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!
The journey back to Loren was neither easy nor pretty. Regan had seen the so-called soldiers flee, but there was a chance that at least some of them would pursue. And given what transpired at the inn, Regan wasn’t about to take any chances. But it wasn’t the speed of the soldiers that concerned her most. It was that good news travels fast, and bad news travels faster.
The hellcat was Regan’s companion on her travels, providing her with speed and security. It would be 24 hours or more before Fischer would wake. He was stable, but healing was an exhausting business (even with the aid of potions). Regan, however, couldn’t afford to be exhausted. Besides, the knowledge that the anti-gifted could be anyone, anywhere, at any level of government kept her wide awake.
She had to get to Cassian before news of the Green Chapel did.
Regan pushed the hellcat, eventually tying the limp Fischer to herself to aid in its travel. She reopened the wound on her arm once so the summoning could maintain its strength. It had taken Nolan and Regan a day in a half to reach the Green Chapel, arriving in the late morning. Regan raced through the day, arriving in the woods outside of Lorendale a couple of hours after nightfall. She stopped in the woods outside the city, the torches of Loren distantly visible through the trees—a mile or so away.
Shifting into her hellhound form, Regan let out a long howl of alarm. Any soldier or Lorendaler would mistake it for an animal of the woods, but she hoped that one man would know otherwise
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:36:44 GMT -5
Cassian was at work. That is, the work never stopped for a king. Between meeting diplomats, interviewing those involved, and juggling duties of a husband and, oh yeah, being king of another kingdom, too, he was exhausted. He was spent. There was so much chaos, so much of a mess surrounding the incident at the Allemeade estate. It was concerning. Many parties were wronged, many were victims, and at the end of the day he knew that Lorendale would want their bad guy. The citizens would want their justice. He and Iliana had to deliver it to them.
Night had fallen, and so most of what he had to do was finished. It was time to rest and gear up for the next day. It had not slipped Cassian's attention that he had yet to hear from Regan. No news could be good news, and he decided to believe that. She was one of the most accomplished soldiers in the Nevermerean military, or so Hadrian choosing her for his Ranger program implied. Cassian didn't need to be alarmed by the silence. That was what he reminded himself of. But the reality stood: if something happened to her while she was out there then he would forever blame himself for it.
The king was moving through the palace halls, headed for his bedchamber when he heard the sound. He stopped in his tracks, the royal guards behind him immediately starting in alarm.
"Your majesty, what is--" one began, but Cassian held up a hand for silence. She wasn't finished. He listened to it all, unable to translate in his human form, but certain it was her. The path to his private chamber was abandoned in favor of turning.
"We have another to meet." He said simply, and the guards fell into step. They tore through the palace with a haste that betrayed urgency without appearing entirely unseemly. Any they passed with questions on their faces were disregarded. They had a hellhound to meet.
Regan would have waited a good half hour for the king and his guards to mount up and head into the woods right outside of Loren.
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:38:12 GMT -5
Regan’s body cried out for sleep. Hellhound or no, the furious pace of her travels post-battle had taken its toll. To fight off the lulling weariness, she stayed on her feet and in her hellhound form, searching for Cassian’s scent. The loyal hellcat stayed beside her. It curled around Fischer protectively, though there was little worry of him going anywhere.
So, together, they waited. Regan sniffed the night air while the hellcat breathed in the dark. Time ticked on, the minutes turning to eternity before she finally picked something up.
It was him. Unmistakably him.
Regan howled again - lower this time, but hopefully enough to guide him in the right direction. She'd then go to head him off, following by her nose, moving furiously through the trees until she finally met them in the dark.
With her superior vision, Regan would see them first.
"Your majesty." Regan would call, dropping back into her witch form, voice cracking as she continued on her path. When they saw her, Regan would look like she'd been dragged through a thicket backward. Crusted blood covered the entirety of her right arm and soot, dirt, and sweat covered the rest.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:38:26 GMT -5
The horses they'd taken from the stables were of a good breed, sturdy and up for the nighttime jaunt. The second howl served to set them in the right direction, and then before he knew it they were coming upon...
The king drew his horse up, as did the soldier at his side, though the witch continued forward, intending to be the first line of defense. She dismounted and approached, only needing two steps to recognize,
"Regan." She breathed, both relief and concern in her voice. Cassian didn't make a habit of disclosing plans to his royal guards, but he'd made them aware of what Regan had been up to while away. Whoever this witch was or wasn't to Regan, at the end of the day they were on the same team.
Cassian dismounted upon the affirmation of her identity. Of course he'd known--he'd heard her call--but seeing her in such a state had given him pause. His eyes moved to the beast, the one controlled by her, and then to the man in its grasp. It took years of training to keep the smirk from his lips. He approached, noticing her bloodied arm with a glance.
"You were successful." She'd surely hear the approval in his voice. Then, "Where is the Commander?"
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:38:51 GMT -5
“Your majesty, he—”
Regan’s eyes darted back and forth between the two guards. There was a moment of hesitant mistrust, but it was quickly put aside. They were Nevermerean. They had no reason to throw themselves in with the likes of Fischer and his cronies. So, Regan refocused on the king and continued.
“I believe he is dead, sire. The Commander was working for Fischer, as were his soldiers. It was a trap. They wanted a witch.” Regan was shaking a little; not with exhaustion, but with anger. Witch magic was not a plaything. It was controlled chaos, and the fact that Fischer and Nolan had tried to collar it repulsed her.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:38:56 GMT -5
Regan's revelation sank like a stone plunked into deep water, the waves growing calmer but colder the further it went. He had levels of reactions to the news, but in the end he remained stony, a resolve of control.
"How do you know he was working for Fischer?" It wasn't that Cassian didn't believe Regan. It was that the citizens of Lorendale had no reason to. If she had no evidence and Nolan was dead then it would certainly be in the best interest of Cassian as king, a foreign monarch, not to incriminate the man in his death. Of course, he said none of this.
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:39:10 GMT -5
“We found Fischer in an inn — where Nolan said he’d be.” Regan sorted through the details while trying to maintain the unruffled resolve of a reporting soldier. “When we got close, Nolan’s wife came forward. Fischer announced Nolan was working for him, and Nolan’s wife offered me as, uh, a gift to the cause.” Regan shifted a little, agitated.
“Nolan yelled to his soldiers outside the bar the doors. Then, he drew his sword and turned on me.” It all had happened so fast. It seemed surreal now. Remembering, Regan reached into her bag and pulled out the collar, holding it out to Cassian.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:39:15 GMT -5
Cassian listened. Of course: the soldiers. They would be hard to track, as they had surely dispersed by this point, but track them they would. The truth would come out, whether only to Cassian and Iliana, or to all of Lorendale.
This. Nolan's betrayal. It was the thing Cassian feared the most in Nevermere. He didn't blink seeing it happen in this kingdom with its centuries of betrayal and corruption, but he saw Nevermere as being better than that. Then again, the nature of man was common...
He looked at the collar but did not take it. He did not want to stain his hands with the filth of what had happened here. Instead he looked to Fischer.
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:39:37 GMT -5
“Yes.” Of that Regan was sure. He would benefit from a healer, but his injuries weren’t life-threatening. And his discomfort was hardly her concern.
“I’ve given him a sleeping potion. He’ll be awake in a couple of hours.” She looked at Fischer and her nose wrinkled briefly in disgust before she looked back at Cassian. She thought about Fischer’s son. How he’d cast him at her as if he were nothing to save his own skin. Regan wasn’t a hero, but she certainly wasn’t a villain. Fischer, meanwhile, was vile in the worst possible way.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:39:46 GMT -5
Cassian sighed, though it was small, hardly detectable. He was more tired now than he had been an hour ago. Was all this really worth it? What was a zealot’s cause without gain? He failed to understand what Fischer was trying to accomplish here…but there’s be more than enough time to investigate that once the man was awake.
“Let us return to the palace. I want to hear everything on our ride back.”
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:40:03 GMT -5
“Yes, your majesty.”
Regan shoved the collar back into her bag and went to the hellcat. It raised its head as she approached, looking as weary as she felt. The longer summonings were in the terrestrial world, particularly without continued sacrifice, the weaker they became. The hellcat licked Regan’s arm, and the dried blood turned wet again.
“Not much further now,” Regan soothed it with a gentleness that was rarely heard from the bristling witch. The hellcat leaned its head into her hand before rising to its feet and gently gathering up Fischer in its jaws.
Regan would prefer a steed, not wanting to tax the poor summoning further. If one was offered, she would take it. If not, she would crawl atop the creature, running an apologetic hand through its fur.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:40:08 GMT -5
The witch that had met her first did indeed offer to share her mount with Regan, and once the party was prepared to depart they would. The pace was not a gallop but instead a hurried trot.
They reached the secret entrance to the palace, the one that utilized a system of underground tunnels in order to sneak someone in or out without having to move through Loren, and Fischer was placed in the dungeon.
Post by Regan Lassiter on Aug 5, 2022 12:40:32 GMT -5
During their travels, Regan relayed every detail of the events that transpired: from what happened the moment she stepped food in Nolan’s office to the present moment. In particular, she mentioned how Nolan had initially suggested bringing Remiel Allemeade, how the troops had been occupying the village days before their arrival, and how Fischer had stabbed Nolan in the chest when it was clear things weren’t going according to plan. Regan was one prone to verbal vomit, but in this, her every word was precise. She put thoroughness above brevity. Fortunately, the ride was long, so it was time not wasted.
Regan would answer Cassian’s questions as he had them. But it was that which stuck in her mind most that she wouldn’t mention: the way that Fischer’s son screamed when he cast him into her fire.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Aug 5, 2022 12:41:00 GMT -5
Cassian certainly had question. He sought to understand the details of the situation, as they would help guide him and Iliana as they made a decision about what to do with the others and what to tell their people.
Her retelling served to clarify multiple things: Nolan was a liar. Fischer was a murderer. The incident at the Allemeade farm suddenly made a lot more sense. It served to spin the gifteds as the victims here—to go disgust even Hiram—and he was able to start sinking into what he thought needed to happen.
The witch would take Regan to a place she could rest and start to heal, while the soldier accompanied Cassian to his rooms for him to rest. Nothing more would come of this situation until the morning.