Prentice’s blocking—and how faithfully he protected the Black Swan—the Council suspected that the information was actually a “hoax” perpetrated by Prentice in a desperate, final attempt to distract the Council and their Emissaries from what the rebels were actually working on. Of course, now it’s well known that both Project Moonlark and the child (Sophie Foster) were real, and that the Black Swan—while working outside the law—was actually intent on helping the Council and stopping the true threat to the Lost Cities (a second rebel group now known as the Neverseen). And such hindsight sadly does suggest that what happened to Prentice was somewhat unjust. (Alden Vacker took the revelation particularly hard.) The Council is naturally remorseful for any pain and suffering that Prentice (and his family) experienced—as well as for the years that Prentice lost to madness in Exile. But it also must be noted that much of what occurred could’ve been avoided if Prentice had been honest with the Council. Our world is in a state of flux, and the Black Swan is presently considered to be a valuable ally. But the path of rebellion is always fraught with misunderstanding and calamity. The Council’s hope is that everyone—themselves included—has learned from what happened to Prentice that the best course for real change is open communication, cooperation, and coordination.
FURTHER FAMILY TRAGEDY:
With Prentice in Exile—and their family facing intense judgment and scandal—Wylie’s mom (Cyrah Endal) did her best to bury her grief and step into her role as the sole caretaker of her son. She began designing and selling hair accessories in Mysterium, and life for the Endals appeared to be finding some sort of new normal. Until disaster struck again. Something went wrong while Cyrah was light leaping, and she arrived home dangerously faded. Wylie called for help as soon as he found her, but by the time Elwin Heslege arrived, it was far too late to save her (and had likely been too late even before then). Cyrah had lost too much of herself to be able to recover, and Wylie could do nothing except watch as his mother faded away. A planting was held shortly after, and Cyrah’s Wanderling (a bright red tree with tiny purple flowers) grows strong and proud in the Wanderling Woods, honoring her life and commemorating the loss.
A NEW HOME:
Wylie was barely eight years old when his mother died, essentially leaving him an orphan—far too young to live without a guardian. And with death so rare in our world, the Council was at a bit of a loss on how to best proceed. There was talk of Wylie living with Prentice’s cousin (Lesedi Chebota), since he was close with his second cousin (Maruca Chebota). But Lesedi was still struggling with her grief over what happened to Prentice. Grady and Edaline Ruewen were also suggested, but they were still mourning the loss of their daughter, Jolie (who’d died a few years earlier). Thankfully, Prentice’s close friend (Sir Tiergan Alenefar) offered to let Wylie live at his estate (Solreef). The offer was somewhat unexpected, given Tiergan’s relationship with the Council at the time. He’d been Prentice’s best friend and resigned from the nobility (quite angrily) to protest Prentice’s memory break and exile. (As an aside: It’s interesting to consider that Tiergan is now known to be Granite, a member of the Black Swan’s Collective. Definitely casts new light on his anger over the injustice.) But even with that noted tension, the Council agreed that Tiergan was the best choice for Wylie as a guardian. Adoption proceedings began soon after. And while little has been recorded about Wylie’s life at Solreef (Tiergan was particularly protective of their privacy), the fact that Wylie has continued to thrive and excel over the years, despite all the tragedies he’s suffered, more than proves that Prentice provided him with a loving home and supplied the care and support he needed.
HOPE, FURY, AND HEALING:
Reports indicate that before Prentice’s memory break, he’d somehow assured his family that if something bad happened to him, it might not be permanent. And Wylie (and his mom) interpreted that promise to mean that whomever Prentice was protecting would be his salvation. Thus, when Sophie arrived in the Lost Cities, Wylie’s hope soared—and then turned to anger and resentment when she made no effort to help his father. He confronted Sophie at Alden’s planting—and while the interaction appeared to be quite hostile, it seems whatever he said helped Sophie to realize that she might have been designed