Lucia had been fighting for a long while against a local predator for a few hours already with a deep frown. She would have much rather fought this creature when she unlocked Necromancy good and proper, but unfortunately she was forced into this confrontation a tad bit earlier because of a quest relating to her advancement and class. To unite the undead, she'd have to clear out those who were revolting and causing mayhem among the undead populous. It had remained united until now purely because there were far too many different classifications. The bi-pedal wolf creature in front of her was another such classification, one that had a deep sense of rivalry with the one she hoped to achieve when her time came. It was irksome, but the creature itself was one she'd have to take out if she was to continue increasing her affinity with the death goddess. The closer she was to the source of that undead power after all, the easier it would be for her to ask for a miracle when the time came, this game had that type of unfortunate system of karma that urged her to work with the NPCs rather then against them. Still, that didn't stop her brow from furrowing as the battle came to it's conclusion. The grassy hills around her were torn up here or there, grass ripped up from the soil and the few sparse trees smashed from the roots by the creature's claws.. There was naturally damage done by Lucia too, parts of the hills featured melted liquid remains of burning puddles of chemical compounds. The fumes rising from them reeked of decay and rot, the large furred wolf could be seen with acid burns across it's body and it's bones in various places were revealed to the eyes. Even though that seemed to be the only damage it had acquired, someone with keen eyesight would notice the creature seemed to be sluggish despite being undead, it's identity as a monster would normally make it feral and unrestrained, but it was clearly lethargic. Wisps of energy were billowing off it's body being absorbed by Lucia in throbbing pulses as it's wounds got worse and her's got better. Naturally Lucia didn't fair much better, despite those pulses of drained energy healing her and keeping her energy up, her injuries were much more serious at a glance. Her body was gouged dangerously in places causing her to bleed, though she didn't seem to be dying purely because they were disappearing visibly whenever she was struck. This kind of damage would normally mean a catastrophic loss, but Lucia had been surviving purely because of her combined magical prowess. While making the creature suffer with rots and drain damage, she was protecting herself with light screens and drained health. Waving her hand that directed a floating lit screen like a shield she'd reflect the beast's claws or bites, but every once in a while it would claw into her again making her wince. The battle continued until the immediate area was nearly completely destroyed, Lucia sat on the creature's melting remains trying to catch her breath. Her grimoire had long since lost it's ability to support her rapid casting, truly her skills were too strong for that piece of equipment, but she vowed to wait until she had something special before switching; something from Synra. Licking her wounds metaphorically, she'd cast a regen spell on herself every once in a while to hasten the bleeding injuries the best she could. With a tired sigh, she was lacking in sleep, wishing undead had rest to drain, she was considering whether or not she should maybe set up camp. @Lord Lemming
So far, every encounter that Lemming had had within this game had proven to be more of a brief entertainment and distraction than anything that might help her achieve her goals. The boys in the words had been a mischievous sort of lark that had kept her amused. Gambling in the capital had raked in precious little of worth, but had sated her desires for tempting fate and left her now with greater composure; less prone to giving into compulsion and temptation as her need to do so was so recently satisfied. She had returned to Brisshal to test her mettle against the wildlife here and continue to grow her arcane abilities, hoping that consistent practice might prove just as effective as diving into dungeons seemed to be. She, sadly, had little interest in running around dank caves or exploring old ruins for the mere pleasure of risking her life. If there was something to be gained then certainly such things would be appealing to her, but as it stood she was too weak to risk her life in such a task and, if those two men from the woods had taught her anything, it was that random groups did not make for ideal teams. Besides, she had no desire to be tethered to a guild or to any group's agenda. Hers was the path of the champion, striving to one day dominate swathes of this land by virtue of her power as she cultivated it little by little, day by day. Let the others form their guilds and rest on their laurels; while they relaxed she would harness every advantage at her disposal and utilize them to place herself upon the top of this world's pedestal of power. If only she knew how to get stronger, faster. Sadly the only real users of the magic she had chosen to wield seemed to be some sort of Doomsday Cult and, as she had mused before, she had no desire to make herself the slave of somebody just as twisted as she was. Perhaps even more so... Moving through the woods towards her usual spot, she paused and inspected a bush which seemed to be different from before. Its leaves were slightly withered on the front and, as she moved closer to inspect it, she saw its back half was rotten and gnarled as if by a blight which was slowly consuming the entirety of the plant. There, not far off, a tree was shedding bark in brittle chunks and its interior seemed to be corroding as something ate at it. With a loud crack it shifted under its own weight and fell, falling upon another rotting tree and knocking them both to the ground. Had she done this? Had her uses of hexes in the area caused a stain upon the life here and started a chain reaction of rot and death? She was excited by the possibility; terrified by the potential and consequence, not understanding yet how the magic fully worked in the game. Farther off she saw another rotting bush and walked to it, noticing the dead grass and wildlife which seemed to have been sapped of life by something recently. So it wasn't her magic after all... a pity. Then what had caused it? Brisshal was supposed to be a safe place, a low-level woods, which meant that it wasn't an NPC with spiked stats. Likely it was somebody like Kohaku who had become bored and wanted to let off some steam. Such a person might be able to teach her a thing or two about her masteries! Smiling, she began to move faster through the destruction, coming upon a clearing of death and mayhem where all the life had been hexed and blasted into clumps of despair. Near the center of things a woman sat, attractive save for the injuries upon her body, resting on a creature that was totally unlike anything Lemming had seen in this area before. She narrowed her eyes a moment to inspect the carnage and then smiled, stepping into the clearing with her hands calmly raised to her sides like a person surrendering to the police at gun point. "I want that," she said aloud in a calm and mildly excited tone, one of her hands gesturing at the destroyed woods around them. "I don't suppose you're... looking for an apprentice or some such, are you? They say all good power should come in pairs, right? A king needs a queen?" She smiled, hoping she wasn't sounding too obtuse or desperate. If anything worked in her favor, it was that the woman looked too exhausted to stand, so if it came to a fight Lemming needed only to run faster than this other woman could blast. If she could manage that, she could make the woman waste enough energy her character locked down from lack of energy, which would allow her time to finish the stronger bitch off. The chances of it working were slim, but... there was still a chance it could work, and that was all the hope she needed. Still, she'd rather play peacefully. "I'm Lemming, by the way. Lord Lemming." @Lucia Mierz
Lucia sat catching her breath waiting for Regen to fix everything properly, but seeing someone else approaching, her head cocked to one side in curiosity. While it was certain the Werewolf wasn't a typical creature in the beginning area, it was one that unfortunately wandered which was what brought her here in the first place. Some stranger suddenly happening upon her only made her flash an enchanting smile; a stark contrast to the cataclysmic damage around her as she began to rise to her feet in response to the woman saying she wanted 'that'. "Hehe.... 'Need' is it?" She asked with a gentle sway. Lifting a hand she abruptly formed a series of hand gestures before the grass at her feet began dying, the corpse of the werewolf behind her even began to shrivel up and become a withered mummified husk. As if that wasn't Jarring enough, the speed at which things rotted and died around her matched the speed of her healing injuries that were visibly closing as if time were being rewound. It was only when the few gashes in her frame were replaced with pale pearly white skin that her spell seemed to slow to a stop. If Lemming investigated her she'd find that not only did her health rise, but energy also, even her food, thirst and rest all jumped a portion. Like a vampire, Lucia devoured the well being of the things around her to get herself back into shape. The devastation stopped just short of Lemming, careful not to cause the girl any harm. While Lucia's magic would take care of getting her back on her feet better if she attacked the girl, Lucia wasn't some depraved mad woman striking down anyone who approached her for a talk. Instead, she only wanted to make it clear that she wasn't someone who could be 'taken advantage of' easily. "I can't say it's very hard to get to this point-- if I'm being honest. But... I don't think you're built to tackle this sort of fight the way I am." Lucia admitted, her tone soft and coaxing rather then firm and forceful as she looked at Lemming with a hint of wryness. The woman wanted a power that matched her own? In one word it would be 'difficult'; Lucia's technique came from combining dark and light magic, Sacred Blight was her claim to fame and reaching that point was excruciatingly difficult. As hard as it was though, she was satisfied with being an undying monster; she felt special for it. "I've never really taught any one though-- What sort of thing were you trying to learn?" Lucia asked blinkingly, as if musing over having an apprentice. It wasn't that she didn't but truly, how would one teach another about this game? Lucia had done a lot of research about Terra sphere, her knowledge was hard to eclipse, but even so she turned her gaze back to Lemming in curiosity. Though the introduction only made her smile widen a bit more. "Lucia Mierz, I suppose my class would be something along the lines of a Priestess?" Lucia posed, her introduction more of a question purely because she wasn't really sure any more. It had been such a strange ride to get to where she was, a title was difficult for her to assign herself.
The smile upon Lemming's face became more genuine as Lucia responded, apparently no stranger to being clever and coy. This other woman felt herself superior to Lemming and called her too weak to have fought the fight that took place here. And rightfully so, for the rapidly mummifying werewolf looked to me leagues outside of her realms of experience. But the potential was there to earn that power and learn how to wield it, and she would be damned if she let the closest thing she'd found to a tutor slip through her grasp. She watched the encroaching destruction and held her ground, determined not to retreat and show weakness to this witch of the wicked arts. The magic parted around her and went on to destroy some trees. Amused that this Lucia Mierz woman had gone out of her way to put on an extra show for her, she began to approach, admiring the husk of the werewolf and seating herself upon it beside the woman. "I don't have a class," Lemming informed her as she put her hands out before her and regarded a bird in a tree that was curiously inspecting the destruction of its woods. She worked her will into a spell and sent a withering bolt at it, causing it to suddenly turn into a desiccated corpse that fell to the ground. Her hand then changed to slowly erupt in flames, sending a small jet of fire out in a brief spurt that landed among the dead grasses and caught them aflame. Before they could rage out of control she manipulated the fire with another spell, causing them to form a rough image of several rabbits hopping about, before each was snuffed out and the ground was left safe but heavily charred. "But I'd be happy to learn what I can from you, if you've got the time to teach." @Lucia Mierz
Seeing the bolt she couldn't help thinking 'crude' initially. That sort of spell was the first one she learned in Malefimancy, one that had little spice or mystery to it. It was far too simple, the brute force method; which she couldn't exactly fault. Malefimancy was a complicated mastery after all, most no doubt chose that exact method for using it. "I named mine Acid arrow-- I suppose it's about the same." She murmured considering Lemming's bolt to be the same as her arrow she spent a lot of time refining for the raid she finished. Though the fire was different, a pyromancer too? There was a lot of potential with fire, it complimented darkness at least, unlike light which clashed. Lemming would no doubt have an easier time of it then she did herself. "Mm... I suppose." She murmured shaking a hand through her hair in thought. "Malefimancy is divided up into a few different parts; Draining, debuff and Ailment aspects, I happen to specialize in Draining and Ailments you could say." She answered, a brief introduction, something to wet Lemming's palette and show Lucia was at least capable in the field. Lucia herself put a great amount of study and focus into Malefimancy purely because it was how she's stayed alive so long in this world without cooking or marketable skills. "My other specialization is a little different though." She added reaching a hand out to touch Lemming's head gently, as if trying to pet the girl like a puppy. Lucia's hand was gentle, her palm warm to the touch but it was a spell she was gently casting with the gesture to refill Lemming's EN gauge replacing what she lost from casting her spells just now. "I've come to find Synergy is very important when it comes to Masteries." She continued to explain. After getting to this point, she smiled brightly at the girl, a warm and enchanting expression as she dropped her hand as she continued. "But what would I have to gain from teaching you? Wouldn't that make us competitors?" She teased, it was clear merely from her tone and the gentleness in her gaze that she wasn't really intending to extort anyone or make any harsh or vile demands. She was merely very aware of just how valuable her lessons might be for someone who was lost without knowing how to properly combine their masteries. "That said, Dark magic is complicated; most people would rather sell themselves to demons for power. If you're that type, I won't really be able to help you-- I've gotten my strength by looking into the trails of the Wraith Kings and Vampire Counts, I don't really know any demons to send you to." Lucia admitted up front that if Lemming was trying to get close to her to get in touch with a demonic general, Lucia wouldn't be able to help her. Lucia's skills came from the Waith King's Ziggurats and Vampire Counts wrecked ships. She practiced the magic that belonged to those two groups and even endeavored to one day try to be an apex existence like them instead. "I don't really have any short cuts like they do." She added, her gentle smile still there, unflinching as she revealed her short comings of having to struggle for every scrap of power and ability she achieved from the day she started. Her magic wasn't gifted to her, it was essentially salvaged and rebuilt through blood and sweat.
She listened and observed as Lucia began what might as well have been the first lesson, telling her of the various aspects to the dark arts of malefimancy and the three ways it was chiefly employed. It sounded like this woman favored a vampiric approach, draining from and disabling or weakening her enemies which sounded exactly like the sort of thing she wanted to do herself. She was caught slightly off guard as Lucia touched her, tensing for a moment as she expected to be killed for being too presumptuous with the more powerful woman. She relaxed as she felt the hand pat her and something... warm and gentle... began to flow into her through the woman's hand, causing her to almost purr in pleasure and wiggle her head happily against Lucia's hand. Becoming suddenly self conscious of this, she cleared her throat softly and straightened her back, to appear more professional and less childish. At her question of why she ought to train Lemming the fire-witch let out a soft left but bit back her retort for now, wanting to listen as the woman continued to tell her of vampire courts and undead lords; things that sounded so completely perfect for her considering she wanted an army at her command and to be beholden to nobody. Let the others take the demon route and find their shortcuts! She wanted real and lasting power, not borrowed time and strength. "Well I suppose to begin with, if you made me your apprentice then you'd be able to keep a close eye on me as your competition. Competition you know is competition you can try to control but, I'm not controlled easily. So watch out." Winking, she reached up and felt the top of her head where the warm sensation had been, missing its presence more than subconsciously. "And as for the whole demon bit... I want my strength to be my own, not bought or borrowed from somebody I'll owe and have to remain in service to. I plan to be a lord in my own right, not a servant to something that calls itself my friend when I'm really just its pawn. So I have no plans for shortcuts or the easy route." She regarded Lucia speculatively, wondering if the woman would help her in her crazed little quest for power or merely laugh in her face and send her packing. Even if Lucia didn't intend to be of any assistance, she had already helped more than she knew by hinting at Wraith Kings and Vampire Courts which could be found and spoken to in order to grow herself. She would just have to find the path Lucia took and run down it, following the same trails until she came to the same place. And there, they would meet as rivals. As enemies. And as they clashed and their powers bellied against one another, it would be all the world that was made to suffer. @Lucia Mierz
Lucia couldn't help a soft giggle at the girl's purr, even if she was self conscious of it, Lucia didn't mind. Seeing her missing the contact, Lucia stretched a hand up to continue stroking her head, playing with her hair gently using her palm as she continued. "Well, for what it's worth, I think controlling you would be a little fierce... though it does sound a little fun every once in a while, I wouldn't do something so harsh." She spoke back, teasing with a coy tone, her enchanting demeanor didn't crack with the suggestion of something potentially lewd. she maintained a regal and refined atmosphere even as those suggestive words came from he rmouth. "If you're satisfied with this way, I can only tell you i've never actually seen a Wraith king or a Vampire count." She admitted without hesitation, despite her magical theory coming from them. If Lemming seemed surprised, shocked or suspicious, Lucia would only chuckle melodiously, finding it funny before explaining with a gentle gesture of her opposite hand. "Those types of creatures are far beyond even me. I'm only adept in their ways bot a Wraith King is a master of combat arts while Vampire Counts are the apex of Malefic magics. Those types of creatures are no doubt just a step below gods in this world. If I tried to compete with them, I would merely be a small tiny figure in their eyes despite all of my ability-- perhaps a small captain, or a low ranking drinking partner." She explained just how lofty a status those creatures had. If there was a 'big boss' that existed among the undead, that pair of creatures occupied two of the three top spots. "There's even a creature higher then that, the old Lich Emperors that are called 'Pale Masters', they are the highest level a necromancer can achieve, no doubt. Even Wraith Kings and Vampire counts would have to lower their heads at them." She explained the undead Hierarchy as she knew it, as plainly and compactly as possible. "I found my techniques and skills from left overs; remains even. An abandoned Ziggurat that belonged to a Wraith King from ages ago that only had a few left over Wraiths lingering about for food was where I learned to fight and cast spells." She confessed that was why she performed her spells with hand signs rather then incantations. A Wraith King would cast with gestures in combat to surprise his foes. "My school of magic, I guess you could say came from the wreckage of a ship that was carrying a Vampire Count's coffin, the documents and research left behind were worthless mush, but I could read some here and there." She added with a soft pat of her hand as she narrated her rise to power. It wasn't particularly flattering, explaining that she was a scavenger, but she clawed and trudged through mud and filth to find her power, and gripped it tightly. With that said, Lucia turned her head up as she continued. "If you want to learn, you should be prepared for those types of trying adventures and struggles. As unfortunate as it is, these things aren't just anywhere, they have to be found." Lucia explained with a soft sigh knowing the struggle of finding her own way to rise to this level. "If you're ready to take that kind of journey though, I wouldn't mind giving my best to control you." She finally delivered her possible acceptance, even with a coquettish giggle covered by her free hand.
The hand being placed once more upon her head came as a more than pleasant surprise, but a desire to appear strong and confident made Lemming want to remove it and toss it to the side. She was nobody's pet to pat or play with, or a child in need of coddling! That was of course until Lucia spoke, he regal bearing never fracturing even in the delivery of her words which were, one might say, uncouth. At that moment Lemming merely grinned slightly and let the witch continue to touch her head, aware that perhaps apprenticeship would come with a carnal price; but that was easily paid if it gave her power, and the woman was certainly nothing to balk at. In point of fact, if you threw the whole teacher and student aspect out of the window for a moment, there was still a draw between the two women... But that could be explored later! For now, she focused her attention less on the hand and more on the words, soaking in each little kernel of knowledge and confession of truth. It was disheartening to realize there was no court or king to train her with libraries of resources at their disposal; but then, she had just promised she was not seeking a shortcut or the easy way to power so it was hardly a handicap. More or less it really just meant she couldn't acquire such an entity's books or resources. As easily. But that did not mean it was outside the realm of possibility completely, and if they could find an active ziggurat of these dark lords then they might be able to break in together and acquire some useful information. Such lofty goals were for the future of course; at the present she had barely been able to control a few small fires or kill a bird. She needed real power if she was going to go and hunt after real power. It wouldn't do to run in half-cocked. "I'm ready for whatever sort of adventure I have to go on! I'm smart enough to know my own limitations; but I'm bold enough to work at overcoming them, and don't let them hamper my progress. An obstacle is merely a lesson in need of teaching, not a detour sign that demands I find another route. Perhaps we could go to this ziggurat you explored in the past?" she suggested, hoping it still stood and might have additional secrets that Lucia had not explored. After all they tended to be massive structures, and there was no telling what sort of hidden doorways there might be within. "Even if there is no secret room of information for us, no ritual chambers to explore and research, we could begin preparing it for when you achieve your power. If the Pale Masters and the Wraith King or Vampire Count all have their own necropolis and ziggurat, then surely you ought to have one as well." Leaning in ever so slightly, she spoke in a lower and breathier tone. "...if only to show your control." Smiling, she returned to her previously apart position and let the distance between them speak volumes for the potentials in Lucia's future, if she had the willingness to just... reach out and take them. Was it a subtle metaphor? No. But Lemming rarely cared for subtleties in matters of importance. Smiling wickedly, she propped her elbow on her knee and rested her head on her fist, waiting for Lucia's reaction. @Lucia Mierz
Lucia's gentle demeanor didn't fade even as she nodded in consideration. The girl was certainly eager, particularly when a Ziggurat was mentioned. Lucia found it a little amusing even as she shook her head a moment in answer; a hand gesturing at the air, as if trying to pluck the right words to phrase her thoughts-- she seemed to visibly struggle for an adequate metaphor as she continued. "I wouldn't mind-- though it's probably not as fascinating as it sounds. How to describe it... The Ziggurat manufactures the energy Undead need to survive without a leader-- Like how we need food and water. For the Necropoilis exploring-- that would be a ways into the future, I couldn't even guarantee surviving alone let alone protecting someone inside." Lucia tried to explain the dangers of a Necropolis, it was always inhabited, always threatening and frightening, her research alone told tales of terror let alone personal experiences she wasn't qualified to seek out. Though hearing her talk about having her own necropolis, Lucia only grinned back brightly; a twinge of mischief in her expression. "I will someday, I wonder if my character would still be human by then." She murmured in thought, she'd been considering changing, not into a demon or something equally bland, but an undead, a vampire or perhaps a lich, they were both pretty interesting prospects. Though she wasn't suited for the physically powerful Wraith types or a banshee, she did put some thought into changing her character's race when she acquired enough power. Lowering her hand from the woman's head, she finally nodded giving a gentle clap of celebration with a silent cheer. "Welcome aboard then. I'll help you get strong, but first we should consider a worthy opponent perhaps-- something that would make for good demonstration material? Was there anything you've fought before around here that had been a little tough for you?" Lucia mused wondering how best to demonstrate Malefimancy's cruel and ruthless nature. "I'll show you a bit about Malefimancy and let you get a feel for how it should be used." She offered happily bringing her hands together maintaining her elegant and gentle atmosphere despite proposing a fight.
There was so much to learn! It was a true delight to be able to sit within the game and be so drawn in by its own lore and fabricated reality, forgetting the annoyances of her own boring world so that she could focus completely on the magic and mysticism of this place. She removed an apple from her inventory and began to pare it with a small skinning knife as Lucia spoke, ensnared by the concise yet colorful manner the other woman explained The Facts of Unlife to her. From the sounds of things, Lucia was far from the strongest in terms of actual brute-force power and remained a newcomer on this path to power which was, surprisingly, something that Lemming enjoyed hearing. It meant that she herself was not too impossibly behind to catch up, for the learning curve always favored newcomers in games such as this, and power growth slowed down the stronger and stronger you got. If Lucia was indeed still in the earliest stages of her transformative journey towards power then Lemming was not far behind! Taking a bite of the apple, she let its sour green skin fall to the ground un-lamented, for she found no enjoyment in sour and unpleasant things. Perhaps that was why she was so drawn to Lucia’s sweeter ways and means, because there was nothing unpleasant about them; even when Lucia had to chide her on her eagerness and explain that patience would be required, or that they were too weak for rushing into things and that Lemming was thus-far a mere liability rather than a potential partner in things. Were they discouraging words? Certainly so. But they were not said out of unkindness or in a manner that she found offensive, and proud though she was she was also sane to the limitations she still held. If anything it only served as fuel to strengthen herself and become an entity worthy of walking side by side with Lucia into whatever Labyrinth destiny here held. She smiled as Lucia welcomed her into the fold and popped open her menu immediately to send the woman a friend request, then felt her eyes narrow slightly as the woman asked about fighting things in the area. There had been the village that she had helped to attack… but it probably wasn’t a good idea to mention that to her new friend and teacher, as she didn’t totally understand the woman’s moral compass yet. Then again, if Lucia couldn’t stomach something like that then perhaps they weren’t a good fit after all. Swallowing, she let her smile die and became more serious without being somber or remorseful, for that was little of such things in her. “There was a village of NPCs that I helped to raid my first few days in the game. It seemed like an excellent way to test my powers alongside some players of… questionable repute, and proved to be a better learning lesson than frying rabbits or wolves. It’s not something I intend to make habit of; more, it was a situationally dependent call where the ethics of growing my strength and protecting myself form some PKers by joining them outweighed the morality of not harming some NPCs.” It wasn’t the exact truth, but it was the truth she believed and she said it convincingly: because she was convinced fully that had she not joined Kohaku in his madness, he probably would have tried to kill her, and he was better armed to do so. She waited, inspecting Lucia to read every adjustment to her stance and expression and find what the woman thought of that.
Lucia exhaled a musing hum, her gaze closing to a half lid in answer to Lemming's proposition. A coy smile touching her face as the edge of her lips curved into a faint flicker of a grin. "Hehe... Is that so? Okay~" Lucia teased, half expecting Lemming's proposal to be half suggestion half test. Lucia herself considered it before slowly rolling her head back, casting her gaze upwards as she continued to explain her opinion on attacking the town. "Attacking human NPCs is complicated-- Even in reality the masses will huddle together against a foe or flee in all directions; neither result is good for their attacker." She explained with a simple hand gesture, as if worried Lemming wouldn't understand though she elaborated. "Lets say we attack, even if we're an overwhelming foe, they'll flee in all directions and look for help. With my ability, perhaps they'll all die, but if they don't, my image will be immortalized as an enemy of their species in the eyes of the locals. Supposing they all die at best, the kingdom will no doubt send a team to investigate the attacker's identity; a few steps behind the previous possibility~" She offered. Villages, unlike roaming hunters or parties were stationary targets, things that others will most definitely come across, even if not immediately evidence of an attack will be found. A settlement simply doesn't 'disappear', this was what she was trying to paint for Lemming. "Far too many people forget that in this game, there are natural consequences to such large actions. Even if they aren't felt right away, they would no doubt be felt in the future as evidence builds and seers come closer to divining your identity." She summed up her words of caution trying to put a pleasant bow on her concerns. Despite that though, she didn't refuse, instead, she only cracked a wider grin lifting a hand to stroke Lemming's hair sweetly as she added an addendum. "That's not to say that annihilating a small village is a bad idea, or even impossible, but it requires a softer approach then running in with spells blazing and weapons poised to strike. Otherwise you'll fall into that quest's trap and end up like others; attacking dozens of villages around the town until a punitive force is structured to hunt them down." She tried to tease as if she understood that here was a shadier trick to those quests then merely 'you become evil', it was a clever method to root out those with darker intents like scattering poisoned apples. Putting a bit more thought in Lucia brushed herself off with her hands pulling her hand back from Lemming's head as she got ready. It wasn't particularly against her morals to attack humans, even players, anyone even. She was someone who looked at things objectively from a stance of self interest and the interests of those close to her. If they weren't effected, then she would simply pick the most profitable option while taking into consideration the consequences and ramifications. Everything had risks and rewards after all, and attacking a village for nothing purely had risks if done with impatience. "I'll show you the right way, with Malefimancy no less-- how's that?" She asked with a sweet smile when she finished brushing the filth from her tight clothing.
It was never a simple thing to be told something you felt you already knew, but that was precisely what was happening now with Lucia's cautionary tales about the consequences of attacking an NPC village or performing "bad" deeds. She put her hands on her knees to keep her legs from bouncing in protest to the lecture and the irritation it caused, forcing her face and poise to remain a calm and studious mask. Hiding her impatience and listening intently to Lucia's every word was very important if she planned to ever grow her abilities and become a worthwhile apprentice, so she sat still through the brief lesson on responsibility. Every teacher had to have it with their students, naturally. Otherwise the proper respect for their talents would never be cultivated. As Lucia promised to teach her how to use malefimancy Lemming stood up with an almost audible sigh of relief. Or was it excitement? Whichever, she crossed from the werewolf's husk that had served as a bench and found a place to stand closer to the burnt patch of ground she had created with her fire show not long before. Turning to face Lucia, she smiled and began to channel the dark forces of her malefimancy into her hands, letting an miasma of dark energy build there to show her mistress that she was indeed prepared to learn whatever there was to be taught regarding the craft. "Let's do it."
Lucia noticed Lemming's impatience after a while and smiled brightly, using a hand to softly stroke Lemming's hair softly in apology. She didn't really mean to speak a repetitive tale, but truly there were far too many PCs going crazy murdering and slaughtering wildly. Lucia wasn't too sure about Lemming's personality and character yet, so she felt the need to get it out in the open. "Far too many want power just to push flimsy villages down, sorry, I thought it would be important to mention." She reassured while stroking Lemming's hair trying to coax and reassure her with gentle gestures and words. Seeing Lemming so ready though, Lucia walked slowly and steadily in the direction of Lemming's target. Along the way Lemming would see her rummaging through her blazer before pulling out a single GP, a gold coin, the game's currency. "You see, from how I've understood Malefimancy in my research, it's not a magic you would study or learn for damage. If we're measuring the amount of damage you can do to HP with a spell, it's perhaps one of the weakest." She explained knowing that Malefimancy wasn't at all about 'attack power' instead it's specialization was simply different. "If you're using it purely for damage you're only using a small portion of it's ability. Malefimancy's most powerful when given time; time to corrupt, time to debilitate, time to rot." She started explaining as black fog came from her outstretched hand, surging as if from a burning flame. It wafted out briefly, spreading from her hand before suddenly charging towards the coin between her fingers as if being sucked inward by a fan. The fog dyed the coin purple briefly before it slowly began to regain it's color little by little as they walked. "When we rot things-- drain things-- weaken things, it might look like it happens all at once, but in truth it happens over time, we just either kill too quickly or slowly to notice unless you're fighting against those near your level." Lucia tried to explain the virtues of Malefimancy. Raw power was something that Malefimancy didn't offer, instead it offered an absolution; unlike fire, arcane or other offensive magics your opponent might not die immediately-- but instead there was a chance a single spell would kill them given enough time as opposed to opening fire with a variety of spells and skills. "This is why the locals disapprove of Malefimancy, because once cast, you might not only harm your opponent, but that damage will no doubt spread if you're not careful. You could end up harming a village, a town or more." She explained extending a hand and gesturing to her coin as if it were an example. Once hexed, the hex would no doubt cause the opponent to suffer, possibly even die, but whether they die or not, that hexed object will still exist, it could still potentially cause even more damage, or harm your victim until there was no hope of recovery. It was as dark and cruel as it's name implied, but 'damage' was something different in Lucia's eyes. "Once you understand that, killing a village isn't quite as hard as it sounds, all it takes is a single drop of effort, and like a plague that drop will spread from person to person. The best part though, is that the origin point doesn't even need to be you, but can be a humble every day object, a weapon, your armor perhaps-- It could be triggered by a myriad of circumstantial things that one might only brush off as a coincidence, such as picking up a lucky coin." She explained with a bright smile despite how vicious her plan and skill was with the art.
Nodding, Lemming listened intently to Lucia's observations about the intricacies of their magic, wondering what perhaps she intended to do with the golden coin that she held in her hands. It was obviously going to be part of some demonstration, but what precisely she could not begin to fathom. Being new as she was, she would have to rely on her teacher to introduce new concepts and techniques at Lucia's pace... and experiment in private, to try and expedite things. Especially when that was precisely have Lucia had gained her own power, and Lemming could put forth no less effort. She nodded as her instructor finished speaking, suddenly understanding... possibly... the point of the coin. "So, if one infuses a small object like that with the magic and leaves it for others to come across, it could be used as a sort of trap?" That didn't sound like something the game would really allow without corrupting the coin though, which would cause people not to pick it up in the first place. Besides, such tactics relied too heavily on hoping somebody would do something; were too reactionary. Still, the concept had other uses... "Poisoning a well in a bandit camp, to weaken them days before you attack... Like that?" She smiled at Lucia hoping she understood at least the basic principle, letting the dark magic fade from her hands since it didn't appear that they were going to be doing any actual casting any time soon. Not that that was an issue of course; just hearing Lucia talk was pleasant enough, though she was glad that the petting and touching had stopped because it had made it difficult to... focus.
Lucia nodded looking back down at the coin when she seemed to understand it's purpose. A coy smile came to her face as she ran a finger over the coin's surface feeling a little nostalgic. "That's right~ Though when I first started, like you, I used a somewhat different method. Before I changed my style I was an archer as well-- I would use the most crude form to curse an arrowhead and fire it into an opponent and let it rot them from the inside. If they touched the arrow to pull it out, it would rot their hand, but if they left it in, it would just keep hurting them." She explained the diabolical nature of her previous skill kit. Though she could not longer use it in quite that way, she still smiled brightly at Lemming as she explained it's potential. "Naturally it doesn't have to be something so mundane-- Cursing your armor is also possible, to rot the things attacking you. Your choice of fire was very nice, since cursing that, it only makes people suffer more, burning and rotting from a cursed flame." She explained, a myriad of things could be cursed, not just an object, but energies, and other things. "Someday, I'll even be able to hex and curse thoughts, ideas and feelings letting emotions and faith rot and drain... But i've not yet risen tot hat point of power yet. It won't be for a long time." She explained bluntly her future potential, she had the intention of becoming a monster none could stand on the same level against. She'd put a great deal of practice and effort into her skilset. Looking back down at the coin though, she gestured with it towards Lemming who seemed to get the wrong idea about it's purpose though, even if she came close. "Malefimancy is scary because it can spread, because it's persistent and tenacious in it's effort to cause harm. You might see it as a 'trap' to be sprung if someone picks it up but depending on where you place it, it becomes a focal point from which the real trap begins to set itself." She explained, finding Lemming's words of a well being very apt considering her target was indeed their water source. When she arrived, she'd merely flip the coin into their well or river, bringing her hands together as if making a wish after flicking it in. While she rubbed her hands though, she'd continue with the lesson. "In this way, the magic is traced to the coin, not to a castor. Certainly they could divine who held the coin, but it would get foggier as time passed. Searching for the coin among every possibility would be much harder then merely divining the illness spread." Lucia summed up her lesson with a soft clap. Turning towards Lemming her smile brightened considerably, her vibrant expression sweet and endearing as she nodded her head hoping her new apprentice understood. "This is the most rudimentary way to use it. When I first started, with a mastery level of around 100, 200 ish, this was how I was using it. At the time it wasn't strong enough to cause cataclysmic levels of damage on it's own." She explained, thinking that Lemming would have a hard time associating the rotten forest with Lucia's current skill. She didn't want Lemming to think she was bullshitting her or holding out on her by keeping the awesome tricks hidden. This was merely Lucia starting from chapter one instead of going right to the climax of possibilities. "It's fortunate you have Pyromancy, it will be a nice vehicle, but later on you'll be able to use more advanced skills like liquid corruption." She said with a delighted gigge.
