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!
Clovis stuck out his bottom lip a bit, visibly thinking about what she said. He then lifted a shoulder. "You're not completely wrong, but you really have to master that weapon then to stand out. Otherwise you'll end up dead sooner than later." He didn't have anything against unusual weapons but he was having difficulty seeing how a whip would be useful in combat against an axe or a sword. Unless the whip was enchanted, it would be too difficult to just cut right through it. He did however think that Calanthe had it in her to master the whip and be extraordinary.
He watched as she tried out the whip and then thought again when she asked him for tips. "Well, if I'm honest with you, I'm not sure how useful a whip is in combat. It could be handy to snag someone's weapon out of their hands, but apart from that, I'm not really sure. I doubt it'll do big damage to armor. We could practice getting the whip to wrap around items, though. What do you think?"
With her goal to stand out, Calanthe was taking any edge she could. Even if it was coming up with strange weaponry. Often it prompted further thought, and that's all that she could possible ask for. "I plan to master everything and anything I can." A statement of fact not some flippant fantasy she had created in her mind, despite it being just that. No one could possible do everything, but the young Blackwood was going to try her hardest.
"What if we practice on items so I can wrap it around their throat?" It seemed like a good idea in her mind, plenty of armor left the neck exposed. And many more wore none. Certainly an electric whip around her opponents throat sounded plenty deadly. But then again, it's not like she'd seen any combat her entire life.
"I'm sure you do", the man replied, somewhat dryly. He admired her passion and motivation, and he was rather certain that she knew this as well, but that didn't mean that he wanted to keep her feet on the ground. Unusual weapons weren't easy to master. Then again, easy didn't seem like a word in Calanthe's vocabulary. She had the advantage, or the disadvantage, of being a Blackwood. She was supposed to be a skilled fighter. There were little other options for them.
It was true that not everyone wore armor, or that lots of armor sets left the neck exposed "That could work", Clovis replied. "Personally, I'd like to keep my head on my shoulders, so why don't you try to wrap that whip of yours around the necks of some of the dummies?" Most dummies were just a torso but there were quite a few that had some kind of head attached to them for when people were training their head shots.
There were many advantages of being a Blackwood. Like getting tutors to help make you the best of the best, Clovis for example. Of course, that also meant that there were expectations you would do something with that. Be something, do something great. But Calanthe was good with pressure, she could handle it just like her father did and not crack.
"That sounds like a fair plan." And better than practicing on a bed post. Maybe her uncle would let her use on of the slaves for practice as she got better. For now though she wanted tips and wasn't about to drag Clovis to the bowels of the Blackwood home for that. Flicking her wrist a few times to test the weight, Calanthe took a breath before beginning.
It was rough but not terrible, she smacked herself a couple of times by the time she was done practicing. But overall, it was a helpful look into how tough of a road this was going to be.
The young woman practised with the whip and landed a few blows on herself, but all things considered, she was fairly good at it. Clovis nodded approvingly and put his hands on his hips. "I think that went quite well." He scratched his neck and looked at Calanthe. "Perhaps that's enough for today? We can do another training soon, if you'd like."
Calanthe dipped her head in respect at the end of their training. This had been great. Fun, but grueling, and she wasn't going to give up practicing anytime soon. "That sounds good, thank you sir!"
Smiling she straightened and skipped on her merry way.