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!
One advantage and a disadvantage of living together in such a big community was that word spread fast. Imani had heard that Miriel, a Parabolti warrior and one of the wives of the brother of the current Chieftain, had given birth to a child. Imani tried to maintain a good relationship with all the women in Gilead, but especially with those who were a part of the Parabolti. So she came bearing gifts.
The woman made her way over to the hut Miriel was staying in, and would peak inside. "Miriel?" she asked, to make sure the mother was there, and hoping she wanted to receive visitors. On her arm was a basket with some food, a bottle of some kind of alcohol and some hoops that were safe to chew on. It would still be a while before the babe started to teeth, but then Miriel had something to let the kid chew on, which would hopefully increase the amount of crying.
It was difficult for a warrior to still be a mother. In her experience anyway. Her youngest had been two or three by the time she joined the Parabolti, so she couldn't imagine how difficult it must be with a newborn.
When Miriel had her first, Kell, she had no increased desire to fight amongst her sisters. Now though. Now things had changed. Having her daughter had changed how she felt on the matter. Her daughter would not have a mother that pinched her fat and monitored her diet. She wasn't going to be covered with leeches, snails or get a tapeworm fed to her. She'd sleep in something comfortable not an animal bone shaping garment.
No, so Miriel had already gotten back to training, by herself for starting since she felt so out of shape. Luckily she still had the same control over her arrows, letting some fly at a target she had made herself. Kell was waddling around, and her daughter was next to her in a blanket and hand-woven basket.
She heard Imani coming before she called out, the footsteps decidedly female she let her knocked arrow go and then turned to the woman addressing her. "Imani." Smiling she was glad to see the woman, and even more glad to rejoin her sisters in making Coheed stronger.
Miriel wasn't in the hut, but her voice sounded behind her, right after she heard an arrow soar through the air. Imani turned around and smiled when she saw the woman. "Miriel", she responded joyously and walked closer to her. "I wanted to bring you a gift to congratulate you. It's good to see you're already back to training. That must mean the delivery wasn't too difficult." She would hand over the basket.
Miriel was always glad to welcome friends into the compound, and Imani was certainly someone she counted amongst that group. Soon enough she'd be able to venture out but she liked being around her daughter. So for now she would train at home, and it helped that Catrin was more than willing to put her through the ringer when she got back.
"Oh Imani you didn't have to do that! Thank you so much." Putting her bow down she ran over to her friend arms open. She was always going to be slightly over-affectionate, even with her friends. Was she over-compensating for a lack of it in her childhood. Absolutely, but more and more Miriel was seeing it as less of a weakness and more of a strength. "Delivery was nothing new. And I'm sure soon I'll be doing it all again." Izen was now... well she wasn't sure what happened now that Kaalim had stepped aside. But either way, she was going to train her ass off in between, and take a little less time off in between.
Miriel was still much more youthful than she was. It was nice. Seeing Miriel was like a fresh breath of air after having been stuck in a tent for the entire day. Like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Her energy was contagious and it brought a smile to the woman's face. Assuming the open arms meant she was going in for a hug, Imani would hug her sister closely. "I'm sure you will. Was Izen happy?" she asked. She still wasn't sure if Miriel had a girl or a boy.
Miriel was naive and overly optimistic. But that's what happened when you lived a generally sheltered life and had only recently discovered there was more to life than what her mother had told her.
Leading Imani over to the basket her daughter layed in, she picked up her bundle of joy. "I think so, he's hard to read like all men are. But progeny are always good. Meet Serena." Holding her so that Imani could see, it wasn't an offer to hold her, but to look or touch.
Last Edit: Jun 15, 2023 14:58:22 GMT -5 by Deleted
Imani followed Miriel and watched her pick up her daughter from the basket. A smile grew on Imani's face. "Serena", she repeated. She looked at Miriel. "She's truly beautiful. Men are indeed hard to read, but I'm sure Izen will love her." She smiled at the baby and waved at her a bit. Babies loved to stare. She wouldn't dare to touch another mother's newborn. Babies were way too precious for that.
While Miriel was protective and Imani was respectful, the child had another plan in mind as usual. Serena reached toward's Imani's face, her hand going towards anything she could grab. "Goodness, she certainly has the bravery of her father. A good thing I think." In another time it would have made her worried, but for now it was good. Coheed was changing the way women were viewed, and better seen not heard was no longer the normal.
Imani laughed when the little girl's grabby hands caught a strand of her hair. She looked at Miriel to show she wasn't going to hurt the child before very gently taking the strand back, before Serena would try to pull in it. "A feisty one, for sure", she said with a smile. "Coheed will blossom once her generation is all grown up." She was looking forward to seeing that Coheed. "Your first girl, right?" she asked the young warrior. "Boys are fun, but girls are amazing. It's wonderful to see them grow up and be able to help them become a strong woman. It's in the boys' genes, but the girls are only now allowed to become what they truly are. It's an emotional but beautiful process."