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!
She had been equally surprised by how well Kasper had cleaned up for the event, his suit complimenting the colors of her dress. She had to admit they made quite the pair, both dressed up and in their matching colors. A pair not to be trifled with.
She accepted the cup of elderflower punch, raising it in a small toast as Kasper Van Zant's compliment brought a smile to her face. "You look really nice too." She took a long sip of her drink, feeling the ring shift across her skin that Kasper had given her only the night before. She hadn't taken it off since, even wearing it under her uniform this morning.
Her eyes jumped to @katerina as she breezed by them, appreciating the gleaming dress the other woman had worn for tonight. Though, there was the notable absence of Kat's husband. Raising her eyebrow slightly, Faylin tipped a head towards Kat. "Something going on between her and Fabian?" she asked Kasper quietly.
Although Warren wasn't certain his presence at the ball was necessary, he had agreed to come for one reason: his niece. Evangeline had just turned eighteen. Her involuntary service in Nevermere's military was to be ending soon, but she hadn't wanted to miss the ball. She didn't need Warren there. Her true chaperone was her cousin, Warren's nephew, Theodore, but Warren had promised his sisters that he would attend and keep an eye on the kids while they had their fun.
Warren walked in and surveyed the room. It looked much different from the way it'd appeared during the last open court, but that was to be expected. Like everyone else, he was dressed up...at least as much as he was willing to be. He wore dark trousers tucked into clean, shining boots. A long-sleeved, pristine white tunic was tucked in and covered with a well-fitted, light-grey waistcoat with silver buttons. Topping that was a navy blue tailcoat that also boasted silver embellishments. The only thing he had really added to the outfit were his military pins denoting his rank and accomplishments, pinned to the left side.
Theodore wore much the same outfit. Evangeline wore a simple and elegant dress, also made of blue and silver, and the two looked absolutely giddy when they walked in and looked around. "May we go get refreshments, Uncle?" Theodore asked, ever the brown-noser.
"Ugh, Theodore, come along. We won't be asking his permission for every step taken." The girl said, dragging the boy away by the arm.
"Please avoid causing any scenes, Evie," Warren warned with a sigh as the pair rushed away, leaving him on his own. He glanced around once more for familiar faces, and caught sight of Othello Allemeade. He was surprised by the man's appearance, and made his way over to speak with him. "Mr. Allemeade," he greeted the 'champion of Nevermere' with an inclination of his head. "Your display at the parade was a sight to see. I'm sure you must feel better now that you've been officially accepted by the King and the entirety of the military. Is all of this," he gestured to the ball, "familiar to you, or does it feel strange after your time in Coheed?"
He was truly starting to feel like the odd kid out when a familiar face finally emerged from the crowd. Of course, Zarha Sliva spoke to Rune first, complimenting her. The fox puffed up even more if possible and Zevran groaned, shaking his head.
"Could you not? I don't have any money to buy her more bows here and I'm already afraid she'll start demanding one of every color." He was smiling by the end of his complaints and even took the time to run an appreciative eye down her body. "I suppose you look nice as well, though I think I preferred your military uniform."
He turned his attention away, scanning the crowd once more. "Is this how all of your parties are here? So... fancy?"
While he waited for her answer, his eye finally fell on @berengar creeping through the crowd and an even broader smile came to his face as he raised his hand and waved a bit to try to get his friend's attention.
As Bex scanned the room she saw @berengar slinking in, looking nearly as uncomfortable as she felt. A military ball was almost laughable when so many of them felt so awkward in such a setting, even the more noble ones. Or maybe the needed more practice. It wasn't a particular pleasant idea but Bex had never been one to back away from discomfort in anything. Why start with something as innocuous as a ball? She found herself looking for @elletta as well but before she could spot the young woman she was approached by someone else.
The once Lieutenant and now brand new appointed Sergeant looked to the barely taller Officer. She had seen him running drills but couldn't say she knew him much more beyond that. She was used to people commenting on her appearance, usually with discomfort or at least uncertainty. Many of her tattoos were visible in this outfit, especially with the sleeves of her jack pulled up to the middle of her forearms. Even in a suit there was more skin showing than in her uniform. She chose not to respond to the comment, unsure if it was a genuine compliment, a mocking one, or one purely for the sake of politeness. "Abbott, right?" she asked. She was fairly certain that was the man's name.
The primary application of his Gift, which is Metalkinesis, is the mental control over magnetism and the manipulation of both ferrous and nonferrous metal.
Level 10; Arynnite ship with the ability to both fly and submerge fully under water. THE DROWNED CANARY.*Temporarily deactivated*
Post by Othello Allemeade on Feb 15, 2023 19:51:32 GMT -5
Other than the camping trip and the parade Othe hadn't had much interaction with the man speaking to him, conversation didn't go far at the camping trip with Woodwicks quick retreat. Naughty man. Still Othe entertained him giving a gracious nod of his head, "Captain," he paused for affect, "Woodwick, yes?"
He grinned proudly, again his smile had always been wolf in nature all teeth, he had put on quiet the show both at the parade and the tournament. And oooh yes he enjoyed it! Most of all the enjoyment of hopefully proving the King wrong about him because honestly King Cassian probably had the lowest opinion of Othello in all kingdoms he'd been a part of. Still Othello was glad that he had been accepted he had worked hard, and Regan had certainly worked him.
"I was once on palace arrest in Lorendale and they didn't invite me to one party or ball or parade," his voice dropped low enough just for the two of them to hear, "and Coheed was just a banquet of fuckin and drinking," then his voice boomed again as he motioned to the swag of the ball, "soo aye this is different, nice and eloquent and weirdly strange," he quickly added to not sound ungrateful, "but good!"
Rolling awkwardly from toe to heel he shook his drink lightly, "This smells like shit though, but do you think they like me? The military folk?"
Post by Zarha Sliva on Feb 15, 2023 20:12:59 GMT -5
Zarha smiled at Zevran "Rune you do look better with bow, because you are beautiful just the way you are and that's is possible one of the reason I think you are amazing." Giving the fox a warm smile "Yeah, I am looking forward to get out of this dress and back into my uniform, I always found wearing dresses odd. I do prefer you in your normal clothes.." If he lets her run her fingers across his waist coat, "This doesn't look like you."
When he asked her about the party her eyes looked around and shrugged slightly. "I don't know, I hardly get invited to parties so this is very new to me."
With his back against the wall, Ber took another look around the room, and what caught his attention first was the way the light glinted off of some of the more ostentatious outfits. @katerina had entered the fray in a dress that reminded him a bit of armor and looked like it must have cost a fortune. Othello Allemeade , too, was dressed in eye-catching attire and looking the most polished Ber had ever seen him. Someone other than Regan must have shaved his beard, this time. As he watched @warren approached the Gifted man - poor guy, but what could you do - but it was the pair of teenagers following in the lieu—Captain’s (Ber grimaced slightly) wake that drew the young soldier’s attention. Or rather, one in particular: Evie looked very elegant in her grown. Once she’d escaped her both her uncle and her cousin, who was almost as bad as his uncle, Ber would have to go over and say hi.
A hand moving through the air caught his attention, and he turned to see Zevran waving at him from the middle of the crowd. With a matching grin lighting up his own face, Ber raised a hand and waved back, gesturing for his friend to make his way over to him because the soldier was not about to brave the crowd. Only after he did so did Ber notice Zarha Sliva standing beside the Dresmondi and grimace again. She was both the last person he expected to see at something entirely unrelated to training and among the last people he wanted to spend time with tonight, but his desire for the comforting familiarity of Zevran’s company outweighed his reluctance to interact with Sliva.
Maybe he would get lucky and Zevran would lose her in the crowd before reaching Ber.
If Zevran came over, the soldier would greet him with a smile and appraise him as if he hadn’t accompanied the other man on his adventure to find suitable clothing and then handed over the money to pay for it. “I see you managed to figure out how it all goes together on your own.” He didn’t bother asking about a jacket and, in fact, was beginning to think that Zevran had made the right call. “You clean up well, too, Rune.” If Sliva was there as well, he would greet her politely as well; Ber could be cordial, even if he wasn’t thrilled to see her.
Dark eyes glanced around the throne room again. Gesturing vaguely with the cup in his hand to it all, he lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug and observed, carefully neutral, “This is really… something, isn’t it. Maybe we should’ve just gone out drinking instead.”
Raff looked at the woman beside him as he walked, watching who Rhedara Shannon looked at, gaging who she knew and who she didn't. He'd been off for the last year, so he wasn't sure if there would be anyone he personally knew here. If he did, they'd be a solid rank for sure. He looked over his shoulder briefly, looking at the entrance and counting the guards that roamed on duty. On literally one hand, he had a lovely lady beside him, but on the other, he felt like he should be on duty or something inside this kind of place. It made him begin automatically searching for Merk in the crowds and Raff sternly reminded himself that it wasn't gonna happen.
"Anyone you know in here Red? Looks a lil crowded."
Eyes sweeping around the room landed on some familiar faces, and while it would be easy to just stick with her twin and Faylin, she could hang with them literally anytime. Almost too much sometimes, but that was nice after being away for a long season. There was such a thing as too much Kasper Van Zant though.
So instead when her eyes landed on @berengar and that Sliva girl, she decided to at least have a little bit of entertainment for the night. Sure this wasn't the bar and you couldn't just get drunk and start swearing. But you could in fact, stir the pot just enough to make it interesting.
Striding over she didn't much care if she interupted a conversation with Berengar, a man, and his fox? Some Nevermere nobles had the weirdest quirks. But that wasn't the point so she gestured between Berengar and Zarha Sliva . "So did you two come together? How adorable." She had seen them enter separately, so unlikely, and thus, fun. Ragging on Berengar was just about her favorite thing to do.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Feb 17, 2023 0:44:14 GMT -5
Rhedara had already been scanning the room for familiar faces when @raff asked her if she knew anyone in attendance. She wasn't exactly the shortest person in the room, but she wasn't the tallest either, and with the room being so crowded, she was having a hard time seeing any familiar faces. It didn't help that the people she would know were usually in uniform when she saw them, not all dressed up...she found herself looking at the dresses rather than the people wearing them.
"I don't see anyone yet," she said, resisting the instinct to stand on her tippy toes to see over the crowd better, "It's hard to see-" she stopped talking mid sentence when she spotted @berengar and Zarha Sliva in the distance...wait, did that man standing next to them have a live fox or was it part of his outfit? Nobles wore the clunkiest accessories sometimes...
"I see some people over there," she said, turning her attention back to her escort and saw him looking around. Assuming he was also looking for familiar faces, she said, "See anyone you know?"
Post by Aldrich Abbott on Feb 17, 2023 6:46:12 GMT -5
Lieutenant Brekker didn't know him the way he knew her, but that wasn't that big of a surprise. He nodded. "Yes, the one and only." He chuckled lightly but his laughter froze when he spotted Rhedara Shannon across the room. "Excuse me-", he suddenly said, making his way over to the bratty soldier that was currently under his demand, and he was pretty damn sure he hadn't ordered her to go and have fun at the ball.
With no regard for @raff , Aldrich came to a stop close to Rhedara and looked down on her. "Shannon", he hissed at her. "If I remember correctly, miss Lassiter told you you'd have no time off. What is this then? I'm sure you were not appointed as a guard tonight." He would give her one chance to redeem herself, but he doubted she had anything useful to say.
We won't call it quits. We'll call it the start.
Last Edit: Feb 17, 2023 6:46:41 GMT -5 by Aldrich Abbott
"Yes," he assured the man he'd gotten his name right, while still looking over the outfit he'd chosen to wear. It certainly made him look like a champion, or royal in some way at the very least. Warren wasn't sure what a champion of Nevermere was supposed to look like, or what it meant, but he knew well enough that having a gifted on their side could only help them, and they needed all the help they could get. Despite being cleaned up, the man still had a devious look to him. It seemed natural in his smile, his eyes. He hadn't had much time to spend with the man, or much time to look at him. But he recognized in him what Regan had mentioned during their talk in the mess hall - that enthusiasm, if you wanted to call it that, that was difficult to contain.
His propensity to telling the most blunt of truths, however, had not quite worked itself out. "Well, you're not alone in that sentiment. Many of us feel less accustomed to this sort of thing." He looked around at the soldiers, many of whom were commoners who had never laid their eyes on such finer, much less dressed up to partake in it. "But I'm glad to hear you feel positively about it." The comment about the drink, however, nearly had Warren laughing. He contained it to a quiet chuckle and a shake of his head. He looked down at his own glass and shrugged. "Elderberry is an acquired taste, you'll get used to it." The following question, though, was an easy enough one to answer.
"Yes, I think they do. You've proven your dedication to our cause, what more could we ask of you?" He met Othello's eyes, a raised brow. "If nothing else, you probably fascinate them. Most of the soldiers here have never seen a gift like yours before. Magic feels common place to them, but your gift is different."
Post by Valeria Delaney on Feb 17, 2023 12:27:43 GMT -5
As she walked around she noticed Aldrich Abbott walked over to Rhedara Shannon and @raff even if this was the case he had a right, however, last thing she wanted or anybody needed tonight was drama, tonight was a celebration. Walking over to them. "Officer Abbott, Private Shannon, Private Terach." Even though she was a officer herself she had a warm smile. "I asked Shannon to come as I needed somebody to help me, to make sure I don't dance to much in my state." Giving a soft laugh. It wasn't a secret that she was expecting as a bump was showing, but as she was a woman in the military she still came for the celebration. "of course if you need her for anything she's yours." Giving the young woman near her a warm smile. Hoping she will play along with it.
Offering Zarha Sliva a 'hmmm' in response, he only looked away and looked over the crowd again. He was reminded that Zarha was considered a commoner, even if she was also in the military, and he could now clearly see the difference in the crowd. Some dripped finery, while others, though still dressed up, were a bit plainer. He had to work to keep his nose from wrinkling in disgust. Even in times of celebration, it was clear Nevermere was not as cohesive as they claimed to be.
Seeing Ber in the crowd helped him shake the thoughts and he turned to Zarha. "No, these clothes certainly aren't me, but I had to play the part like everyone else. I'm gonna head over there to speak with Ber, if you'd like to join me."
He'd set off towards his friend, the one anchor point he had in this whole damned kingdom. If Zarha followed him or not was her own prerogative. He grinned at @berengar as he approached, giving him a once over with an appraising eye. "I did figure it out, yeah. But it looks like you couldn't quite manage."
He tsked at his friend as he reached over and tightened the loose tie, ensuring it was snug against Ber's throat. "You have to look your best if you want to snag a noble lady here tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows, the mischief of his words glimmering in his eyes. He could have said more, except they were promptly interrupted by one @katerina who insinuated Ber and Zarha might have come together. Zevran cast an incredulous look between the two, fully aware that Ber had come alone, and looked to his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"No, no one yet." he answered Red quietly. And then the circus came to town. Some short, fat old blowhard with sde scolded Red, reminding Raff that shallow brooks babble the loudest. Then some knocked up chick who should've clearly been in confinement at home, not only appeared unescorted, but addressed him personally like he knew her! The guy was hissing like a snake and the fat chick blatantly lied while Raff looked on at the drama, wanting no part of it.
Raff had just come back from a full year's absence to.. this. He dropped his arm from Rhedara's and backed up two paces with a shake of his head. "I dunno watcha did Red, but this circus ain't my problem. I'm not getting caught in a shit storm when the Royals are nearly here. Catcha later when those two are done jawin'."
He turned swiftly, leaving Red to herself and headed to the nearest corner, closest to the door and the guards to lean against the wall. That was a big fat hell no from him.
Last Edit: Feb 17, 2023 14:55:01 GMT -5 by Deleted