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 Dec 12, 2022 5:35:04 GMT -5
Zahra listened to the girl, it was taking a lot not to ask her mother to not correct her. However, she didn't. So it was very possible that this dog only bit her because they was scared, because it was defending themself. It was a hard situation, cause this woman wanted it dead which fair enough if a dog attacked a citizen they needed to be taken care of, but at the same time they need to learn that if a animal thinks that you might be attacking it they might attack back. However, the problem is her mother. if she tries to explain it how would she respond to it.
Zahra looked down at the sword on her hip. "It is my lady." Zahra gives the young girl a smile. "May I ask, how were these horrid beasts scaring your mother? Take you time, I can see it hard okay?" She was being warm and gentle with her.
Finally giving in and crossing his arms, Ber watched in silence as the girl gasped again when Sliva answered her question. She shifted again, shoving some blankets aside, before asking, “Can I see it? Is it really sharp?” Another swallow. “Tommy says his sister says we use wooden swords in training first, but I wanna use a real one ‘cause Tommy was showing me how to fight, so I know how to do it.” Ber wondered how tenacious she was at full health, if she had this much to say despite the way she was clearly unwell.
“They were scary ‘cause they were barking really loud and being mean.” The girl gathered the blankets up to her again, holding them to her chest briefly as she momentarily rocked back and forth before letting them drop to her lap. She wiped at her mouth with the handkerchief. “They wouldn’t leave at first, but then we shouted and waved our swords, and they all ran away.” A brief pause and a glance at Lady Johnson. “Well, except one.” Small fingers picked at the blanket in her lap. “He was very friendly and quiet, so I thought maybe he could stay.”
Another pause and painful looking swallow. Then she lowered her voice and added, “I want a puppy, but Mama says they’re too messy, but my friend has a puppy that’s really cute. The friendly dog looked like hers except bigger, so I thought maybe this one could be mine.” So, Ber concluded, even before the girl confirmed it, she had approached the stray dog with the intention of petting him. Initially, he may have tolerated her attention, but at some point, he had evidently turned aggressive and bitten her. Both she and Tommy had run away. Now, the girl showed Sliva her arm where she had been bitten. “But my arm’s all better now, see? Mama and the healers said I was very brave.”
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 12, 2022 14:35:18 GMT -5
This girl despite being ill she seem to have spite and she likes it. She just hope that she doesn't end like her mum turning her nose down at commoners because they from different status. "only if it okay with your mother? And the sword it very shape we have to take care of our swords on a daily basis." Maybe this girl if the girl wanted after the training she would become a soldier. "There more to being a soldier then using swords, it team work, dedication being brave."
Zahra listen to the girl as she explained what happened she be careful keeping one eye on the mother as she takes a close look at it. "You are really brave. still can make a fine soldier out of you yet, if that what you want to be." She doesn't know what might of triggered it to cause it to bite her all of a sudden. Maybe she was strocking the dog to hard, playing with it to rough. "what did this dog look like?" So they know which one.
The girl turned beseeching eyes to her mother, who considered her daughter for a moment before nodding her assent. To the soldier, she said firmly, “You will not hurt her.” A statement, an order, and a subtle threat all rolled into one.
When Sliva presented the sword to the girl on the couch, the younger Johnson stared at it with wide eyes for a moment before tentatively reaching out and touching the blade. With a smile, she ran her fingers lightly across its smooth surface as she listened to its owner tell her a little bit about about life as a soldier. Before she could answer the question about the dog’s appearance, however, the servant returned with a cup of water for the girl. Wide eyes tracked the movement of the man as he approached, but when he drew close and presented her with the drink, she lurched away violently.
Ber blinked and stepped forward half a step, arms falling to his sides. What?
The servant froze, too.
“Give it here.” From her seated position, Lilian held out her hand for cup and upon receiving it, waved the servant away. She turned to face her daughter, coaxing her closer and holding out the water once more.
As Ber watched, the girl reached for the cup with the apprehension of one approaching a hissing snake. Small fingers touched the ceramic before their owner lost her nerve and pressed herself against the back of the couch once more. Even she gagged violently, Rue’s eyes remained fixed on the water in her mother’s hands, and the soldier couldn’t decide if she stared more like a parched individual in a desert or one who couldn’t take her eyes off her worst fear. A chill traveled down his spine, and he took another step closer, eyes narrowed.
Eventually, Lilian managed to convince her daughter to try some - hadn’t she just said she was thirsty? - and with a smaller hand on her own, she guided the cup carefully to Rue’s mouth, even as the young girl’s shoulders heaved with full body gags. A cautious sip, as if she was attempting to drink poison instead of water. It was painful, and the effort was for naught. Still convulsing, the girl held the water in her mouth for a fraction of a second before lurching over and spitting it out on the floor. Both mother and daughter grew more agitated now. The former set the cup aside, helpless, and tried to comfort the latter, who was shifting back and forth where she sat in distress, reiterating how thirsty she was.
All thoughts of the dog and Sliva’s question were forgotten.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 13, 2022 11:45:26 GMT -5
how dare she think she would hurt her daughter she was a soldier, she wasn't a monster. She carefully holds her sword as she watched the girl trace the edge of her sword. However something change and she watched this sweet girl just jerk back violently. Zahra felt a bit panic was it something she said, something she did. Zahra quickly moved out of the way and she looked at Ber, a bit confused in her eyes. Like all she did was ask about the dog, right?
She did her best to look calm though even though she was saying all the swearwords a commoner would know. She looks at the girl and she was going on about how thirsty she was. "What would you like to drink?" she kneeled down Zahra sit there and did a thing what she did with her sibling when they was upset or distressed where she raised her hand well she takes a breath in then down to exhale. Keeping a calming eyes on her
Out of the corner of his eye, Ber vaguely noted Sliva glancing at him, but his attention was fixed on the girl, who remained restless. What a bizarre turn of events. Trying to understand what he had seen, the soldier worked through his observations from the past few minutes. When the servant had first presented her with the cup of water, she had recoiled as if he had shown her a terrifying monster instead, and the same had happened when her mother tried to hand it to her as well. Even when she attempted to drink it, the girl had still acted utterly repulsed, perhaps even terrified, of what she had held in her hands. And when she had managed to bring the cup to her mouth, she spat out its contents almost immediately. But it was just water.
At least, he was reasonably confident that it was just water. He could see no reason for the lady to harm her own, beloved daughter.
As he watched, the girl followed Sliva’s breathing and settled down some, though the apparent inability to sit still lingered beyond the distress. Both Rue and her mother seemed as perturbed by what had happened as the two soldiers, and looking rather confused, the former swallowed and shook her head at the soldier’s question. Indeed, no explanations were offered. How bizarre.
In the silence, Ber closed the distance between himself and the couch, deftly avoiding the puddle as he squatted down by where the girl’s feet had initially been positioned. “We were talking about the dog that bit you,” He reiterated quietly. “Do you remember what he looked like?”
Rue, it seemed, had not inherited her mother’s obnoxious habit of ignoring him. She looked at him with wide eyes and said, “He was all brown with a white spot on his forehead. He was really friendly.”
Ber nodded. “That’s very helpful,” He reassured her, though the girl didn’t seem to care much about how helpful she was or was not. Even as she remained restless, she seemed to grow a little more tired. As he watched, she swallowed again, a full body motion, and reached up to touch her throat. “What about where you found him?”
After thinking for a moment, she named a location that he didn’t think was too far from here. Ber nodded his understanding and glanced sideways at Sliva, to see if she had anything else she wanted to ask.
Last Edit: Dec 14, 2022 15:09:10 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 14, 2022 18:37:48 GMT -5
Zahra just focused on helping the young girl. She listened carefully though as the girl explained what the dog look like and where they spotted the dog. However Zahra would lile to come back and check on her progess and maybe to see this burst of strange behaviour was caused by the revent dog bite or something else that might be in... the water. However at the moment in time she felt like she possible need to give the young girl a rest.
"You did wonderful my lady. how are you feeling?" She asked. She doesn't standup straightway she want to see if she is okay and wasn't going to hurt herself or her mother or the help.
Ber was ready to go. As far as he was concerned, they had acquired the necessary information to carry out their task, and he saw no reason to linger any longer. The girl was clearly unwell, which was unfortunate, but he was no healer and he had little doubt that she had already been seen by the best her mother could afford. Nobility was like that: every expense for their sons and daughters but only disgust for the children of commoners who starved in the streets.
Sliva, however, seemed to have a different opinion. When Ber pushed himself back to a standing position and stepped away from the girl, she remained crouched down beside the couch and asked Rue how she was feeling. The girl in question gave a quiet answer to the question - “Okay.”
“Well?” The pointed question came from the side. “Should you have no more questions to ask, you may leave, before you waste more time. My daughter needs her rest.”
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 17, 2022 18:03:23 GMT -5
Zahra give a warm smile to the girl and she stood up and give a warm smile to the woman. "Thank you for your help. We got the information we need me and Mr Stormcrest will be leaving now." Zahra stood up at looked at Ber giving him a nod of the head. She looked at Rue one last time. "Hope you get better soon." She smiled ready to be lead out. like there is a part of her that says there is something strange. like all this from a dog bite? However she clearly not in a position to push further then this without risk.
Lilian did not return the soldier’s smile. Such gratitude and friendliness was expected. With the lofty disdain perfected by every Nevermerean noble, she dismissed them with a wave of her hand and an order for the servant to see them out.
Stepping back onto the street, Ber was just as happy to leave as Lady Johnson was to see them go. Dealing with nobility was exhausting at the best of times, and this entire experience was far from the best. The only saving grace, perhaps, was that he hadn’t had to deal with the snide noblewoman himself. Whatever. To Sliva, he said, “Let’s go take care of that dog and get this over with. Do you know where she said she found the dog?” Whether they spoke further as they walked there was up to her; once again, Ber was content to go about their duties in silence.
When they arrived at the location in question, a narrow side alley between two buildings, the soldier peered into the shadows for a moment before he recognized what he saw. Shrouded mostly in darkness, the creature was a dog, but it was thin and sickly. As it caught sight of them, the brown-furred canine shrunk backward in an awkward stagger, as if it couldn’t properly move some of its limbs. Beneath the white spot on its forehead, two dark eyes stared in their direction, but Ber barely noticed this. His gaze was fixed warily upon the white foam frothing around its gaping maw and the drool dripping to the ground below.
What was wrong with the dog, he didn’t know, but as his hand moved to the hilt of his sword, he intuitively recognized one fact: “I think it would be best to avoid being bitten ourselves.”
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 19, 2022 19:22:11 GMT -5
Zahra still give the lady a smile however when they was out she breath. she didn't realise how much tension she was holding herself to keep it together. "Some nobles, i feel sorry for the staff that work for that woman." She explained well once she was sure they was far away from that house so she didn't hear them. When Ber asked her where Rue explained where she thought the dog was. "She explained that it was a couple of streets down from here." She explained.
Zahra started to lead the way. "Ber I am sorry that Lady Johnson spoke to you in that manner. I really wanted to punch her in the face for you. if you want i can speak on your behalve to Woodwick if you want apart what she said?" It up to him if he let her or spoke. "I think it best to give him a heads up about the incoming bullshit that she going to throw at him about us though." She had annoyce in her voice about the utter choas the lady was given them.
When they reach the dog she looked at it and she got her sword she thought back at the girl. it make sense. Poor girl. She looked at Ber she was thankful that it was in an dark ally. "Possible best not to get bitten not even a nip." Zahra sighs softly. "But it looks scared so more likely try and attack us if we get too close." Zahra looked at Ber. "Be ready to stike." Zahra looked at Ber as she keep her sword at her hip not pulling it out.
She slowly walked forward keeping an eye on the dogs movemnt stopping if it seems to trun aggressive and when she know it was time, she give Ber the signal the strike to take the sword at it.
made by the wonderful Lyla
Last Edit: Dec 19, 2022 19:40:00 GMT -5 by Zarha Sliva
Ber fell into step beside Sliva, shrugging as she offered to speak to Woodwick on his behalf. “Don’t bother,” He said, dark eyes taking in their surroundings while they walked. “She was just a noblewoman being a noble.” Even if rude and unpleasant wasn’t synonymous with nobility, what was Woodwick supposed to do about it anyway? The Lieutenant himself had obviously been raised among the upper echelons of society; outside the military wing, he was probably as much of a pain. He certainly was inside the military wing, too, though for different reasons.
Still, it made Ber all the less inclined to warn him about Lady Johnson’s potential complaints. “If you feel that strongly about it, I guess you can warn him,” He said with another shrug. He doubted the noblewoman would actually follow through with her threat, and even if she did, he wasn’t about to approach Woodwick of his own accord. The man deserved to suffer the same headache he’d put Ber through. “Seems a bit like telling him the weather is cloudy, though.”
Ber watched as Sliva skirted around the dog to approach it from the other direction. Her movement drew the creature’s attention, and it growled, backing slightly away from her toward the wall as she passed by it. Its gaze was fixed on her. Quietly, the other soldier drew his sword and raised it in front of him, finding comfort in having the weapon in his hand as pre-fight anticipation began to race through his veins. Slow and cautious, he inched closer.
For whatever reason, Sliva seemed to want to guide the dog closer to Ber, a decision that, by nature, put her within closer proximity to the dog than himself. The dog’s hackles rose, and it growled louder as if sensing the noose tightening around his neck. Before Ber could strike, it lunged at Sliva - the smaller, louder, and closer of the two threats, on whom its gaze was already fixed - in an awkward, uncoordinated stagger.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 20, 2022 8:04:49 GMT -5
Zarha sighs softly yes Nobilty can be a pain in the backside, "It doesn't have to be that way Ber. If you want respect then you can't expect people to talk to you like that. I know i am not the one to give advice but you deserve respect." The way ber speaks can be a little bit of I am better then you but he still have good ideas. "Woodwick might not do anything but how will you know unless you tell him? You can never know fully what a person can do. Even if you know somebody your whole life, know everything about them they can still do something out of the blue."
As the dog lung Zarha relied on her quick movement to quickly move out of the way. Okay that plan didn't go to plan. The dog stood in a corner Sliva looked around to see what is around her. She noticed that there was couple of boxes around the ally way and she chanted some words before all four boxes quickly moved towards the dog and pinned it to the wall.
Ber had no idea why Sliva thought either of them were going to inherently gain a modicum of respect from nobility that had, time and time again, metaphorically - and occasionally literally - spat on commoners such as themselves. While such treatment rarely put him in a good mood, it was not particularly surprising, and unlike Temperance and apparently also Sliva, he knew better than to want appreciation that he would never receive.
“I can’t stop you from talking to him if that’s what will make you feel better,” He said with a note of finality to his voice. Since their interaction with the noblewoman had ended, he was not going to dwell on it any further and was ready to move on. “I just think it’s a waste of breath.” He had no desire to spend any amount of time pondering Woodwick’s motives and behavior, especially because it wouldn’t matter anyway. Even if the Lieutenant felt inclined to do anything, he had no authority over Lady Johnson, who was a noble civilian and could therefore ignore him with minimal repercussions. That was life.
His grip on his sword tightened reflexively as the dog lunged toward the witch, but she easily avoided the uncoordinated attack. Maw still gaping and frothy, the canine regained its relative steadiness after a few moments of awkward staggering and growled at her, and now that she had backed off it had no reason to attack again. As Ber watched, tense, Sliva chanted something and, with a wave of her hand, sent wooden crates crashing violently into the frail creature. Wood splintered from the destructive force of the witch’s magic, and with a yelp, the dog collided with the wall behind it. Even if the impact hadn’t stunned it, the pathetic creature was in no shape to effectively overcome the obstacles in its way, let alone attack either of them.
Seizing the opportunity, Ber covered the distance between himself and the dog in a few quick strides and dispassionately slit its throat. He stepped back. Blood joined the drool pooling on the ground. It wasn’t long before lanky limbs collapsed under the weight of a thin frame and what was once alive was reduced to a corpse crumpled against a wall.
Post by Zarha Sliva on Dec 22, 2022 10:53:41 GMT -5
Zarha looked at ber for a moment and sigh for a moment. "it will make me feel better because I don't want you to get in trouble for being you. i know what it like being an outsider looking in to." How the both handle things was different but she still know the struggle.
Once the crates were in place she keep her hands at the ready to do more magic, eyes forcesed on the corner where the dog was however and thankfully the dog was too week. So Ber was managed to kill the dog. She lowed her hands as she walked over to were the dog was and saw it lifeless body. "We better barry the dog or at least out of the way so kids can't find them. plus possible see the state of the other dogs. Just in case there more." Zarha suggested.