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!
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 12, 2024 10:30:19 GMT -5
“That’s what I say,” Rhedara heartily agreed, “I’m not sure about being an inspiration to others, though. My superiors wanted my expulsion to be an example to others, I think,” she shrugged, “It’s not all bad though…I have an arguably better job now,” better indeed. And if things went the way she wished, she’d marry up. She looked up from her drink, “I got a job as an assistant in the Keelan Morrigan company,” an understatement of what her job really entailed. She had her little fingers in a great deal of his assets, “I’m going with him on the King’s Tour.”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 13, 2024 8:47:40 GMT -5
He felt as if Rhedara was happy to hear that someone shared similar thoughts as she did about it. She didn't feel like an inspiration, which he could understand. Especially if you were being used as an example. He was glad to hear she had a better job.
"Impressive", he said kindly. "I've been asked to go with the King as well, since I'm from Coheed. Feel free to come say hi when you see me." He chuckled. "Are you excited to go?"
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 15, 2024 9:06:28 GMT -5
“I am so excited!” her drink combined with his friendliness was making her comfortable enough to express herself as she might was a longtime friend, “I was thinking I’d never get to see anything away from here,” she waved her hand in a circle to indicate their location, but she meant Nevermere, “but I get to go places with this job,” and she got to see different parts of those places since she wouldn’t have to patrol or train like she would have as a soldier. Or at least, that’s what she told herself, “What should I know about Coheed?” She’d heard a few things from Othello, but he apparently wasn’t a born and raised Coheedsman. This Isaac would probably had some good insight to provide her.
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 16, 2024 12:22:36 GMT -5
Her excitement was contagious. Isaac laughed and took another sip of his drink. He couldn't remember the last time he had sat down and enjoyed a conversation with a young person like he was now. Zarha, maybe, but she had thought it was more than friendliness. He nodded to indicate that he understood the feeling of thinking she would never see anywhere else than Nevermere. "I felt like that, back in Coheed. Life has a way to surprise you." He had been at his lowest point, and then Nevermere had happened. It had opened up a whole new world to him, one he was glad to be able to experience. He didn't know exactly what her job was, but it wasn't difficult to imagine it would take her to more places than as a cadet. Cadets rarely were tasked with going to Cambria or Coheed.
When she asked him about Coheed, he took another sip because he needed it. "When I left", he started his response, a more serious look on his face now, "things weren't exactly... Good. Women were seen as property, and weren't taught how to fight, or think for themselves. I allowed my wives to do so, but it was frowned upon. I haven't been back in a long time, but from what I've heard, the women are more free now. They have their own warrior ranks. However, I know the men in Coheed." He paused. "I've seen how you handled that brute earlier, so I'm not too worried, but know that there will be a lot of Martins in Coheed. Not all of them value women like Nevermerean men do." He looked at the liquid in his cup before looking back up at Rhedara. "I'd suggest to stay near Nevermerean men. And if you want to take a tour around the village, find me. I'll be glad to take you and show you Coheed. Just be prepared for anything when you're by yourself."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 18, 2024 13:03:20 GMT -5
She listened to his thoughts and experiences on Coheed. She’d heard that it was barbaric, especially with the horrible ways of treating women. She wondered if they had their own version of Bedlam for their women when they got too unruly. Isaac seemed to be a man ahead of his own time as far as his people went, and it only made her think more highly of him. And that he’d warn her about how she might be treated was a very decent of him, although she thought that she’d have a whole slew of Coheedsmen strutting around like roosters and ducks by the end of the first week. The image, and the booze in her belly, had her smiling at the image, “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said as she took another drink, “And I think I will take you up on that, if you have time when we’re there. Are you looking forward to being back in your homeland at all?”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 20, 2024 8:17:04 GMT -5
He studied Rhedara's face while she was thinking, and drinking. She seemed like a very kind and smart young woman. It was too bad a misstep on her part had caused her to be fired from the military, but he also liked to believe that what she had going now was better than what would could have been in the military. With the pressing issues at hand, cadets weren't trained well enough to join in battles, and he knew a lot of them would lose their lives if they were to fight right now. Rhedara might have been able to survive, of course, but it sounded like she liked her new job as well. And she could still go on the Tour, soldier or not.
Her question brought him back, and he made a grunting sound that sounded both uncertain and sad. "Not really. Is that odd?" He attempted to smile, but it didn't really work. "I think they will see me as a traitor. I'm sure my wives have married different men by now, and my children probably don't even remember me." He shrugged and took a sip. "I really don't know what to expect."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 20, 2024 9:10:58 GMT -5
“I don’t think it’s terribly odd,” she thought of all the times she didn’t want to return to the room her landlady rented out to her even though it wasn’t quite the same thing, “From what you’re saying, you left under less than ideal circumstances,” she couldn’t imagine returning to her own country as a traitor. Sure, she’d left the military in disgrace, but she hadn’t been branded a traitor.
Wives. That was plural. She recalled that little tidbit about Coheed. She wouldn’t be able to share any man she was married to. She’d probably curse all the other women trying to encroach on what she viewed as hers. But it was a different culture, and Isaac said it wasn’t the best situation for women, “Why wouldn’t they let you bring them all with you?”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 20, 2024 11:32:45 GMT -5
Less than ideal circumstances was an understatement, which also complicated the answer to her next question. He rubbed the back of his neck and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. "I didn't exactly get permission to leave. Coheed had just become Nevermere's territory. I took advantage of that chaos to leave Coheed. They would never have let me go. And why I didn't take them with me... I don't think Nevermere would have been as welcoming to a whole Coheedian family than to one lone Coheedsman. I had two wives, and seven children." He chuckled a bit uncomfortably. "They were better off married to someone else, than to be fugitives."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 20, 2024 13:41:21 GMT -5
“Ohhhh,” she looked at him over her mug. She couldn’t imagine leaving her country like that. She had her gripes sure, and she’d wanted to leave, but she wanted to leave and then come back. As for welcoming his giant family, he was probably right, “Neveremeran’s are big on pure bloodlines,” she nodded, “You see that in noble circles, too. My mother was a noble you know, but her family disowned her when she married my father who was a fisherman.”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 24, 2024 5:02:19 GMT -5
Nevermere being big on pure bloodlines wasn't good news for Isaac. At this point the king hadn't told him yet, but he would encourage Isaac to get married. What was relevant at this point, was that Isaac had thought about it himself as well. "Nevermere is difficult to understand", he said, laughing softly. "I'm a commoner here, and an outlander. I can't see a woman marrying me here." He took another sip. "I am sorry to hear about your mother. There's one thing our kingdoms have in common. Love is never really a factor in marriage." Her mother probably married out of love, and it had consequences. He shook his head slightly. "What about you?" he then asked, putting a bit more joy and fun in his voice. "Any suitors on the horizon?"
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jun 25, 2024 8:36:33 GMT -5
“I grew up here, and I sometimes have a difficult time understanding how we do the things that we do,” Like the purge in the military, why women would have to loose their noble status if they married beneath them, but men could keep their rank. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all…but she hoped that it would soon work in her favor.
“No, love isn’t usually a factor in marriage here…but I guess that’s why my mother chose my father,” she shrugged, “I think she wanted something different than what her parents had in mind, and married for love,” it should have been inspiring, but Rhedara could not help but think of all the opportunities and luxuries that had been denied to her because of it. On the question about her own romantic pursuits, she smiled, “I hope so,” she thought of the invitations that she had torn up and scattered, “He’s from a prominent noble house though, so I don’t know if he’d pick someone like me, especially with my reputation,” a small lie. She was certain she could weasel her way into matrimony. She already was in close proximity to him most days. She thought back to the day Keelan had handed her all of those invitations, how he had invited her to join the chase, the way he looked at her, touched her…it was a simple thing to destroy the invitations. She was common, and if resorting to dirty tricks was how she got ahead of the noble competition, then that is what she would do, “But a girl can hope that he can look past the circumstances of my birth, right?”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jun 26, 2024 7:45:36 GMT -5
Not understanding your own kingdom was one of the worst feelings, and he understood how Rhedara felt. It made you feel like an outcast, sometimes. He had often wondered if he had been the odd one out. Nobody else had seemed to have problems with Coheed, so maybe it was just him who was the problem? Over the years, he had learnt that it wasn't, but the feeling still would appear every now and then.
In some ways, Coheed and Nevermere had more in common than one would think. Both kingdoms weren't focused on love when it came to marriage. Reproduction was what it was all about. Coheed didn't have the ranking culture of Nevermere, so it was difficult for him to wrap his head around the whole aspect of being removed from your rank if you married a lower ranking citizen.
It sounded like Rhedara had her eye on someone. Isaac listened to her. "A girl can definitely hope", he agreed with a nod of his head. "I would say I'll pray to your Goddess to bless you with your wish, but I don't think she's willing to listen to me." He chuckled. "And I don't know nearly enough about her to do so either. So, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jul 3, 2024 17:40:46 GMT -5
She liked this Isaac fellow. He had the feeling an older male relative would exude. He seemed to be the sort of man to approach if you needed advice, and Rhedara made a note of that in her mind. She supposed she could have gone to Woodwick for that sort of thing, but she’d not heard anything about him in months…and really, she wasn’t sure if she’d actually take him up on his offer to put a good word in for her. She was fairly content right where she was.
At the mention of the goddess, Rhedara shrugged, “Who really knows what or who she listens to? She may favor the nobles over commoners for all I know,” she certainly was one of the witches who believed in the goddess, but she’d never joined one of the covens that revered her, “But thanks, all the same.”
Post by Isaac Hudson on Jul 4, 2024 15:31:08 GMT -5
The older male relative vibe Rhedara got from him was something he would be flattered by, if she had shared it with him. All be wanted was to make people feel comfortable, always. Especially women, because he didn't want to be seen as the predator, searching for his prey. He has a lot of respect for others.
"Oh, is it more a nobility thing, to be religious?" he asked, genuinely interested. "A lot of women in the military seem to put a lot of faith in the Goddess." He paused. "It's interesting to me. It's not something I'm familiar with."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Jul 4, 2024 23:03:18 GMT -5
Rhedara shrugged, “I don’t know about that,” she said, “I think it’s more because they have more opportunities to learn? The rest of us are too busy trying to get by, I think,” of course, there were probably the commoners who joined the covens right out of the military training years, and they might know quite a bit. She had not been one of those, however so there was no way that she would know, “It is interesting though. My mother was an avid follower of the Goddess,” she thought a moment, “Maybe we can learn together? I know some already, but there’s always more to learn,” maybe she could get a hold of some books, or the two of them could speak to some coven about the subject.