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!
Smiling at @raff , Revna had no plans to be cold and prickly. She couldn't be even though she wanted to be, because while up acting for the Priestess she needed to show judgement, amongst everyone though, she was to be a gracious host. Having two personalities was exhausting but she was good at it, maybe a slightly worrying thing.
"Welcome sir, I am so sorry if the prayer caught you off guard, we must endeavor to explain our customs better." She hadn't gotten the hairy man's name, so he would just be sir until proven otherwise. Lords or ladies usually held themselves differently, although he certainly was acting like his opinion was important in a place that it wasn't.
Since Sigyn seemed to be waiting for @revna to reply first, he listened to her as she spoke.
That certainly didn't help him at all. Especially after the fact that he was responsible for the well being of hundreds of people in his units. If he didn't know, then he couldn't prep them on the correct procedures to follow. There was no denying that he was in hostile occupied territory but a little heads up on how NOT to piss off the natives by ignorance, could've and should've been prevented. Raff had a strong feeling that no matter what he said or did other than dying on the spot would satisfy the religious fanatic in front of him. But he'd found personally that those with extreme fanatical/religious dogmas were very dangerous personalities and not to be trusted. You didn't stand around and argue with a rabid wild animal, you backed away slowly and put as much space between you and it. What can't be cured must be endured. There was no fake smile back, but his tone was carefully civil, concise and polite.
"I'm Lieutenant Terach. Thank you for the official welcome ma'am. You and your people most certainly don't need mine or anyone else' approval to carry on with how you live your lives. I think maybe there was an oversight on a lack of information on expected customs from my own higher ups in command. This is my first time in Cambria and I'm not someone that would merit a moment of your valuable time ma'am."
Every red flag had gone up at Revna's approach and the fact that she felt the need to talk to him personally out of the hundreds and hundreds of others there was a very bad thing. There was literally a captain barely fifty feet away, plus field sergeants and other soldiers outranking him. Raff knew of no reason why that woman would seek him out of all the other new people there. He didn't look young enough to be a cadet, he wasn't screaming like that announcer did, and his uniform only showed Lieutenant rank, so why she was here was a mystery. He probably knew less of what was going on than many of the soldiers around him. Raff was totally out of the loop if she was looking for special information. Just another face in the crowd. Until she decided to give him a special visit for no reason. Unless she could read thoughts. That would be a neat trick.
Last Edit: Jun 25, 2023 16:51:50 GMT -5 by Deleted
Grissa looked up with a smile at the pattering of little feet to the table. She was happy to see @rina and her precious daughter, Ferra, both true blessings from the All-Mother to their tribe.
"Of course, dear sister," Grissa nodded to an open spot at the table. "It is always a joy to share both of your company. Sit, eat! And you must tell us tales of your most recent adventures, Ferra."
The elderly woman missed the boundless energy and curiosity of her own daughters running around the house: now they were busy with daughters and even granddaughters of their own. She was thankful for the communal nature of Cambria that she could remain connected and active with the younger generations...as much as her aging form allowed, at least.
She should have expected Raff to be just like any other man: condescending, too proud and unrespectful. Yet she had given him the benefit of the doubt, but it had proven to be a mistake. She should just listen to her intuition: men are bad. She didn't respond right away, and when she saw @revna coming towards them, she remained silent and smiled at her sister. She appreciated the little squeeze. It put her at ease. Now she was with more like-minded people again.
This man lived and breathed his rank and the military. Sigyn got bored of it rather quickly. Her question had merely been about why he was instructed to get up and leave, because she thought the soldiers would at least want to get acquainted with the local women.
"That's too bad", she then said, still a smile on her face and acting nice. "Our Cambrian traditions are very interesting. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough."
She then turned towards Revna. "It was a beautiful prayer, sister. The All-Mother is happy to see us all gathered here."
Sól tér sortna, sígr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur
In the way that Norah wouldn't be used to being referred to as king, Warren was not used to being referred to as friendly. His usual dour expression made him less approachable. He was routinely serious and focused on his work. Rarely did someone illicit a smile or laugh from him, though he couldn't deny that he had found himself doing both more often since he and Regan Lassiter had become closer.
But he assumed that she'd simply meant more Nevermeran faces. People from home. The Ambassador spent a lot of time in Cambria and he remembered that after being there for some time on his first assignment there, any Nevermeran face besides those in Cambria with him would have been comforting. He nodded to the information given. Between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador, Warren was less up to date on who went each place and for how long. That Lady Carter was in Cambria far more often reminded him of how long @alinore had remained in Arynn Frey. That all made total sense to him. But why, then, had she not been more directly approached about seeing to Odina's installation as governor? At the very least, her information regarding the current comings and goings of Isolde and her followers would have been a helpful addition to the conversation.
The introduction of her...beast, was a surprising one. It hadn't gone unnoticed, surely, but it seemed almost dyr-like now that it was speaking to him. "A pleasure, Deimos," Warren said in a return greeting, with a nod of his head. The thing seemed big enough to quell any Cambrian revolt alone, but he guessed that that wasn't exactly Norah Carters job. She was a politician, not a soldier.
Which in reality, made him appreciate her advice all the more. Soldiers too often looked at a people as possible opponents and neglected other possibilities. Someone who had spent much of her time in Cambria would know more about the ins and outs of their day to day lives, and what they expected from each other, and others. He, of course, knew that the women generally disliked and distrusted most men, regardless of where they were from, and that he had to be careful in how he spoke to them and acted around them. Everything she told him was reasonable, though. "That last piece reminds me of how I deal with my sisters, so I believe I can manage that." Though he didn't smile or laugh, there was some humor to his tone. "Should you need anything while we're here, Ambassador, please do let me know. I'll do what I can to aid you."
Though he knew very well that there was little she could possibly need from him, his job was still to serve.
Raff was no scholar and the gears in his mind ground slowly to finally see the root of the misunderstanding. He said politely to Sigyn and @revna ,
“I think I figured out why there was a misunderstanding. When Sigyn asked me, “Are you looking forward to your time in Cambria?" and I answered "I'm just following orders..I've heard that Cambria has some great warriors and soldiers so I'm sure you understand following orders right?", I think she was expecting me to say yes or sure, instead of I'm here in Cambria on orders. I never meant any disrespect, and was being honest so it was both taken badly and came out wrong. I'm no diplomat. Thanks for the gathering ladies. If you'll excuse me now, I should check on my soldiers.”
With a respectful nod of his head he returned his plate and moved to stand within the crowd of his unit, trying to find anonymity in the ranks. But his height alone would sadly never help him with that issue.
While @warren didn't laugh at his joke about handling his sister's in a similar fashion, Norah's lips quirked into half a smile, twisting up just enough to show her faint amusement at the thought. "Well, then you may be better off than some of the other's here with that training under your belt alone." There was something familiar about this sort of banter, a little bit of politicking in just enough of a way to build a likeness to someone. To gain trust, or at least intrigue.
He offered her aid, and she couldn't help but look at him then. Wondering what sort of situations she might find herself in where she'd need more aid than she could provide herself. She wasn't an expert swordswoman, but she knew how to handle a blade. Kept a small one on her most times. Her father had been Captain Commander when she was younger, long before Logan Delaney had been, so she hadn't grown up sitting pretty outside of her mandatory training. Especially under her mother's thumb...
What Warren might not have known, was the rather skilled curse maker sat across from him. Curses and potions had been her focus. And the summoning at her side was not just for show... though he held a nasty bite and was worth every bit of the food and blood that Norah gave him. He alone boosted her own witchcraft abilities. "I will keep that in mind, though I have a feeling I would be able to serve you more than you aid me." Norah popped another bite of food into her mouth, chewing it with intention as her eyes drifted to Deimos and the two seemed to share an unspoken thought. "I'm to assume that you will be here for the season? Or are you just here to ensure everyone is settled in before heading back to Nevermere?"
@raff's explanation actually made sense, and Sigyn was glad that they had managed to find the misunderstanding in their communication. She had thought that him getting up and leaving the conversation was what his orders were about, but now she understood what he had meant: he was here because if orders, not because he had heard so many good things about Cambria that he had decided to go on vacation here. "Thank you for the clarification", she said with a nod before she watched him turn and leave.
Once he was out of ear's reach, she turned to @revna. "I don't like them being here one bit", she whispered. "Have you seen the Priestess? It appears that she doesn't feel like welcoming these pigs into our kingdom either."
Sól tér sortna, sígr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur
Revna really hadn't given a flying fuck about talking to @raff . He could have been anyone, but he was talking to Sigyn who was her sister in everything but blood. So if any hackles were raised it was because of his own thoughts. He spoke about them not needing permission for their religion, to which she would have loved to laugh out loud at. But she just smiled and nodded.
"It is good to meet you Lieutenant Terach. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask." Watching him depart she held up the smile long enough to wave and then turn her back on a man not worth any of her time. If he was going to try and explain the world to them he was just as bad as the rest. And probably had an ego big enough to fill the room.
Giving her sister a full hug she whispered in the woman's ear as well. "She wanted me to welcome them. Said she needed to pray and the All-Mother had told her something was coming." Revna let her eyes dart around the room. "Make friends, listen, and we can meet tomorrow to talk."
Separating from her sister with a smile, she squeezed her arm and moved on.
"Perhaps so," Warren shared in her amusement. Everly and Willa may not have been gifted with the strength of twenty men, but their curses were just as effective. Growing up, Warren's family was not a patriarchy. He and his father were outnumbered and outsmarted on most occasions and it had given him a respect for the power of women that had helped him in his first two visits to Cambria. That'd been years ago, though, just after they'd come under Nevermere's thumb.
As he ate, he remained very aware of the summoning over @norah's shoulder. It did not take a woman's intuition or magic to tell someone that something was dangerous, and though technically the beast was on their side, on Nevermere's side, Warren remained wary of it. He was wary of summonings in general, and he'd never realized just how uneasy it was to be near them until now. They didn't often hang around. They were summoned, executed their orders, and left. He glanced up at the wolf-like creature and couldn't keep his thoughts from straying to his son. It was a question he'd asked himself a hundred times over, but that didn't make it any less pointless. Like always, he did his best to shove it once more to the back of his mind.
Dark eyes drifting back, instead, to Norah, he merely nodded. "You may be right about that, my lady," he agreed. If the Cambrian's did oppose Odina's placement as governor, he would need just about all the help he could get. "I'm certainly glad to have you here."
He took another bite of his food and pushed the bowl away, wiping his mouth once more. He hadn't eaten much of it, but he wasn't in the mood to finish the rest. "I'll be making sure that everyone is settled into place, yes," he said, referring not to the soldiers, but Odina, as he assumed she had been as well. "Then more likely going to Zulu Carr to help with the building of the King's new city. Home will have to wait a bit longer, I'm afraid. But I've not been to Coheed before, so at least I'll have something new under my belt."
There was more than a few more questions he would have liked to ask Norah Carter, but it was too difficult to have such a conversation in the middle of the dining hall, surrounded by Cambrians. So he left it at that. There was still time. They'd only just arrived. "You said you spend most of your time here. Have you got a more permanent residence within the village, or do you stay in a room within the barracks?"
Neela's eyes were already directed toward Stormcrest when he caught sight of @norah. She was a woman known well enough to Cambrians, but from the look on the boys face, he didn't care for her. Whatever might have struck the match, it was clear that the flame produced was one made of anger.
Anger was familiar, too. Though such strong emotions often went as quickly as they came to Neela, anyone could relate to the thought of seeing someone that made the blood in their very veins burn. Neela found that person, more often than not, staring back at her in the mirror. Maybe having an outside source was better, she couldn't say. Whatever the cause, Neela had to remind herself that it was none of her business. The soldiers were not hers to care for. She had children to focus on. "I see, then we're both in the dark."
By the time the announcement was over, the girls had all finished their food. Every bite, just like Neela had instructed. "Mother," Nara, eldest and therefore speaker for the group, spoke up to catch Neela's attention. "We've finished. Can we go now?"
Neela inspected their plates and nodded. "Alright, remain close by the dining hall, please."
"Yes, mother!" They rang out, and climbed off of the benches to hurry away. Neja paused by the end of the table and waved at @berengar. "Bye, Stormcrest!" She said, then rushed off to meet with her sisters. Neela watched them go, and once they were outside of the dining hall, she returned her attention to the young soldier.
"I don't think I've ever seen them hold public meetings," she finally answered his question. "I guess we'll both be surprised, then," she turned her eyes back to the baby pressed against her, running her fingers through the girls light, wispy hair. "It must be big to have someone announce it like this."
A soft hum left her. "Shame, for me. But a good for you," she commented back to @warren on his less than permanent placement in Cambria. Or... she assumed hers was not permanent either but just lasting a long while... she certainly hoped of returning to Nevermere at some point, but that seemed to be something that could wait. Nevermere meant facing an empty estate for far longer than she wanted. "You should get to enjoy some of the travels, to see the difference in the two kingdoms that came from one." Because Cambria had once been Coheed... but the women had had enough.
Yet they still, for so many years, had needed Coheed to procreate. Norah still failed to understand why the women of Cambria hated the idea of having more options that were not the brutes of their past. Nevermeran men who might actually offer better offspring than those of Coheed. But she didn't dare say that out loud here. Too many sensitive ears around.
Warren carried on the conversation, surprising her just a bit, but she was glad for it. "A more permanent place to stay," she nodded in the direction of her small place as if he could see it just from that gesture alone. "Not too far from here, but it gives me a place to put my things and still work on many things as I would back at home." Potions... cursed items... she gave him a knowing smile as if he might know exactly what she meant. "You are welcome to visit shall you find yourself with questions or needing guidance. Or just a decent meal that is similar to something from home." She wasn't the best cook, but she could manage a few dishes after all these months away.
Warren didn't know if his next assignment would be good or not. He wasn't sure what he should expect from Coheed. Or rather, he knew well what to expect and wasn't looking forward to it. If the plans hadn't changed, he'd be working alongside Kaalim Cyrilson to ensure that the building of the new city of Zulu Carr went smoothly. He'd never met the man, or any other Coheedsmen that hadn't been impaled by his sword, but there was a first for everything.
"The road to the ruins from here is quite long, but I confess I'm just glad I won't be going there by boat. I have on me not a single sea-leg. Even now I don't have an appetite," he admitted, humor returning to his tone as he rested his forearms along the table. "So perhaps I'll be able to do as you say and enjoy the sights during my travels."
Pleasant though their conversation was, Warren still had a lot to do. He'd managed to eat at least a little bit, and catch a glimpse of the women most likely to gather and preach. So he took note of where Norah tilted her head. The general direction would be enough, he could ask around when he got into the area if he hadn't met her again around the village before his visit. He'd expected her to have a place of her own if she was here so often. It would make things easier, no doubt, and he caught onto the smile without aid of words.
"I appreciate that, Ambassador @norah," he returned her smile with a polite one of his own. "I would like to stop by sometime soon and discuss a few things with you, but there's no rush. I'd like for the soldiers to get settled in first, so perhaps a few days from now?" He pushed himself up from the table, brushing off any crumbs from the plain tunic he was wearing, and picking up his bowl. "I need to be going, but thank you for the pleasant conversation, my lady," he inclined his head. "Good day."
The smile on @revna's face almost made Sigyn chuckle, but she managed to hold it back. She knew her sister well enough to know how much that smile asked of her. She was glad to return the hug her Mother's second gave her, and listened carefully to what Revna whispered in her ear. She wished her Mother shared these things with her more often, but she understood why she told them to Revna first. The blonde nodded and let go of her sister.
"Okay", she said, putting on a smile. She watched as Revna left, and Sigyn would stay a while to listen to what people said. After that she would also leave, though.
[EXIT SIGYN]
Sól tér sortna, sígr fold í mar, hverfa af himni heiðar stjörnur