Name: Lavinia
Race: Demon
Class: Vampiric
Age: Immortal – 153 days.
Crystal Essence: [Crimson]- Lvl.5— 94.76ESQ
[Available Essence Points— 14]
Faith:41
Agility: 31
Intelligence:27
Perk: {Reais Smite}, {Blood Rush}, {Wave Shot}, {Crimson Blink}, {Inspect}, {Blood Art; Kinesis}, {Blood Art; MistForm}
Soul Bond: Curse Marked; Master Henry Vanavil Bestowed Commandments: 2/10
***
Lavinia’s head swirls and spins with a sickening quantity of Essence. She has only devoured five Crimson Crystals among the pile Ulx bequeathed her and already her eyes weigh heavy with lethargy and her Soul encumbered by the weight of those she’s consumed. There still left two more Crimson Crystals among half a dozen Pinks but for all her lust, Lavinia can't bring herself to absorb anymore, her mind hazed enough as is.
The Crystals bring her to fullness once more and to her pleasant surprise, each provided a measure of EP as she consumed them, totalling a whopping 14EP despite not levelling once during. With her head in a haze of sleepiness and sapped strength, Lavinia set aside the task of investing each point for later. There is a lot to consider when spending EP and she has to be of sound mind before she does.
In the meantime, Jonn snickers at her drowsy self and pulls her along the camp anyway. In her half-lid state of Essence digestion, Lavinia struggles to keep up with him and the dozen interactions he goes through on their way to wherever he’s taking her. Caldri and Trirax alike salute and hail Jonn as he crosses their path, some thanking and others pressing gifts of Auramotes in his palm.
The folk of the camp do well not to bother her. They stare and murmur beyond Lavinia’s stunted senses, gossip of the Ulx's Vampire returning. She shakes her head at the thought, reminded that a moment ago she agreed to continue the fight against the Kimpe and their human, Promethus.
Like most things at the moment, Lavinia isn’t certain what fate her choice will bring. Sure, this time she’s facing off against a human willingly and without them knowing of her like she will know of them once this haze clears and Ulx divulges what power the human wields.
He spoke little while she devoured Crystals. Mentioned that the human stripped him of the GroveStaff right as he sent the Stelc, Trirax and Caldri to this location. He said he couldn’t resist their might and emphasized that it was the human who made him retreat afterwards and not Jelvun, the Kimpe Trirax.
Lavinia doesn’t much care for the details of who bested who but of how. Recent weeks have taught her limits and she has many. If Ulx wishes her to fend off the human, then she will need to learn plenty of their power and capabilities. For the moment though, Promethus forcing Ulx to retreat is enough to give her an idea of how difficult keeping her promise will be.
Jonn takes her hand, “Lavinia, we’re here, stop walking.”
‘Here’ smells magnificent and familiar in a way that has Lavinia’s stomach bubble with mirth and anticipation. She levels her sight forward, forcing her eyelids open in full to be greeted by a grinning, fat whiskered demon in a bloody apron.
“Derannn.” She drawls through her lethargy, finding strength in the sight of her favourite demon.
Rotating a large wing piece on the grill powered by his fired tail, Deran cackles joyously as Lavinia lurches for it, “Lavinia! You’ve returned, as Ulx said you would. Hahah.”
He allows Lavinia to gnaw on the half roasted piece of thigh without complaint and she nods up at him with her mouth already full and gushing. Jonn sighs, shaking his head at them both as he ducks under Deran’s canopy, “We’re not here for the exotic flesh, at least not entirely.”
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“Oh, yes, Ulx let me know to accommodate you and our Vampire friend here, what do you need?” Deran chuckles as Lavinia all but swallows the first piece of wing, he unclips another and smacks it on the grill, tossing some powder from his aprons pocket.
“Well, for starters, clothing for her. Armour if you have any and a weapon, yeah?” Jonn studies Lavinia at the mention of a weapon but she merely minds the sizzling of her next wing strip. “Lavinia, please concentrate.”
Frowning, Lavinia looks down at herself and finds she’s still more nude than the day she was born. With her mane as the only covering against demons like that fire-walker, Lavinia, for the first time thought herself truly bare.
“Fire proof.”
“Fire proof?” Jonn repeats, taken by surprise she’d even have a request.
“Bwahaha, wise Vampire, you’re in luck! Corym’s disaster politics seperates me from my best wares but this I have in plenty!” Deran cackles, handing Lavinia another juicy meat on a stick.
Graciously accepting, Lavinia sits beside the grill while Deran retreats to search one of four chests he has at the back of the canopy. Jonn lingers over her, the curious gaze he settles on her assures that she won’t be falling asleep without discussion. Fortunately, her stomach rejoices at food at long last, especially since Deran makes it the way she likes; fried but soaked with seasoned blood.
“Why fire proof? The Kimpe and Simak don’t have any fire based abilities...that I know of anyway. I thought you might want something else.”
Munching and staining herself with her meal, Lavinia says, “There’s a demon I want to eat. It’s made of fire.”
Jonn straightens at this, single eye narrowing down at her, “You fought a Vatreni?”
“I escaped. Is that it’s name? I didn’t have a chance to check.” She mumbles.
Heaving a sigh, Jonn squats beside her, “The Vatreni are not of this layer, Lavinia. The demons that are going around setting the forest on fire? They’re summoned by the Promethus.”
At the human’s name Lavinia’s taste buds sour and she growls, “They are…commanded to do that? By the human?”
Jonn shrugs, “Maybe, maybe they’re just being demons in a new place and bringing chaos. Ulx thinks so though, says its too convenient that he hides us away under the veil and then the forest is set on fire by Vatreni. Promethus probably plans to use them to smoke us out, but it won’t work.”
“Because?”
Jonn smirks, “Have you ever wondered how there’s a forest in the middle of nothing?”
“Ah ha!” Deran exclaims, hauling out a sack larger than the chest containing it. He empties its contents of shawls, chain-mail, daggers, maces and all sorts. “Here’s some of the elemental resistances I have…acquired over the years. Have your pick and I’ll try to remember what it does.”
Lavinia lazily lurches for the pile, scattering through sheathed scimitars and boots as large as her head in search of something useful and practical. She has little experience with clothing and armour but knows what she absolutely doesn’t want to wear— nothing constricting or heavy and nothing colourful.
A grin finds her lips as she notices her hands picking apart the pile, both of them in full, healthy form. It’s only been a couple of hours since she regained her full strength and already all her wounds from the Dungeon and the offensive welcome to Reais she experience have closed up nicely.
Those past experiences inspire some idea of what kind of protection she’d want and so she continues to pick apart the pile until she grasps something light yet sturdy.
“That one? A fine choice.” Deran says, inspecting the black hooded cloak Lavinia hold onto.
“Fire proof?”
He snatches it out of hand and with a spark of Essence his tail reignites atop of it. The material doesn’t catch the flame even as Deran pours more Essence into his tail and guides it around the cloak, “It is resistant. It’s not the same as fire proof but it will shield you from it.”
Jonn nods in approval as well, “It has some other resistances attached doesn’t it? I can see other runes drawn into it and they can’t be all for protection against flame.”
Deran chuckles, “Good eye. Yes, there are some protections against piercing, it will resist even your claws.”
“I will have it.” Lavinia cares little for other protections besides fire but they are welcome, any advantage is.
Jonn rifles through the pile as well now, distracted by its many shining and alluring items drawn or embedded with magical properties. He snatches out a boot from an oversized shield, “Where’s the other pair? Lavinia, I think you should have this as well.”
He tosses the single boot over and Lavinia inspects it. It’s as dark as her new cloak and has a gleaming blue gem at its ankle sides, “What does it do?” She asks, putting it on anyway and finding her leg sinks into it, falling short of her knee.
Deran crouches beside her, running a clawed finger over the gem. The mana within it reacts with his own made manifest and Lavinia’s brow furrows, “Do many demons control mana?”
“Hahah! Good question, Vampire. I do not think so, not every demon has the talent and not all have the blessing either. This one puts the wind at your feet, the other pair should be in another chest.”
Lavinia hums in thought at that as Deran pillages through his chests, filling the canopy with more artefacts, weapons and even scrolls that roll to her feet. She picks one up and unfurls it, reminded of the last time she looked through Deran's wares with Ulx. The scroll, like the one before, details some kind of magic as well as unreadable instructions to cast it.
“How do I get the blessing?” She wonders aloud. If she had mana, blood and Essence then killing Henry will only be a matter of time and patience.
“Sorry Lavinia, you’re either born with it or not.” Jonn says with a shrug, still rummaging.
“That’s not all true!” Deran exclaims, somehow waist deep in one of his chests. He pulls himself out with a grunt and carries a box in hand. It’s gold, carved with words of an unreadable language and the form of a fierce creature gnawing its own tail.
“Isn’t it?” Jonn disputes as Deran approaches with the box, “I’ve never seen or heard of a demon gain control of mana after birth. Seraph wondered about this as well but Ulx, well, he helped her come to terms.”
Deran snorts, “Like all forces of the world, mana can be borrowed or stolen to wield with the special instruments. Ulx only kept Seraph from such a path because he thought it best to leave the fight to those born for it. He was wrong.” Unfastening the box, Deran reveals a pair of gold-bronze vambracers seated on a velvet cushion, “If you wish to wield the force of mana then this is one such instrument that will lend it, Lavinia”