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!
Felicity’s exit from the throne room was swift. She did not have great height but her body knew how to move quickly, and move it did.
Once in the hall, her hands angrily wiped at the tears. If her husband pursued her, he would have to jog to catch her, as she wasn’t slowing, not even for him.
Felicity had done something risky. Something humiliating. She had put her heart out and begged for Iliana Rainecourt to hear, to listen, to respond. And what had the monarch done? Patted her on the head. Felicity had sacrificed more for this kingdom than the queen had three times over, and yet the little brat dared stand before her and prattle off noncommittal responses? That was not a loving queen. That was not a queen who truly cared for all her people. What Iliana Rainecourt wanted was to be loved, but as she straddled the line of inactivity she would lose the affection of every citizen of Lorendale. Easy for her to say what she had, considering her witch escort. Well where was Felicity’s magical help? And why did the queen not care that Felicity had just reported the abduction of 50 of her loyal servants? No, she wasn’t a queen of the people. As far as Felicity was concerned and currently feeling, she wasn’t the queen Lorendale needed at all.
She was ready to express just this, if only she had an audience. As it was, she walked quickly towards the fastest exit out of the palace. She had no intention of returning.
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
Post by Tybalt Zane on Dec 16, 2022 16:52:59 GMT -5
Tybalt had to make a few excuses before he gave chase to his wife. He was aware that he wouldn't be fooling anyone but at the end of the day, couldn't see any other options. Their bond given to them in Arynn Frey allowed the man to pick up on enough of her emotional state to be acutely aware that right now, she was not in a very good frame of mind right now. He did his best to qwell his own nerves. This wasn't exactly the first time that he'd had to deal with his wife in a bad mood. Sadly, he also knew that everything that followed would require him treading on eggshells from hereon out.
The man would break into something of a jog. He knew that Felicity could quite easily and literally leave him for dust if she wanted to. She could thank her Coheed enhancements for that much. That or - perish the thought - he was actually getting older.
The newly named commander looked around as he followed, he was keen to ensure that he tried to get Felicity's attention when there wasn't anyone else around to overhear what he feared might be an argument. Eventually, Tybalt would take a chance. When things drew a little quieter towards the palace doors, he would take a chance and call out: "Felicity." Aware that she almost certainly would be able to sense that he had been following her. What he couldn't say was whether or not she was actually willing to listen or even to talk.
Post by Felicity Zane on Dec 17, 2022 0:40:09 GMT -5
What Felicity was in was far more than a bad mood, and to describe it as such was to belittle her as a human and a woman. Felicity was in a crisis. Her kingdom—her queen—had failed her on a deeply personal level, and for a woman who toiled day in and day out for her queen, for her kingdom, it was a threat to everything she knew. Who was Felicity without service to Lorendale? Perhaps she would find this out in the coming months. She didn’t know. She didn’t know up from down right now. The corners of her eyes were plagued with flashes of white. The names of those taken by Eldouir haunted her. The world was falling apart, and the queen simply stood by and judged. Tybalt, too.
Her heart hurt to hear him call her name. It hurt because right now she didn’t stop. She wouldn’t. Either he could run, or he would lose her. Felicity loved Tybalt with every inch of who she was, and as far as she was concerned, he had just betrayed her in that courtroom, siding with their inactive queen over his suffering wife. That was a choice they would both have to live with now.
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
Post by Tybalt Zane on Dec 17, 2022 3:32:33 GMT -5
Tybalt was under no allusions that any of this was going to be an easy task.
For a moment, he contemplated giving Sky the order to give chase. She would easily outpace him and might even be able to catch Felicity if she decided to go to full speed. After just a little bit more thought though, he decided against that option on the basis that Felicity probably on balance wouldn't appreciate her husband's dog tearing off her leg. She seemed to already be having a bad day as it was...
So, reluctantly Tybalt broke into a run, ignoring any of the looks that he might possibly have received from either confused or concerned spectators - generally, if the commander was seen running anywhere, it wasn't a good sign. He would try to reach his wife, if necessary grabbing at her arm. He would take care to ensure that he didn't use any of the excessive strength at his disposal to risk but bruising her but still with enough firmness to leave her with only the options of coming to a stop or kicking him in the groin to get him to to release her. Then, it was simply a matter of praying that she wasn't in such a state as to chose the latter as a way out.
Post by Felicity Zane on Dec 17, 2022 14:06:04 GMT -5
Felicity heard him run. She could have ran too but she wasn’t that desperate to get away. She was hurt by him, yes, but her hurt didn’t only want to flee—it wanted to fight.
When the hold closed around her arm Felicity stopped and turned, attempting to rip her arm free, as Tybalt wasn’t holding it as hard as he could have. She would face him, eyes still rimmed with red, both from her tears and exhaustion, and her gaze narrowed, brows low.
“Can I help you, Commander?” She bore her teeth as she asked it, giving priority to the formality of their ranks, the same as Tybalt had chosen to do in the courtroom. All she had thought about on her ride home was falling into his arms, pressing her lips to his, using her fingertips to trace his stubbles jaw…
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
Post by Tybalt Zane on Dec 17, 2022 16:22:12 GMT -5
Tybalt would allow Felicity to slip from his grasp, both to avoid things turning into a full blown fight and also out of fear that he might actually hurt her through his carelessness. He had her here, that was what he needed. Internally, the commander did what he could to remain calm. After a good many years of marriage, this wasn't quite the first time that he'd had to face her like this. So he decided to be as careful as possible. He took a step back, both physically and mentally from the situation, forcing himself to remain calm.
"Not right now..." The man shook his head slowly. "Right now, I was rather hoping that there might be some way that I can help you." He wasn't about to scold her for the show that she'd put on in front of the queen. "I can feel that you're hurting..."
The commander braced himself. Expecting her to start snapping at him again or maybe even to make a break for it.
Post by Felicity Zane on Dec 20, 2022 1:28:40 GMT -5
Tybalt's internal calm was infuriating. Was there no passion? Was there no feeling? Did he truly look upon her and simply feel a calm?! Well, in contrast, Felicity was a wellspring of hurt and betrayal, and covering that spring so that none might dip their feet in was her anger. He would feel it well, especially at so close a distance.
"There was a way you could have helped me." Felicity told him, dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. "The moment has passed." She snapped her mouth closed, giving him an opportunity to say something--anything.
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
Post by Tybalt Zane on Dec 20, 2022 2:58:18 GMT -5
Tybalt had braced himself as best as possible, hoping that logic - or at least his attempt at it - would be enough to at the very least calm her.
"Felicity, what would you have had me do?" Actually, he had something of an inkling. She would have wanted him to rush over to her side and defend her, to take her side and try to force the monarch's hand or at least join her in her impassioned plea. If Tybalt hesitated for a few moments, it was because he wasn't too sure how to continue without risking telling his wife that he found her behavior shocking and inappropriate, especially in front of the queen. "I happen to agree with you to a degree. We have a serious problem with the gifted, both those beyond our borders and with a few within and we need a solution."
He took a breath, aware that he was going to have to stand his ground on this particular point. "The queen is equally aware. Everyone is trying to think of a solution but it's extremely complicated. You know as well as I do that not all gifted are evil. We can't collar all of them again, it would likely mean civil war and right now, Lorendale desperately needs its gifted. I know that you're upset, you're right to be but there's no changing what happened, all we can do is work together to try and find a solution that means it won't happen again and that won't lead us into fighting one another."
Post by Felicity Zane on Jan 1, 2023 15:58:03 GMT -5
”And what,” Felicity spat, rather venomous, on the heels of his words, “do you say to my fifty men and women who were taken away by the Eldouir?!” She was impassioned. Embittered. In shock and disbelief that her husband, the one who usually stood for what was right, was sitting in his hands next to the monarch.
“I never said to collar them.” She lowers her voice slightly, but only slightly. “I simply asked her to do something, and she has chosen to do nothing.” Her gaze passed over his face, searching for something she didn’t find. “I didn’t realize how political you have become. You used to be a man of action. A man that jumped on a horse and galloped to Coheed to save me. Where is that man now? Caught up in legislation and concern for political backing?” She scoffed.
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
Tybalt bit his lip for a moment about the men and women whom Felicity had lost. He very nearly reminded her that whilst it was tragic, they were soldiers. It was inevitable that they would lose a few in the line of duty. "They will have to be rescued in time but Felicity, you saw what the Eldouir and Dresmondi are capable of." The man stressed, desperately trying to drag his wife back to what he perceived to be reality. "I know that the king and queen will act but we have to be prepared, moving too soon would only seal our doom, perhaps even that of all of Terra Nova." With the potential exception of Arynn Frey, Tybalt felt that if Lorendale and more importantly Nevermere fell to Hiram's nation, then the rest of the kingdoms would likely fold.
The commander almost found himself smiling in relief as her tone dropped a little bit. Instead he frowned. At heart Tybalt remained a Kane, Felicity's words struck him as being dangerously close to accusing him of cowardice. "Point me in the direction of an enemy who I can slay to fix all of this my lady and I'll march down there singlehandedly to slay them." He spoke it as a matter of fact, almost a challenge. If she could do so, then he would. "The queen is trying to find a solution but these things take time given the complexity of the situation. We need to do something about Hiram and something will be done but equally we can't risk thrusting our home into a civil war with our own gifted or engaging in a war we can't possibly win."
Gifted - Luck magic, in certain situations, if Amien "needs" something badly enough he can either consciously or subconsciously pull at the fabric of reality to get what he needs (a means to escape, etc.).
Luck is inherently unpredictable, however, and rarely manifests itself in an expected manner.
Post by Amien Lysander on Jan 3, 2023 14:42:04 GMT -5
We are dying.
Amien had already straightened, rapt with attention at the unexpected announcement of Felicity Zane, returned from the Dresmondi front lines. Whatever he had thought to hear from the marchioness, however, paled in comparison to the plea she lay at the queen’s feet. The ardent, impassioned plea for the Crown to do something. Ever the soldier, the count looked on with hands clasped lightly behind his back as his pulse raced.
Finally.
He found himself shamed in the crowd, embarrassed that he himself had not dared to step forward as the lady marshal did now. ‘We are dying,’ she told the court—told the queen—delivering the truth to Her Majesty with more grace and humility than Amien himself could ever hope to have mustered. Surely, surely now the queen would be made to see, she would understand the gravity of the situation—
But the girl seated upon the throne demurred.
The remainder of their exchange passed in a blur Amien could scarcely hear over his own pulse beating furiously between his ears. Iliana Rainecourt dismissed the lady marshal with an empty breath of pedantry and the court fell into a low murmur. Amien watched the marchioness leave. He watched the queen exit a moment later.
After another beat, he made for the double doors of the throne room.
He asked after the Zanes, and the guard at the door pointed him in the direction they had exited. With a brisk step and a fury burning in his chest, Amien spanned the length of the corridor, rounded a corner, and very smacked into the bickering pair. He managed to bring himself short of the commander’s shoulder, falling a step back with a shallow bow.
“Commander, my lady,” he interjected. It was obvious he had interrupted something, but he was already practically in the middle of it now, and he was not the sort of man to spin a lie for the sake of an excuse. “I apologize if I am—” his steely gaze slipped from Tybalt to Felicity before hazarding his next word—“interrupting. I merely wanted to thank you. For asking the question on all our minds. You do your soldiers credit.” For fighting for them still. Not in the field, not where it was easy. But here, where it was hard, where there were no simple answers and it was far too easy to hide behind a banner of bloody neutrality.
Having spoken, Amien dipped his chin in a quick moment of deference and gratitude before widening his gaze to include Tybalt once more.
Post by Felicity Zane on Jan 4, 2023 12:09:49 GMT -5
The world around the couple had dimmed, everything of little importance in light of the conversation at hand. It wasn't a matter of reality, this was a matter of perspective, and the ever-loyal Tybalt was standing by his inactive queen and fighting for time.
"She has had four years to do something--" Felicity's words were on fire, a heat in her belly and on her tongue that made them leap from her lips with urgency. Whatever more she might have said, however, was interrupted by a vaguely familiar face. She noted his address of her as a lady rather than a Marshal, but said nothing of it. Her eyes were sharp and hostile, that is, until he thanked her. It was the first breath of solidarity she had received, and it was refreshing. Perhaps even Tybalt would feel the way a calming river rushed through her at those words. Finally someone who understood. Not someone sitting comfortably in the palace thinking. Someone who had seen for years what was happening in Lorendale. The Eldouirs were mostly gone, yet there was still an issue with gifteds. Perhaps it would take the words of others for her husband and the queen to see it. Clearly, Felicity held no clout among them, despite everything.
The marchioness didn't know what to say. She blinked stupidly for a moment, eyelashes fluttering, before dipping her head to him.
"I don't believe I know you." Or did she? He looked familiar.
Arynnite armor: The armor have two states: active and inactive. When inactive, they look like little more than ornate metal bracers, easily ignored. When triggered, the armor covers Tybalt and serves as an exoskeleton. It will protect its wearer from physical damage and is practically indestructible.
The armor has a certain "preprogrammed" purpose which is to protect its host. To do so, it reacts to heightened emotional states such as fear and anger, at which point the armor will trigger regardless of whether or not Tybalt wants it to or even if he's immediately aware of the threat. It has some degree of awareness and sentience although very basic and one which struggles to differentiate between enemies and friends. Whilst not actually in possession of a will, the armor can guide or direct its host in a specific action, much like a reflex.
The armor needs to be "fed" as Tybalt has discovered meaning that he must hold and absorb through touch certain metals such as steel, copper, iron and tin, a process which takes a few minutes. Without which, the armor will begin to weaken and become less effective until no longer able to manifest.
Perhaps its greatest weakness is that if being consistently bashed or beaten, it would begin to repair itself by using parts of the armor from elsewhere. For instance, if the wearer is being consistently hit in the chest, the armor will begin to pool away from other parts of their body such as the feet and hands, leaving them vulnerable.
The commander opened his mouth to reply something, to assure Felicity that they were doing something and that these things took time if they didn't want to rush in unprepared. Civil unrest the likes of which statements like the ones she had just made certainly wouldn't help things along. He stopped himself though as he caught sight of the new arrival.
Tybalt didn't welcome the man, although unlike Felicity he had some inkling as to who this was even if they hadn't interacted a great deal in the past. He might not have actively told the man to beat it and be on his way but he came pretty darn close. The commander bristled internally, tensing up slightly. It must have been obvious to any spectators that the captain and his wife weren't exactly having a relaxed conversation. Although perhaps he was forgetting that not everyone had been gifted with his enhanced hearing... Still, body language alone should have clued the stranger in to the fact that this might not have been the best time to interrupt.
Unable to trust himself to say anything remotely civil, Tybalt contented himself with biting his tongue and waiting for the man to be on his way. If he didn't excuse himself promptly, then the commander might well try and do it for him.
Gifted - Luck magic, in certain situations, if Amien "needs" something badly enough he can either consciously or subconsciously pull at the fabric of reality to get what he needs (a means to escape, etc.).
Luck is inherently unpredictable, however, and rarely manifests itself in an expected manner.
Post by Amien Lysander on Jan 21, 2023 18:12:45 GMT -5
“Ah,” the count noted his mistake with the click of his tongue, immediately bowing his head once more. “Forgive me. For the intrusion and my apparent lack of manners. Count Lysander,” he offered by way of introduction, straightening with his arms folded behind his back in soldierly repose. “I am…not a regular figure here at court—” an omission that was, admittedly, putting it lightly—“but I was glad to be in the room to hear your address.”
Amien paused, permitting his attention to once again expand to encompass not only the lady marshal but her lord husband as well. Though the count did not know the man personally, he was not so far removed from the court that he did not at least know the commander by reputation. Inclining his head once more, his next words were directed at Tybalt. “And very sorry,” he added, voice raking over the usual gravel in his throat, “to interrupt.”
Whatever it was he had unwittingly walked into, Amien knew better than to awkwardly turn on his heel now. He would at least give the Zanes an opportunity to respond before turning to take his leave of what was an argument that was not his to disturb.
Post by Felicity Zane on Jan 26, 2023 6:48:53 GMT -5
Unlike Tybalt, Felicity was glad for the intruder. Glad for a different opinion. When it was just her and Tybalt then her husband was able to chalk the situation up to her being emotional. But see? This man agreed with what she had said. Would Tybalt belittle and ignore him, too? Was that was the officials of Lorendale did when confronted with truths they didn't want to have to stomach? Ignore them and move on? Squash them under a suppressive thumb? No, Felicity wouldn't let that be the case. Tybalt could condone inactivity in the queen, but in the meantime, those that could do something about the state of things would. The time for sitting on hands had passed.
"The Commander and I were just finished." Felicity sad to Amien, though her dark gaze was set on Tybalt as she said it. If her husband didn't want to listen, then she didn't want to talk, and they had no further business. She shifted her attention to Amien then, and intended to keep it there.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Count Lysander." If Tybalt moved to leave she wouldn't flinch--not externally.