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!
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on Mar 16, 2023 17:43:06 GMT -5
[For @kester]
Kezia had returned and so had the warmth that had left Sylas' heart at her departure. Not that he had ever been particularly warm or friendly before, but since meeting Kezia over 5 years ago, he had made it his mission to help her care for her people. While most Arynnites had little to do with the refugees and kept them at arms length, Sylas had always tried to be among them, finding out what more he could do to assist them.
It had been many months that he had been absent from their camps. With Kezia gone he simply couldn't manage to get himself there. The hurt was too painful. Now that she was back he wanted to do better. Even if they were still figuring out what was going to happen from here on out.
So though he was currently in the capital, he took notice one day when he spotted a dresmondi with her dyr in Elyusian. They typically kept to themselves, keeping to the camps that had been offered to them, so to see someone other than Kezia caught his attention immediately. Not to mention that her style of dress stood out like a sore thumb among the Arynnites.
Though not at all a social person, Sylas forced himself to approach the woman. "Pardon my interruption, but I was wondering if the two of you might need any assistance?" he asked, addressing both her and her dyr as he had learned over the years. His always gloved hands moved behind his back, avoiding getting too physically close to either of them.
Walnut really enjoyed Elyusian. The labyrinth of unfamiliar streets meant that a surprise lay around every corner, and in his opinion, the best surprises were those that came with water. If the river otter had his way, the two of them would do nothing but travel from fountain to fountain throughout the capital so that he could swim in each of his favorite haunts. Ever a woman of action, Kester was less thrilled with the prospect of standing around while Walnut entertained himself. Today, however, he had needled her into agreeing to go for a swim if they trained afterward, so the two of them had set off through the streets in search of a specific fountain that had a particularly deep pool of water that he had enjoyed.
The only problem was that neither of them quite remembered where it was.
Street signs meant little, if anything, to Kester, who could recognize only the most fundamental words in writing and had not yet developed a mental map of the city, but that didn’t prevent her from stopping at an intersection and peering around at her options. The river otter by her side stood up on his hind legs and did the same.
Which way, Walnut?
”Uhh that way, I think. No - this way! Or maybe it’s down there instead?”
She looked down at him and crossed her arms. You just listed every possibility.
“What?” He looked up at her, though his forelegs were too short to cross. “I’m helping! I know the fountain is down one of them!”
Before she could explain how unhelpful his input was, an unfamiliar voice had both of them turning to see that someone had approached them. An automatic smile rose to Kester’s lips, but something about him had her pausing before she could shake her head and politely turn away again. Walnut reached the conclusion at the same time she did: “He said ‘two of you’!” Though she wasn’t certain how much knowledge about Dresmondi had spread across Arynn Frey, most of the Arynnites with whom Kester had interacted either didn’t know or didn’t care that Walnut was just as intelligent as they were.
Well, in theory, anyway.
“Hey!”
There was something else unusual about the man, too. He carried himself differently from the others, and something about it tickled some memory in the back of her mind. Had she seen him before? If she had, she didn’t know his name.
No matter. He had offered his assistance, and Kester was willing to bet that he knew his way around Elyusian far better than she or Walnut did. With a smile, she nodded at him, then held up a finger in a silent request for him to wait a moment. Her hands went to a water skin tied at her hip, and part of it was poured onto the ground, where it froze into ice. Walnut packed it together into a clump before chipping away bits and pieces until a small, icy likeness of the fountain they sought remained. Picking it up with one hand, Kester glanced at the model and decided that even if it wasn’t overly detailed, it was still recognizable as a fountain. Probably.
Head tilted to the side in question - Walnut did the same from where he stood beside her on his hind legs - she pointed to the little ice sculpture in her hand and looked at the Arynnite. “Where?” Her voice was breathy and very hard to hear.
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on Apr 3, 2023 12:28:30 GMT -5
Though not greeted with words, he did get a small smile from the woman and Sylas took the time to look at her dyr as well, ensuring both were acknowledged. They didn't immediately say what he might be able to help them with but action was often better than words anyway. Sometimes. He watched with curiosity but not surprise when they started to use their magic, ice it would seem, and the little river otter started to carve it into a shape. It was so different from Kezia's magic and Sylas was fascinated just watching as the shape slowly began to form into what looked like a fountain.
The woman finally spoke but he couldn't understand what she had said. Given how she hadn't spoken up til now, he wondered if maybe something was wrong with her and she couldn't actually speak well. He looked between the ice sculpture and the dresmondi pair, trying to guess what she might have said so he wouldn't have to move closer to her in order to ask her to try again and be more likely to hear and understand her.
"You're- uh, you're looking for this?" he guessed, motioning the ice fountain.
There was the long moment of silence that indicated he hadn’t heard or understood what she said. This was not an unusual occurrence, but that didn’t make it any less awkward or frustrating. Withholding the sigh that wanted to escape at how difficult it was to communicate in this kingdom, Kester could practically see his mind trying to figure out what she wanted. On the whole, Arynnites were rather intelligent, and all things considered, she didn’t think her question was all that complicated.
Her patience was rewarded. When he guessed correctly, she smiled and nodded. Beside her, the river otter clapped his hands together.
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on May 3, 2023 9:57:25 GMT -5
It was with relief that he discovered he had been right. He hated be wrong as just a general part of his personality but when it did happen he always made a point to learn from it. Lucky for him, this was not the case today. He forced a little smile on his lips in response to hers, trying to remember to focus on social skills.
"Ah, well yes, I can definitely show you the way." He thought about just giving them directions but decided it would be more effective to take them there. After all, it wasn't far. "Follow me," he said, looking between then two of them before motioning them along as he moved down the street.
He felt a little awkward, unsure of what to say, especially since communication hadn't been too easy thus far. So instead he remained in silence as he took them down a few turns. Luckily, the fountain wasn't terribly far. He wondered why they were looking for it in the first place but decided not to pry. Soon enough they took a right turn and the fountain was straight ahead of them. "Here we are," he said with another smile.
At his offer to show them the way to the fountain, Kester smiled and fell into step beside him. In his distinctive hopping run, Walnut kept pace next to her. The Arynnite, much to her relief, didn’t seem particularly inclined toward conversation, which was perhaps just as well because the river otter stayed busy chattering away in her head about his excitement to go swimming. Soon enough, they made a turn and—
Walnut!
With a squeal, the river otter sprinted toward the fountain and, in a rather amusing display, clambered over the side before disappearing into the basin. This time, Kester did sigh - a quiet, somewhat long-suffering noise. She turned back to the Arynnite and offered him a smile. “Thank you,” She said.
If the man looked over, he would see Walnut poke his head up out of the water, a matching grin on his face.
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on May 14, 2023 19:07:16 GMT -5
Sylas hadn't known why they were looking for the fountain but it soon became clear when the otter dashes towards the water and threw himself into it. His surprise soon turned to amusement. How could it not with a smile like that on both of their faces. To be honest it made him think a lot of Kezia and Raiden and their carefree nature that was so different from an Arynnites.
It was only then that he caught the first real words of the woman. An offer of thanks. "You are most welcome," Sylas replied and with a moments thought he added. "Have you been to the shore yet? It's far more water to play in at the very least."
At first, Kester watched Walnut’s antics in the fountain, but after a moment, her attention shifted to the man beside her. Quietly, she watched him watch Walnut, and if he showed his amusement, she would read the smile on his face as more genuine than it had before. Though his determination to see nothing but the best in strangers had sparked many a fight, the river otter had a way of endearing himself to all but the hardest hearts.
At the man’s question, Kester nodded and held up one finger. “Briefly,” She explained. Clovis Belcourt had shown them the sea, but they hadn’t gone back yet. “It was very nice.” Kester didn’t think they were very close to it from here, though the maze of city streets had a way of making navigation rather challenging. “But the fountain will suffice, unless you want to walk there.” Already he had helped them find the fountain; she had no expectations of further aid.
Silence fell for a few moments, during which she realized that she never introduced herself or the river otter who was currently juggling ice cubes in the fountain. “His name’s Walnut,” She offered, eyes resting on her dyr before glancing back at the man. “And I’m Kester.”
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on May 17, 2023 14:54:04 GMT -5
He was satisfied in that they had at least been to the shore and he gave her a nod of agreement. "The fountain will suffice then. He doesn't seem to mind," he said, watching the otter as he started to use his element for his entertainment. It was always interesting to see how the each kingdom use their various types of magic and even just how each type of magic was different from each other. He had been studying the origins of magic not all that long ago but other work had taken precedent over time.
He turned his attention back to the woman as she introduced himself. He gave her a polite lowering of the chin as he placed his gloved hand on top of his chest. "I am Sylas. It is a pleasure to meet you both," he said before dropping his hand and clasping his wrist behind his back. "How are you finding your time in Arynn Frey thusfar?" he asked with genuine interest. He wasn't looking for false compliments. He wanted to know how the Dresmondi were really doing.
“He’s easy to please,” Kester admitted with a shrug, looking back at the Arynnite as they exchanged introductions. “Any bit of water, and he’s happy. It’s nice to meet you, too, Sylas.”
The Arynnite might have sounded genuine – and meant it, too – but the Dresmondi still knew better than to go sharing her true opinions with a stranger, even one who had thus far been rather helpful. In a city where her people were few and far between, one individual was often perceived as speaking for them all as if Dresmondi were a monolith, which meant that her opinions on Arynn Frey had to remain palatable to the average Arynnite. Discontent among the Dresmondi could be misconstrued as lack of gratitude, and should enough talk of any complaints reach the ears of those in charge, Kester did not trust that Arynn Frey would not rescind their offer of refuge. There would be no negative repercussions if they did, whereas her people would lose what little they had left.
“It’s very nice here,” She said with a practiced, easy smile. “Different from home, but not in a bad way.” A gesture to the fountain. “There’s so much your enchantments let you do that we never would have thought possible. But the people I’ve spoken to have been welcoming and friendly, so it’s been as easy a transition as can be expected.” If one overlooked the way they were stared at in every city they visited, or the occasional refugee, someone with a unique soul bond in a kingdom whose lifestyle depended on souls, who disappeared here and there, or the slowly growing concern of what would become of them once they fulfilled their purpose and finished constructing the wall around the kingdom’s borders, then Arynn Frey was really quite nice.
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on Jun 4, 2023 19:13:13 GMT -5
Sylas listened to her comments but was wise enough to not necessarily take them as the full truth. Still, he didn't try to dig further. Given that they were strangers to each other he also didn't feel as though he wanted to give her too many details on himself either, thus he kept his closeness with a notable dresmondi to himself.
"I am glad to hear it. Please, if there is anything you find yourself in need of, I hope you will reach out," he said as he pulled a copper coin about the size of a large button from the inside of his jacket. On it was the Llewellyn crest. "Just ask for Sylas as you'll be brought straight to me without further questions." He held the coin between his thumb and forefinger of his gloved hand and holding it on the very edge, touching it as little as possible in hopes she'd take the coin without touching him.
Kester blinked at the man as he offered the coin. Realization belatedly struck upon seeing it. Sylas Llewellyn, prince of Arynn Frey. She had heard his name mentioned around the Dresmondi camps as one of the royals who had taken an active interest in helping them, which likely promoted the vague recognition that had tickled the back of her mind at the sight of him.
Well, that was interesting.
Carefully, she took the coin that he so gingerly held out to her, managing to avoid touching him despite not actively trying to prevent it. Kester turned it over in her hands and examined the crest that she had seen copied elsewhere around the city before smiling up at Sylas. “Thank you, Sylas.” A pause. “You visit us sometimes, don’t you? Down by Illianar.”
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on Jun 6, 2023 14:15:36 GMT -5
Once the coin was in her hands, his own returned to where they had been behind his back. It was the most natural stance for him and had been for many years. He nodded at her question. "I do. As often as I can. It has been my goal to make sure you are well provided for and protected." He didn't mention that he was unsure how successful his efforts had been. It wasn't in his nature to expose the weaker sides of himself, though part of that was training as a prince just as much as it was not in his character.
Still, the guilt was there. He knew how much their people suffered, particularly in Dresmond now.
With a smile, Kester nodded at the confirmation. “That’s very kind of you, especially because it’s so far away,” She said, offering gratitude and acknowledgement for the additional work that she thought no one would have expected him to take on. There was no use burning bridges without good cause. “Everyone is grateful for your help.” At least it seemed that way. Although Kester had her own opinions regarding Arynn Frey, she couldn’t recall hearing anything negative about Sylas specifically.
Saga and Shrine
Enchanted armor thin enough to be worn beneath the clothing and can be worn at all times.
Items he has:
Conversation stones (Kennet has the other)
Horseless carriage (a car)
1 augmented collar
Invisible pin
Neuro Void
Paired Portal Necklace (Kezia has the other)
Post by Sylas Llewellyn on Jun 7, 2023 12:54:53 GMT -5
Sylas had never been one to be very good at making idle conversation and he was feeling this is where that conversation was going. He nodded at her gratitude but didn't bother to mention that it wasn't as much trouble as it might seem, given his access to portals. "It's not enough, I know," he said, feeling the edges of awkwardness starting to creep into his skin. It made him straighten his spine a bit more.
He was so close to saying his goodbyes and departing but he truly wanted to make connections and to provide for the dresmondi so he forced himself to find something more to say. "Do you know Kezia and Raiden...and Geb?" he asked, the first thing to come to mind, and always liked to include the dyrs with their dresmondi companions. They were all one in the same after all. He was still getting his feel for Geb, the new dyr having been an unexpected addition when Kezia had returned.