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!
The sound of Prince Akagi's voice sweeping through the pendants could be heard, and though Bowen did not know precisely where he was inside of the palace, he would immediately begin looking for the Prince through use of the pendants and word from other peacekeepers inside. The orders shouted through the pendants by the Queen likely caused confusion because most people in the palace were aware that the Prince had already alerted Nevermere, but to have those within the palace flee to Nevermere while Arynnite civilians and peacekeepers were in danger...?
Although these matters were not within his area of expertise, movement within the cities was. So he informed his team of that all of them were to aid the peacekeepers in carrying out direct orders from the Prince, and the Prince alone.
Once he found Akagi Llewellyn , he would remain by the Prince's side unless ordered otherwise. "The Queen has ordered us to port to Nevermere should the Eldouir attack the palace, my Prince. Are we to abandon our people so quickly? It may be reasonable for the Queen herself to go, but I will not leave my men behind and I believe the other Ministers would feel the same."
Last Edit: May 17, 2023 16:23:14 GMT -5 by Deleted
Though it had been just over an hour since the start of the attack, it seemed as if the assault had lasted a lifetime.
Elena Eldouir and @myla were thrown off but not thrown out by the artillery battery. Much like the domes that covered the Arynnite cities, Myla’s shield kept harm from befalling her or her cousin. Elena continued her onslaught, toppling the wall with ease as they continued to fly down it.
Azazel Eldouir and @drystan continued westward. Shells continued to pepper the pair; while it wasn’t enough to take Azazel Eldouir down, their progress was slowed—that is until the artillery soldiers started to drop one by one as @drystan invaded their lungs.
The most physically vulnerable of the sets, @alistair and @adeline had been stalled. Alistair had been injured slightly in the explosion—though it was little more a twisted ankle. But Adeline’s bag of tricks was far from empty. Her pillar of ice propelled them upward. The soldiers rushed to adjust, as their artillery was suited for distance attacks, not up-close combat. One of the cannon blasts shattered part of the wave, sending shards flying like shrapnel. Some Arynnite soldiers fell while others took cover. Adeline and Alistair would find themselves now level with the remaining Arynnites who would have to decide how to proceed.
@yeva ’s defensive strategy would serve her well, allowing her to escape from the soldiers on the ground. It was the archers that would be best suited to take down the young Eldouir now with all her bloody dangling limbs and multitude of feet. @donovan launched to his compatriot’s defense. Now in closer combat, he’d find little opportunity to paint with Arynnite soldiers bearing down upon him — happy to have a new target. He’d only be able to paint one more bolder which dropped into the camp, crushing an unsuspecting Dresmondi mother and child who had chosen their route poorly.
In his last effort on the earth, the One turned senator chose the way of selfless sacrifice. Seeing the boulder’s imminent arrival, Camus and Mercy sent the signal to the ten buried beneath them. They sank the ground, Camus and Mercy starting to slide within the hole they left. The boulder followed, chasing them down the slope. Mercy would be spared, as her size made her harder for the bolder to overcome, but Camus would be crushed from the torso down. The Dresmondi would still be alive—but not for long.
Camus , bless his soul, will die in his next post.
The unearthed Dresmondi would descend on @yeva . Perhaps it would have been easy to dismiss the Dresmondi as nothing but a pack of frightened refugees, but those wading into battle now would paint a very different picture. @yeva would be descended upon by elements of all kinds, including the one most difficult to dodge: electricity. Her whole misshapen, naturally impossible body would start to shudder and shake as it was electrocuted, making her an easy target for further attack.
@donovan , how in close quarters with Arynnite soldiers, would find his situation even further complicated by the approaching Dresmondi.
Hiram Eldouir , however, had kept his distance. He had depended on his family to protect him as he finished his task, and they had not disappointed. Now, that strategy was about to pay off.
A massive creature (OOC: image provided by Eloell ) burst forward from the other dimension, expecting perhaps a witch to greet it on the other side. But it was a different master that met it: a man, one with not a drop of witch’s blood in his veins other than what he had stolen. But what did the beast care? Magic was magic, and when the command was given to kill the Arynnites, it obeyed. The close quarters made avoiding collateral damage impossible. Bottlenecks at the evacuation points started to fracture as some fled the monster, others pushing to get through the evacuation portal before it was too late. The screams of burning Arynnites mixed with those of imperiled Dresmondi. Others dropped to the ground as the blood was yanked mercilessly from them,
“Flee for Dresmond and Elderkeep if you want to live!”
It started with one, and then a couple more followed. Soon, a perceptible movement started as Dresmondi started to peel off and head away from the metal shards and the flaming monster back toward the homeland they’d left behind.
In Elysium, the Llewelyns were back in action. The first orders came from Kimora Llewellyn : empty the arsenal, and gather every piece of equipment that would serve them against attacking Eldouir. The magic canisters would come in particularly useful and were distributed evenly and strategically. Orders went out for the children and elderly to be gathered, and another portal was opened to contact Cassian Rainecourt to see if an evacuation was possible and to communicate the severity of the attack. The navy had readied itself but was not yet deployed.
The next order came from Prince Akagi Llewellyn , who had stepped back into Arynn Frey. The call went far and wide to instruct the cities to raise defensive barriers and for the citizens to be locked down. The soldiers still in the cities mobilized readily and effectively to fortify their defenses. But it was the second order that rang the loudest: fall back, do not pursue.
Retreat, in so many words.
This order was reiterated by @calliope , who had been the voice of the military defense thus far. There was a period of uncertain scramble as the soldiers on the ground moved to redirect their efforts to open up evacuation routes. At the camp, many archers redirected attacks on the Eldouir to opening up evacuation routes with acid arrows. Others continued to defend themselves against the crushing supernatural monster; some out of necessity, others holding out, refusing to abandon their posts unless directed to by Kimora Llewellyn , their queen. It was quickly devolving into every man or woman for themselves as both Arynnites and Dresmondis sought to flee the camp: either toward the cities via portal, or back to Dresmond as instructed. @bowen would arrive at the prince’s side, no doubt passing embattled Arynnite soldiers as they returned back to their city.
On the walls, the evacuation was more easily carried out. The continued progress of the Eldouirs would now encounter no resistance.
30% of the wall remains standing.
GUIDELINES
- POST TIMING:You will have 48 hours to reply, so please plan accordingly and take posting order into account. We will not wait for your character, and if they are a central part of an exchange then they will still be factored into what is taking place. Their actions (or inaction) will be narrated by the CN.
- SPECIFICITY OF ACTION: In the interest of fairness, the CN will actively avoid asking OOC clarifying questions about posts. This indirectly rewards vagueness, as it gives the opportunity for players to 'adjust' their actions knowing what others have done since. Please be as detailed with your character's actions as possible. Any vagueness of action will be left up to the principles of realism and the discretion of the CN. If you have any questions about this, please contact Rigby .
- IMPORTANT NOTES: Control of Arynnite troops remains unclear (how exciting!). Kimora Llewellyn , Akagi Llewellyn , and @calliope will narrate their orders/desired actions for troops and I will narrate them as NPCs. Cassian Rainecourt can tag in if he wishes to indicate Nevermere's response to the queen's request. As noted above, 30% of the wall remains standing (70% destroyed).
Post by Azazel Eldouir on May 18, 2023 16:37:45 GMT -5
Azazel laughed loudly and darkly as he noticed the effects of Drystan’s efforts to be followed by not more effort and attack but by a … retreat?! He laughed again. “COWARDS!” He shouted in the direction of the retreating figures whether or not they could hear him.
Since it has been so effective thus far, he continued with a mix of lava and fisting the wall, intent to complete their task.
Post by Elena Eldouir on May 18, 2023 16:45:19 GMT -5
Elena had been expecting further push back and attacks so when she noticed that the going was easier she pulled her focus briefly from the wall to where their attackers had been and found them moving away instead of towards them.
She grinned at @myla. “So nice of them to leave us to it,” she joked. “Come on, let’s get this done. We must be getting close to where Azazel and Drystan started at least,” she said, not sure which direction they had headed once they started going.
With Myla now able to focus more on offense as well as defense like she and earlier, she expected it wouldn’t be long now until this section of wall was finished. So onward they moved and attacked the wall as they had before.
Though she conceded to the validity of Kaveri’s theories, which posed an alternative explanation to Arynnite cowardice, Kester stared at the retreating cavalry for another moment before following him to the peacekeeper. The soldier in question offered an answer to Kaveri’s initial inquiry, but Kester pushed for more - if only to find out how to be properly angry at later:
With the queen of the entire kingdom mysteriously absent, @calliope had initially ordered the peacekeepers to attack the Eldouir. Then the queen had reappeared and belatedly told her forces to ready themselves for battle - “What, did they not grab any fucking weapons before riding out to fight?” Kester asked Kaveri, frustration turning to scorn - just in time for Prince Akagi Llewellyn to order everyone to retreat to the relative safety of their city strongholds. Though a portion of the peacekeepers seemed inclined to continue onward, this last set of orders seemed to be the predominant ones. It amounted to nothing more than confusion, and confusion would never win fights.
The Dresmondi’s expression flattened into one that was blatantly unimpressed. To send out their forces to fight the Eldouir and then change their mind partway through the attack, dooming those who were already engaged in battle?
Clearly their soldiers weren’t the only ones who had never seen war. Perhaps she ought to inform @bowen that biggest internal threat to Arynn Frey’s safety was the incompetence of its own leaders.
“Tell him that his monarchy is bullshit and his military is actual shit. Let’s go.”
Whether @kaveri listened to her or made the wise decision, Kester was beyond caring. Disgust warred with impotent fury as she turned the horse back toward Elyusian because in the midst of this chaos, she had come to the same conclusion as Kaveri: that they had so little intel on the Eldouir they had rushed out to fight that pursuing them without the full support of Arynn Frey’s army would guarantee death. Once more, they were forced to run and hide from the Eldouir.
“It’s too fucking early for this. I need a drink.”
Kaveri hadn't really wanted to fight in the first place, not for the sake of helping defend the Kingdom that had only offered them refuge from slaughter if they agreed to be shields and spend their years building a wall - a wall that now, as far as he could see, was mostly destroyed. A wall their his people had spent the last five years putting their blood, energy, and sweat into - just so they wouldn't be force into the torturing arms of the redheads.
Rushing headlong anyway had been thrilling, reminding him of all the times he and Kester had fought beside each other, all the times they had been victorious, but even more so, the one time they had not been. She was right. "Your leaders are worthless and your soldiers are pointless," he spat, literally, at the feet of the peacekeeper they'd stopped. He grumbled and shoved Kaveri out of his way, and Kaveri watched him go.
A drink. He sighed. A drink sounded good. He'd been sober for a couple of weeks now. A drink sounded really good, and there was no point in getting themselves killed before they could actually cause any damage to the monsters. If he was going to fight them, he was going to take them down, even if he went with them. This? This had been pathetic. And if Kaveri and @kester had noticed it, the Eldouir would, too. Arynn Frey was weak.
Alongside Kester, he turned his horse around and they began the trip back to Elyusian.
Shrine Magic
Akagi wields a saga enchanted naginata, that when touched allows the wielder to cast bright red orbs that explode on contact. Akagi can cast single orbs or produce up to four orbs in a powerup to cast at once for a bigger explosion.
Post by Akagi Llewellyn on May 18, 2023 23:26:06 GMT -5
The front of leading actions within the Llewellyn palace was split, Akagi was pushing liberties he didn't have basically entrusting his more personal connections with everyone as a political and diplomatic means. When Bowen joined him informing him of his Mother's requests and as the rebellious child he already was (to a degree) he immediately countered, "The Queen and the family will be redirected to the throne room, with security per my orders, we will not flee. Collect the Ministers as well and have them safely escorted to cabinet room...I have already warned my brother in law of the Eldouir and he may be sending Witches for aid, no one is to leave Arynn Frey except the Eldouir. I want the focus to be rescuing..."
Over their communication devices the update of the creature drew a curious frustration from Akagi, it wasn't silly to assume it was an Eldouir given the report of its one shifter, the dragon, he gave his orders over the communicators broadcasting to every one with one, "I want all remaining fire power directed at the creature, all heavy artillery, buy us time. From Illianar we fire multiple mass canisters of our magic cancelation gas into the south of Arynn Frey especially at the camps...now."
For a few moments, there was hope. Mercy clung to that much as they descended into the earth. It would be a narrow escape, a daring feat like so many that they had pulled off in the past but they would emerge victorious and storm out of this hole so as to help their people and ensure that he children were alright.
The elephant let out a brief cry as the boulder collided with her but weathered it out as best as she could, just like she always had and she knew that Camus would be counting on her to do. For a moment, she was convinced that she had been successful, despite the blow and further damage to her already scorched skin. Then, something shattered within her. Camus was gone, knocked away from him. She knew what it was before she'd turned her head round to see.
The boulder had done it's work well. It had torn Camus off of his faithful Dyr, dragging him through the dirt where he lay now, his body shattered and broken beyond any hope of repair. Unable to move and scarcely able to breathe, the man clung to life with the same stubbornness as he always had even though this time he knew it to be futile.
Mercy made to get to her feet before collapsing back into the dirt once more, her strength spent twice over. She cast her gaze over towards her human companion. With one final effort, the huge dyr managed to get back up. She crossed the short distance between herself and Camus in shaky steps. When she came to his side, she would kneel there. Resting her trunk against the man's chest as he breathed his last.
"Whatever comes after this, I'll be with you..." Was her solemn promise.
Camus had nothing else to give. Only a prayer that in what came next, his two children and his people would be alright in the end. With one last sigh, both Camus and Mercy slipped from the world.
Post by Kimora Llewellyn on May 20, 2023 3:27:36 GMT -5
Kimora had been made aware of the chaos. Oh, not the chaos on the battlefield. That she was well aware of and could even see the smoke from the window of her palace. It was more the absolute collapse of communication and order.
"What does Akagi think he's doing?" For a moment, the prospect of a coup crossed the queen's mind. She pushed it from her mind. Now wasn't the time. "I want command of the battlefield handed over to the Minister of Defense." With her own voice out of the way, it would leave only two. Already, the Minister was sending out the artillery. It would be arriving via portkey, focusing their efforts on the refugee camp. The boats at sea would equally be equipped by a quick drop off. The canisters fired from the ships would explode upon impact, liberating the gas. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught up in or breathe it in would find themselves stripped of their powers.
Kite had arrived, the man came with an escort of twenty Peacekeepers, Royal Guards each equipped with the same protected enchantments that had been given to Calliope and her men. They carried shields with them that would deflect any magical attacks away. They brought with them two Portkeys. "We will help the refugees and the injured." Kimora would inform the Minister of Defense. "Have the Minister of the Interior ensure that the children remain inside of the palace and are ready should the worst happen." She got no arguments from those present in the room.
The plan to rescue to the refugees was relatively simple. It involved two portkeys. The first would be opened between the capital and an isolated spot by the lake to the west of Elyusian. From there, Kite and his force would open a second portal to the battlefield. They would allow the refugees through and any of the injured who they could. The guards would provide protection. If the Eldouir tried to come through, then they would close the portals behind them.
Myla felt delighted at first. This was the mighty kingdom of enchanters? Of military defense that was whispered about with their precious wall that kept all out? It was crumbling like sand. Myla and Elena were powerful, yes. But Myla barely felt spent… it was like she had been doing a light jog this whole time and… “Something isn’t right.” she mumbled to Elena, her focus on the surroundings and the shields around them. Elena Eldouir continuing her destruction as they moved.
“I know we are Eldouir’s but… that was the defense system that was to keep us out? A child could’ve gotten through.” An Eldouir child, was what she meant. But was she the only one who found it so strange? Or was Arynn Frey a bunch of smoke and mirrors? Rumors keeping those away… instead of actual force.
Myla pulled her own attacks from the wall. “Stay focused, I’m going to keep a look out.” Especially since they had to be nearing the palace. Surely, this couldn’t be it. If it was… how utterly disappointing. Lorendale sounded better and better by the second.
Adeline would give the Arynnites little time to readjust their plan. Though the cannon ball broke part of the ice wall, she merely redirected any flying shrapnel towards them and then continued onwards. Readying herself for up close battle, Adeline coated herself in ice armor, a wild grin coming to her face as she continued to propel herself and Alistair forward until they were upon the Arynnites.
Alistair would steal the show though, still wearing his oil-soaked clothes he had arrived in. He slipped the flint and steel-striker from his pocket, taking a few strikes to light the coat aflame, and then he tossed it at the gathered Arynnites. Raising his hands in front of him, the flames would gutter out before another massive explosion would rock the wall and all of the soldiers around it.
Shocked by the appearance of the massively grotesque creature, Donovan stumbled in his bloody onslaught as his eyes widened and jaw slackened in slight horror. Perhaps his hesitation in battle would cost him.
If able to, once it was evident the creature was not going to eat him specifically, he'd resume the battle. Still engaged in sword-to-sword combat, he'd be unable to lift a hand to use his gift, not to help himself or be of any further help to Yeva.
Calliope's teeth were not grinding together but it was definitely a conscious choice. What the hell was Queen Kimora Llewellyn thinking, disappearing only to show up and disrupt operations that had been going relatively decently, all things considered, until she opened her mouth again. The plan that Akagi Llewellyn had was a decent one, was the next step for what she had been planning herself anyway. And now it was all sorts of confusion. There were mental notes most certainly being made about all of this.
But her face showed none of her frustrations, just extreme focus. Because of course the fucking menaces could summon a creature or something. At least the prince's orders lined up with hers and so she would reinforce those orders for those under her command. "Focus fire on the creature! Those of you with a line of sight on the blood-wielder-" (Hiram Eldouir ) because that report wasn't terrifying "-take your shot. The rest of you, evacuate who you can!"
For the stranded soldiers, Harbin would instruct them to stand their ground while working to arrange an extraction where possible. Should the prince ask for any details, Harbin would supply the prince with that information since he had been the one taking and compiling information and tracking movements since the beginning pf the attack (There was a reason Calliope trusted the man as her second, besides his ability to multitask.)
Last Edit: May 20, 2023 10:39:00 GMT -5 by Deleted
Drystan would continue with two-pronged assault: killing anyone on the walls and continuing to kill anyone on the ships as his mist continued to take and take and take. He had practically all the mist that he wanted under his control now so drowning any and all ships in his mist to smother them to death was child's play for the man. Mist would creep over the walls in both directions, taking out anyone and everyone.
The strategist in him was curious about what the play was that would be coming next, and at the very edge of his mist, back at where Hiram had dropped them, there was a slightly denser pocket of mist nestled in the grass.
The sound that Yeva made was not the demented glee that had been ringing camp during her rampage (which, there were plenty of dead dyrs, would Hiram let her take one to eat?) but instead a very angry scream. The girl was used to pain, in fact took a twisted sort of pleasure in it like the sado-masochist that she was, but the electricity was infuriating. It was rage-inducing.
The careful control she had over her limb fractured and the new ones that grew to defend herself looked vaguely human. If one was squinting in the dark while higher than the clouds and tripping on something potent. Limbs twisted and too long and definitely too pale. Too pale because they were deadly sharpened bone limbs that attacked everything around her. No flesh, no skin, no nerves. Knives and bones thrashed into her targets as her body shuddered and shook. Teeth lengthened and sharpened in her inhumanly wide mouth, enough to rip and tear if anyone made the mistake of getting within range.
(what the new limbs look like but like 15 of them instead of 2)
Last Edit: May 20, 2023 10:30:51 GMT -5 by Deleted