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!
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 Jan 14, 2023 15:11:21 GMT -5
It had been a long time since the noble house of Kane had found itself faced with such a divisive issue as that of the prospect of Scout Kane and @astor 's intention to wed.
A counsel of the elders had been summoned together following the Hotspurs. To become an elder of the Kane household, it was quite simple. You had to live past a reasonable enough age of 25, live a good life and do one's duty to the house and that was it. There was all of a half dozen who had a say, Helena, Tybalt, Athena, Hannibal, Cassius and Diana. They had been gathered together for the past two hours. The debates were friendly but animated. There was a great lot to be discussed. It wasn't the young woman who was the main source of concern. Although of course, naturally, a few questioned just what had driven her to wish for such a speedy wedding. It seemed against her character. Then of course there was the matter of welcoming a Porter into the household. It was a bitter pill to swallow indeed...
Finally, both of the young lovers would be told by a servant that the Kanes had reached their verdict.
Ring of enchanted combat: ring that, when twisted around the finger three times, enhances one's combat abilities (the equivalent of ten additional combat points).
Post by Scout Kane on Jan 14, 2023 15:30:26 GMT -5
She was nervous, to say the least. The Hotspurs had been the first and only time Astor had been able to make an impression on her uncle, and now him and the elders were discussing their wish to get married. She knew they would have a lot to talk about and she was also aware that the rumours of her and Dresden would be brought up, but she hoped her family would disregard them as unpleasant nonsense. Nevertheless, it was still nerve-wracking to sit and wait for her family to decide about her future because without them knowing it, it would determine a lot about what would happen to her. She didn't even want to think about the possibility of not being allowed to marry Astor, but Scout knew she had to be realistic and prepare for the worst.
The blonde was sitting at a fireplace, trying to distract her mind from the ongoing conversation in another room by staring into the flames. If Astor was in the same room as her, she would be too nervous to have a casual conversation with him. Her future was at stake here. So was his, but in another way. If the Kanes didn't agree to this marriage, nothing much would change for him. For her, however, she would have to rethink absolutely everything. Having this baby without a partner by her side wouldn't be possible. Luckily her pregnancy belly wasn't very much showing yet, so apart from Astor, nobody would be able to know why she was in such a rush to get married. Now Baldovino was dead, he was the only one who knew her secret.
When the servant arrived and told her/them that the Kanes had reached a verdict, a knot formed in her stomach. Without saying a word, the Lady Steward removed herself from the fireplace and followed the servant to the room her family was sitting in.
Last Edit: Jan 14, 2023 15:32:40 GMT -5 by Scout Kane
There was a lot going through Astor's mind as he stood by the fireplace. He had positioned himself behind Scout's chair, able to place a hand in comfort on her shoulder on occasion as they waited. They were friends, and he could tell she was more than slightly stressed. That couldn't be good for the baby that was growing, which of course probably only added to the stress.
He was slightly stressed himself. If the Kane's said yes then there would be a lot of changes very quickly. Ones he wasn't sure he was entirely ready for. And if they said no it would put Scout in a precarious position. One that he had hoped to help her avoid. But it wasn't up to him anymore.
And so when the servant came to usher them in he reached for Scout's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. Whether all of this happened or not he was going to be there through thick and thin.
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 Jan 15, 2023 3:19:09 GMT -5
Tybalt would the one to do the speaking. For once the task was a relatively easy one. He knew just what he had to say. The only real challenge would be presenting his niece with maybe a few things that she didn't particularly want to hear but there was no way around that. The man would be the only one standing, his arms behind his back as he waited for the young couple to enter. They would be greeted with some perhaps slightly cold looks - especially Astor. There was enough oddity about the current situation for there to be a few whispers and suspicions, those could only generate ill-feeling.
There was no need to beat around the bush or draw things out. So the commander was quick to cut to the chase: "We have decided to allow your marriage." No doubt that would be a considerable relief to them, so Tybalt left a space for his niece and her "betrothed" to breathe a little bit, for there was more to come which might not be so pleasant for them to hear.
"However, we're not happy about this. It's very rushed..." Tybalt allowed that to hang for a few moments, letting it be known that the family wasn't entirely dupe and had some suspicions. "Count Porter your family has a reputation, one which we don't want any part of. If this marriage takes place, then you will become a Kane, you will have to leave your Porter family behind, sever all ties with them. They will not be welcome."
Ring of enchanted combat: ring that, when twisted around the finger three times, enhances one's combat abilities (the equivalent of ten additional combat points).
Astor was being an absolute darling and his attempts to put her at ease were somewhat successful, although she was still extremely nervous to hear what the family had decided.
The atmosphere in the room wasn't exactly welcoming, but that she had expected. All eyes were in the two young people and especially Astor got some cold looks, although she couldn't help but notice people didn't seem to be so pleased with her either.
Some relief came over her when Tybalt said they had agreed to the marriage, but she knew there would be conditions. After allowing them to take in this information, her uncle continued.
The woman looked down at her feet when he said the marriage felt very rushed. They were absolutely right, but for now she couldn't and wouldn't say anything about that. For a second she thought about saying it was rushed because she was pregnant with Astor's child but she decided against it. She didn't want to put her friend in an even more awkward position, and he deserved to decide if he himself agreed to the marriage, now Tybalt had laid out some conditions.
Scout looked up at Astor and then at her uncle. "Can he at least save his sister? She doesn't deserve to be left behind with the Porters if he's not around anymore to help her", she replied, carefully and politely as to not step on any toes. Astor could've asked this himself, but she thought I'd be better if she asked it instead of him. If he had conditions of his own, the family wouldn't take as kindly to them as if she vocalised those concerns.
A wave of relief washed over Astor as Tybalt spoke. Of course he didn't know the Kane family well, and assumed that would be the end of it. A smile on his face only slightly faltering in confusion as the man continued on. But he listened too all of it, and was glad when Scout did the talking. He would have probably only made things more confusing, and this was her family. She knew them better than he did by a longshot.
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 Jan 17, 2023 4:33:57 GMT -5
There was a grumble from the elder Kanes. The family wasn't accustomed to having such conditions stipulated to them, especially during such circumstances. A few uncertain and discontent looks were exchanged. Tybalt would step away from the couple to rejoin the rest of his family in quiet mutterings as they decided to debate the matter. For once however, they were able to come to an agreement quickly enough. The commander would turn back towards them: "If she's happy to cut off her ties from your family, then she can stay." It was a begrudging agreement, nothing else.
There were a few other matters which needed some form of clarification before Astor could go about calling himself a "Kane". Tybalt would continue shortly thereafter. "If you do join this family, you will live by our standards and ways. We're warriors, that means you will be as well. You'll join us in battle, and believe me war is coming, even if we have to tie you to the horse." The house of Kane had never before produced a coward and it most certainly wasn't about to willingly welcome one into its ranks.
Ring of enchanted combat: ring that, when twisted around the finger three times, enhances one's combat abilities (the equivalent of ten additional combat points).
She knew that the elder must not have liked it that she asked about Astor's sister, but it was important to him, so it was also important to her. Even though they weren't actually lovers, she did care a lot about him and about the things he cared about, in this case being his sister. Tybalt returned to the table and after some whispering and mumbling, he faced them again and told them she could stay if she was willing to cut ties. Scout didn't think this would be a big problem for either Astor or his sister, but it wasn't up to her to decide.
A few other conditions. Once more Scout didn't feel like they'd be a big issue for Astor, but again it was up to him to decide whether he agreed to the conditions or not. The woman remained silent, waiting for her friend to respond.
While Scout was possibly happy with this outcome, Astor wasn't. Cutting ties without a safety net wasn't a viable option for a woman. Sure things were far more progressive than ever, but she would be a woman without a title or family. And there was no assurances that she would be welcomed as more than just a guest. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it was more than this.
All the same he waited for Marquis Zane to finish before saying a thing. He had learned respect from a young age, that and how to be a warrior. "I would be honored to join you in battle, I've fought for Lorendale for years and will continue as long as I can." Pausing he looked over at Scout with a small smile. "I'll have to talk with my sister, but I'm sure she'll be thankful for your generosity." Leave it at that for now, although he had ever plan to drag her out of that house if he had to.
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 Jan 21, 2023 4:17:12 GMT -5
There was a pause once more. Astor's response was more or less the only one which would have been accepted by the household. There was a silent murmur, a wave of agreement which passed between the elders. They remained discontent and would need some convincing but a Kane's word was their bond. They had promised the young couple their permission to wed should they agree to the terms that they had presented with. It was Tybalt who would deliver their final answer. "In which case, you have our permission." There was a certain gravity behind the man's statement. He didn't say it, there was no need to but from hereon out, Astor would have to be on his best behavior.
Tybalt would move round to approach a window which offered a view over the courtyard. "Lord Porter, if you'd join me for a moment." Astor didn't need to fear that his soon to be uncle-in-law was about to try and yeet him out of the window. If he looked down, he would find a handsome young horse being held by a stablehand. "If you're to be a Kane, you will need a real horse."
Astor let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, nodding his head in respect before looking at Scout with a smile. Probably not the time for thumbs up, so he refrained for the moment. But this so far was working, and that meant Scout would be safe, her name and reputation protected. Seeing of course she convinced her family a quick marriage date was ideal.
Nodding he moved forward, the thought of the man pushing him out the window never crossed his mind. This man wasn't his father, he was an upstanding gentleman, a noble soldier, and so he strode over with confidence.
Looking down, a bright smile lit up his face. "They're beautiful, thank you Lord Zane." He managed not to hug the guy, turning and offering out his hand in thanks instead. Firm handshakes were always a good impression right?
Ring of enchanted combat: ring that, when twisted around the finger three times, enhances one's combat abilities (the equivalent of ten additional combat points).
A cautious smile appeared on her pretty face when her uncle spoke the words. It now was, in fact, set in stone. Scout was aware that these words weren't easy for the family, which made her only more determined to show them that Astor would prove to be a fine husband. Not even for the love, but it could also be a chance for Astor to show the world that Porters weren't predetermined to end up abusive. "Thank you", she said, bowing her head respectfully at the family before turning to face Astor, showing him that soft smile.
She stood still and waited in place while her uncle gestured for Astor to join him at the window. She could derive by his words that the man was talking about a new horse for her soon-to-be-husband. It slightly surprised Scout, but only in the best of ways, that apart from agreeing to this marriage, Tybalt had already orchestrated that there would be a horse ready for the new addition to the family. She was happy to see that Astor appreciated this gesture.
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 Jan 24, 2023 3:15:21 GMT -5
Tybalt was somewhat surprised by the offer to shake a hand but after a few moments would tentatively accept the gesture. There was still a great deal about this which made him deeply uncomfortable, something which just persisted at niggling away at the back of the man's mind. He hoped that he was just being overprotective and paranoid. After all, he'd watched Scout growing up, the idea of her suddenly having a man in her life was an odd one for the commander to wrap his mind around. With no objections being raised by the couple, the Kanes had began to relax just a little bit.
"I suppose you shall be wanting to plan your wedding." Spoke Tybalt's aunt (the sister of the man's father) Athena. "Will you be having it here in the Kane lands or back at Loren?"
Ring of enchanted combat: ring that, when twisted around the finger three times, enhances one's combat abilities (the equivalent of ten additional combat points).
Post by Scout Kane on Jan 24, 2023 12:46:06 GMT -5
Scout turned her gaze towards Athena, who had raised a question. Then she glanced at Astor before looking at the woman again. "Given the fact that you've all so generously given us your blessings, I'm more than willing to have the wedding wherever you prefer", she responded. This whole wedding was a negotiation, and she wanted to stay on her family's good side. She hadn't given the location much thought.
Astor didn't think he was much needed for the wedding preparation conversations, but he stood by dutifully. It was really starting to set in that he was getting married. To his best friend. Not some fairytale that his mother had filled his dreams with, but at least it meant helping a friend and maybe his sister.