroes would remain relatively unknown to the world, and everyone was able to move on and continue with their lives:
Tomik Cizek, Immovable Knight, and Lillian Cizek-Rose, Rebellious BardWith the world finally at peace, Tomik and Lilly returned back to Dargas where they settled down near Tomik's parents and raised their son.
Three more children joined the family and Lilly spent her days raising them and writing the book she's dreamed of writing before the war came to derail that path. Tomik joined the Mountain Guard, patrolling the lands to watch for dangers and help rescue those who got lost in the mountains but the highlight of his days were when he got to return home to his family.
Harlan Coronas, Reformed RogueAfter a final round of adventures at Harold's side, Harlan settled down to live his remaining days with Catherine in comfort. The healing magic he received during the quest to stop Chaos slowed down his illness some, but after four years it became clear that he was near the end. Faced with the prospect of a drawn-out and painful death, he decided to take poison instead.
Harlan died peacefully in his sleep, in the company of friends and loved ones. It was, he reflected, a better end than he ever would have expected.
Senija Cizek, Unstoppable Hunter, and Harold Coronas, Adventurer ExtraordinaireAfter spending some time with his ill brother, Harold went to Senija to be showed around Dargas... and though this led to them marrying, he insisted on living in Kizamo, in order to become a historian there. Senija agreed on one condition: that he let her drag him around to fly around and visit the other members of the team as often as they could manage.
Harold became an important contributor to the legacy of Kizamo, coordinating archaeological efforts and occasionally exploring a tomb himself (with Senija there to stab anything threatening), while Senija was just happy to settle down with him and see her old comrades — and later to take their two children with them when she did.
Albert Rudolph, Saint Among Thieves, and Ketsuki, Saint of SwordsNow the war was over, Ketsuki and Albert returned to the home of Ketsuki's master, to establish a sword school once more and keep vigil over the buried Waygate. After the building was restored to its former glory, they married, in a quiet, private ceremony.
Taking in orphans from the war as apprentices, they taught the arts of bladework and magic, respectively, soon becoming famed for the prodigious skills endowed upon their students. Amongst these were their own children - the couple had 3 children, who perhaps would earn their own mark in history...
Lamden, Protector of Light, and Anne-Laude, Lady of AurochLamden and Anne-Laude returned to Alberal and retook Auroch from rogue Ixion remnants still holding there.
Anne-Laude took her place as Lady Luso of Auroch and rebuilt the city with help of technological advances from Kizamo, establishing a diplomatic channel and the possibility for knowledge to improve and spread. Meanwhile Lamden headed efforts to re-establish the infrastructure of Auroch, assisting in the establishment of many local guilds and personally engaging the local farming community to adapt the agricultural advances gleaned from Kizamo, frequently recusing himself to a simpler agrarian lifestyle in between his tenures as public advisor.
Laura Silfursverd, Paragon of IxionLaura returned to Ixion to help her father rebuild it after the terrible war. With the King gone, the country shattered into various tiny territories ruled by warlords and such, but Silfursverd family and loyalists managed to bring most of it back into relative cohesion and stability.
The country reformed, adopting republican system where noble families all rule together, also providing the national army out of their families and out of their pockets, creating what would be called 'a military republic'.
Kyle Johnson, Unlikely HeroAfter the war, Kyle started up an air transport business with the help of Nikolai. It took him a while to learn the ropes but once he did he hardly spent a day without working to maintain the business.
Despite the advancements on teleporters, further on in the years he'd expand out and eventually adopt a child to carry on his legacy. With time, romanticized stories of "The pirate that rejected the seas and sailed the skies" became commonplace.
Catherine Hirana, Boundless InvestigatorFor a time, Catherine kept with the group, rather than going immediately home to Kizamo. Perhaps to some surprise, she entered a relationship with Harlan shortly after - while unlike the other pairs they never married, they did have a child in the four years before his illness took him.
After a time of mourning, Catherine took the child - Amber - and returned to Kizamo, where she got back into the magical research she’d always enjoyed, beginning with compiling the findings she’d made over the journey and developing a technique to give mages durability without sacrificing their magic. She kept in touch with the others, consistent letters (except when enveloped in some project or other) and sometimes visits with her child, and worked with Albert to monitor the Gate.
Mason, Unwitting PawnAfter the celebrations ended, Mason seemingly disappeared from the continent.
Not long after, there were stories of a cloaked figure that travels the world helping those in need, vanishing without a trace after, but none can ascertain who, how or why.
And lest we forget, the other heroes that helped the group but left for some reason or another:
Isbilya Baetica, left after Chapter 2Rumours say a witch lives in the desert, without a direction but not without a purpose, still gathering power for the end of the world.
Clare Redwing, left after Chapter 3xThe courier resumed her former job moving all across the continent. Later she joined Kyle's airship business, as air support.
Alessa Cathhock, left after Chapter 3xAlessa returned to her little coastal town and zealously guarded it. After Ixion's fall, she asked the town be placed under Kizamo's protection, a proposal the mages eagerly accepted.
Zane Severus, left after Chapter 3xThe mage rose up to Captain of the Veyriden Border Guard, often collaborating with Dargas' own Mountain Guard to keep the area safe from raiders and other perils.
Abel Leid, left after Chapter 4Abel returned to his previous spot helping Nikolai. Despite never fighting again, his efforts produced valuable results in the field of teleportation.
Asher Sangrey, left after Chapter 7xAsher was imprisoned for various necromancy related crimes, but his actions saving Veyriden earned him a few privileges. Eventually some people accepted that necromancy could be used for good, but people still remain wary of such mages.
But the peace that the heroes fought for wouldn't last long. In the coming years Archbishop Cedric of Alberal would die suddenly, and his successor would be significantly less tolerant of digressing views. Kizamo would have a hand restoring the city of Auroch, but wouldn't react kindly to the new Archbishop, and tensions keep rising. Ixion, now fractured into smaller territories, would see former corrupt army commanders become warlords, and save a few exceptions, people would suffer constant wars, oppression and bandit attacks under their rule.
And 20 years after the Waygate's first opening, it would again become the center of a conflict that would involve the entire continent. A seemingly normal rock wall rumbled, and a metallic fist broke through. Not long after,
walked out.
The mysterious figure started walking towards a city visible in the distance.
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Topic: FEF: Final Hour IC thread. The End. (Read 292063 times)