YONDER/Adoption

III
In the third tale, the Boy finds himself in the large industrial city of Vanity where he learns more about the Restless clan.
Once upon a time there was a small country in the North called Prospero. It was ruled by Patrons, famous for their production of mechanical smoking pipes and Myst, magic-imbued tobacco. No feast– be it a lavish banquet or a village revel – went without puffing rings of magical smoke. The Patrons’ business was flourishing; until they built their new factory on a land that belonged to the Cult of Truth. This led to a lengthy legal dispute, which the affluent Patrons won. Driven to despair by the injustice, one of the Cult disciples put a terrible curse on them. A curse that changed the history of Yonder.
The royal dynasty soon went bankrupt, and was toppled and banished by the angry mob. Since then Patrons have grown restless. Food no longer sated their hunger, sleep no longer restored energy – only the unquenchable thirst for power remained. Obsessed and desperate, the Patrons built Vanity, a city of the wildest amusements and pleasures. People were drawn to it like so many moths to the flame, but the price to enter was high. All attractions and dainties were free; however, before entering the city, each guest had to put on a bracelet with which each day in Vanity counted as two in the outside world. Leaving and giving up all the fun was extremely hard. Even if someone decided to drop the addiction, he realized he had become old and had to go back to stay alive. Vanity was growing.
After three years of traveling, the Boy arrives here too. The city is in turmoil – since the Cult’s followers rose in rebellion against the Restless, the clan’s power dwindled. Dark creatures stormed into the civilized world, and Vanity took the first blow. It is here that the Boy, who has grown up and found his own identity, takes off his mask to fight face to face with the great wolf Suneater.