Sara

Glancing at him, she shrugged her shoulders lightly, but with a slight smile - as if this was all some elaborate joke. "I know Briton cooking." Truth be told, even in her homeland she had let her younger sister do the lion share. Her husband had once remarked that if it weren't for her beauty, she'd be far better suited as a man given her talents in organisation and trade rather than cooking and homemaking. "Roman cooking...?" She shrugged her shoulders again and raised her hands, as if gesturing she didn't know, gauging his reaction. But to ensure she didn't come across completely inept she continued; "But...I learn...quick. And want to do...well." She didn't know whether she had to add in Domine at the end of every sentence, and so didn't. But she raised her hand as if to interject and stop him speaking. Shaking her head as she gleaned his meaning, she said forcefully; "No...no they have been good...they have...looked after me." That wasn't strictly true. The elder cook had all but ignored and abandoned her, but Teutus had been exceptionally helpful, and kind. His revelation, however, did make this interaction with her master, his father, far more awkward. Nonetheless, she didn't wish to land them in trouble, not within her first week. She didn't, however, understand the last word. Appreciate? Frowning, and keeping her eyes on his face, she repeated it hesitantly; "App-reciate?" Did it mean that he wanted her to be happy here? Thankful? The suggestion was almost laughable, if that is what it meant. Shaking her head, she sighed lightly, and pulled back a wisp of brunette hair behind her ear. "I...don't know what to do...because I have never been slave." She watched his reaction, but she would play this interaction very safe, very respectfully (or so she thought). "The slaves here...have been good...helpful but...I was free woman...I don't know rules." Cooking and cleaning she could pick up. The rules now governing her life and every moment? She didn't have a clue. TAG: @Atrice

As he swept back the curtain, her eyes widened. She didn't hesitate, even a little, as she stepped through - confidently walking to admire the beauty of it. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Grinning, she arched a brow at him over her shoulder. "Master's...very rich." to have this sort of house, at least to her. Why one man needed such opulence, however, she didn't know. Maybe it was so for men that no longer fought - the need to show off in other ways than battle prowess, with slaves and riches instead. The thought made her uncomfortable. Still, moving to lean against a pillar as the conversation continued and the heat got the better of her, her eyes widened. "He...keeps his son as slave?" She must have looked horrified, but she was in equal measure angry. What sort of parent cast their child into a life of constant servitude? Maybe for a Roman it was commonplace, but as a woman who had only recently lost her own child, the thought of it made her nauseous. Shaking her head, she eyed him firmly and spoke in Latin with renewed confidence. "He's a bad man. To do this." She gestured to him, and then another thought struck her, one that made her even more uncomfortable. "He has more children? With slave?" Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her waist, as if shielding herself from the suggestion, all the while muttering under her breath; "Bad man." TAG: @Sharpie

She narrowed her eyes at him, intrigued. "How much is little money?" Before she shook her head and waved a hand dismissively, "It does not matter." She didn't understand their currency properly anyway. Immin always handled the money when dealing with Romans, even if it was her that pulled the strings behind the scenes. Standing up and brushing down her tunica, she moved to place her hands on her hips. What did she want to know? How to learn their impossible language quickly, for a start, but she thought it beyond her comprehension to ask. With a shrug, she pointed out of the space they were occupying to the rest of the house, and began confidently walking, not waiting for him to lead her. "Where else in this house." The rest of the house, she meant to say, but it came out stilted...and wrong. As they walked, she looked up at him with narrowed gaze. "And about master...what I should not do...and what I should..." She added for good measure, "And about you...Teutus." She butchered the pronunciation of his name, but the meaning was there. If she was to live amongst these people, these foreigners, it would serve her well to know who they really were. Besides, he'd shown kindness. It was only polite to pay him interest. "You like your life?" She pointed at him, "Happy?" TAG: @Sharpie

Hey! Now I'm up and running on the board I'm in search of plots, and I have a Briton woman to throw at Gaius to make him feel uncomfortable if you're game! I had a quick stalk read through and noticed that he'd been interacting with Tertius, who has recently bought Charis, my Briton. She's a slave so opportunities for meeting might be slightly awkward, but I think there's definitely something there to be untapped, if you're keen?

Charis peered in, miming horrified shock on her face, "Men...women...together...alone?" She arched a brow. It was obviously not uncommon, and certainly wasn't in Britannia, but she had heard the Romans had different morals and sticking men and women together in a confined space seemed like a recipe for disaster, if that was what he was suggesting. No wonder they had slaves born of slaves. "Sen..a..tor." She mouthed it out, trying to get the enunciation right. She had no idea what it meant. Had she been from higher stock in her homeland she might have had an inkling, but a smith's daughter, even one with intelligence and enterprising acumen? No chance. Watching him draw out his triangle, she couldn't help but grin. He was trying, at least, and she couldn't fault his persistence. Kneeling down so she was next to the invisible lines, slender fingers traced the areas he pointed to. She suspected she needed no knowledge of those other than her master if she was to be confined to cooking and cleaning and housework, but she moved two fingers between the freedmen and servi portions, looking up at him from her position on the floor. "We can't..." She gestured an upward trajectory from the slaves to the freemen, "Move up? Be them?" We can't be free, can we? Feeling frustrated at the language and the lesson, she sighed heavily. Glancing up at him with wide blue eyes, but an almost impatient look, she shrugged her shoulders. "What is next lesson, Teutus?" TAG: @Sharpie

Aww thank you for the fab welcome! @Sharpie I'm a Somerset gal myself - and lived the first 18-odd years of my life in a teeny village outside of Bath so v pleased to meet another west-country enthusiast @Gothic @Liv Hey! Oh man, my netflix recommendations (are by my own admission) sometimes trash but Black Mirror is a must! Peep Show, the Confession Tapes and Sex Education are current favs! Though I work in the public sector atm so the Thick of It is also high on my list

As Tertius moved around the desk, she unconsciously took a step back, widening the distance between them. She eyed him with distrust but not malice, as if intrigued. She had not been given a good look at him from the cage in the market - being told to keep her eyes averted (a painful task for somebody as naturally curious as Charis). Now, standing in front of him, she took in his measure and felt...intimidated. Her own diminutive size made him dwarf her, and he had a good few years on the young Briton age-wise as well. Awkwardly fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist to calm her nerves, she nonetheless met his gaze directly. "What does it mean? Charis?" Had she been born into slavery she might have been schooled not to be so direct or to not ask impudent questions. But not understanding, she spoke to him with curiosity. Although she was astute enough to keep her own negative feelings on the name to herself. Still, as he continued, she listened with concentration, and lowered her eyes. Master. She felt sick to her stomach. She had been a free woman, and now she was owned by a man with a name she couldn't even pronounce if she wished to. Whilst not catching every word he said, she understood the gist of his meaning and nodded, slowly. "Yes. I know." She meant to say she understood, and corrected herself after hesitation. "Yes. I...understand," She glanced up at him curiously, not sure if she should continue but added, "Domine." For good measure. Still awkwardly spinning the bracelet her husband had given her on her left wrist, unsure of what to do or say she glanced at him. Better to ask now, she mused, than keep in suspense. "What...will I do...here?" The cook had barely given her a glance before leaving her alone in the kitchen, and Teutus had been kind but she supposed it would be up to the man standing before her now to fill her in on the details. She offered a brief smile, "I...don't know what to do...Domine." TAG: @Atrice

"Wrong..." She hesitated, trying to find the words. "They had...bad knowledge. They thought we, husband...me...we were doing bad things." Of course she wouldn't have put it past Immin to be covertly involved in something, but she would have expected to know about it herself if he had. The idea that they were leading a great crusade against their oppressors was laughable to her. "I...did not deserve this." She said, with frustration in her voice. She wanted to say more, but realised the futility of it. Her concept of why she had been brought here was flawed - although she remained unaware, as was her general knowledge of what was expected of her now. Whilst her Latin had improved on the journey from the feeble grasp she had had before, it was still poor and most of what the Romans had said had passed her by. Nodding, she stood and gesturing with a hand, offered a grin. "You first." She really had no sense of what a Roman household was like, but from what she had gleaned so far it was wildly different to her own with her family. Fanning herself with her hand as she walked, her cheeks flushing, she wondered if she'd ever get used to the heat. "It's so warm..." she mumbled, more to herself than him. Even in the relative shade and coolness of the house, she felt as if she had been placed in a brick oven. Following him out of the kitchen, she glanced around with a newfound appreciation. She had been so downcast when brought here, she hadn't noticed it's beauty as a place (or...beauty at least for her given her previous background). With an amused grin, she eyed him. "He is rich? Man who...owns this? Owns us?" Being forthright had always been in her nature. TAG: @Sharpie

"Nine..." She repeated with a smile. It was painful to think about, children. She didn't know if she would have had a son or a daughter, but either way she would have been overjoyed, as would Immin. Then again, had the pregnancy lasted on her travels and she had been forced into childbirth in Rome, as a slave, Gods only knew what would have happened. With an arched brow, she eyed her company. "Can I meet...Antonia Varia?" She supposed it sounded like a strange request, "I...I'm good...with children." Taking care of younger siblings had given her a natural ability. Still, relief washed over her. From his body language and his tone, as well as the words she gleaned, perhaps she had been lucky with her choice of buyer. The slaver had certainly threatened the lash (and she had a scar across her shoulders to prove it), but he'd also suggested that they could face far worse in their eventual homes. At least here, it seemed, there was a modicum of respect. Shaking her head as he offered her more food, and placing a hand over the remnants of bread she grinned. She had eaten so little on the journey that she knew she needed to pace herself. She didn't want to become ill just as soon as she was bought. Eyeing him, she looked amused, joking at his expense although not maliciously. "You are kind...like a woman." She meant no harm by it, but the accent and language made it hard for her humour to land well. She had not been expecting kindness, and it had thrown her. Gauging his reaction, she began speaking tentatively and slowly, but was prepared to shut the conversation down almost immediately based on his reaction. "I...was not...supposed to be a slave." She watched him, "The Romans...you..." She pointed at him, "Got me wrong...they were wrong, and..." She stopped herself. She wanted to say 'and I am going to go home soon' but thought better of it. TAG: @Sharpie

Hey hey all! Thought I would properly introduce myself, now I'm up and running! I'm Sara, and in my mid-twenties, living in London with my boyfriend. I've been RPing for, gosh, about 10 years now but always generally stayed to a later time period (you can also find me on one of your affiliate boards)! That being said, historical is my jam and I've been meaning to join you for ageeees. I studied classics at A-Level, and then for some of my undergrad degree, but always specialised in Greeks (my classics teacher had a particular hatred for Romans given her own speciality...sorry all), but it's nice to now re-use some of that knowledge nonetheless! But anyway, besides that, I'm v into theatre, running and hiking, after work drinks (hopefully no drunken posts from me though...) and binge watching netflix. Lovely to meet you all and thank you for the warm welcome so far!

Charis was dreading this meeting. She had been living in fear of it. The life she was now supposed to lead was not altogether unpalatable; the work was just as hard as it was at home, although the people were far less friendly. But the idea that there was somebody...directing it all, in control of her made the new slave feel nauseous. She hadn't been able to get a good sense of him at the market, given how tired and weak she had felt after her journey, but now she would. She at least looked more presentable. Her skin, white and pale like most Briton's had been cleaned and her hair washed and combed. The clothes, equally, were new and she found them at least more suitable for this infernal heat, even if they weren't to her tastes. As she walked towards the room where she was told her Dominus was, she pulled at the fabric and brushed back loose pieces of hair from her face. Even if she didn't want to be here, even if anger and fury bubbled in her stomach (along with a fear she was deeply suppressing), she needed to make a good impression. How else would she be able to speak to him about what had happened, and the dreadful mistake that brought her here? As she knocked tentatively and heard him bid her in, she opened the door and stepped inside. She didn't know what to do, besides the fact that she knew she should call him Domine. Not realising her place, she glanced around the room - she couldn't tell if this was one of the grand houses the slaver had spoken about it, but for a young woman who had grown up in the wild countryside of Britannia, it was a palace. Finally resting her eyes on the man that she recognised rom the market, she offered a forced smile and inclined her head down. "Domine" She spoke in accented Latin, hesitating before speaking again as she tried to find the words; "You asked to..." She struggled, "...See me?" TAG: @Atrice

Embarrassed, Charis did as she was bidden and sat down. She was not used to this, being so unconfident in her abilities. Miserably, she nodded that she was hungry but placed her face back in her palm, looking despondent. Once her new company had brought the food back to her, she eyed it suspiciously but tentatively broke some of the bread off with thin fingers. She listened with concentration at his words as she ate a little. So he was important, but there were others more important still? She frowned, but at least understood him a little. With an amused grin, she pointed to herself; "And I am...not important?" It was a rhetorical question, she knew the answer to that. Still, her eyes had regained a flicker of lightness at the mention of a daughter, a word she recognised. She had used it herself when the occupiers had come enquiring after her father. But Teutus did not mention a wife, but perhaps the Romans were not so stringent with their need to be married, or at least more relaxed about it than she had assumed. "How old daughter?" She shook her head, trying to correct herself, "How old is daughter?" She wanted to ask him more, about how long she would be expected to stay here, whether she could speak to the man who had bought her about her situation - the mistaken identity that had landed here on a boat from Britannia, but she didn't dare, and even if she did - how on earth would she communicate it? There was one question she knew she could ask, however, and she said it with a wince. A genuine flicker of concern on her face. "But...we are...treated well...not hurt...here?" TAG: @Sharpie

She frowned, and nodded, signifying she understood even if confusion lingered. Teutus the Roman slave, or Teutus the kind Roman slave. She had not expected somebody to give her this much patience. It was a welcome relief, and she only hoped the rest of the household were this tolerant. Failing to understand what he was asking, she stood up and moved to run her fingers over the pots and earthenware on the surfaces of the kitchen. Glancing at him, she pointed a finger, "You are hungry?" She, herself, was starving but hadn't realised that was what he was asking. Groaning in frustration, she moved to shove a pot back on the surface hard with a thud, almost chipping it. She spoke to herself in her own language, in frustration; "I don't know what these people bloody want from me...how on earth can I cook when they don't tell me what they want?" Moving to brush stray stands of hair from her face, tugging them behind her ears she glanced up at him. "Sorry." She winced, trying again; "What shall I cook?" She suspected her own country's foods would be unpalatable to these people, as their food looked to her. But what else could she do but try? Glancing up at him as she reached to try and prepare something with the scattered ingredients, she asked with curiosity; "Are you important slave?" What she had wanted to ask was, if some slaves were more important than others, but she couldn't find the words. TAG: @Sharpie

Charis frowned, trying to follow his words. She had always been good at picking up languages, often the intricate differences between the tribes that her family traded with, but her intelligence was being put to the test with their confounded Latin. Understanding, however, that Domine was not a word for everybody, she inclined her head in apology, mumbling a "Sorry..." under her breath. Their confusing words and accents would be the end of her. "Teutus..." She sounded out his name, silently, after him as if trying the name to see if it fit. Still, as he mimed a shackle - obvious even to a foreigner, she lowered her eyes. It wasn't that she was upset, her long travels had made her resigned to her fate - as appalling as it was to a free woman, but nonetheless she didn't want to be reminded of it. To a seasoned slave it was a naivety, but for Erea or Charis now, this situation was only fleeting - it would be resolved, and she'd be home soon. Still, bright blue eyes drew up to his face as he asked - judging by the tone of his voice - a question and she surmised he was asking about her. After a hesitation, she smiled wanly, "It was Erea," She corrected herself, "I was Erea...now..." She frowned, trying to remember how they had pronounced it, "Charis. I am Charis." The name was not awful, but it didn't sound...right to her ears, and she couldn't help but wonder why the man who had bought her had picked it. Not understanding if he wanted to know more, she continued in stilted, accented Latin, hesitating often as she spoke; "I...am Briton...Britannia, to them." But it was confusing to her. She had assumed that all slaves here came from her homeland, those she had travelled with obviously did. Yet he spoke their language perfectly, as if he was born amongst them. Deciding, in frustration, that her duties (whatever they were!) could wait for a while, she took a seat on a small bench, chin in her palm as she eyed him. "You are not Briton T-Teutus? But a slave still?" Were the Romans so barbaric as to enslave their own people as well? TAG: @Sharpie

Charis glanced around her new home with a frown. Having been deposited there by Spurius as promised the previous day, she now found herself examining her surroundings and life properly. She had been told, from what she understood, that her name was now Charis and she should forget she had another one. It had confused her, but realising this was not the hill she wanted to die on, had only nodded meekly. She had equally be instructed that she was to cook and clean but had been given no further details than that, and as she frowned at the kitchenware, she had no idea of what to do. From what she had gleaned from snatches of conversation she had understood, her predecessor had died, but how or when was beyond her comprehension or her abilities with their confusing, peculiar language. The others in the house had largely avoided her thus far. She didn't even really know who lived here - whether there was a family bursting at the seams, or just the man that had been at the market. Even then she wasn't sure that he was the man she would call Domine. At least now she looked more presentable. The journey from Britannia had been long and hard, and opportunities for bathing had been severely limited. The relief to be in fresh clothes and with clean hair was something she never expected to feel. Yet, the relief that she had been afforded a modicum of respect in her new home quickly disappeared. She was stood alone in the kitchen, the morning waring on with no idea what was expected of her. The burly older woman she assumed was her equal had left on an errand, and without instruction had left the new slave to her own devices. Fingers tracing the earthenware and produce that littered the room, she glanced up as another figure came in to join her. Her grasp of Latin was rudimentary, and not understanding that not everybody was her Dominus and she shouldn't refer to fellow slaves as such, she quickly offered a broad smile, although her accented voice was tentative; "I...I'm sorry, Domine..." She glanced sheepishly at the man, around her age, but her smile was warm. He was wearing clothes of a similar standard to her own and she presumed he was not one of her masters, although she couldn't be sure. Still, she couldn't just stand here doing nothing for the rest of the day and concentrating on sounding out the unfamiliar language, she asked with amusement; "I...don't know what to do...here...nobody has said..." TAG: @Sharpie

Fab! I will throw a thread up, v intrigued to see how they'll get on.

All my current and past threads, for all my characters, can be found here. Charis - twenty-two - house slave About: Born in Britannia, Charis was brought to Rome a widow in 74CE. She's currently the house slave of Tertius Quinctilius Varus, and after a tumultuous year when she became his bed slave against her will, she became pregnant and gave birth to his son - who he freed and recognised as his heir. Her brother and sister are currently in Rome, enslaved as well. She's pragmatic, although more fragile than a year ago after suffering through a breakdown owing to her treatment. She's practically minded and focused on finding her family. Potential Plots: Charis needs some lightness in her life and needs people to brighten her days. I'm open to a romantic plot for her, although it would likely need to be kept secret from her dominus. Friends and colleagues in the house are also very welcome. Also, past connections from Britannia would be fantastic! Horatia Justina - thirty-three - matron About: Horatia is a patrician's daughter, and the wife of another (Aulus Calpurnius Praetextatus - a soon to be Consul). She is composed, reserved, fastidiously neat and very proper. She likes her role in life, and that given to women and very rarely oversteps the boundaries imposed upon her gender. She is a mother to two nearly teenagers - although secretly is preventing another child after a difficult birth. She was separated from her husband for almost six years following the Civil War, and struggled afterwards but the pair of them are solid as a rock. She is fascinated by reading and learning and is a very clever woman, although people often think her shy or unremarkable because she doesn't crave the limelight. Potential Plots: Horatia could do with some childhood friends - male and female, or even a potential ex-suitor. I'm not interested in romantic plots for her, at all, but an old flame reappearing might be fun and throw her composure a little. Other senatorial women who either dislike her 'proper' ways or find her dull could be fun, and book club members are also welcome. I'm open to wider plots with the rest of her family. If somebody has a grudge or is friends with her husband, they are likely to cross paths with her. Vibia - twenty-five - high end prostitute About: Vibia, real name Aemilia R. L. Mellusa, is a freedwoman and current prostitute at the high-end Domus Venus. She is also a very skilled musician. Manipulative, amoral but excellent at her job - she is not somebody to be crossed. She's currently working for the Servian Collegium, a gang in Rome after she employed their services to kill her old master - thus freeing her. She is spying on her employer, a rival gang The Syndicate, and her customers for the Collegium and is worried she'll soon face the consequences if she's found out. Potential Plots: If your character needs to get laid, male or female, and are willing to pay - Vibia is your girl. Gang plots are also very welcome either for the Syndicate or the Collegium. I'm not looking for anything romantic for her, nor am I really looking for friends but enemies are also very welcome. Lucius Cassius Longinus - thirty-seven - senator About: Longinus is a decorated military man and Senator. He thrice served as a legate in Britannia, the first at only twenty-two due to the extraordinary passing of his mentor. He was away from Rome, therefore, for fifteen years on and off. His wife passed away in 74AD, and whilst previously engaged to and expecting a child with Sestia Vaticana - she left him virtually at the altar after losing their child in May 75AD, although he claims it was a dowry dispute that led to the break-up. Pre this event he was energetic, a hopeless optimist and generally a fun man to be around. Nowadays he's more morose and easily irritated, but hopefully one day he'll come back out of his shell. Potential Plots: Longinus could do with friends from his service in Britannia. House slaves and staff are also welcome, as are childhood friends. He's not in a position, nor does he want to start searching for another wife at the moment, but something unrequited could be fun! Zia - twenty-eight - house slave About: Zia was brought back as a slave from Dacia in 74AD by Titus Sulpicius Rufus. She had previously been married to a future chief, and the mother of another - having her own slaves and living the life of luxury, but this was stripped from her when she was enslaved. She's an incredibly astute woman and a master strategist, having been a driving force behind her tribes rebellion. She enjoys playing games on others out of spite, and is incredibly cold. Her soft spot comes out for her son but she is rarely allowed to see him. She experienced a lot in her first month of being a slave, and suffers from terrible night terrors now - not that she'd ever admit it. Potential Plots: She is unlikely to have many friends, given her personality, but people to plot and scheme with are very, very welcome! I'm not looking for anything romantic with her, but sex doesn't have to be romantic and she's currently fighting with her husband so it's a perfect time. Didia Nonia - twenty-five - plebeian About: Didia is a young plebeian woman who lives with her father, mother, two nephews and brother in an insular in Rome. She helps run her fathers fruit and vegetable business; manning the stall at the market and making deliveries to regular clients in Rome. She's an optimist, chatty and friendly with no real ambition for her life. Divorced, she's a little jaded on romance, but is in no hurry to remarry anyway. Potential Plots: Everything! If your character is a plebeian or a freedman, they could always be neighbours in their insula. I'm very open for plots with slaves as making deliveries for her fathers business means she can come into contact in with plenty in many noble houses in Rome, or at the market. Similarly, if your senatore or equite happens to be in the vicinity where she's doing deliveries, they could always meet! I'm open for romance for her as well, although she's in no particular hurry herself! Other plebeian or freedmen friends are also v welcome! Ovinia Camilla - nineteen - senator's daughter About: Ovinia is the coddled daughter of an elderly senator. She's vibrant, young and lives her life to the full, but her exterior hides her pain at her mothers constant illnesses and unrequited love with an equite. She is unattached right now, but in need of a husband and a guiding hand in her life. Potential Plots: Everything! She could do with friends of the senatorial class, both male and female are welcome! She is also in need of a husband (want ad here), but has fallen for a man utterly unsuitable so there could be some love-triangle action going on. Enemies are also very welcome - either because of her father and family, or personally (she can be a bit spiteful...). Titus Balventius Marcianus - twenty-six - vigile About: Titus is a freedman and a vigile. Grouchy but focused on helping people, he still harbours resentment for the rich of Rome. He has a good heart it just...takes a while to get there. Potential Plots: Friends are very welcome, as are enemies. If your character has had problems with the law, they might well have run into Titus! Lovers are also welcome, but it might take a while to warm his heart. Ione - eighteen - prostitiute About: Ione is a sweet young Greek girl from Kefalonia who, due to the workings of the world, has ended up as a prostitute in one of the cheapest brothels in Rome; The Elysium. She was born free and her father sold her into slavery. She's friendly and warm and kind, and tries not to let life get her down. Potential Plots: Anything and everything - clients at the Elysium or outside of it, friends in the brothel or who she knew from Greece or her life before The Elysium are very welcome. She's unlikely to be able to have a relationship, but who knows where the winds of fate will blow her? .

CHARIS 20 | summer - 54 | Slave | House Slave to Tertius Quinctilius Varus | Straight | Wanted | Alexandra Dowling Personality. Charis can be described as deeply pragmatic, and down to earth. She is not a woman that is easily riled or unnerved, and instead is excellent at holding her ground and finding solutions to problems. Her family, from before, always found her to be their bedrock and it comes with her nature to be supportive and nurturing. She has a wicked, and sometimes dark sense of humour - endlessly self-deprecating - but as she aged she began to learn when to be quiet and when to be forthright. Of course, her new circumstance has changed her personality; her usual assertiveness has taken a blow and she finds herself feeling more lost and unsure of herself more often now. Yet, she was still the calm and collected figure amongst the slaves en route from Britannia to Rome - offering advice and comfort, even when she was going through unimaginable pain and grief herself. Now, as she finds herself in the household of her new, and first master, she is having to learn to adapt. This period of adaption has made her appear quieter and more timid than she, perhaps, is once you get to know her, but for now she is remaining quiet and observant as she tests the boundaries of her new situation. Appearance Charis is short for a woman, standing at around 5ft, but she is strong through years of work. She has a feminine frame with appropriate curves, but the travel and a period of illness after the loss of her child has made her frailer. She has been blessed with the very pale skin of the Britons, although she has been dreading the heat and sun of Rome. She has soft features, unusual for the stereotype of a Briton, with full lips and bright blue eyes. Once you wipe the grime for her after her weeks on the road, she is an attractive woman. She does, however, have some small marks upon her body - notably a mark from a lash across her shoulders, and a few small scars on her calves and knees from trips and falls on her travels. She dresses plainly as befits her station, and wears no jewellery, save for a simple leather bracelet that was gifted to her from her late husband Immin. Having secreted it upon her person during her capture and travel, now she has arrived in Rome and the house of her master, she wears it proudly - partly as a mark of defiance, partly to remind her to keep strong. Family Father: Ninian (deceased) Mother: Letinie (sold into slavery, fate unknown) Siblings: Calpornus (brother, deceased), Ardra (sister, fate unknown), Turi (brother, fate unknown) Spouse: Immin (29, presumed deceased) Children: None Extended family: Multiple cousins and extended family in her tribe - most of their fates are unknown Other: Owned by Tertius Quinctilius Varus History CHILDHOOD [54 – 62 CE]: Charis, or Erea as she was known, was born the second child, and first daughter, into a family belonging to the Parisi tribe in Brittania in the summer of 54CE. Although her exact date of birth is unknown, she believes it to be around August the 15th. Unlike many slaves, she was born free and to a family that, whilst hardened by war and continual invasion from Rome, loved one another dearly and closely. Her family were not rich, but decently comfortable as her father was sought after for his skill smithing metal - something ever increasing in demand as the need for weaponry increased. Her childhood years were, like many others, mired by the presence of her Roman peers and whilst too young to understand completely the threat they posed, the fear from her family suitably concerned her. It was during these formative years that Erea's personality began to take flight - noting the deep concern of her parents, and their growing family, she stepped in to take care of her younger siblings. However, her childhood would come to an abrupt end in February 62CE, with the victory for the Romans in Petuar. Her father's business had boomed in the run up to the battle, and he himself had attended the city to dish out his wares on the fateful day of the advance of Lucius Longinus. She had heard, since that day, that her father put up a decent fight along with his tribe - enough to make the victory barely worth winning as the Romans fell back and recovered. But that day, she nonetheless lost her innocence as her beloved father - a generous and gregarious man, full of warmth and care for his family, was expunged at the sword of a Roman. ADOLESCENCE [62 – 70 CE]: Compared with the trauma of her earlier years, her adolescence and maturation into a woman passed unremarkably. Now subdued by the Romans, although not without tension and constant raids, her life was filled with caring for her younger siblings and supporting her mother through her grief. Her brother, to his credit, took up the mantle left by the death of their beloved father and re-ignited their family's metalwork business. Whilst not as skilled as Ninian, Calpornus now a young man, nonetheless had the drive and ambition to make it profitable. As she grew older, her wit and her intelligence grew. On their forays into Petuar to flaunt their wares, Erea had picked up a few Latin phrases - enough to pass by the Roman occupiers and to understand some of their motives. Her pragmatism also started to grow as she realised that they were here to stay, and whilst she would never stoop so low as to make deals with them, she counselled her brother and wider family about how to deal with them. She had understood, quite quickly after the battle in 62CE, that there would be no going back from this and whilst she lived for the day of true freedom - for now it was better to grit ones teeth and bare it. It had been around her sixteenth birthday when she was first introduced to Immin. He was older than her, and had taken part in the fighting against the Romans at Petuar - his body and the scars upon it a testament to that. Whilst not deeply in love or lust, the pair nonetheless soon became firm friends whilst deep underneath the beginnings of something deeper started to flourish (although the stubborn Erea refused to admit it at first). They were wed to one another shortly after her seventeenth birthday, and unconventionally, Immin took residence with her family. She suspected because of his frailty - he had take a sword to the leg during the war and it had never quite healed right, but also out of respect as he knew his new bride was deeply invested in helping her mother manage the family and the business with her brother. ADULTHOOD [70 – Present]: Erea's peace lasted two glorious years, until 73CE. In the years preceding that date, the business flourished, and with Immin's sharp mind a compliment to her own, their trade increased along with their wealth. Her family were content and her mother had even regained some of the vigour she had lost after the death of Ninian. Whilst confusion and chaos reigned across Britannia as discord against their occupiers grew, Erea and her family lived in relative peace and harmony - shielded from the tumultuous outside world by their love and warmth. It is this, perhaps, that made the raids and the losses even more acute for her, and changed her character from a bright, forthright and vivacious young woman into the quiet and wan one her master finds in Rome today. Not one educated in politics, Erea has never understood why the raids started to happen. There were whispers it was revenge for another Parisi group raiding Roman forts to the south, or perhaps it had been a warning - that their business had become too valuable, their supply of weapons too threatening. But whatever the reason - they came at daybreak in May 73CE. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she had not been at home that day. Taking her younger siblings to a neighbouring settlement with Immin, she had returned home to fire and blood. Calpornus was led across his workbench, dead. Their mother - their sweet, kind, vulnerable mother was gone. She later learned from a survivor that she had been taken for a slave as she was still young enough to work, or die trying. Her grief had been indescribable. They had tried to rebuild after. Immin - whilst no longer physically strong - had tried his best to restart the forge and Ardra and Turi had tried to lend a hand. It was only in December, when Erea had realised her flux was late and the Gods had blessed her with a child. Immin had been overjoyed, but for Erea - as much as she tried, she could not shake her grief or her loss, nor could she help the desperation she felt. With the business now ruined their resources dwindled and with the threat of ever more raids or attacks on the horizon, her happiness at the realisation was muted. It turned out, with good reason. They came again in January, and this time, she was at home. Having picked up a few Latin phrases she understood a few choice words; ringleaders, rebellion and revenge. She had tried to plead with them that they nothing of any plots, that they were honest people, but it was of no use. She watched her husband being dragged outside, and his scream of pain still rings in her ears, as does the deathly silence that followed it. She never found out what happened to him, but she knows it unlikely he survived. Erea herself was dragged by her clothes out of her house and her home, and into a cage - where she would remain for the weeks and weeks travelling to Rome. Her condition - now three or so months pregnant - saved her from the worst brutality that the other women faced at the hands of their captors, but her one hope, her child would not last. It might have been the beating she took as she refused to be silent as instructed (she still bears the lash marks across her shoulders), or simply the travel and lack of food, but she miscarried her child in Gaul. Ill for some weeks after, weak and exhausted, upon her arrival in Rome she was considered a waste of money. Having passed into the hands of Spurius, she thought she had resigned herself to her death or the depravity of a brothel. So when that fateful day in March came and she was liberated from her cage, her interest was piqued. She has no sense of who her new master is, nor his pleasures or temperament. And whilst internally she cries out in pain and for revenge, she knows there are better ways to get what she wants. She needs to be practical and pragmatic, and she needs to find a way home. Sara | GMT | Discord - Sara#2296 @Gothic