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!
Torsten went to gather up stakes to double support his tent and watched as people signed up for some contest going on. He watched in wonder as person after person flocked to challenge beasts and join in competitions. For a long moment, he stood there with his arms half full of branches and just breathed it all in. Everyone looked fit, fierce and ready to give a hundred percent effort in what they did--the complete opposite of Skia! The sun felt good and hot on his shoulders and Tor was amazed at being able to see a clear horizon with open grasslands everywhere.
He looked for the sturdiest of the branches because his things always needed double and sometimes triple reinforcements. But so many others here were average sized or even better--as tall as him! Dark brown eyes fastened on the Field Sergeant as he enthusiastically signed up too. Tor didn't have any rank and he wasn't a native, but he earnestly wondered what it would be like to simply join in that kind of competition just because the opportunity was there.
A strong blond woman looked like she just came back from signing up for a chance at all those competitions and Torsten watched her with curious eyes. She looked like she had great muscle tone and a fair enough height to hold her own in all that. Should he join? He wanted to, but insecurity pulled him two ways on it.
Last Edit: Jun 25, 2023 19:02:41 GMT -5 by Deleted
Miriel was excited to be invited to sit with Catrin, of course not putting together at that point who else she would be sitting with. She was going to help represent the Parabolti, and later she would fight as one. She was doing better and everyday she was getting stronger. Soon, she would be someone for her daughter to be proud of.
But on her way she noticed a man, looking like he couldn't decide if he wanted to participate. She started up to him before realizing he was even in a Nevermere uniform, but she was going to push forward. Be like Catrin, that was her new motto and she pretty much tried to do one action everyday that made her more like a Parabolti.
Apparently today she was going to do a few of those things. "Will I be seeing you in the beast fight then?" Her voice was soft, trying to get better at projecting her voice, the very opposite of what she had been taught.
When the woman actually approached him and asked him a question, it took a moment for the meaning to settle in. She must be one of the Parabolti warriors they'd spoken of!
"I uh, I'm not sure yet ma'am. Can just anyone join? I don't really have any rank and.." Tor paused to gesture at his uniform "And I'm obviously not from around here. What's a beast fight?"
His dark eyes on her face, he looked down at her and asked impulsively,
"Are you one of the Parabolti I've heard about?"
She looked strong enough and she stood squarely, showing a good fighter's stance so he thought the chances were pretty high the woman would say yes.
Last Edit: Jun 25, 2023 21:04:58 GMT -5 by Deleted
Miriel nodded at the tall man, slightly surprised that she knew more about this then he did. This was going to be new for both of them, but she had a leader that had already signed her up. So she had a leg up, and being the woman that she was, she would gladly help a lost pup. Although this one was a little taller and probably older than she was.
"Anyone can sign up this year, even me!" In this case it hadn't really been phrased as a choice from Catrin, but she was excited. Nervous of course, but Miriel wasn't going to let her nerves get the best of her. That wouldn't be setting a good example. "There are three different things you can sign up for, the beast brawl is when you fight a beast." She thought it was generally self-explanatory, but maybe Nevermere didn't have beasts?
But she nodded at his next question, still slightly surprised to know the Parabolti were well known. "Yes." She was training to be second, something she might have shared if she had been feeling a bit more Catrin.
"Really? So it would be a first for your too? Maybe I should sign up for the beast brawl then.." Torsten said in surprise, feeling another spring of hope. Each person he met here, each new thing he learned, the more he liked Coheed and its people.
"I don't know a lot about them but my superior Field Sergeant @faylin emphasized the immense strength of the people in Coheed. Oh, by the way, I'm Tor, it's nice to meet you." he said, nearly smiling as he put out a hand to shake hers.
So ANYONE could enter. No military regulations or worry about rank or seniority. It was entering into the spirit of things without so many rules. And now he'd met his very first Parabolti!
Miriel was glad that she had run into this tall Nevermerean. There were a couple of Coheedsmen who could really be taken down a notch or two, and her husband couldn't do it all. So she nodded her encouragement, finding actions easier than words when it came to conquering her fears. Talking to men other than her husband and his relatives was going to be something she got used to being a Parabolti.
Looking at the offered hand, Miriel looked back up at him. She only touched her husband, was a handshake okay? It probably was, so she held out a tentative hand and tried to mimic what she had seen her husband and his brothers do. So her grip was probably a little tighter than one might be used to. "I'm Miriel, do you want me to show you were to sign up?"
Torsten's eyebrows rose up in surprise as the smaller hand nearly crushed his own. They weren't kidding about the strength! And he'd thought Nevermere women were overpowering!
"I was told that Coheed people were strong but it's different in person."
While it wasn't enough to break his bones, he had no doubt at all that Miriel could easily break every bone in his hand and probably rip Tor's arm off with very little effort on her part!
His deep brown eyes looked at her in amazement, his admiration of her blatant strength clearly written on his face. What on earth had he been thinking to even consider joining up in a Coheed style competition? The briefing hadn't prepared him for the immense strength that seemed an average thing among their people and Torsten had some second and even third thoughts. But he'd mentioned it and it was a type of freedom that was unfound back home. An open contest based purely on merit and choice rather than military ranking or seniority.
"Thank you Miss Miriel, I'd appreciate that." he answered.
If Miriel's calm strength and demeanor was the average personality types here, Tor could get to really like this place. That is if he didn't immediately die first in the Beast Brawl...
Her eyes widened, realizing her mistake as he mentioned strength, her eyes diving to the ground. She hadn't meant to hurt the tall man, and he seemed okay, but she didn't want to make a bad impression on anyone. "So sorry, I, that was my first handshake." Miriel looked up but only saw admiration rather than the anger.
Was this what Catrin was talking about? That being strong was a good thing and that not all men were going to berate her for it? It was honestly nice to see, and it filled her with pride, washing away the doubt a little.
"Of course." Nodding in the direction she started off, making sure he was in step with her. "How are you finding Coheed Mister Tor?"
"That was your first handshake? No need for apologies-strength is a good thing. Normally I'm the one saying sorry for too strong of a grip." Tor responded, wondering if he'd made some sort of social blunder. "Was I not supposed to shake your hand? Shaking hands when you meet someone new is what we do back home-I hope I haven't offended you Miss Miriel. I'm just really glad to finally meet someone else that's strong too."
Tor's dimples peeked out, nearly on the verge of a smile. Wow! It was incredible that someone else went through the same everyday occurrence that he did with at least two 'sorry did I hurt you's?' He looked again at her well toned arm and shoulder and remembered that there were stories of people being twenty times stronger than his own werewolf shift. Miriel was both strong and pretty!
Though quietly asked, he felt that the young women was very genuine and didn't speak for no reason, much like himself.
"I'm finding Coheed a great place to be so far Miss Miriel." he gestured outwards with a large hand. "There's bright sunny blue skies, lots of open space and a whole breed of people who don't make me feel ashamed to be tall or large. I really like it."
A small smile showed itself in Tor's growing happiness at finding a place to simply exist without being tormented for being too big, too tall, taking up too much space or being afraid of hurting someone by accident simply by being himself.
"So what part of the competitions do you think will be the most exciting?"
"We don't usually touch men unless they are our husbands. Or the woman who don't have husbands and just are bedded for children." Her father had never hugged or doted on her, and her brothers never hugged or comforted her. Miriel thought the handshake was fun though, and hopefully with the Parabolti more respect would come to women. Maybe they could even one day be seen as lesser.
Breed of people. It was an interesting phrase that Miriel wasn't sure she liked. But as always she wasn't about to comment on something that made her unhappy but swallow it down like usual. Surely the nice man next to her didn't mean anything by it and was just expressing it in the way he knew. "The sun is nice." Was all she could think of to say though, but her smile was as bright as ever.
"We are going to compete together, the Parabolti, I think it will be a great showing. But also Kaalim Cyrilson , if he competes it will be quite the sight to behold."
Torsten's eyebrows raised in surprise at the revelation. Was that what the field sergeant had been talking about?! The woman couldn't even shake hands like normal people did, just because they were women? That made no sense at all! Shaking hands was about literally reaching out to another person on equal terms. To deny that, looked like a direct insult that women were less than other humans!
"I didn't know that. Sorry." He quickly lowered his hand, feeling embarrassed and stupid for the breech in protocol, but still did -not- like that a respectful equal handshake was denied to Miriel just because she was a woman. It was stupid in Torsten's opinion.
He'd thought he was being nice and friendly, but her abrupt change of subject had him wondering what he'd said wrong. The all too familiar ulcer in his stomach knotted up and turned again with worry. He nodded in answer to her smile, trying to make sure he didn't screw up yet another conversation with the wrong words.
"You look to be a strong and well trained soldier so I'm sure you'll do great Miriel."
Torsten remembered the name she mentioned and responded, "I remember that name-I met him at our first meal when we arrived in Coheed. He's a great guy from what I've seen."
"Oh no, don't apologize Mister Tor, I think it's great actually." She liked that she was able to shake a hand, and clearly with a good amount of force. This is what it was to be a warrior, and it was something she knew she could handle. At least she hoped she could handle it. No, not hope, Catrin told her she had to do, not hope.
Smiling at his words, Miriel blushed and dipped her head to the ground. Compliments, this man was kind, slightly unaware of things other than what he knew, but kind. He was not like many men she knew, and it was nice to see something like that. A man who wasn't afraid to be kind to women was a good man. "Thank you." Her words were even softer than usual, but she tried to regain some semblance of strength again.
"My husband is his brother. Izen Cyrilson, strong and kind like his brother." Well they were kind in their own way of course, but Miriel was grateful to them both.
"It's fine if you want to call me Tor-no Mister needed. And I'm just a common soldier, I'm not specially trained like you." he said, trying to reassure her. He might have bungled some protocol but he was just a plain soldier. As such, he had less rank and training than Miriel did. He felt that if anything, there should be a title that he should be calling her by instead. Coming up with an idea, he improvised with what little he knew of her culture.
"You're welcome, Parabolti Warrior Miriel." Tor said, strongly feeling that this was the most suitable rank and title to call her. A warrior and fighter by any other name, remained the same. And he wouldn't deny her her rightful recognition. Just the idea that women weren't supposed to shake hands really got under his skin. Back in Nevermere, witches were powerful and fought alongside soldiers, even though they were obviously more powerful than the men.
His eyebrows went up in mild surprise.
"So he's your brother in law? They're good family and I'm sure they'll be very proud of you in the upcoming competitions." he smiled at Miriel before adding shyly, "I know I'll be supporting you too."
Just Tor, she could handle that. Most men of Coheed were addressed by their first and last names, and since this man had no Coheed connections it would make sense to just call him by his first name. You earned the name with your taking of a woman and a life and from his surprise about being a part of the competition it didn't seem like he had taken a life.
But with his announcement of a title she ducked her head. "I'll call you Tor if you just call me Miriel." Smiling up at him she had liked the title, but it was a little overwhelming. She didn't love attention yet, still getting used to being more than just an object in a man's eyes. But this man truly saw her as a warrior, even if she wasn't sure yet.
Miriel was nodding excitedly before her head dipped down and she wished she hadn't pinned her hair up already. The blush in her face probably quite obvious as he mentioned he would be supporting her as well. "That is very kind of you M- Tor. I will be cheering you on as well." Biting her lip, Miriel looked over at the Nevermere soldier, his kindness noted.
"Ok, Miriel it is then. I suppose nearly everyone's a highly trained warrior in Coheed eh?" he asked shyly. But he was also very curious about her and this new place. The idea of a whole kingdom of people being warriors was appealing. Not like back home where it was mandatory training for everyone, even when they didn't want to have anything to do with the military. They didn't seem to have a monarchy driven military and people were warriors because they wanted to be-which sounded far more appealing to him.
"So what are the beast brawls and competitions here like? We don't have anything like this. It must be pretty exciting, even just to watch."
Torsten worked to keep his eyes and tone respectful, but Miriel was definitely the most exotic girl he'd ever met. Modest but a highly specialized warrior, she was incredibly fascinating to talk with. He watched her face as she spoke, listening to every word.
Last Edit: Jul 18, 2023 18:57:07 GMT -5 by Deleted