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!
Xanthe's face only soured more as Tazmin spoke. Of course. Of course she would do everything in her power to sully the names of as many people as possible. She couldn't do a single good thing for the world, even in the face of death. Ermir had been out of sight and out of mind, and he had only given her what she deserved for the attack she initiated. But it shouldn't have surprised Xanthe that if Tazmin was going down, she wanted to bring as many people as possible down with her.
She exchanged a look with Embric, tense, angry, unsure. There was little to be said. She hoped that Kasni would have gone home, but it was just as possible that the girl would have stayed with Ermir - and what of his children? They couldn't know until Hiram spoke, or acted.
Embric grit his teeth. As far as he could recall, nothing had revealed to Tazmin that Aine controlled light, so he had clung to the hope that she hadn’t made the connection between her suffocation and Ciel. If she’d blamed him, he would have taken the fall for Ermir in an instant; one of them needed to make it out alive - for the Black Claw, for the kids - and Embric was already dying.
But it wasn’t to be.
Aine lifted off from the ground beside him, soaring into the sky to ride the thermals above the bonfire, as blue eyes moved from Tazmin to the monster standing over her. He clearly thought very little of Embric, which was ideal but for the part where that gave him little reason to save the Dresmondi’s life. Both Tazmin and Hiram were close enough together that he might be able to take out both with a single attack, and if he was going to die anyway…
“Xanthe, Savityr.” The words were shared through their dyrs once more. “If we tell you to run, run. You will need to warn Ermir.”
Post by Hiram Eldouir on Feb 12, 2023 5:30:44 GMT -5
Tavern keeper. She said it as if he would know who she meant. Hiram didn’t make a habit of knowing the Dresmondi. He raised his head and looked around them.
“Well where the fuck is he?” He asked, as if she had just said the stupidest thing. Turning to Xanthe, Hiram told her, “If you want this guy to live,” he pointed down at Embric, “you’ll bring the tavern keeper here. Now.” She could choose not to, but it wouldn’t make a difference.
Hiram crouched before Tazmin then. They’d been here before. Her broken on the ground, left to his mercy. His lip curled in unfettered disgust at the display of her weakness.
“Did you at least wound him?” He spoke to her as if she was an idiot. “Main his dyr? Or did you get jumped and let the asshole run away?” He glanced towards Embric and asked,
“Did you at least get a blow in on her, too?” He could swallow this situation better if he thought Tazmin had been ganged up on. Not too much better, but at least a little….
“I—I don’t know—” And Taz didn’t. Hiram’s anger was frightening, but the more pressing fear was the dying dyr in her arms. Oxygen was in short supply, which was making it harder to concentrate. To fully wrap her mind around the collapsing situation.
Xanthe's eyes widened, though she tried to quickly set them right. Hiram's focus was on Tazmin for the moment, but she kept her eyes on him instead of looking at Embric. She didn't want him to know they were talking, but she knew very well what Embric was suggesting. Don't do anything stupid. He might still heal you. We might be able to walk away from this. I need you, I can't--
She and Savi stopped short of relaying the message when Hiram turned to them, demanding she go and bring Ermir back if they wanted Embric to live. At that, she did turn and look at him. Did she have any choice? If she didn't go get Ermir, would Hiram just kill them all? If she did go get him, would he actually save Embric? Tazmin had already told him. No matter what happened, he'd go after Ermir eventually...right? So if anyone could be saved, if anyone was completely innocent in all of this, it was Embric.
If she had to choose, selfishly, she would always choose Embric.
I'm sorry, Embric. I have to do what he asks. Please. Please don't do anything. Just wait here. I'll be back, and he can heal you. She was begging him. Because he was all she had left. He couldn't leave her now, when they'd just found each other again.
As Savi relayed the message, he glanced upward toward the sky at Aine. Despite his human's pleading, he was unsure of what they would truly return to. Embric's words seemed clear. The determination in Aine's tone when she'd relayed the warning had been chilling. "If you attack, and he survives...he will blame us. We will be left alone with him. Xanthe will be left alone with him." He relayed this thought, this warning, only to Aine. But it wasn't meant to discourage. It was acceptance.
Xanthe had already begun walking away, hurrying, really, and Savi hurried after her as they headed for the tavern.
"Ermir ," she breathed heavily once she reached the tavern and stepped inside, seeking the man out. "Ermir, where are you?"
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2023 12:38:06 GMT -5 by Deleted
Ermir had run to the tavern with Embric’s daughter and got started right away. He knew he had little to no time, if any, and he wasn’t going to let the kids see the backlash. The one good thing about being the middle guy was making friends throughout Elderkeep. Ones that would take his kids in without a second thought, and what was one more. Cyrus and Rogan kept working, picking up the slack, not sure if the tavern would be gone in the next hour or few days. That meant Elaxi was packing things up that shouldn’t be found and starting to hide things. Their dyrs exchanged few words. Everyone had something to do and wouldn’t stop.
And as Ermir was returning to the tavern he spotted Xanthe. That wasn’t an awful sign. But then she started calling out and Ciel pointed out how breathless she was. Shit. That wasn’t good. ”Xanthe, I’m here.” He had criss-crossed through Elderkeep to disguise where he had dropped the kids. He didn’t know the woman beyond Embric liking her, and while normally that was enough, it wasn’t when it came to his children.
Perhaps the way Xan’s plea in response to his warning brought him up short was telling of the jumbled mess his thoughts were in. She had begged Hiram Eldouir to save his life; he should have expected that she wouldn’t quietly agree to flee while he did his best to drag the redheaded monster into the grave with him. The words washed over him as Aine relayed them. Don’t do anything stupid. Hiram might still heal him. Xan needed him. She couldn’t—
Tavern keeper. As Hiram spoke, the title rang in Embric’s ears. Much like his establishment was the best tavern in Elderkeep, Ermir was the best tavern keeper in this prison. Even if Tazmin didn’t know his name, there would be scores of other people who did.
After all, there was only one tavern in Elderkeep.
In her desperation, Xan had been reduced to begging him. Was this what she had sounded like with Hiram? Tonight, she had implored both of them to save Embric’s life, and the similarity rested uneasily on his heart. And then came Savi’s words: a stark reminder of the cost of failure. He watched Xanthe leave.
Hiram crouched before Tazmin, and Embric wondered if this was his chance. Aine was riding the thermals. Would it be enough? Could he risk it? Xan was bringing Ermir. Perhaps the two of them working together would—
The Eldouir’s voice cut across his thoughts, addressing him for the first time, and Embric blinked at him. “I— No, I did not,” He said, as unsure as to whether the answer would help or hinder the chances of his survival as he was truthful. Embric had not attacked Tazmin tonight. (Yet?)
Post by Hiram Eldouir on Feb 15, 2023 7:54:31 GMT -5
Hiram stood, raised his eyes, and did not lower them down onto the trash before him again. Neither of them. She wasn’t sure if she’d hurt her attacker? And he hadn’t even attacked her? His disappointment and disgust was palpable, wafting off of him like body odor. He set his eyes in the direction the girl had gone and silently waited for her return with the Dresmondi who had actually managed to do something.
As soon as Ermir appeared she felt...relief. And then guilt. There was nothing to be done about it. Ermir himself had insisted she go, had told her to do so. He might not have instructed her to seek out Hiram specifically, but she'd gotten one of the Eldouir all the same. She stepped toward him and looked him over as she caught her breath. He seemed to be fine, so it was clear Taz hadn't had the chance to retaliate after she'd left.
She glanced around, aware of anyone and everyone around them. They could have spoken through their dyrs, but what was the point anymore? Instead she drew in close, looking up at the taller man. "I got Hiram," she said quietly. "He can...heal people. I wanted him to heal Embric." She shook her head. "I don't know what he will do. He doesn't seem happy with Taz, but she told him you're the one who hurt them. He sent me to bring you back, said he wouldn't heal Embric if I didn't. I can't make you go, but I had to try. Embric is all I have."
Rubbing her face, she looked around. "Kasni...and your children, are they safe?"
In Elderkeep it was impossible to get away with anything. Everyone was out for themselves and with the cramped space there were eyes everywhere. So Ermir had known that eventually his actions today would catch up to him. He hadn’t expected it to be this soon perhaps, but that’s why he had prepared. And that’s why Elaxi was still hard at work flitting in and out of the tavern. Unless he was incredibly lucky he didn’t see that place lasting through the night. Then again Eldouir were unpredictable, so guessing was all he could do.
Hiram healing embric seemed like a great idea, of course the only problem was the guy was violent and unpredictable. There really wasn’t another option though. No one else had the ability to heal what Ciel had been able to feel. A punctured lung, and air kicking around in your chest was never good. And it was no surprise that his name had come up to quickly. He had thought about ending the crazy woman’s life, but attacking and killing an Elderkeep soldier seemed two very different things.
”My name is out there I’d be found eventually so might as well go now.” He had known Embric a long time, and while they fought on occasion that didn’t mean the tavern keeper had any plans to just leave him to die. So if his presence was wanted, so be it. Nodding for her to lead the way back, Ermir shook his head, a thin smile on his face. ”They’re fine, best you don’t know anything though.” He had no idea what Hiram was capable of, and they weren’t her children, she had no reason to die protecting them like he and Embric did. Maybe it was a harsh judgment but sometimes that had to be done in Elderkeep.
Xanthe only nodded. She could see that he had already begun making some kind of preparations, and now she knew he'd already sent the kids off to be somewhere safe. Kasni was her priority. If something happened to Embric, Xanthe would make sure the girl was safe and she knew Kasni would find her way back to Xanthe once everything had settled down. But none of it made her feel any better about leading Ermir back to what could possibly be his death. All their deaths. Who knew, at this point?
We should have just killed her. Finished her off. Buried the body somewhere. Waited until morning...assuming Embric could last that long. She relayed to him through Savi and Ciel as they began back toward the big fire where the other three waited for them. I don't know. No matter what way I think of it, I'm not sure there was anything we could have done differently. We were fucked the whole time.
Walking through Elderkeep in the dead of night with only the occasional fire to light their ways felt like the march of people on their way to deaths door. She was glad that Ermir had voluntarily come along. She might have tried to force him, but she couldn't have won. She didn't know if it was Ermir's honor, his friendship with Embric, or something else that drove him, but it felt courageous to her. Which made it all the more sad.
When they finally arrived back at the fire, all three were still there, just as she'd left them and she was glad Embric hadn't attempted anything drastic. At least not yet. She walked back over to stand by him, leaving Ermir to Hiram's mercy.
Tazmin did nothing. There was nothing she could do about Hiram’s disgust. All she could do was wheeze and wait, holding close to Rikki, and ready herself to meet whatever fate would befall her. The only consolation was that her attacker might also face justice. If not justice, vengeance.
From where she circled above the bonfire, Aine saw the pair of Dresmondi arriving, and as soon as she did so, Ciel and Savi would hear the next question: “Are the children safe?” Upon receiving confirmation, Embric would let out a quiet breath as something in him settled. Still speaking through their dyrs, Embric briefly, and perhaps unnecessarily, brought Ermir up to speed. “Xan thinks he’ll help. I’m not so certain.” The redhead had displayed only disdain for the two Dresmondi seated at his feet, and better men than Hiram Eldouir had refused to aid those who disgusted them. “And he knows you attacked Tazmin, Ermir.” They were both on borrowed time now. “If I’m going to die, we should take him down with me.”
As he had sat there, the beginnings of something that vaguely resembled a desperate plan had started to form. Aine relayed it to Ciel and Savi for Ermir’s and Xan’s consideration. “Ermir, you can do what you did to Tazmin. Xan, you and I can burn him.” Aine had remained aloft over the bonfire for a reason. “If that doesn’t kill him, it should slow him down enough for one of us to finish the job.” They had one chance to incapacitate Hiram. Death didn’t have to happen immediately, but he needed to be unconscious or otherwise unable to heal himself.
Post by Hiram Eldouir on Feb 19, 2023 23:12:43 GMT -5
Hiram was just as Xanthe had left him when she returned with a far more competent looking Dresmondi in tow. His gaze trickled dangerously down Ermir, sizing him up, assessing his physique. Not just what he could see, but what he couldn’t. The way his blood moved through his body. Hiram was at once in tune with all of it, including Ermir’s dyr, and the magic that sang from her blood. Killing Dresmondi was too easy. A blot clot to the dyr’s brain and both were done. A master blood manipulator like him could kill all four of them in an instant, without even raising a finger.
But this wasn’t an execution. At least, not yet.
Hiram would step up to Ermir. Not just conversationally close, but if no one moved to stop him then he’d come chest to chest with the man, enough to smell the tavern on him, enough for Ermir to smell the blood on Hiram.
“Do you think this is your city, tavernkeeeper?” He asked, voice low enough for the others to miss it if they weren’t paying attention. “Do you think you can attack an Eldouir soldier without repercussions?”
Ermir and Ciel didn't want to come back, but it's not like it would have made much of a difference either way. But all the same they both stood tall, or Ermir did and he just stood across the mans shoulders. But they weren't going to cower, but dip his head in respect towards Hiram the second he got close enough.
Of course Embric was already rattling off a plan. One that was even riskier than dealing with Taz. But maybe it was worth it, he'd wanted to go out in a blaze of glory not too long ago. And now Embric was on board, seemed like a great time to hope on it. There were plenty of reasons to be angry with Hiram, but anger clouded good ideas. Ciel piped up, glad to take over that so Ermir could focus on the rest. "It's risky Aine, do you know what he's truly capable of? We've seen the destruction he brings on people he apparently loves."
And then came the questions, simple one's he already had easy truthful answers for. He was sure that wouldn't be the case for long but Ermir would take the win for now. "I would never think such things. I am a servant to the Eldouir, but seeing two friends get attacked by a rogue soldier was not something I could stand by. Unless I was wrong and she was sent to randomly kill two upstanding citizens of Elderkeep. Either way I take full responsibility for my actions." Maybe it was a boring answer, or maybe a risky one, but it was his truth. And honestly he knew he had no control anymore.