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 Zarha Sliva on Oct 26, 2022 12:15:51 GMT -5
Zahra looked at Woodwick why this group training was out of her comfort zone and she said "yes sir" but it was more shy and quiet as they made their line she looked at her group she was nervous, scared knowing that what ever she does in this combat it won't matter because Woodwick was out to get her at least. "I know've been a jerk i know I am sorry for being a jerk but truth be told I am scared of group training so I am trusting you two to lead the way." The look in her eyes wasn't one of lying she was telling the truth she doesn't know what she was doing and that trusting people was new to her but the willingness to try was there. her hand on a sword that she borrowed in her hand.
Ber looked over at Sliva as she spoke, nodding at her apology before considering the implications of the rest of her words. Scared or overconfident - which was worse on the battlefield? Scared meant likely to listen to the words of those with more fighting experience, but fear clouded the mind as much as pride. Both had a tendency to lead to equally dangerous judgement calls. There was a reason he had let the younger orphans hang back and watch the older ones steal, until they were comfortable enough to try it on their own. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do except work with what he’d been given; she could hardly sit out and watch like the children he used to run with on the streets.
What to do? Feeling himself begin to slip into the pre-fight mindset, he glanced around at the rest of his team, eyes locking with the thoughtful looks of those other individuals who were also quickly trying to piece together a strategy before Woodwick called them to start. Compared to the war games taught in the halls of the military wing, the street brawling that was Ber’s personal area of expertise was reactive, scrappy, and relatively simple. But, as it turned out, that was what the team was for.
“Hey Stormcrest.”
He turned to see Tarre, a slightly older witch who he knew enjoyed a good game of chess - not that Ber had ever provided one.
“Do you remember what we did a while back? Against Payne’s group?” Ber did. It was a strategy they had seen some more experienced soldiers practicing and had decided to try for themselves, with moderate success, in their next group training session. “I think it’ll work well here, too.”
Heads around the circle nodded their agreement, but Ber’s gaze had found Moss, another witch with a good head on her shoulders, who looked particularly thoughtful. “Remember the new rules,” He said slowly, watching as Moss nodded her agreement. “What if we did that, but changed…”
The end of the quick huddle saw the Nevermere team divided into three lines, with each individual soldier given ample space such that they could engage an opponent in close combat without worrying about accidentally hitting their neighbor. Duncan had ended up on the back line, which Ber quietly thought was just as well since he had worked a full patrol shift earlier that day. The young soldier found himself on the right end of the front line, with Sliva to his left. Standing there, limbs loose and weight balanced on the balls of his feet, he kept his eyes on the opposing team in front of him while explaining quietly to the witch beside him, “The worst thing you can do, Sliva, is run ahead of everyone else. You may be able to move ahead faster, but if you break the line, you make yourself vulnerable to being surrounded and put the rest of us in trouble too.” Hopefully she was serious about working as a team, but just in case she wasn’t— well, that was why she was on the end with Ber instead of in the middle of the row.
Glancing behind him, Ber locked eyes with Tarre and Moss, who each stood at the ends of their own lines. Having trained together before, the three of them had the benefit of being relatively familiar with the way they each fought and reacted in battle. A silent understanding passed between them, and he looked forward again, glancing at Sliva. “You can trust that these guys have your back,” He said, offering one last piece of advice. “Let them put the same trust in you.”
Ber’s line had positioned themselves near the middle of the room, with enough space between them and their opponents to have something of a brief charge before the inevitable collision. When the Lieutenant called start, Nevermere’s front line ran forward toward the other team, with the second line following a short distance behind, and the third following even further back. Despite Woodwick’s stipulations, the consequences that awaited the losing side, and his general irritation at the Lieutenant for sticking his nose where it wasn’t wanted, Ber felt tense anticipation give way to an excitement that he wasn’t sure had survived the added pressure to win. A grin spread across his face as they rushed forward, and sword clashed with sword. This was where the fun began.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Oct 27, 2022 5:08:19 GMT -5
Zahra looked at Ber and looked at the people around her. how can she trust people she just seen in passing apart from Ber and Duncan she doesn't know any of their names, anything about the,. not like she know anything about Ber or Duncan. However, if they was to win she need to try and work with them she was a soldier she was trained to work people yet she find it hard. She cannot openily say that she trust them because she doesn't know what trust feels like anymore but but she nodded.
Zahra looked forward when they got into line and she trying so hard not breaking the line to fight for herself. a circle in her head is 'They don't have your back.' and 'Ber was just tricking you he want the victory all to his self.' She tried to ingnore the thoughts in her head. As she waited
Warren split his attention between the two groups, watching each one of them come up with their game plans for how to win. He couldn't hear their plans, but as they made their formations, he could take a guess at to what they hoped to achieve. While the army of Nevermere formed three equally spaced lines, the enemy army divided themselves into two. One line stood almost shoulder to shoulder in the front, while another did the same just in front of their baseline, acting as a strong defense against incoming soldiers. Their intention was clear, the first line would make the charge and push back anyone attempting to move forward, and the second line would defend against any who managed to come through. Both tactics he saw before him were commonly used in battle, but the key was knowing in which kinds of battle to use them. Warren already knew which side would win.
As he gave them the order to begin, the Nevermeran army rushed forward with more strength then the enemy army. They had limited themselves by making such tight lines, and by way of nature, could not properly defend themselves without knocking into one another. Five or six enemy soldiers went down before the line broke apart to meet their opposer, which left the defensive line scrambling to adapt, but it wouldn't be that easy. What they might have lacked in brains, they made up in strength, and the front line made quick work of four of Nevermere's soldiers from their front line.
Together, five soldiers from the enemy line attempted to use the hole created by the four missing soldiers to storm their way through and reach the base line of Nevermere. When planned tactics fail, often times achieving the goal as quickly as possible is preferable. While two soldiers fought off whoever approached, the other three were ready to push through the last line of Nevermere's defense to step over the scuff mark. Warren watched, wondering how Nevermere would respond with five soldiers already past their first line.
Like most plans, theirs very quickly fell apart once the fight had begun. But that was to be expected.
The fall of four Nevermerean soldiers from their frontline left a hole that was quickly breached by a handful of enemy fighters. While some soldiers on the second line rushed forward to shore up the gap caused by their fallen compatriots, others on their line turned to quickly engage the enemy that broke through. On their side of the hall, Nevermere had the advantage of numbers. Supported by part of the third line, which had been held in reserve but now rushed forward to surround the threat, they worked to overwhelm and disarm their outnumbered opponents. Success would see the five enemies dispatched to stand along the wall, while the third line moved forward, not engaging in the fight as much as the first two lines but ready all the same.
With help from those on the second line who hadn’t dealt with the group of five, Nevermere’s frontline reformed and took advantage of their enemy’s fractured frontline to press ahead, disabling as many enemy soldiers as they could while their opponents were on the back foot. However, Ber and the others were soon met with strong resistance from the enemy’s defensive line, who had recovered from their scramble to react to Nevermere’s initial show of strength. The soldier grit his teeth, blocking a blow from the enemy combatant in front of him before aiming to “kill” his opponent and take him out of combat. The battle was in full swing, and concentrating as he was on beating his own opponents, he was only peripherally aware of Sliva fighting somewhere around him. A glance down the line showed him that his and Sliva’s side of the line seemed to be faring better in their attempts to press forward through enemy defenses, but continuous combat could only be sustained for so long before the soldiers on both sides grew tired.
And then they had company. Tarre had seen what Ber saw and decided to press the advantage, sending a small contingent of third line reserves up to help them try to break through enemy lines on that side. Relatively fresh soldiers teamed up with the frontline soldiers around them as they all fought their way toward the scuff mark on the far side.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Oct 29, 2022 4:22:37 GMT -5
Zahra doesn't know what is happening? of what the really course of action was. She was the odd one out. They all got to know each other, know how each other works. Already have formats, plans they they all know and rehearsed. Sliva here was a outsider. She is expected to read their minds and trust them. it was hard for her to do. Ber might think it easy for him to say trust them, as he knows them, he know how they work. It also didn't help she was using a sword and not her axe. An Axe is her preferred means of weaponry.
However, it battle, she tried to keep in formation which was a task and she nearly broke it at least five times out of habit she just wants to run faster and feel everybody going slow and it was annoying her. They have no stamina whatsoever, but she needs to push through it. Zahra's swordmanship is still pretty impressive but you can still see that she struggle with the footwork but managed to get rid of about eight people who was on the other team. Well some of her team managed to take about five at most.
Pacing back and forth depending on where he needed to be to see the action, Warren would give the slightest nod, or shake, of his head depending on how the soldiers moved forward. He had divided them up randomly, and he knew there was some more experienced soldiers on each other. But experience didn't always relate to having a good mind for battle tactics. It wasn't necessarily their fault. None of the soldiers in the room were old enough to have been involved in an actual battle, but he did make a mental note to be more present during group exercises so he could teach them better.
The five interlopers had gotten close, but were eventually taken out by team Nevermere. It left them somewhat open for a time, but the enemy army did not capitalize. Instead, they let their own weaknesses be exploited and soon Nevermere was driving them back toward their baseline.
From there, the panic and the scramble to make up for lost ground created a disorganized resistance. The soldiers in the enemy army were fighting hard, and still removing Nevermeran soldiers from the battlefield, but ultimately they weren't regaining anything they'd lost. The younger soldiers were no longer heeding the advice of their older counterparts, and instead of re-forming their cohesive lines - which certainly would have helped them - they remained scattered.
A few rogue enemy soldiers pushed through, targeting someone from the Nevermeran frontline that was doing too much damage for her own good - Sliva wasn't pacing herself, and the three soldiers knew they couldn't take her out individually, but together, they had no problem. They'd surround her, two of them teaming up to draw the attention of her sword and as soon as it was engaged, the third 'stabbed' her in the back, eliminating her. Sliva would be forced to move to the sidelines.
The three would continue with this plan of taking, moving from spread out soldier to spread out soldier, eliminating two others before their third man was taken out, leaving the remaining two vulnerable to Nevermere's third line.
The enemies line of defense held strong, but they had stood their ground only a few feet from their baseline. Making it so close gave them the disadvantage, and as many of them were scattered, Nevermere only needed their more well-rested, third line soldiers to push through and solidify their victory. Overall, they had been 'on the battlefield' for forty-five minutes.
As the soldiers filled in the gaps for those who were removed from the fight, the front and second lines merged into one, but the enemy defenses continued holding strong. Sliva’s success at cutting down their opponents was useful; her removal from the battlefield, courtesy of a trio of enemy soldiers, left the teammates around her scrambling to pick up the slack. Only aware of that insofar as the fighting around him felt heavier, Ber knocked aside another potentially fatal blow. He could see the scuff mark now, tantalizing glimpses caught through the mess of limbs and swords that separated them. They were so close, but they were also tired. Adrenaline could only carry them so far. Eventually, physical exhaustion would win out. The goal was to find the balance between the two, to thin out and tire out the opponent as much as possible without rendering themselves unable to take that final step to victory. Tarre was the strategist among them; this was why she had stood with the third line.
Come on, Tarre. Any time now.
His silent plea was answered. Like a second wind, the reserves from Nevermere’s final line rushed forward in a wave of fresh combatants eager to join the fray and give them the final push they needed to break through the steadfast defenses. Feeling the shift in momentum as the enemy faltered in the face this new challenge, Ber grinned and, with a sudden burst of energy, worked together with a newly arrived Duncan to take down the soldier in front of him.
“Keep up, Ber,” Duncan shouted, fighting with the enthusiasm of a racehorse finally free of the gate. He pressed ahead like one, too. “You’re lagging behind.”
Not willing - or, if he was honest, able - to waste the breath or mind space on a response, Ber grunted something and made a rude gesture.
But the battlefield had changed, and everyone knew it. Awareness of the fact reinvigorated the remaining Nevermerean soldiers all across the frontline. While the enemy defenses began falling back under the strain, the temptation to rush forward as individuals was strong - the line was right there - but Woodwick’s stipulations kept Ber from making a mad dash for it. Three or more soldiers, that’s all they needed. Groups began to form as Nevermere pressed their advantage. Duncan fell to an enemy combatant, who then fell to Ber’s reactionary strike shortly after, and then—
Then, they were through. As one, Ber and the handful of others who had finally pierced the defensive line sprinted for the scuff mark. With blood racing in his ears and feet pounding on marble floors, the soldier covered the last stretch in a few long strides and crossed the baseline. The first few moments of victory found him skidding to a halt, carried forward by his momentum, before turning, chest heaving, to count those who had made it with him. He had thought there would be enough, but in battle, things could change in an— Four total.
For the first time since the fight had begun, Ber simply stood there and breathed, mind blanking with the potent combination of triumph and relief. He became aware of tired muscles and stagnant air made hot with the exertion of its occupants. Coated in a layer of sweat, he unstuck his shirt from his chest as he made his way over to Tarre, knocking fists with her. “Cutting it a little close, don’t you think?” But they were both grinning. Victory was theirs.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Oct 31, 2022 12:02:37 GMT -5
Sliva just rolled her eyes as she side line but she wasn't just standing she was still training on the sidelines by herself. not really paying attention on what everybody else was doing. it wasn't good to just stand around and wait after an intense workout otherwise your body will ache. Zahra didn't notice that the side she was on won. As she just carried on training in a corner.
Uncrossing his arms, Warren watched as the Nevermeran army flooded through the enemies base line and won. At first he said nothing. He gave everyone a moment to celebrate their victory or to grumble about their defeat. And then another moment to catch their breaths. He scanned the room, making sure he was well aware of each and every soldier that would require the extra duties he had promised to the loser.
When he felt like he'd given them plenty enough time, he moved his hands behind his back and raised his voice enough to make sure it would be heard over the plethora of little conversations that were being had. "That was messy," he said, meeting the eyes of random soldiers from each side. "I expected better from all of you, but your shortcomings are mine as well. I'll be supervising more of your group practices from here on out. Strategy is just as important as physical strength and conditioning. Only a few of you from each side had any idea what to do and that is a problem we must address. Without them, you all would have been lost lambs."
He motioned to the winning side. "Nevermeran army, you won the battle today and therefore, as promised, will be saddled with no extra duties. Ms. Tarre, Ms. Moss, Mr. Stormcrest, please step forward." He gave them a moment to do so. "I would like the three of you to sit down with everyone in your group and go over the strategy you used today. Everyone should know it like the back of their hand. The time and location in which you do this is up to you."
He turned then and motioned to the losing side. "Enemy army, you lost. I will be scheduling you cycled cleaning duties of the barracks and mess hall. In addition, for the next week you will add an extra two hours to your usual training regimens that I will plan out for you. Each and every one of you is to come by my office tomorrow for your updated schedules and regimens. I will be there all day, you may come on your own time, but if I do not see you, you will not like the consequences. I hope I am making myself very clear, I have memorized every face on the losing side and will know if you do not show up."
With all of that out of the way, his hands fell by his sides. "You will all remain in this ballroom until it is clean. I expect the floors to be swept and mopped. I've given the maids clear instructions to inspect it harshly and report back to me their findings. No single soldiers leaves until it is all done. At that time, you're all free to go."
With that, Warren walked over to the scuff marks he had made on the floor to create the baselines. He used his boot to rub each of them away until they were no longer visible, then he made his way to the exit. He did not look back at the soldiers in the room, merely opened the door, walked out, and let it swing closed behind him.
[ EXIT WARREN ]
Last Edit: Oct 31, 2022 23:41:42 GMT -5 by Deleted
By the time Woodwick reminded everyone of his presence, Duncan had joined them, and Ber had just finished introducing him to Tarre and Moss, who had also wandered over to celebrate their victory. Conversations, including their own, died, as the soldiers turned to face the officer. Buoyed by the satisfaction of an good fight and the relief of not staring down extra chores and workouts, Ber could barely find it in himself to summon an appropriate amount of displeasure when the Lieutenant compared them to lost lambs and announced that he would more frequently oversee their group practices. He knew the irritation would arrive as soon as the good mood faded and return on those days when he walked onto the training grounds to see Quick Wick ready to make their lives difficult, but for now, he wanted to simply let his happiness linger a little while longer.
The sound of his name sent spikes of apprehension through the clouds of contentment, and sharing a glance with Tarre and Moss, Ber stepped forward. What did Woodwick want with them? They’d followed his rules and won the fight, so surely he wouldn’t— Oh. Strategy was really more Tarre’s and Moss’s area of expertise, but if the Lieutenant wanted Ber there too, he would be there with the rest. “Yes, sir,” They chorused, before stepping back inline with the rest. The penalty for losing was meted out to the opposing team, and the order to clean was reiterated. Then Woodwick strode out, leaving behind a momentary silence and the fading echo of a closing door.
Ber paused, then turned to Duncan and Sliva, if she was nearby. “Do you think the maids and Woodwick have a different idea of ‘harshly’?” The question was only partially rhetorical. While some soldiers from the enemy team gathered the required cleaning supplies, he exchanged a look with Tarre and Moss, then posed an idea to the Nevermerean group as a whole. “Do you want to just get this strategy meeting over with now, maybe after we clean, while we’re all here?” A pause. “Or would another time be better?”
Zahra was nowhere near Ber when he passed the Question. She didn't even notice Warren exit the room as she was training. After a moment or five, she noticed there was silence in the room. She looked around to notice that the battle had stopped. "oh the so-called battle has finished?" She asked not really wanting an answer. "Well better get this placed cleaned up, sooner we get out of here the sooner we get out of here," Zahra said clearly she didn't hear what Warren said. Like either way like if she did sit and listen to the stregy that was in play she doesn't train with these lot and it is not like she will pass this information on to her group cause she train on her own. Her group doesn't do group exercises.
Rather bemused, Ber glanced over at Sliva as she spoke up from the sidelines in favor of cleaning. Judging from some of the nods that her words garnered from the Nevermerean soldiers in front of them, others shared her sentiments, so with a shrug at Tarre and Moss, they all proceeded to organize a time to reconvene with everyone later. It hardly mattered to him if they preferred cleaning; he’d simply considered it a convenient time to talk given that they all were already gathered in one location. As everyone dispersed to begin cleaning, Ber and Duncan ended up near each other with a pair of brooms. Having decided that the maids’ definition of ‘harshly’ likely differed from Woodwick’s, they had opted to take advantage of the Lieutenant’s absence, using speed to make up for what they lacked in enthusiasm as they swept near the wall. As Sliva had pointed out, the sooner they could get through this, the better.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Nov 1, 2022 13:34:53 GMT -5
Sliva possibly won't show up to discuss whatever it was meant to be discussed as she was too busy cleaning when she got the cleaning supplies out. Like, what the point in her standing around for five minutes if that, to go to her group and train by herself anyway. She was intense in her cleaning, just like training Zahra doesn't take the easy way out. It was more spotless than when they all arrived.
Now with a mop in hand, Ber glanced around, saw Sliva applying herself to cleaning with the same vehemence with which she tackled training, and adjusted his own efforts accordingly. No reason for the both of them to tire themselves out over this task - not that he was particularly dedicated to it to begin with. Amused, he noticed some other soldiers doing the same, and they all exchanged looks across the ballroom. The only person who could penalize them for the unequal distribution of work had left many minutes ago, and Sliva’s apparent compulsion to excel at everything she touched would hide any negligence on his part, given that the end result was to be judged collectively by an unfamiliar set of eyes. That’s not to say he didn’t put some effort into cleaning - he just… didn’t put as much effort as he could have. With his thoughts directed toward washing off the layer of sweat that had cooled on his body and the free time that awaited him afterward, Ber finished up his portion of the floor and returned the mop. A glance around the ballroom showed it looking spotless, so with a glance at Duncan and a nod toward the door, the soldier exited the ballroom with his peers.