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!
Warren looked between Hadrian and Bex. He hadn't noted any difference in her or the others, and he didn't know if Hadrian had or not. Regardless, the newly appointed field sergeant was to be first. Warren had no real idea of what was in the chest or what the Commander would be doing to pry the truth out of these witches, but he did know one thing. People in these situations rarely went down without a fight. Every woman in this room was dangerous and if she, whoever she was, had been willing to let loose a werewolf in the middle of the military ball, what would she do when she was found out?
As requested, he grabbed the chair and walked it over to where Hadrian had motioned, sitting it once more next to the chest. He remained behind it, his hand moving once more to the grip of his sword. He remained painstakingly alert and aware of the movements of every suspected witch, but focused more thoroughly on Bex as she was called forward.
Well fuck. Bex had really been hoping that she would not first. Hell, even second would have given her more of an opportunity. Unfortunately curses took time and they could only be so discreet. She had a decent idea of what might be in that chest but couldn't be sure. She was well and thoroughly cornered and her options were steadily growing more and more narrow.
Her curse remained unfinished as she stepped forward, head held high, hands clasped behind her back in a professional stance as she stood before the Captain Commander. She did not sit as the chair would brought over, not keen to do anything unless it was specifically ordered of her.
When no one came forward, surely she wasn't the only one to be surprised. They were dealing with a dark witch, and Kat thought it was weak for them to have given in so easily to the magic. None of them were old and feeble, so there really was no excuse.
Kat raised an eyebrow in confusion as Hadrian called Bex forward. That was certainly not who she would have expected him to want to hear from. Maybe he thought she was covering for someone? But the doubt was already leaking through, and the witch started to wonder why Bex had actually been muttering just then.
There was no hiding the way her eyes cut to the side when Hadrian finally called forward a witch when no one came forward. Seemed they’d be doing this the hard way. She wanted to move forward when Bex did, like Alys didn’t belong standing with the others, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, the witch capable of wordless witchcraft, would indeed have a summoning on her tongue. Even if she knew the other witches in the room not on trial essentially had that covered.
But she’d be prepared. Especially if any witch beside her tried to test out that a werewolf was indeed still with them. In the form of their king, but also his witch as they had seen earlier. Wouldn’t they be in for quite the surprise if they even tried?
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Mar 22, 2023 8:23:52 GMT -5
Cassian remained silent and unmoving as Hadrian conducted this interrogation. He had made it clear that the perpetrator was to be found by any means necessary. He assumed that Hadrian calling on Bex was because she was an exemplary leader in the military.
The witch keeping her attention on Bex still didn’t act.
Post by Hadrian Usher on Mar 22, 2023 12:25:14 GMT -5
For now, it was guilty until proven innocent.
“Sit,” Hadrian commanded as the chair was dropped to the center where she could face her fellow witches. Perhaps, if Bex was not the guilty party, the offending witch would see her and start to feel guilt for what they were doing to their compatriots. But, at this point, Hadrian thought that unlikely.
He motioned to the other guard, who opened the chest and pulled out a vial of clear liquid, uncorked it, and handed it to Bex.
The newly promoted sergeant, soon to be captain, could not have been high on the list of anyone's real suspects. Afterall, she must have proven her loyalty to receive such a promotion in the first place. Her general demeanor might have caused others to feel uncomfortable in the past but she had, as far as they knew, always used whatever darkness there was inside of her to the benefit of the army and of Nevermere itself.
She sat as directed and looked upon her fellow witches. She might have offered a smile of comfort if that was in her nature but it was not. Instead her expression was more as if she was glaring at whoever the real responsible witch was, embarrassed by the way their actions would make her look as their former lieutenant.
She accepted the vial that was offered to her without studying the contents inside. She raised it to her lips and looked up at Hadrian. She raised the potion as if to toast him before she drank and said, "And may the truth be known even with our last breath." It sounded innocuous enough, a comment on the situation. It was actually the remaining words of her curse.
Instantly a heavy fog of pitch black darkness began to spread through the room as quickly as the rush of waves from a tsunami would envelope the land. No one would be able to see anything and as the darkness rushed over them the air from their lungs would be extinguished in an instant, making it impossible to breathe. No breath meant no words would be able to be spoken. Bex, knowing what the curse was, had held her breath as soon as her curse was complete and now that no one could see her as they all struggled to breathe, their lungs tight and painful, she made a dash for the door, her years of military training making her steps almost silent, especially as people would be distracted with their own struggle for life giving air.
She knew her time would be limited with her own breath being held and if they were distracted enough she'd make it to the door. If nothing else, maybe someone else would go down with her as they fought to live.
There was no time to concern oneself with the who, or the why. The toast Bex had made was strange enough, but the darkness that rolled into the room immediately following it made the truth terribly clear, despite the fact that the potion had been used as little more than a distraction.
He was arguably the closest to her, having been standing just behind the chair she sat in, so the instant he noticed the smog, he'd attempt to reach out and take hold of Bex, by any means necessary - grabbing her hair, her clothes, her arm, whatever he could reach. Even as his breath was pulled from his lungs, he'd be focused on pinning her down. Panic, pain, those were not the kinds of things that stopped him after all these years, and his anger would push him forward through it, even if it killed him faster to struggle with her.
If he could, he'd drag her out of her chair and throw her to the floor as hard as he could. He didn't need to see what was around them once his hands were on her.
As the vial was pulled from the chest, Kat smiled. Perfect. They weren't just blindly asking around. The truth would come out. So they were using Bex as a shining example, it made sense. A sigh of relief left her lips as the lieutenant settled into the chair. She had just been muttering in annoyance like she thought, so relaxed a little, Kat watched the show.
The potion down the hatch, Bex started to say something weird, but before she could think about it a darkness started to rush over the room. Bitch She would have said it outloud if she could breath.
But everyone in the room was trained in magic and combat, so breathlessness and darkness wasn't going to be enough. If Kat had her way Bex would die in the room now. But she wasn't close enough to stop the woman attempting to flee, so she used the only magic she could and started to open a portal to right outside the door. Then she could cut Bex off, and then literally cut her.
In possession of a magical necklace that wards off offensive magic attacks against him, a ring that allows him to suppress magic, and can turn into werewolf at will.
Post by Cassian Rainecourt on Mar 23, 2023 13:54:30 GMT -5
Cassian stood behind the witch in the chair. When she finished her curse and a smog of black hit them, the king did nothing. The necklace hanging beneath his clothes prevented him from being affected by the curse, though he, like any of them, could no longer see. He had no need to. He stood still as stone as the ten witches leapt to action. They were unaware of the king’s necklace, and this was an assault on the monarch. Their aim would be to kill. Each and every woman had a weapon in hand and rushed towards Bex. At least, where she had been. If none could see then even the culprit would struggle to reach her designation, surely. They didn’t need breath in their lungs to assist Warren in attempting to grab at the clothes of the woman. Ending her would end the curse, and so if a clear opportunity to sink a blade into her body presented it, the highly trained and competent royal guards would do just that.
Alys, watching the room, dragged in a breath as the darkness spread but the words and seriousness of the situation had struck her that this was no witch going to sit in the chair and admit anything. Darkness erupted around them and though she wouldn’t drag another breath, she could feel the bit that seeped naturally against her skin and threaten the edges of her lungs. As if a slight cough had the urge to be let loose.
But Alys didn’t need words. Quickly lifting her hand, Alys bit off a small piece of her finger tip for the sacrifice, blood welling in her mouth before dripping to the floor. The summoning was there the moment the dark fog spread, only needing a moment to pull the right one. Winged, dark, and came screaming into the world as it flapped its wings heavily as it perched behind the witch who summoned it. Smoke seemed to roll off of it but it was like smoke and shadows were a living part of the summoned creature with its glowing white eyes.
A few more flaps of its wings would hopefully push the smog towards the edges of the room before the summoning would erupt circle behind Alys. There were too many rushing for Bex, so she’d take the moment to assess before knowing if she needed to send the summoning immediately after her or not. The summoning rolling its winged shoulders, prepared for the slightest indication on where to go.
Post by Hadrian Usher on Mar 23, 2023 21:23:47 GMT -5
As the last words of the curse left Bex’s lips, Hadrian saw things set into motion. He was surprised. Bex had served her kingdom faithfully. In fact, so much so that he’d offered her a chance to lead their operations in Coheed.
He’d been wrong, evidently. Chaos was a fickle mistress, and witches were full of it.
Hadrian, though no longer one for the front lines, was an able soldier in his own right. He could have rushed for Bex, but he was worth more alive to Nevermere than dead. To that end, Hadrian had no interest in being a hero.
Trusting the king’s guard to do as they’d been trained, Hadrian would step backward, putting enough distance between himself and the witch so that Cassian’s guard could do what they did best: protect their king.
Bex’s last-ditch curse was skillfully but quickly cast and therefore would burn hot but burn out quickly. The heavy fog started to spread from the source of the magic, giving those in the room a second to register the betrayal and begin to react. The timer would start ticking on the breathless soldiers, but though their breathing was impeded their movement was not. Suffocation took time; unfortunately, time was not on Bex’s side.
@warren was close enough to Bex to be able to grapple her, grabbing her arm and pulling her down, though he was unsuccessful in bringing her entirely to the floor. @katerina successfully created her portal which swirled just behind her. @alys also succeeded in summoning her chosen creature, emerging and starting to rise thanks to her wordless spellcasting.
But what would make the difference was the full guard of witches that started to descend on the woman Warren had caught in his grasp. Twenty feet was a small gap to bridge. The body of the boy was kicked to the side as the ten witches descended on @bex , slashing at her body repeatedly and wildly with their swords.
If Bex had had more time then the curse would have been able to last longer and been more efficient. Unfortunately, Hadrian calling her first had not given her the time she needed to really build it up properly. Or, she supposed, fortunately for everyone but herself.
She didn't make it far before Warren had grabbed her and the witches would soon be upon her but Bex was not only trained in magic but in combat as well. As Warren failed to get her down, she twisted her body in order to best use her body mechanics to her advantage, attempting to free herself from his grasp while simultaneously crouching to sweep her leg behind his in an effort to make him crash to the ground.
But then the witches were upon her and she saw death may soon be at her door. Afterall, Nevermere was the most military advantaged kingdom, proven by the number of kingdoms under the control. All but Arynn Frey and Dresmond. The witches who were assigned to protect the king were excellently trained and in spite of how hard she'd fight to escape, ultimately there was too much against her.
A plung of a sword into her stomach had her groaning and doubling over. She fell to the ground and with a sinister smile on her face her life force left her, leaving behind only the question of if she was a soul disturber of the peace or if there were others like her.
Faylin had stood and watched as Bex was called first. She held no such assumptions that someone of high rank would be innocent, so that simmering gaze remained fixed on Bex as she was ordered to sit, ordered to drink, and as she uttered those final damning words.
Faylin felt the curse settle against her, felt her lungs constrict against her will. Her eyes widened with anger, though no panic filled her veins. Instead she forced herself to still and her eyes swept the room, noting and calculating, even as the darkness swept in. She saw Captain Woodwick lunge for Bex and snag her, saw the King's witches launch themselves into motion, and knew the situation would be dealt with.
She flung out an arm to halt any of the other witches next to her as the sound of flapping wings filled the room, tried to contain anymore chaos than had already occurred this evening. And when the curse fell away, when the darkness disappeared, she was not surprised to see Bex's still form laying on the floor. Faylin remained where she was, allowing her arm to fall to her side, eyes scanning the room for anymore possible casualties.