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!
Life was pretty good for soldiers in Nevermere. Sure, between a sudden drive to recruit new soldiers and the return of existing ones from abroad, the military wing had been flooded with more unfamiliar faces than ever. And certainly, the more astute among them had their grim predictions as to why, but Ber didn’t care. He was now the practically gleeful owner of more money than he’d ever had in his life, and for what? The small price of promising five more years of his life to a career that he’d already been expecting to have until he died.
What wasn’t there to celebrate?
The taverns around Skia were happy too, particularly those haunts closer to the castle. More soldiers meant more of that bonus flowing from the crown to the hands of His Majesty’s finest to the wallets of those positioned to supply them with liquid courage. That certainly held true at the tavern Ber found himself at tonight. In varying levels of inebriation, soldiers and civilians alike milled about, and with his own drink in hand, Ber was making an attempt at locating his wayward friend, Duncan, in the crowded interior. It wasn’t going well. Though he could not find his friend, he did find himself unintentionally meeting the gaze of an unfamiliar witch who looked to be around his age. Awkwardly, he acknowledged her with a nod and raised his drink before quickly glancing away to continue the search for the friend who had brought him here in the first place.
Elletta was grinning big and wide, maybe a little feral. You know, a side effect from Coheed where she'd had to be mean to get some of the asshole Coheedsman to listen when she said no and now it was giving her just enough space to move through the tavern. Especially once she punctuated her movements with a few sharply-stepped-on toes. She was mainly looking for a table to be able to sit her butt at for the majority of the night. She'd only been back in Skia for barely a day before she had re-upped her contract and got her pay bonus. Which led to hitting the tavern, and unfortunately others had the same idea.
In her moving through the people with her own drink, she made eye contact with someone, another soldier she guessed. So, to be nice, she raised her drink in return before starting to move when she changed her mind. She didn't recognize the guy, but maybe he knew her? Were they in training together? She was honestly trying to remember cause admittedly, she didn't think that someone would just randomly raise their drink at her if they didn't know her. So choice made, she turned to find the guy. Eh, if it turned out they didn't know each other, then it was what it was.
It wasn't long before she was able to get close enough to be heard, again stepping on toes with a feral grin does get you some leeway. "Who ya lookin' fer?"
Post by Elodie Atwood on Jan 7, 2023 0:27:52 GMT -5
Her mother had tried to get her to stay home. This whole foolish endeavor was going to Elodie’s head, Demelza Atwood lamented as her husband looked on with a bemused smile. It was improper for a lady to be out late at night, particularly not in the sorts of places that her new “friends” were liable to wander into. But, show pony that she was, Elodie dug in her heels and left, accompanied by her cousin, Bretton. He was a male chaperone, she’d reasoned with her mother—through all of eighteen and easily bullied by Elodie.
Elodie was overdressed. She thanked all the goddesses at once that she’d gone with the muted carmine-colored frock over the shocking emerald green she’d first selected. Still, Elodie’s unlikely presence was enough to draw the eyes of a goodly amount of tavern-goers. Elodie Atwood, a lady who topmost bit of the upper crust, was slumming it in the taverns of Skia with the commoner milieu. At first, she thought to flee. But, with poor Bretton in tow, she squared her chin and drifted up to the bar.
Post by Octavius Wulfbrand on Jan 7, 2023 6:30:40 GMT -5
Octavius was back in town and ready for a good time. He hadn’t been able to get a hold of any of his usual friends at such short notice, so he had taken to the streets and decided to stumble into something he’d enjoy.
It was purely by chance that he was moving past the window of a tavern he didn’t particularly like that he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. @elletta. Seeing her here incited a great many things in him, among them jealousy at noting her interaction with another soldier. Hey—it was the shit soldier! Well, maybe Octavius didn’t feel so green after all. At least he was a good guy.
The soldier’s gaze was taken by movement towards the bar. It fell on the woman approaching and stuck.
Yes, he was being that awkward dude gazing in through the window.
Post by Fabian Winters on Jan 7, 2023 8:43:44 GMT -5
Fabian was looking forward to hanging out with people on a social event. It had been a long time coming for him and he really needed it. Well, he has his children, but he needed some adult company. It was a great chance for him to finally get out and about. Fabian saw Kat's paired Octavius Wulfbrand and he smiled as he watched him from afair from a bit and quietly walked up behind him. "Why don't you go in?" There was a smile on his face as he eyed the direction Octavius was looking and have a smile on his face. His crossed his arms softly. suggesting that he is here for a great night out.
Post by Octavius Wulfbrand on Jan 7, 2023 11:29:43 GMT -5
Fabian was smooth. His approach was silent as a cat sneaking up on a mouse, and that mouse very nearly crapped his pants and recreated a terrible, terrible night for Octavius.
“Good shit!” Octavius exclaimed, as if that was actually an acknowledged saying, his whole body jumping as he turned, his initial expression and stance one of fear and defense. Quite the soldier, indeed. Upon seeing the culprit he gasped loudly.
“Blood and oaths, man, can you not just walk up on a man so…so…so…” he didn’t have a good word so he left it there, gaze flickering over Fabian, taking him in. Ah, Fabian. A rather complex man with an undetermined place in Octavius’ life. On second thought, it was quite determined, wasn’t it?
Octavius’ brow lowered darkly over his eyes and in a lapse of good judgement he reached out to catch the fellow by the front of his shirt and draw him in close.
“Tell me why you did it.” They were still in the window. A potentially entertaining scene to behold.
Post by Fabian Winters on Jan 7, 2023 12:55:02 GMT -5
Fabian was a bit shocked at Octavius' response and he looked at him for a second. "I am sorry if I scared you there. Plus I feel after putting up with my wife you might want to join me for a drink? I know it nothing much in there but a drink a drink at the end of the day" He asked. He doesn't want to be creating a scene. Plus he is his wife paired so in reality he wants to create tension with this man.
"It really good to see you back in Nevermere really it is." He didn't pull away he just waited till Oct come through.
When @elletta approached him, Ber had already turned away, expecting their interaction to remain that brief acknowledgement of strangers across the room. Instead, an unfamiliar voice at his side had him turning to see that the witch standing beside him with a wide grin. “No one,” He replied, shrugging. “Just a friend. He disappeared a while back though - thinking at this point it’s probably for the best that I don’t find him.”
Pausing, he took a sip of his drink and cast a final glance around before giving up Duncan as a lost cause. He held out a hand. “Name’s Berengar Stormcrest. Ber’s fine though. Who—“ As he spoke, he had happened to glance beyond the stranger just as Elodie Atwood approached the bar and caught his attention. Eyebrows rose. Though he had no idea who she was, it was painfully clear that she did not belong, for she was horribly overdressed in a way that was practically asking for someone to spill something cheap down the front of her fancy frock. He nodded slightly toward her. “Don’t see that every night. Think she might have ended up at the wrong party?”
And she had no clue who the other soldier was. Apparently he didn't actually know her either but he at least didn't seem to be a terrible person, and it wasn't like she really knew many other people in Nevermere after spending practically her whole career in Coheed. Well, there was Octavius Wulfbrand but she hadn't seen him yet since she got back. Didn't know if he was back yet or- Nope. They were friends and this soldier seemed kinda friend-shaped too. Or at least, seemed like not an asshole.
Then she followed @berengar's gaze and had to do a double take at the woman Elodie Atwood. "Definitely a bold choice showin' up in sommat like that. Might get a lotta spills on it." She took a swig from her own drink, honestly waiting to see the inevitable carriage wreck from some drunk spilling something on a pretty frock like that. "Oh! Shit. Manners. Name's Elletta Haider."
Kasper is young enough to fall under the werewolf curse, yet it is dormant. Should the curse be activated his wolf form will be that of a white shaggy fur color keeping his smallness even though he is still rather large for a werewolf. His eyes also retain their green color.
Post by Kasper Van Zant on Jan 8, 2023 15:22:11 GMT -5
Kasper had got his pay, spent some time with the kids, and had told Faylin he was going out with a few of the other soldiers she was more than welcome to join that he'd see her there if she came. It was already a good time and Kasper was in the thick of it as a few soldiers played a few instruments in the tavern. The rhythm was heavy as Kasper stood in the middle of about six soldiers stomping boots against the wooden floor like thunder. Another played bagpipes like a kid out in the rain, a green eyed witch soldier strummed a lute, but it was Kasper who kicked off the song, "We're running away around the Cape! Some for debt and some for treason. Warren come down to Skia, poor old man!"
The entirety of the music stopped just as everyone in the tavern joined in on the chorus with Kasper:
'Oh! wake 'er, oh, shake 'er, Wake that gal with the blue dress on. Warren come down to Skia, poor old man!'[/I]
The beat and fire of the music erupted again as they sang on, Kasper with his personal small cask of wine climbed on top of the bar to dance a little jig.
'I once had a gal, her hair was red, 'Twas curly all over except on her head. Warren come down to Skia! poor old man!'
Kat was, unsurprisingly, right next to her twin with a bottle swinging in her hand to whatever tune he had decided to sing. Joining in at the chorus with the rest but otherwise just enjoying watching her brother act like his usual idiotic but hilarious self. Unsurprisingly she didn't recognize many of the fresh faces, and then there were others she was pretty sure hated her guts. Sucked to be them.
"Oi, you dressed all fancy for a special occasion like buying the entire bar around." Her eyebrow was raised Elodie Atwood as she leaned against the bar. Honestly that seemed the only reason to dress fancy, to shout you had money and wanted to spend it. "Bribery is always a good way to make friends after all."
For a moment, Ber stood there beside the stranger, staring at the noblewoman with no small amount of incredulity. His companion seemed to share his thoughts on the matter, and he made a noise of agreement, downing the remainder of his drink, before offering her a nod as she introduced herself as @elletta .
Turning back to look at her, he was about to attempt conversation when the music in the tavern suddenly turned into song, and Kasper Van Zant singing a particularly well-known tune caught his attention. Between the alcohol in his veins and the money to his name, Ber was feeling confident enough to join the rest of the tavern in singing along, and he grinned as the man began a little dance.
Automatically, he raised his cup to take another sip before belatedly remembering that it was empty. Looking back at Haider, he gestured meaningfully with the glass toward the bar and started making his way for a refill - arriving just in time to catch what @katerina had said to the noblewoman, though he didn’t recognize her voice. “Did I hear someone’s buying drinks?” Ber asked, realizing only when he approached that he knew the speaker. “Oh. Haven’t seen you around lately.” And honestly, he couldn’t say he was sad about it.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jan 10, 2023 23:45:12 GMT -5
Rhedara was not usually one to frequent taverns. They were crowded and loud, and Rhedara always managed to get a drink spilled on her. She hated smelling like alcohol, or just smelling bad at all. She'd had enough of that growing up as the daughter of a fisherman. She wrinkled her nose. Even though it had been years, and she'd had long ago replaced the "rags" she used to wear, she sometimes caught phantom scent of fish on her clothes.
Everyone needed a night out once in a while though, and if she came home smelling like someone else's drink, so be it.
She made her way over to the bar, ending up near a young woman who was very much overdressed for this sort of establishment. Some people might give her an odd look for being dressed so, but Rhedara looked at her clothes with no small amount of envy. If she had clothes like that, she'd wear them everywhere, even to the docks to gut fish.
One day, she promised herself, not for the first time.
Post by Octavius Wulfbrand on Jan 11, 2023 12:41:44 GMT -5
Even if Fabian Winters had tried to pull away, he wouldn't have been able to. Octavius' size gave him the advantage. He kept Fabian nice and close, a light of aggression behind his eyes.
"Don't talk about your wife like she's a burden." He growled between his teeth, protective of his pair. "Now tell me, you little prick, why you did it to her. Why'd you do it to Regan?" If Fabian was too dense to figure out what Octavius was asking then he'd just have to jostle some sense into the man.
Post by Fabian Winters on Jan 11, 2023 13:03:54 GMT -5
What was Octavius Wulfbrand on about, he would never do anything to hurt his wife, he would be lost without her. "Kat is not a burden I love her. She my everything. She my one." The way he said that was firm full but he still don't want to fight. Regan why so she told him about their encounter. "Back then I was a fool, Octavius. Didn't realize what a wonderful beautiful strong minded person i had in my life. I honestly did not want to hurt Regan nor my wife. I was a different person back then."
"I am sorry for what happened. Kat knows what happened and I feel bad for it every single day so no matter if you punch the shit out of me I already feel like shit. But I don't want any trouble. If there anything to prove I am not that man I was over five years ago I will. However, right now I would like to celebrate Kat's and Kasper's return because I really miss them. so please. I am in no mood." He explained.