With Prince Carrius’s mind freed from the influence of the legendary spirits, the way to claiming the throne cleared for Princess Eutropia. Her advisors devised a plan for revealing as much as they deemed wise to the people of Taldor; It becomes common knowledge that a plan to assassinate Eutropia was foiled by Taldor’s government and the brave work of the princess’s heroic agents. The announcement of Eutropia’s death and Carrius’s coronation was an unfortunate but necessary ruse to convince the assassins they had succeeded, allowing the heroes time to work. With Carrius readily confirming this version of events, Eutropia’s agents agree to stand by the state’s official chronicle of the events which helps to unite the country during the nation’s particularly unstable time, though occasionally alternate accounts are stumbled upon and quickly disproved.

The Mantle of Kings proves Eutropia’s right to rule, though there remains a strong resistance to her leadership from some of the established noble families in Taldor, and foreign nations take a particular interest in this historic change in Taldor’s inheritance laws. Regardless, with the support of her agents, a majority in the senate, and the blessing of the Mantle of Kings, Eutropia eventually proves her claim to the throne and she is crowned Grand Princess Eutropia, first empress of Taldor.

Grateful to the sacrifice of Martella’s agents, Eutropia sobs joyful and officially knights them as part of her coronation, though she reserved greater titles for the next Grand Day of Exultation to help wash away the bloody legacy her father left the year before. There, she awards them each the titles of Count or Countess and bequeaths to them the county of Meratt along with the stewardship of the Palace of Birdsong. Each of her agents take up positions in the government according to their wishes and their motivations towards Taldor’s future, and she awarded gifts to each of them worth approximately 250,000gp in art and magical equipment. With the gratitude of an empress, the agents’ futures appear bright.

Her missing soul fragment leaves Eutropia more sickly than before, and somewhat susceptible to death magic, but the closer bond with her little brother leaves both far more insightful and even-tempered. Kind words and extended hands proved more effective than drawn blades in winning Eutropia the throne, and she honors this simple truth through outreach and empathy for her subjects. Eutropia the Kind takes from those with much to give—the nobles, the merchants, and the coin generated by Taldor’s many trade routes—and invests it in the common good to provide education, medicine, and a higher standard of living to all Taldans. To ensure that the needs of even the meekest citizens are met, she borrows from Andoran philosophy and introduces a publicly elected counterpart to the Senate to advise on government policy. While her reforms make Eutropia the Kind wildly popular with the common citizens, her heavy taxes and flouting of Taldan tradition enrage the nobility. Her reign sees a resurgence in aristocratic conspiracies and secret societies dedicated to usurping the throne.

Carrius, resumes much of the personality he always had – that of a gentle and thoughtful young man – though he also becomes more prone to pulling chaotic pranks, seemingly at random, often darting out through crowds or escaping his Ulfen Guards to pull practical jokes. He has a knack for politics that he uses to advise his sister but prefers to remain out of the public eye.

After a year of staying mostly within the palace walls, Carrius resumes exploring Taldor, only to be kidnapped by followers of the Cult of the Twilight Child after he slipped free of his guards to explore the streets of Yanmass. These cultists believe Prince Carrius to be a divine ambassador meant to save Taldor from its spiritual and social decay. Using secrets left behind for them, they forcibly use Carrius’ spiritual connections to amass power, but without the charismatic Vadriggan Pol to unite them, he is eventually extracted by agents of the crown and the cult is forced back underground, though it is not wiped out completely. The cult continues to search for an opening in Carius’s protection detail while frequently stirring up religious discontent.

Having experienced enough trauma for several lifetimes, Prince Carius is content to be as ordinary as possible and eventually chooses to study music at the famed bardic college, the Kithrodian Academy.

Martella Lotheed prefers her backstage role to the life of a noblewoman and remains in Eutropia’s shadow, searching for threats to the Grand Princess and Taldor itself. Still aghast at the true depravity of her family legacy, she remains grateful to her agents for undoing the terrible wounds her ancestor and her own brother inflicted on the nation.

When Qadira and the Padisha Empire of Kelesh send praise and gifts to honor Taldor’s new Grand Princess coordinated by Qadiran ambassadors, artists, and scholars, Martella becomes the Grand Princess’s representative and spy regarding the deal. With arms wide, Eutropia the Kind chooses to receive the gifts, against the wishes of the majority of Taldans, with the negotiations handled by Earl Gahez Varima. With his help, he and Martella uncover a conspiracy, and by relying on her ancestry, agents, and a Lion Blade cell, they manage to turn Qadiran treachery on its head. While the situation is not completely diffused, the two of them manage to return the Taldan-Qadiran border to one of highly militarized uneasy peace. Eutropia sent most of the aid towards civil and outreach programs, particularly common education, with the Qadiran scholars vetted carefully to prevent espionage.

The schools utilizing Qadirans for educators find heavy resistance among the people, with some claiming the educators are teaching hate-filled anti-Taldan doctrine, while others refusing to attend schooling staffed by the sand-blooded enemies. The reports eventually slow as the visiting scholars are integrated and repeatedly investigated, with only a few remaining in the country after a few years and the education system developing a strange caste-system, with many people the same age either receiving normal education, refusing education, receiving quality education, or receiving corrupted education. Though Taldor undoubtedly benefited, the bubble needed to be flattened over the course of the next generation, ultimately undercutting the general quality of education programs during Grand Princess Eutropia’s reign, though it did still see many brilliant individuals rise above the station and means they were born into.

Rodrigo Hernandez-Vernisant became a senator, fulfilling his early ambitions. While noble, he fully embraced the potential of corruption at his office initially, though he could not betray his morals or Soldier’s Glory once again. He became known as a good senator, one that had the ear of the empress and a great deal of influence, though not above cutting through the red tape of bureaucracy with backroom arrangements. He sought hard to stamp out secret societies where possible, and persecuted organizations in favor of the masses, most famously siding against both the Lion Blades and the Abbadaran Church in major cases, trimming back their authority through bills and personally overseeing their implementation. He remained popular by helping most people with their individual causes, maintaining Taldan traditional racial roles, and seeking out corruption within major organizations, though he never enjoyed the laid-back extravagance he hoped a senatorial position would grant.

Soldier’s Glory remained Rodrigo’s companion for the rest of his life and was eventually handed down to his grandson and future, worthy descendants. While many relics remained in Rodrigo’s custody, he sent several north to Vigil, at Eutropia’s Request, after they sent out calls for aid and sounded the alarms of the Whispering Tyrant’s escape.

Maven "Mai" Selina Rosaline Vernisant took a senate seat alongside her husband, Rodrigo, voting alongside him in all matters and creating the senate’s first "power-couple." Advising Rodrigo on the background of matters as well as forming connections with the more learned or non-diplomatic senators and constituents, she helped Rodrigo reach incredible heights in the senate while endeavoring to protect him from treachery and deceit, though she always followed his lead when it came to choosing sides. She had two children, a daughter named Astraea Seraphine Thalia Hernandez-Vernisant, and a son, Caliver Dagen Thane Hernandez-Vernisant . Astraea was highly dotted upon and grew up using her parent’s money to travel widely across Golarion and eventually the planes, dreaming of seeing everything in the universe. Meanwhile, Dagen was paranoid and constantly obsessed about the backwater nature of many Taldan things, the impossibility of magic, and technological deficiencies. He often said phrases that made no sense, and eventually emigrated to Numeria. Scholars would later note that he was, "tragically, and in all ways, about two centuries ahead of his time".

Upon her mother’s assassination, the long family feud between Mai and her relatives led to a schism in the family, with Mai already being estranged. Rather than attempting to patch things between them, the Hernandez-Vernisant clan of the family chose to remain separate from the others, isolating themselves from the fallout surrounding the Whispering Tyrant’s escape and relying on the wealth and influence they themselves had acquired. Eventually, Mai’s cousin became the general family head, with the family split into several clans.

Ickth Heskillar returned temporarily to Axis to take up his council seat, learn more of Abbadar’s teachings in its pure form, and arrange for resources to be spent to track down Thrassritoum, the Mewling Storm. He felt a great deal of remorse regarding turning towards Abbadar in his time of need and always felt a longing for the Inheritor, eventually copying Magistrate Joleana Tantriano’s dual-faith lifestyle. Once his term was completed, he returned to Taldor, creating a multi-faith coalition of the Godclaw – Abadar, Asmodeus, Iomedae, Irori, and Torag – within Taldor’s borders, seen by many as a purified hellknight group, through which the organization later recruited heavily.

Ickth set out on his family’s honor quest to reclaim familial land before he felt too old to do so, setting out with a paladin from each of the Godclaw faiths, and accompanied by Remilliard Kastner who was seeking to reclaim his own familial honor, to the world’s edge mountains in an attempt to defeat the Great White Wyrm. This ancient white dragon, father of all white dragons and the source of winter’s cruelties, has lived since the days of Taldaris. Though the family hoped that perhaps Ickth might succeed where so many others failed, he and his cadre never returned. The Heskillar and Kastner families were permanently bonded by their paladin’s joint sacrifices, and the Kastner name was redeemed in Taldor. Both Ickth and Remilliard’s names were added to their family’s records of fallen heroes, having received the ultimate atonement through the shedding of their own blood. Lieutenant Fanalyx reports that Ickth rejoined them in Sayashto as a petitioner and is currently working to decipher his own complex puzzle in the hope that he can join the ranks of the Inevitables.

Robin of Loxley was not there on the day the other agents broke into the Imperial Palace – due to a miscommunication, he missed the invasion with the belief they were attacking the following day, and ended up distracting many of the guards with his dance moves. He refused a senate seat and instead returned home in search of Marian and more adventure. He became a very dependable friend, always coming to any party when invited and helping to liven it up with his dance moves and cool style.

Jinshing Vastra died in the line of duty, giving up their very soul to save the tattered version of Prince Carrius’s. They’re commemorated and honored by the state and by their alma mater, the Kithrodian Academy and declared a national hero, with Carrius naming his first-born child, his daughter Vastra, in their honor.

"Little-Debbie" Lockheed had a great deal of difficulty accepting the authority of others, turning down a senatorial seat and becoming obsessed with seeking immortality. She tracked down surviving members of the Immaculate circle and eventually joined what remained of their secret society. It took years before "Little-Debbie" realized that in the absence of the founders, Thassritoum dominated the surviving society, and discovered that by then, the Mewling Storm had purchased her soul contract. Without her allies, she decided the best way forward was securing her immortality, and she discovered a path to do so shortly after. She decided to hunt down Asmodeus’ herd, hearing that a creature drinking milk from an Asmodean cow would lose their soul to Asmodeus in exchange for power, but if they already owed their soul to a non-devil, they would receive immortality from the Arch-Devil until he was the only one with claim on the soul, to prevent custodial complications in the boneyard. Gambling on this route, she leveraged her wealth to hire adventurers to accompany her, and ridding on Ishtaheq al-Bashir, she rode out after the devils-herd, never to be seen again in Taldan Lands.

Kalbio of Breezy Creek kept his hamlet insolated from politics, helping his countrymen take advantage of Eutropia the Kind’s education programs. The agrarian idyl was never fully urbanized, though they did take advantage of pilgrims coming to visit the rediscovered and unsealed Tomb of the First Emperor.

Aayef Aldori al-Ghazali became a renown member of Gloriana Morilla’s sovereign court. With the sovereign court’s agenda coming to fruition with Eutropia the Kind on the throne, much of the court’s agenda shifts from espionage for change into helping to bring about and enforce changes. While Gloriana Morrilla remains at Eutropia’s side for the duration of her reign, Aayef later dies when his pathfinder lodge is destroyed during the Whispering Tyrant’s assault on Absalom. He lived and died with honor and adventure.

Nicolaus Okerra remained an honorable and dotting father all the days of his life. He eventually fell in love and re-married to a beautiful woman from the city, who moved into the barony with her two daughters. When he died from heart failure while Selli was fourteen, the barony went to Selli’s step-mother. Four years later, Selli reached enlistment age and followed in her beloved father’s footsteps.

Parthena Crabbe becomes a renown matchmaker, taking advantage of the renewed trade and travel into and through Meratt to help people fall in love by arranging the entire town of Moost into a landmark love town, with businesses turning the towns gossiping into profit by providing vacation, wedding, and honeymoon services. With the help of her daughters, Sepsina and Hypatia, she builds a trade empire out of the love business and earns the moniker, the Queen of Hearts.

Adella Voinum governs her barony with the same measured severity as ever, surviving well over a hundred years. When people asked about her longevity, many would respond that she is simply, "too stubborn to die."

Araig Telus reclaims the land of Ralthorn Manor and dismantles the place. Though he remains aloof, he is kind, and after re-emerging from his solidarity, Jambis is reclaimed by its New-Towne residents and the people who were formally forced to squat in Bugbear Wood.

Archbanker Lady Paril is appointed governess over Lotheedar, and effectively administrates the Abbadaran church alongside Banker Festo Mise, along with tending to the needs of the people of Lotheedar and the frequent county festivals funded by Meratt’s wealthy Counts and Countesses. In honor of their friend, Robin of Loxley, they host an archery contest at each one, with Robin traditionally taking second place in a move that many see as a conscious choice of the legendary archer. The secret of Maiden Atratus’s court at the bottom of Lauchlain Lake is kept carefully, allowing the place to remain peaceful, mystic, and romantic while protecting the Swan Maiden’s interests.

Kathann Zalar becomes an increasingly renown legend among the lion blades. Her efforts on behalf of the nation regarding Eutropia’s agent’s [redacted]. [Redacted] until she [redacted] some years later. She was last seen [redacted] before taking a new name and face as a deep cover [redacted].

Thestro Briarsmith’s infamous Porthmos Prison was dismantled, and he spent the rest of his days seemingly mad and imprisoned, often shouting that he is Grand Duke Thestro Briarsmith into the echoing prison. He was frequently consulted by high-ranking members of the military ahead of the rogue army of exploration’s formation.

Panivar Lotheed remains in an acidic planter’s pot, filled with acid, in the office of the Kithrodian Academy’s [redacted] administrator. A new dose of caustic acid is dutifully added daily while the flowers are watered.

Travarak Denzarni spends much of his existence as an incredibly dense weight. Strongmen and dare chasers from all over attempt to dead lift, curl, and carry the Rodrigo Weight in an attempt to join the ranks of the other legendary strongmen that have successfully completed the challenge.

Lucretzia Marthane slowly reforms through education along with the rest of Taldor under the reign of Eutropia the Kind. She eventually earns her freedom and becomes a longtime friend and ally of Martella.

Grand Prince Stavian III spends the rest of his days carefully under guard and cared for on a remote farm in the Taldan countryside by Lion Blade and Ulfen agents. His daughter and son continue to visit him yearly on his birthday until the day of his passing.

Grand Duke and Duchess Rengiana remained faithfully in their loveless marriage until they both died of poisoning some years later, on the same night. No assassin was ever tracked down and no one claimed responsibility.

Father Basri remains faithful to Aroden to this day, maintaining the Basilica of the Last Man.

Lieutenant Fanalyx and General Ohalia become an unlikely pair of highly successful partners. These buddy-cops use much of the power vested into them by the Council of Sayashto, and especially Chacoom Heskillar, to capitalize on the death of Norberger’s herald and make safe much of the undercity of Duskfathom. On a special mission, they send inevitables to track down Thassritoum in the Ethereal Plane and make several raids on the Meling Storms personal demi-plane, the Palace of Nightmares. Calling on heroes from across the planes, in a daring raid they fail to destroy Thassritoum, but they weaken his power and influence over the river of souls and recover a captive yamarj named Harubic. By rescuing Harubic, they prevent Thassritoum’s apotheosis, keeping him from acending to the ranks of the tormentors – the Sahkil demigods – for the time being. This also diminishes his nightmarish influence over Taldor, though it does not vanish entirely. Instead, the mewling storm patiently brews, awaiting another opportunity.

Chief Enumerator Abrun Palliettor was appointed head of the Abbadaran faith in Taldor. He has not brought about any major reforms, instead focusing on unity between the Tare and the Vault and Chain schismic factions.

Octavia Nicodemius continued to work on her Endless Repository, continuing to defy time and age for decades until an angel of death – a Shinigami of Sayashto – quietly escorted her to the boneyard.

Aric of Nothern Tandak disappeared from the social scene shortly after the conclusion of the War for the Crown, citing that he was in search of adventure and felt he was needed elsewhere.

Cateline Lotheed never fully reconciled with her half-sister, Martella, choosing to emigrate to Absalom with her friend, Avenna, hoping to find positions of power in the rebuilding government after the Whispering Tyrant’s assault.

Tanasha Starborne continues to flamboyantly govern the town of Wispil and maintains the nation’s critical supply of darkwood. Having protected the rights of the gnomes there, she and Archdruid Valenar Thaena find an ally in Eutropia the Kind and in her agents, particularly Maven Vernisant. Having secured continuing peace and protection by the Taldan Nation, the Verduran Forest’s borders are not infringed upon on the Taldan side of the river, reinforcing the powerful natural barrier of the ancient magical forest between Taldor and Andoran. This border becomes critical during the conflicts during Eutropia’s reign, preventing both spies and soldiers from passing into Taldor through the wood as the forest continued to attack and eat trespassers, loggers, soldiers, and pirates.

Vivexis Darahan, Tarq, Diddima Ennoi, and several high-ranking members of the aristocracy and military resisted Grand Princess Eutropia’s reign, and in consultation with the prisoner, Thestro Briarsmith, gathered together to launch an unsanctioned “Ninth Army of Exploration.” While this mighty group’s stated goal is to restore the empire’s former grandeur and scope, it’s ranks swell with both regular soldiers and newly recruited dissenters, especially from among lands and armies that were loyal to the martyr Maxillar Pythareus. Despite its stated goal, it quickly becomes a dangerous and mighty rogue army, moving swiftly to agitate the likes of Galt, Qadira, and Andoran.

After invading many of these territories, war officially broke out between Taldor and Cheliax, with the Infernal Empire seeking to restore its feared reputation with an easy military victory over its mother nation after its internal struggles with the Glorious Reclamation. With legions of warships and Hellknights sailing towards Taldan shores, the costly war sees Eutropia the Kind seeking for aid from Andoran before reaching an agreement with the Ninth Army of Exploration to defend the nation against Cheliax until she could force them to the bargaining table.

The results of the negotiations were laws aligning Taldor more with Andoran ideology, Cheliax gaining a great deal of trade wealth, a severe reduction in Galtean population as they emigrated to various sides of the conflict, and the humiliation of the Grand Princess at the hands of her Infernal Magistrix. While most of the populace’s daily lives were not harmed by the conflict, and many lives were saved by the negotiations, many Taldans lost a great deal of their national pride and national identity, with the general perception of the foreigners changing from child nations that will eventually return to the fold and into one where these child nations will never come home. While it ultimately assists Eutropia’s reformation agenda, this is regarded by historians as Eutropia’s weakest moment, and the moral drops across the nation feeds the dissenting aristocracy’s power.

The most powerful secret society formed by the dissenting aristocracy becomes the Council of Legends, led by members possessed by the renegade legendary spirits purged from Carrius’ mind. Beneath the Senate Hill, buried far below the surface, they meet in the ruins of Old Oppara, destroyed by the Tarrasque over five millennia ago. There, earthquakes have been shaking foundations across the city ever since the bloodshed of the Exaltation Massacre, lending itself as an act of sacrifice. As the Council of Legends activates ancient defense systems, the Slumberer of Senate Hill awakes, calling on new adventurers to arise and become heroes.

Xan leaves his vengeance for the end, waiting patiently for each of the agents to die on their own and be judged by the powerful yamaraj, Xalot. Xalot eventually judges Rodrigo as the individual most responsible for Xan’s death, Carrius’ restoration, and the destruction of the soul of Jinshing Vastra, though he also judges Rodrigo as the individual most responsible for the destruction of the immaculate circle’s leaders, the severe decrease in power of Thassritoum and several of his Sahkil allies, and the restoration of much of the river of souls. This balance causes him to judge Rodrigo to remain in the boneyard as a petitioner, eventually bequeathing him a waystation in the dead roads as his personal demanse.