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!
Very rarely had Calliope worked on enchantments such as the wings but she had enjoyed it. Normally the enchantments she worked on were more combat-oriented like her hammer or were just small things she did for fun. So something capable of flight? It was a delightful new challenge that she'd tackled.
Now, she had three completed sets of wings and was ready to give them to Isolde along with the two she'd chosen to have wings also. She had no idea who the other women were but that also wasn't a current concern right now. Not right now at least. Plus, Calliope wasn't bringing either ring with her (one of which was already given to Evander), as that was a separate thing that the Cambrians didn't know about to begin with.
Isolde would be found in her tower. She knew to expect Calliope within the next couple fo days, but she didn’t know the exact time of her arrival. Such was the nature of doing things in secret. Isolde had kept all but a select few from entering the sanctum tower, just on the chance that Calliope might appear—for that’s where the Arynnite would know where to find her.
Isolde would be praying when Calliope appeared, sitting cross-legged before her altar.
When Calliope stepped through into the Tower, she was dressed more to blend with Isolde's people than her own just in case. With the times as they were, it was better safe than sorry. The wings were bundled carefully in a leather wrap and she carried them as the portal closed behind her, careful to not make much noise since it appeared that Isolde was at her altar.
She might not be religious, might not care for it, but she wasn't going to disrupt the prayers.
Isolde’s enhanced hearing tipped her in on Calliope’s arrival. The woman’s footfalls had a characteristic quality to them, one that Isolde had come to recognize and grow fond of over their years of partnership. She let the realization slowly guide her from the winding corridor of her prayers. Her light eyes drifted open and a smile pulled at her lips.
“You come bearing gifts.” The words were caught somewhere between a statement and a question. Isolde rose up, going over and kissing Calliope on the cheek—the only person who’d been extended such familiarity outside of her own kind.
This was several years in the making, work and secrecy for years around that turned into something else along the way that Calliope herself wasn't sure how it would stand the longer that it went and the closer it came to no longer being a necessity. Where they each had their own duties and roles, and ideals, that were certainly opposite to each other.
"That I do." There was certainly a pride and a curiosity as she pulled the closed version of the wings from where she was carrying them and presented them to Isolde.
Isolde’s eyes lit up when she saw them. She approached Calliope taking the wings from her and holding them up so she could admire them in all their splendor. An uncharacteristically unrestrained smile pulled across Isolde’s features. There was a sinister edge to it, one drawn from imagining just what such a tool would accomplish in the hands of her chosen few.
“Yvella,” Isolde called, expecting her daughter that was not far away to come. She heard movement up the stairs, and she turned ot her. “Fetch @revna and Sigyn,” She said, eyes still glittering, “We have a guest I’d like for them to meet. Also, ready a raven and parchment. There is a letter I need to send.”
Yvella left quickly to carry out her mother’s orders, and so the priestess turned to Calliope.
Revna was training with her sisters when Yvella would find her, and of course the raven haired girl dropped everything at the priestesses call. Running with a smile on her face she knew what a special guest meant. Isolde had told her someone was making them a gift, and she was excited to not only receive what would bring Cambria back to the powerful kingdom it was, but also to meet whatever woman the priestess had seemed a guest.
Bounding up the stairs she called out before entering. ”Priestess?” Stepping in her eyes landed on the brunette before skipping over to the Priestess and dipping her head in respect.
Sigyn had been at the Sanctum. Yvella came running and told her that her mother wanted to see her at the tower. There was a special guest. The woman was curious as to who this guest may be, so she immediately got up and headed towards the tower.
Revna would already be there by the time Sigyn arrived, so she was the last to enter the room. "Mother", she said, greeting her. She also saw a woman she wasn't familiar with.
Sól tér sortna, sígr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur
In the brief moments before the two Cambrians joined them, Calliope took in the look on Isolde's face, the sharp-edged smile. The wings were tools of flight and Calliope knew how she personally would use such things, so she was curious as to what Calliope had in mind.
"Greetings." Once the two that were summoned were present, she would begin to explain the wings to Isolde . "The wings fold out to their full-size once they are activated. To control them, each set of wings is bound to a pair of gauntlets. If you want to hide them, they fold down into the center between the wings themselves to lie flat upon your back."
The wings themselves mimicked the wing patterning of the various large birds of the Cambrian landscape, with feather-like details that looked near life-like if it wasn't for the golden sheen across the wings. They may have been made with Arynnite enchantments but they were entirely Cambrian in design and appearance, with no sign or evidence of any of the enchantments used to give life to the wings.
Last Edit: May 25, 2023 20:48:22 GMT -5 by Deleted
Isolde watched, steady blue gaze taking in every detail of the wings’ operation. Once the explanation was complete, Isolde would reach for one of the sets and benign to put them on, calling on Calliope for assistance if necessary.
When they were on, Isolde tested them. Squeezing the gauntlets once with her fists had the wings expand. They were broad mechanical wings, thirteen feet across, and made of shimmering gold and transparent crystal so that they would not be as easily seeen from the ground. Each feather looked like a clear shard of glass with veins of gold. They were as much a work of art as a tool to be used. Isolde tested them, operating the device by twitching her fingers. With light in her eyes, she turned to Sigyn and @revna.
Revna’s eyes darted around, too much to take in for stillness. There was the unfamiliar brunette for starters, then there were the beautiful wings. This was what the Priestess had been talking about, she was sure of it. Which meant the beautiful glimmering wings that Isolde showed off, one of those was for her. And when she spoke the confirmation out loud, Revna was quick to step forward for hers and try them on, gauntlets and all.
”Thank you Mother.” While Isolde wasn’t her actual mother she felt a much stronger connection to her than the woman she had come from. Bowing her head she put on what she could and moved to help Sigyn with hers as well.
She figured there would be more instruction after they were wearing them. Activation, how to engage the wingspan, or maybe it was a fun little trial and error.
The dark haired woman greeted them, and immediately followed that up by returning her attention to Isolde to explain something to her that Sigyn didn't quite understand at first. She then realised the woman must be one of those Arynnites her mother had told her about. She hadn't actually met one, but knew the basics of their enchantments, which had always impressed her.
She watched as Isolde tested them. Then she told them the other set was for them. Sigyn was surprised and thankful. She stepped forward and took one of the pairs, putting it on with the help of @revna. "Thank you, Mother", she said, repeating her sister. She couldn't even begin to describe how thankful she was. This was a beautiful gift.
It felt a bit weird to put on the gauntlet on her left hand. The fingers didn't quite fill up all the way, but luckily she was still able to move her hand and squeeze it to open the wings.
Sól tér sortna, sígr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur
Once the three women had donned the wings, Calliope would stand back and observe as they each adjusted to the feel of the wings. For herself, the weight would have been negligible given her own natural strength and compared to the weight of her own hammer alone. For the women with their own enchantments, it was probably similar.
"Firstly, to conceal the wings, clench your fist and they will pull into the center between the wings and sit flat out of sight. To open them, flex your first two fingers on your right hand."
She'd designed them to be avle to fold into the centerpiece that would lay against the skin of their backs under their clothes, or over them, in order to disguise what they were. On top of the very Cambrian look to them.
Isolde tested the wings at Calliope’s instruction. She was hesitant at first, treating the mechanics with care. Operating ssuch sophisticated machinery did not come naturally to Cambrian warriors—particularly not one like Isolde. Their ways were traditional, though Isolde was happy to make a concession in this case.
“We will need to find somewhere to test them; away from Nevermean eyes.”
"What about in the mountains by the sea. The soldiers have been lazy in that area of recent due to the treacherous terrain." It wasn't even that bad, but of course, the Nevermere wimps considered it too much. They would prefer to bed the woman of Cambria they didn't deserve and tricked instead. Awful, but predictable. And Revna was glad to take advantage of that to test out these bad boys.