Juli

Sofiya Baruch sat at the bank of the sea in the Seven Skies, digging her hands into the course sand as her son Matyas crouched next to her building a sandcastle. The sound of boots approaching caught Sofiya’s ears as she spared a glance over her shoulder only to see her closest friend, Ana. She gasped, frantically racing towards her friend with outstretched arms to capture her in an embrace, “It has been far too long, my dear friend. Come come, you must meet Matyas.” Isabel Baruch once again found herself locked in her chambers at the news of another one of her family members tragically passing. Almost every parental figure in her life had died leaving her with just her wounded grandfather whose life was almost cut short. “Ah’ll miss ye auntie.” She said as she sat curled up on her bed, blankly staring out of her window with her teddy bear held tight in her clutches.

Flakes of white snow danced outside the windows as the faint crackling of a fireplace emanated from the old feasting hall of Valstadt Castle. “Now you must knead the dough, my dear.” Sofiya Baruch said to the short-auburn haired boy next to her, raising her hands to demonstrate to her son, Matyas Aleksandr, as they prepared the bread for baking. Sofiya had taken up this hobby since her ascent to the Seven Skies, the simple act of bread baking reminded her of one of the many bonding activities Bishop Benedict instructed her and Petyr to do as newlyweds. The tapping of boots trudging up the path towards the feast hall caught her attention and her eyes spotted a glimpse of the familiar striped beret entering the hall. An expression of shock had taken over her as she wrapped her arms delicately around her young son’s back, “Papej’s home.” The young boy rushed forward, barreling towards his father to engulf him in an embrace as Sofiya remained at the table frozen in disbelief that Petyr had joined her so soon after she had left. The man that had previously been overtaken by madness was no more, for the husband she loved had returned at last. “Petyr,” She’d gasp, extending her arm out to beckon him to her, “it has been far too long since I have truly seen you.” Isabel Baruch remained hidden in her room inside the Ekaterinburg Palace with her father’s signature beret held tightly in her grasp. Tears coursed down the young Baruch girl’s cheeks, within the past year she had lost both her mother and her father leaving her orphaned and lost without the guidance of her parents. Guilt had overwhelmed her, believing she was the cause of her parents premature deaths. Her father insisted her mother never loved her and despised her living presence, she wondered if she had not been born would her sibling’s lives not have been tainted with sorrow and abandonment. “Ah’m sorry...” she muttered, dragging a gloved hand across her face to wipe away her tears as she went to her desk to bury herself in her studies to distract herself from her overwhelming thoughts.

Sofiya Baruch enjoys her time buried under the dirt and NOT in a cold morgue. @GhostSHTR

SINKING SHIPS The bellowing shouts echoed from the feast hall of Valstadt Castle, followed by hurried steps up a stairwell. Sofiya Baruch paused in front of her children’s room, all five of them huddled close to each other, too occupied to notice their mother peering from the doorway. She stood there taking in the scene before her as her ears filled with their elated laughter. She wrenched herself away, dragging her drained figure towards the stairway. Petyr walks into the hall appearing exhausted, however, upon seeing Sofiya, he'd immediately jump up,“Ah missed it?!” he'd cry out, approaching her hastily. “Are ‘ey ‘ealthy?” he'd quickly peer into Sofiya's arms to look at the babe. She turned towards her husband, keeping the infant held close to her, “Da, he is. Would you like to hold him?” A smile grew across the new father’s face, “He” he'd repeat as he continued to look at their child before he eagerly held his arms out to take the child, letting him rest carefully in his father’s arms. “Look a' 'im!” he'd try to keep his excited voice down so as to not frighten him, “Eja little Petyr.” She finished the journey to the attic of the tower, a place she now resided to escape the man she once recognized as her husband. She wandered to her vanity, sitting down in the cushioned chair before reluctantly raising her chin to gaze upon her reflection in the mirror. The person she saw in the looking glass was foreign, her eyes were hollow and empty and her cheek donned a fresh purple bruise with the tang of blood still on her lips. Sofiya stood across from her husband, heartbreak in her eyes with her hands gliding over her swollen stomach, “That is cruel of you.. To try and turn my own children against me.” Petyr barked back brandishing a bottle in his hand. “Ye did tha’ yerself! Ye don’ ge’ to abandon yer family and ‘en try to weasel yerself back into it.” Sofiya lurched forward, raising her arms to shove her husband’s shoulders. “Why are you so desperately trying to take away the one thing left that brings me joy in life!” She cried out, tears tickling her cheeks as Petyr instinctively swung the bottle up towards Sofiya in retaliation. She let out a shaky breath, raising her arm to wipe away any tears threatening to spill,“Where did I go wrong?” she choked out as her reddened eyes paused on the painting of her family that rested at her desk. She traced her fingers across the rough texture of the canvas, her hand dancing across the familiar visages of her children in the painting. Her body went rigid as she saw the glistening band wrapped around her ring finger. Her fists clenched as her body began to tremble in rage as she swiftly drew the ring from her finger before throwing it towards the mirror above her vanity causing it to shatter to pieces. With heavy breaths she lowered her head, raising her hands to fist into her hair. Her eyes looked to one of the glass shards, the door leading to her balcony in it’s reflection. Sofiya raised her voice to her husband as his hand drifted to the stick resting on the table, “You are delusional, Petyr! I would have left by now if it wasn't for the children!” Petyr raised the wooden baton up to hit the side of her head, “Ah wish ye would’ve!” He’d bellow back. Sofiya collapsed against the bookshelf, clutching the side of her head as blood began to ooze from the wound on her scalp. Petyr Baruch panics, his eyes widening a bit after he realized what he did. “D-Do you mean that?” She'd ask, removing her hand from the side of her head to see the red liquid staining her hand. “Ah said it, didn' ah?” He'd respond coldly, going to leave the room. Rising from her seat, Sofiya gave the handle a tug as the door whipped open causing icy winds to burst into her chambers. She took hesitated steps onto the balcony, a place she frequently escaped to for solitude. She paused at the ledge of the balcony, listening to the inviting waves crashing against the jagged cliffside. She kept her empty gaze out into the horizon as the sun began to kiss the sea at sunset with tears of pain and heartbreak coursing down her cheeks. Moments passed before she drew her final breath with shut eyes and extended her arms out beside her, letting gravity grasp onto her figure and pull her down to the rough waters below. The soft pitter patter of a child’s feet running across dirt echoed from the gardens outside Valwyck. Isabel Baruch, the youngest of the Baruch children, clambered onto the swing, kicking her legs back and forth while her euphoric giggles rang out. The young girl dug the heels of her boots into the dirt, skidding to a halt as she noticed a figure floating in the gelid waters below. “The eerie richard!” She exclaimed, bouncing off of the swing as she scurried down the steep cliff in excitement to catch a glimpse of the supposed creature. Isabel stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding in utter disbelief as she recognized the floating figure donning the familiar blue dress her mother wore. “M-Mamej… Mamej!?” she called out, her stomach twisting as her cries were only met with silence. REQUIESCAT IN PACE Sofiya Aleksandra Baruch 1745 - 1777 “The sea bows to none”

Isabel Baruch laughed to herself as she watched the Alimar grumble over his suit being too large for his short stature.

Isabel Baruch beamed as she saw the flawless portrait of herself featured in the King’s art portfolio!

Red coat: 7500 Magenta lace: 1500 Cream and Blue Embroidery: 4000 discord: Juli#9597

Red Women’s coat – 2000 Red and White – 2000 Blue Haeseni – 1000 discord: Juli#9597

That’s going right on the fridge!

Isabel Baruch excitedly pointed to the picture of herself in the newspaper as she tugged at her father's sleeve, “Papej! I’s me!”

Sofiya Baruch readies a copious amount of tissues for the prince’s snot.

“Didn’t you light him on fire?” asked Sofiya Baruch.

“Huh, they spelt Muldav wrong.” Sofiya said as she squinted over the letter.

Sofiya Baruch frantically ordered her own Werheg set, the Herzenz personalized with the face of her husband, Petyr Baruch. “I can’t wait to finally take out my frustrations with my new Werheg set!”

Sofiya Baruch grinned hearing the news of her cousin’s participation in the next Maer election, “He will have big shoes to fill, but I trust he will do well!” She exclaimed, showing her support for her cousin’s Maer campaign

Sofiya Baruch wishes she had gone to Oliviya to find a match as she stares at the dirty socks in her husband’s drawer with a sigh.

Sofiya Baruch sat on the bench in Johnstown shaking Karolina’s lifeless body, “Karolina.. please.” She’d choke out in-between sobs as the faint sounds of swords clashing rang out from Serpentstone in the distance. Chaos unfolded as the people surrounding her frantically attended the many wounded scattered across the small settlement they managed to escape to from the burning remains of the home she once grew up in, “The Sea Bows to None.”

The Game of “Lafsk” Written by: Duchess Sofiya Baruch, Grand Lady of Hanseti-Ruska The game of Lafsk, meaning fall in New Marian, is a Haeseni game originating from the northern regions of Valwyck. The game initially started in the halls of Valstadt Castle by the members of House Baruch but has now reached the city of New Reza and become a game commonly played by its people. This game was used to provide entertainment for the young children in Valwyck during the many frigid nights and winter storms that occurred in the gelid climate. The only objects needed to play Lafsk are fifty-four wooden blocks of equal lengths ideal for stacking. The goal of the game is to have the participants remove blocks one by one from the stack without having the tower fall. The player to cause the tower to fall loses. ~HOW TO PLAY~ To begin the players must stack the wooden blocks into a tower consisting of three blocks for each level and alternating the direction the blocks face at each level. The players will then sit in a circle around the tower and begin removing pieces from the tower moving from player to player until the tower collapses. ~OOC INSTRUCTIONS~ Depending on the amount of players participating each player will roll out of 20, 30, or 40. The first person pulling a piece will need to roll above 1, the next player will need to roll above 2, then the next above 3, etc. Ex. If there are less than 4 people participating, then the players should roll out of 20 This will continue until the tower finally falls.

Sofiya prepares to assist in the matchmaking despite having zero experience in the subject!

Sofiya stood on the docks of Vasiland, her heavy stare filled with grief and sorrow watched her papej’s boat lit ablaze drift further from the shore. “Farewell, Papej”

Sofiya Baruch prepares the very special prize for the sock contest.

A wide grin donned Sofiya’s face as she read the invitations brought to Valwyck informing her of Vasiland’s recent construction. “Petyr, seems you will need to get a fresh boutonniere. We have a ball to attend!”

“Thank GOD the smelly old man finally croaked.” Said a random citizen from the Palatine office.

Raises her bunny sock covered foot “I support her for the socks! As Senator May would say, ‘these socks are hip’”

The Union of Baruch and Vanir House Baruch and Vanir invite you to the Duchy of Valwyck (again) to witness the union of Lord Petyr Baruch and Lady Sofiya Vanir. The wedding shall be officiated by Rev. Otto the Tarcharman. Following the ceremony, we shall celebrate within Valstadt Castle to conclude the festivities with food, drink, and dancing. List of Invitations: His Royal Majesty, Sigismund II of House Barbanov, and his pedigree His Excellency Otto Sigmar of House Alimar, and his pedigree The Most Honorable, Viktor of House Kortrevich, and his pedigree The Right and Honorable, Alaric of House Stafyr, and his pedigree The Right and Honorable, Konstantin of House Ruthern, and his pedigree The Right and Honorable, Erwin of House Barclay, and his pedigree His Lordship, Ruslan of House Amador, and his pedigree His Lordship, Yuri of House Kovachev, and his pedigree His Lordship, Fredrick of House Ludovar, and his pedigree IV JOVEO MANN, HIS GRACE, Lord Petyr Sigismund Baruch, Duke of Valwyck, Count of Ayr, Baron of Laval, Riveryn, and Voron, and Guardian of the Haeseni Coast HIS EXCELLENCY, Henrik Vanir, Lord Speaker of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, Baron of Vasiland, Kraken’s Watch, and Lorentz HER LADYSHIP, The Grand Lady of Hanseti-Ruska, Sofiya Of Vasiland ((OOC)) Saturday April 11th at 4 pm EST at Valwyck