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!
"I'll see you all tomorrow", Clovis said, concluding today's training. His men started to leave the training grounds, taking their horses with them to dry them off and unsaddle them. They had been training for a couple of hours and because it was fairly cold outside, you could see steam coming off the animals. The autumn sun was shining though, making it tricky to dress appropriately for the weather. When the clouds hid the sun, it was chilly, but as soon as the sun shone through the clouds again, wearing a jacket made you feel hot in only seconds. The man watched as the last of his legionnaires vanished out of sight before he wiggled his toes in his shoes, hoping to regain feeling in his feet. Then he turned around to clean up some of mess left behind by training all morning. A training sword had snapped in half when the girth of someone's saddle came undone. The man had fallen from his horse and had landed on top of the sword. Clovis had told him to get up but by the way the man had done so, he had been able to tell that he had bruised his ribs pretty badly. So he had sent the man home, telling him to rest.
Once everything looked tidy again, Clovis looked around the training yard. Everyone was gone now but he didn't have anything else planned for the day. He decided to take some swings at a dummy, training with his sword. He hadn't joined in the training today, he had merely given orders and now he wanted to use some of his energy to be productive.
Desperately needing to step away from the stress of his family's situation, Keion had pulled on his old cavalry boots this morning and took off at a brisk run. The air was cold but he didn't mind, letting the chill and burn of his muscles quiet his mind.
He didn't really have a specific destination in mind but he found himself running towards the training grounds. Old habits died hard, he supposed, and soon he was approaching the old cavalry grounds. He often thought about how different his life would have been if he had never given up his position as the Head of the Cavalry. If he had just continued on with the quiet military life known to Arynn Frey.
Noticing soldiers filing away, he slowed to a walk, sucking in deep breaths of air. His gaze fell on one man in particular who stayed behind the rest. Moving forward, Keion plastered a friendly smile on his face and approached, "Good afternoon!" he called as he approached, hoping not to startle the man.
Clovis was mid-swing when he heard a voice across the training grounds. He looked up, a little surprised at first because he had just dismissed his men and he wasn't sure why one of them would come back with the words 'good afternoon' as if they hadn't seen each other only minutes before but as soon as he noticed who the voice belonged to, he lowered his sword and put it back in its sheath. "Lord Blackwood, good afternoon", he replied as soon as the man was close enough so that raising his voice wouldn't be necessary anymore. "You've just missed the cavalry training. That's too bad, some advice from the former head would've been an honour." Clovis, wo never really smiled, forced one corner of his mouth up in order to look like he was giving Keion a small smile. He had never talked to the man (much) before, but of course he knew who the man was. Even though Clovis was very sure of himself, he suddenly felt a little small. He was aware that he was quite young to be the head of the cavalry and realised that if Keion hadn't stepped down and the next head wouldn't have died early, he would never have gotten this position at this age.
Keion smiled a bit more genuinely as the man recognized him, dipping his head in greeting and in thanks. "Then I must be speaking with the current Head of Cavalry?" He clasped his hands loosely behind his back, giving the man a small once over. "I'm quite certain anything I would tell them has already been passed on by you."
He cast his gaze around the now empty field, "How have they been doing? Anything exciting to speak of?" He knew the answer was likely no, but he couldn't help asking. Couldn't help seeking out information, even on a day when he was supposed to be off.
Ha appreciated the more genuine smile. Smiles made conversations easier, and although Clovis knew this, he wasn't one to smile much himself. Always so serious. His family had told him multiple times to try to smile more, but he had simply taken this advice and thrown it out the window. "Yes you are", he replied, bowing his head a little, almost comically. He knew he was still quite young but the Head after Keion had suddenly died and he had been a good fit to take the position.
Keions unspoken suspicion had been correct. There was nothing interesting to mention. Things just went their way and nothing exciting had occured. "Just the same old." He also looked around the field. "I've been trying to get them to understand their horses better. It's not something that was previously much of a focus, no offense to you, of course, but I feel like it'll help them in battle if they have a good relationship with their horse. Apart from that, you know how Arynn Freyr is. Trainings are more to not forget how to fight than to prepare for anything."
Keion hummed as he considered Clovis's comments. "You're certainly correct in that matter, for the ones who use the horses. I always preferred my enchanted boots over a horse. It allowed me to be in full control of my body and not have to worry about controlling a large animal while also fighting."
He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Perhaps I had been missing that advantage though. Our military always needs to be improving, even if we aren't the most active. You never know what could be on the horizon."
Clovis shrugged lightly. He could understand why the man preferred his boots, but he'd always choose a horse over walking or running. His belt would allow him to move faster as well, but it also affects his horse if he's in the saddle.
He nodded. "What's on the horizon for you, lord Blackwood?" he asked, curious to know what the man was up to now.