The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Nadine was not one for self-doubt and questioning. However, she did just that as she approached her meeting with the Inquisitor General. She was a woman one typically tried to avoid: the eyes of the inquisitor were not friendly ones. But she was also a powerful witch: Nadine had seen firsthand in a battle the prowess of the older woman's summons.
If there was anyone who knew how to deal with her shadow monster problem, it would be Delvaux.
As much as she had tried to forget the battle, forget the Shadow Realm and it's bitter darkness, the monster kept finding its way back into her nightmares. Nadine was beginning to jump at every shadow, fear every bump in the night. It was beyond irritating, it was exhausting and negatively impacting her performance. She imagined the fear was rekindled by her recent activity with Aldrich Abbott, once again rolling the dice on a nonexistent child that she had signed away.
It didn't feel so nonexistent when that monster Moloch tore the babe from her abdomen and she woke up screaming from the nightmare. Or when she could have sworn she heard Moloch's whispers and cackles as she tried to close her eyes at Aldrich's side. She wanted rid of that demon she had summoned all those years ago to save her and her squad: and only a superior summoner would know what to do.
So, the officer found herself knocking solidly to be admitted to Delvaux's office, trying to calm uncharacteristic nerves.
Post by Vesper Delvaux on Jun 20, 2023 14:55:57 GMT -5
If there was one thing that there was a lot of in this new job she held it was paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork. But Vesper was ever diligent and nothing was filed slowly or, goddess forbid, late. Never, no never. She was sitting at her desk, busy with said paperwork, when there was a strong knock at her door.
She looked up with a gaze of suspicion. She did not have any appointments and couldn't guess who might be behind that door. She set down her quill and sat up straight in her chair as she answered. "Enter," she called out, eyes glued to the door to see who had decided to approach her when most had been adamantly avoiding her.
Nadine took a deep breath, steadying herself completely before opening the door and stepping in. She saluted, both out of habit and respect for the powerful witch before her. The woman's dark gaze was intimidating to even the hardened officer, who knew very well what Delvaux could do with just a few words.
"Inquisitor General," Nadine kept her eyes locked in the distance behind Vesper.
How was she supposed to lead into her question? The officer certainly had not practiced or rehearsed anything, typically never at a loss for words. But in this moment she felt very small and insignificant.
"Permission to ask for advice regarding a matter of witchcraft summoning?"
Post by Vesper Delvaux on Jun 22, 2023 11:30:44 GMT -5
Perhaps it would have been a surprise to the other woman but this was the first instance in which someone had actually addressed her by her title. Vesper felt an unexpected stirring in her chest at the sound of it. She had not been addressed by a title since she had been the Naval Captain. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the way it made her feel to receive that kind of respect.
The woman before her was a well trained soldier with much experience, that much was clear from her behavior and demeanor. While she had not yet spoken to her directly before, Vesper knew who she was. What she didn't expect was the question that followed. It had nothing at all to do with her new position but rather about witchcraft. Summons in particular which was Vesper's favorite. Though she had started using healing potions at some point, she still had several scars on various parts of her body from the sacrifice to bring forth a summons back when she was a much younger witch.
There was a moment of silence as her mind switched gears before she nodded to the woman and motioned towards a couple of chairs on the opposite side of her desk. "Permission granted. Have a seat, Miss Machenet."
Nadine dropped her salute, sliding into one of the chairs at Vesper's order. Were it anyone else's desk, Nadine would have leaned back and propped her feet up. Instead, she sat straight with her hands folded perfectly in her lap.
"Thank you, General," Nadine coughed to clear her throat. "The question is in regards to a battle some thirteen years ago. A small contingent of Nevermere soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Bogsworth were overrun in a small village in enemy territory on recon. The village and all of its inhabitants were destroyed and devoured by a large summoned monster from the shadow realm, about the size of a two-story building. Lieutenant Bogsworth was found dead, assumedly the cost of her summoning such a beast."
Nadine paused, taking a deep breath. That information was part of her report all those years ago, as one of the few survivors.
"General, I would like to provide information that I was the one who summoned the monster," her words were nearly flat, devoid of emotion as she tried to distance herself mentally from the event.
But she remembered the soul-sucking darkness of the shadow realm where the monsters lay. She remembered the chill and the laughter, the roars and screams. She remembered IT.
"The monster's name is Moloch. I propose it is a high class danger rating due to both its physical power and unpredictability. I am aware of the dangers of summoning such a monster into our plane, but at the time it was my only course of action to save my squad."
Well, most of her squad. Moloch was quick to dismember her lieutenant with that sinister grin before moving on to their enemies. Moloch had never been under Nadine's control, but it did save her life and those of some of her companions. For a price.
"The cost of the sacrifice to summon Moloch," the officer's voice broke, and she blinked her eyes for a minute to stop them from watering. "Was that I sacrificed my unborn child. I have allowed this to affect my effectiveness as an officer for too long, and I request your help in moving forward. I wish to become a better witch and soldier."
Last Edit: Jul 11, 2023 10:15:37 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Vesper Delvaux on Jul 24, 2023 13:45:13 GMT -5
Vesper listened patiently but when the woman admitted to being the one to have summoned the monster she leaned back a little in her seat, her brows pulling together slightly as she remained silent, letting the officer finish her story.
She appreciated that woman wanted to improve, though she wasn't entirely sure why Nadine was here and had not gone to a trainer, assuming that Nadine had chosen to speak to her as the Inquisitor and not putting it together that could be due to anything else.
However, she was currently stuck on the issue that the woman had made such a big mistake in that battle, that someone had died because of it, and that if no one had known it was her then the issue had never been dealt with. Her long fingers moved over her lips thoughtfully before she responded.
"That is a pretty serious mistake, Miss Machenet. What has your service been like since then? Any other mistakes?"
Nadine pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing slightly. She was speaking to the Inquisitor General, so of course the woman would try to catch her in any slip up. The officer wasn't quite sure why she expected some sort of comradery from Vesper. She might be removed from the military entirely by the end of this conversation, should the inquisitor find enough faults within her. Still, Nadine was tired of carrying around the secret and guilt. To have everything out in the open would be freeing. Though...she still was not sure how to tell Aldrich about their unborn child.
"I haven't been on the field since," Nadine admitted, unable to hide a scowl at her own words. "Brass has kept me training the kids for mandatory. I want to get back in the fight, not teach some brat about the pointy end of a sword."
Post by Vesper Delvaux on Jul 28, 2023 15:12:32 GMT -5
Vesper considered her options at this point. Part of her thought it might be the best course of action to make sure that some sort of punishment was instated but on the other hand, the job she had taken on had been a demotion in it's own way, though technically not officially one, and it was thirteen years ago. The woman could have continued to keep this secret and no one would ever be the wiser. Instead, she had decided to admit to her fault. Vesper had to admire her for that.
Decision made she exhaled a breath and leaned forward in her seat, resting her forearms on the desk and engaging more directly with Nadine. "Alright then. So obviously you didn't come here today because of my position. So why me? Why ask me for help?" she asked, a genuine tone in her voice, void of judgement.