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!
Isaac didn't have an evening shift and decided it could be fun to go out for a drink. Normally a buddy he knew from the military was supposed to come as well, but they hadn't discussed a specific hour, so he was prepared to be alone for a while before Thomas showed up.
The man entered the Sour Sailboat and walked over to the bar. He ordered an ale and turned around to go find a seat when a large man, but still smaller than him, got up close and personal.
"My cousin told me who you are", he said with squinted eyes and a vile expression on his face. "He pointed ya out last time we was walking through town. He's a soldier you see, a real one." He spat at Isaac, most of it landing in his fresh ale. "We don't need yer kind 'ere."
Isaac wiped the spit that had reached his cheek away and nodded at the man. "I see", he said. "Allow me to get going, then."
He didn't make a point of avoiding confrontation, but he didn't feel like discussing with this man.
"He's a bloody Coheedsman!" the man exclaimed loudly when Isaac passed by him to continue his search for a table. "They didn't even want 'im and now he's in our military!"
The man sighed and put the ale down, which was ruined anyway. "And I'm the one protecting you in the streets, so what about it?"
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Feb 10, 2024 22:46:54 GMT -5
Learning how to manage a fallen noble’s former assets was quite a task. It was something Rhedara had never had to do—or even thought she’d have the opportunity to do—in her life. As fun and exhilarating as it is, it was also exhausting. She was getting the hang of it, but most of her experience outside of her magic was filleting fish or swinging a blade. It was surprisingly thirsty work, and a drink was just what she needed to wind down.
That is how she found herself at the Sour Sailboat that night. She’d just sat down with her drink when she noticed a tall, good looking man walk into the tavern. Even though she’d set her cap at her employer, she let herself notice the man. Looking never hurt anybody, after all. She almost wished she had a friend sitting with her, so they could titter about him with each other as young girls did.
She saw the other man approach him—she recognized him. Martin. He worked somewhere around the docks. She didn’t know him well, and probably would have only known him by his face if her land lady had not tried to get the two of them to court. He’d shown no brains then, and she didn’t see any sign that he’d found any at sea. A pity.
She saw Martin’s animosity toward the other man—although who would miss it? What was that about? “His kind?” Did he mean werewolf? Most men had that curse…although he might have been too old to have it. If she hadn’t already been looking, that exchange alone would have had her turning her head to the pair.
Then she heard “Coheedsman” and it all clicked. He wasn’t from Nevermere then, he was from the same place as Othello Allemeade. Othello, who was the first person to cheer her up after she had been kicked out from the military. She didn’t know what kind of a man this Coheedsman was, but his association to Othello who had shown her empathy when she had desperately needed it, and the way Martin was treating him…
…it made her blood boil.
The troublemaker tried to look Issac in the eye and a slight drunken sway was the only visible marker to his drunkeness, “Protecting us from what?” More spittle spewed from his mouth, “Yourself? Uncivilized pig! You should go back to where you fucking came from!”
Her time with Keelan, the experience she’d gained while interacting with him and watching him deal with difficult people was the only thing that kept her from jumping to her feet and chewing Martin out. She took a breath and forced her anger back and tried to channel Keelan. What would he do? Well he might have his goons do something, but she didn’t have goons at her disposal just then. This might be a good time practicing using her words in a non-cursing way.
“Martin,” she called to him from her spot, and tried to smile, “I’m surprised you were allowed off the fishing boat with a mouth that filthy. Were you eating from the chum bucket again?” Okay, not her best attempt at diplomacy, it was a trash attempt is she were being honest with herself. Ah well.
Post by Isaac Hudson on Feb 12, 2024 13:14:43 GMT -5
Remarks such as the ones Martin swung at him weren't anything new, and Isaac kept his cool because he didn't want this to escalate. It would be very embarrassing for the man if he were to attack Isaac Apart from him being a soldier, he also had enhanced Coheedsman strength, which would floor the untrained man immediately. If he was a dockworker, he would maybe be able to put up a little bit of a fight, but he wouldn't be familiar with the strategy of a soldier.
He was just about to respond when a female voice sounded and caught the man's attention. So Martin was his name. Isaac pretended to scratch his beard to conceal the grin that formed on his face at the comment about Martin's filthy mouth.
"Rhedara defending one of them soldier boys! Ha! Didn't they fire you? You're no better than me, missy."
Isaac held up his hands. "Come on now, leave the young lady out of this."
He shot her a thankful look, that said that his remark wasn't meant to be condescending. She was more than welcome to react and respond to Martin, but Isaac wanted to at least do the gentleman-y thing and offer her a way out if she wanted to.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Feb 19, 2024 23:06:22 GMT -5
Martin’s comment didn’t sting as much as it would have two seasons prior to that day, but it still grated on her pride all the same. In the back of her mind, knew well and good that her removal from the military was entirely the consequences of her own actions, but she was far from ready to admit it. She took a deep drink to keep her mouth occupied so not to curse the man. She’d promised her boss that she’d not be so freewheeling with those, but goddess, Martin was just asking for it!
After a moment, she set the cup down with a clunk! and turned a deceptively sweet smile to Martin, “At least they let me in after training. Unlike you,” she waved her hand at him, “Tell me, have you figured out which side of a sword is the pointy end yet?"
Post by Isaac Hudson on Mar 6, 2024 6:05:06 GMT -5
Isaac decided in that moment that he liked Rhedara. That sweet smile of hers was sharp. The look in her eyes could kill.
Some men around Martin started making loud noises, pulling at Martin and laughing. They loved Rhedara's diss. Martin didn't so much.
"I'll show you my fuckin' pointy end, little girl", he said, walking over to Rhed and tugging at his waistband. He was about to pull something out of it, threatening Rhedara 'with a good time'. This was going too far.
Isaac put his cup down and quickly made his way over to Martin, who had managed to get his thing out of his pants by now, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. "That's quite enough", he said. Isaac's children were younger than Rhedara, but the thought of someone threatening one of his daughters like that, made him mad. He would walk outside with Martin, his thing still dangling over his waistband. There, he handed Martin over to another guard. "Let him sit in jail for a night, to think about his behaviour."
After that, he walked back inside and made his way over to Rhedara. He held up his hand, a bit apologetically. "I'm sure you could have handled yourself, but I couldn't stand by and let him threaten you like that. I- I have kids, and ... Yeah." He chuckled a bit awkwardly. This was very unlike Isaac, but his protective side had taken over.
Last Edit: Mar 6, 2024 6:06:07 GMT -5 by Isaac Hudson
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 7, 2024 21:57:41 GMT -5
Rhedara’s eyes widened a little when Martin reached into her pants. She wasn’t nervous or scared exactly, more of a mixture of disgusted and amused. Growing up on the docks, even with her noble-born mother trying to shield her eyes and ears from anything less than decent, she still heard and saw all sorts of things, including things. Still, even with the sight of a man’s thing not being a particularly new thing, especially with her failed romance that past winter, she was grateful that the Coheedsman had dragged Martin out with his pants undone.
She watched the Coheedsman drag Martin out, and had time to take a few swigs from her cup by the time he returned. She listened to what he said, “I appreciate it,” she said, touched. She’d been without her own father since she had turned sixteen, and it had been a long time since anyone defended her with paternal intentions, “Martin is always running his mouth up and down the shoreline, but,” she shrugged, “I couldn’t just let him say what he was saying.”
“I’m Rhedara Shannon, by the way,” she wondered if he would know of her or not. She flattered herself to think that the chicken curse had made it’s rounds around Nevermere, but her country was a big place with lots of people, “Did I hear correctly that you’re from Coheed? I have a friend from there.”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Mar 11, 2024 5:54:51 GMT -5
Isaac was glad that the young woman appreciated it, and wasn't offended that he gad taken things into his own hands. He knew the women of Nevermere were more independent and confrontational than the ones in Coheed, so it was a fine line between helping and offending them. He had done right this time, it seemed. He dipped his head slightly and placed a hand over his heart. "I appreciate it", he said, repeating her words with a soft smile. He was thankful that someone who didn't even know him would stand up for him against a bully like Martin. "I hope he won't give you any trouble for it once he's free again."
Her name rung a bell, because he had heard about the chicken curse, but he hadn't been given a lot of information about what had happened. He hadn't been there when she cursed lieutenant Abbott, and the other soldiers weren't keen on sharing all the funny stories with him, because they were wary of him. "Nice to meet you, Lady Shannon. I'm Isaac Hudson. Just Isaac is fine." One of the biggest things he had learned to get used to was that in Nevermere, was that everyone referred to each other by their last name, unless you were told you could call someone by their first name. Then there was the whole thing of noble born or not as well. Nobles were referred to as lady and lord, while commoners were miss and mister. Isaac liked to play it safe and used Lord and Lady for everyone, so he could never offend someone. He couldn't tell who was noble and who wasn't. He assumed Rhedara wasn't a noblewoman, because she worked at the docks, but he still decided to play it safe.
He nodded at her question. "I am, yes, but I've been here for a seven years now. Who is your friend? Perhaps I know them." He smiled again. Coheed maybe wasn't as big as Nevermere, but there were still a lot of people. But who knew? Maybe he knew the friend.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 22, 2024 17:04:04 GMT -5
She laughed, “I hope so, too,” although she wouldn’t to mind if Martin did try to cause trouble with her, it was far more convenient if he simply minded his own business.
His usage of the word “Lady” made her smile, “Oh, I’m just a commoner, but I’m flattered that you think I’m a noble” if things went her way with her boss though, she would be noble, “But since I’m calling you Isaac, you can call me Rhedara.”
“My friend is the Champion, Othello Allemeade.” It was a long shot, she knew, if Isaac knew Othello personally, but she knew that most people at least knew of the Champion of Nevemere.
Post by Isaac Hudson on Mar 26, 2024 7:25:41 GMT -5
A commoner. "I suppose I'm one as well, so nice to meet a mutual commoner", he said with a laugh. "There are surprisingly many nobles in the military, so I tend to go for Lady and Lord as a precaution." He gestured at the chairs at the table they were standing near, and if she nodded or accepted, he would sit so they could talk sitting down. "Rhedara, it's a nice name", he said, smiling.
He had asked who her friend was, and the name made him chuckle softly. "Oh, Othello. I've met him." He looked around and flagged down the barmaid so she would come over. "He's technically a Lorendaler, but he himself seems to prefer not being anything, or belonging anywhere. He's an interesting guy." He had met Othello on the training grounds.
The maid walked over and stopped at the table, looking at them. "Another mug of ale please, and something for the miss, on me", he looked at Rhedara, so she could order.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Apr 1, 2024 20:35:44 GMT -5
“The military is the best way to gain prestige for your family, noble or common,” Rhedara shrugged, “But just going with Lord or Lady is a good way to go if you’re unsure. Better to flatter a commoner than to offend a noble,” especially when one was common, but she didn’t say that part. She smiled at his compliment, “Thanks. You’re probably the first to say that about my name.” She thought her name was kind of weird, and always wondered where her parents got it from.
He seemed a bit amused to find out it was Othello, and she wondered what had happened between the men to cause that reaction. That Othello was really a Lorendaler was a surprise to her. He seemed…well, from what she understood, Lorendalers were very similar to Neveremere as far as behavior went, and Othello seemed to have a hard time conforming to the Nevermeran way of life, “He is?” She did not bother to hide the surprise in her voice, “From what he told me, I thought he was born and raised in Coheed,” she sat back in her seat, thinking back at that conversation, “He is an interesting guy.”
“An ale for me,” she said when he paused to let her order. When the maid left, she looked back over at him, “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that though.”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Apr 2, 2024 8:36:32 GMT -5
She was definitely right. The military was very important here, and he liked that. It gave a lot of opportunities for all kinds of families. He wondered how many high ranking soldiers were commoners, though. Nobles were definitely treated better everywhere. He smiled back when she thanked him for the compliment about her name.
Rhedara seemed to be surprised that Othello wasn't a Coheedsman. "Oh yeah, he's an interesting guy. I've only spoken to him once, so I'm don't know his entire life story, but we talked about being outcasts. He's a Gifted from Lorendale, but it seems like he has lived in Cambria and Coheed. He definitely behaves like a typical Coheedsman." He laughed softly. Othello had the brute-ish mannerisms down to a T.
He shrugged with a kind look on his face. "I didn't have to, but I'm more than happy to do it." He placed his hands on the table and looked at her. "Say, forgive me if it's a sensitive topic, but aren't you the young woman that cursed an officer a while back?"
While she responded, the barmaid would return with their drinks.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Apr 8, 2024 17:13:48 GMT -5
If she ever got the chance to talk to Othello again, she’d have to remember to ask him about Lorendale and exactly why he’d left if it was his homeland…although she suspected it might be just as Isaac said and that he was simply more suited for Coheed than Lorendale.
She’d expected his question pertaining to the incident that ultimately lead to her dismissal from the military. The reactions she’d gotten from the various people who had spoken to her of it were varied. He seemed fairly neutral about it, but Rhedara didn’t know him well enough to tell if it was a front or genuine neutrality, “Yeah, that was me,” she said, equally neutral. She waited for the barmaid to leave before taking a drink.
Post by Isaac Hudson on Apr 9, 2024 10:38:01 GMT -5
Her response to the question was neutral and short. Isaac took a sip and studied her face. "Is it a sensitive subject? If so, I won't ask any further questions." He smiled slightly, indicating that he was just curious and not trying to interrogate her, or judge her. The maid had left their table by now and it was just the two of them again. He wouldn't judge, because it was a bold moves, and bold moves had a motive most of the time. He didn't know Rhedara well, but she didn't seem like the kind of person to just curse someone for fun. He hadn't met any witch that fit that description, really. All of them seemed to be smart about their magic. They weren't reckless, so whoever she had cursed probably had it coming.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 5, 2024 15:30:31 GMT -5
She shrugged, “It is and it isn’t,” she took a good swig of her drink, “it happened long enough ago that it probably shouldn’t bother me the way it does but…” she bit her lip, “it lead to a very uncertain time in my life. I KNOW I brought it on myself ultimately but, it’s so hard for commoners to find work when they don’t have any connections to anything…and all I did was make him cluck like a chicken. It’s not like I made him bleed through all the holes in his body.” Did she sound a bit petulant? Maybe. She didn’t much care. The alcohol was making her more willing to talk, and this man was talking to her calmly enough that she found the words coming out of her mouth.
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 12, 2024 9:42:34 GMT -5
Isaac listened without judgement, a kind look on his face. He nodded slightly at the mention of how little commoners could do. He was also a commoner, although it was a different situation for him. "To me it seems like you simply gave him a taste of his own medicine", he said, the corner of his mouth curling upward. "Not everyone with authority uses it for good. I'm sorry it cost you your employment. I'm sure that it inspired others not to allow other to mess with them, though." He had always been good at finding the good in the ugly.
The man took a sip of his drink. "Did you manage to find another job?" he then asked, out of interest for the girl's life. He knew life wasn't easy for commoners. He had no idea where he would be if he wasn't a soldier.