Digging Deeper {Morrigan/Lillianne}

[Morrigan Reid]

Morrigan was in high spirits, rejuvenated by recent events. Her duel and increased focus on her training had really allowed her to flex her magical muscles, in a sense. In a manner she's been unable to, comfortably, since leaving home. Yes there was the whole pirate fiasco among other things, but those situations were more stressful than anything. The more she utilized her magic on the mainland the more comfortable with doing so she became. Despite being labeled a "witch" more often than she'd like, she still hadn't faced any major prejudice.

This was in Lycia, though. From her understanding Etruria was not as forgiving on the matter. And she would need to brave that trek in due time. It was supposed to be riddled with libraries, the most magically advanced country on Elibe, and so on and so forth. It was her best chance to find any tomes or books on the information she so desperately needed.

But Morrigan was not yet in Etruria. Far from it. She'd have to make do with the texts she could find in Lycia first. So far her ventures have been...not successful, to put it mildly. She'd found little beyond basic knowledge that any pupil had memorized by the time they'd received their first tattoo. Some tomes were horribly outdated, still discussing magic as if it were some manner of complete mystery, which was far from the truth. There was still much to be learned about magic as a whole, but mankind has had millennia of experience with magic.

Still, Morrigan carefully drew out another text from a shelf, merely spotting the term "Nether" on the title and taking it off that detail alone. She weaved around and between the bookshelves before finding an empty table to sit at. Perhaps with this one she'd have more luck.

[Deleted]

For her part, Lillianne was deeply engrossed in the eighth-century works of Bülow, taking a bit of a break from the physical exertions of saving the world - or at least Lycia - to retreat to the spiritual refuge of the mind. She had always meant to read more of Bülow's stylings after the harsh beating he had received in his limited mentions in her schooling, and this city's library had been as much an excuse to slip away from her responsibilities as a logical extension of her need to further her strategic and tactical ability for the struggles ahead. She might not be a general any more, but she could hardly rest on her laurels and past accomplishments if she was to be fighting a different kind of war now.

It wasn't hard to see why the ancient strategist had been reviled heavily in the time since he first published; born in an era of strife, he had forecasted the development of war from smaller, limited wars into a world of total war, one in which politics and war became one entity - in which losing a war risked not some unimportant territory, but the very fundamental identity of the nation itself. For the further one pushed their opponent in war - the more complicit their society was in that undertaking - the more great and terrible the revenge of the other party would be should they win. No longer would wars be fought over meaningless territory, far removed from the home front.

While Elibe's wars had certainly begun to approach that point again, she wasn't as concerned about the greater scheme of total war as much as his more tactically focused writers. He made a strong argument for the importance of skirmishers in warfare that she found herself agreeing with for the most part, but especially the notion of 'organizing disorder'. It wasn't exactly aligned with her own tactical ideals, but close enough she could not dismiss it either, and even those with whom one did not agree entirely with could be learned from, could they not? Spending part of her afternoon learning was a small price indeed for the gift of another perspective, even if he was a bit of a firebrand who failed to take account of some of the realities of movement in combat.

So when some dark-clad hussy wandered into her temporary domicile - the irony of that wording was not lost on her - Lilly spared little more than a cursory inspection of the woman and a briefly friendly smile before turning to ensure there was an unoccupied seat, then returned to her own reading once assured that no further interaction would be required of her.

[Morrigan Reid]

"The Higher Mysteries of the Nether" by a...Seamus Duggan. Name didn't ring any bells for Morrigan, but the title was a gigantic red flag.

In truth Morrigan should have bothered to read the full title. With a disappointing sigh she figured she ought to just give it a glance over anyway. Higher mysteries of the Nether...what did that even mean? What constitutes as a "higher mystery"? What separates a proper mystery from a "higher" one? The title was ludicrous, the notion ridiculous, but Morrigan decided to channel her optimism. After all "never judge a book by it's cover"...

...

"A common way of channeling the Nether is to gather a...sacrifice? Oh no, don't tell me it's..." Morrigan's brow quirked, her disbelief reaching newfound heights. "Usually in the form of livestock, such as a goat. One must bring the sacrifice to a pyre, as per ritual...oh gods this IS an occult book."

While not overly common, thank the gods, there were some that looked to Elder magic as a sort of taboo communion with dark entities. The reality was, well, possibly true and yet highly unlikely, but regardless one did not go about it in such a manner. There would be no communions or dark entities during these rituals. In fact such rituals often involved the use of hallucinogenic plants, burning them so that those involved could breathe them in. If anything came of such senseless practices it would be only a delusion.

Morrigan closed the book, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. She wasn't necessarily frustrated, she just felt a fool. She should have taken a harder look at the text rather than allowing her good cheer to leave her impatient. Realization dawning upon her yet again she gazed around, hoping nobody actually saw her reading such...foolery. Really, the entire ordeal was embarrassing to say the least.

With another small sigh Morrigan stood up from her seat, picking up the book before walking along the rows of tables, eager to return it and replace it with...anything, really. Anything was better by this point. However as she passed by an almost enviably stunning young woman, her eyes caught a quick glimpse of her book. She couldn't quite make out the title, but the author was...

"Ah, you're reading Bülow?" Morrigan blinked, having essentially blurted out what she was thinking. Ah well, she'd gone and said it now, so Morrigan stopped by the woman's table. To her credit she did smile, though a faint blush of embarrassment was present on her cheeks.

[Deleted]

Fortunately for Morrigan's sensibilities, Lilly had immersed herself back in the world of the written word the moment the chance presented itself, leaving her nearly insensate to whatever embarrassing mishaps and silly shenanigans happened to occur in the vicinity. Instead, she was deep in thought on the results of the Bernese situation in the last decade or so through the modern age. It was if nothing else proof that if a country pushed too far in total war the consequences could be far worse than some lost identity; they had very nearly lost themselves under the iron heel of Ilia in the wake of the foolhardy wars. Lillianne found it hard to feel entirely sympathetic for Bern given that it was their own damn fault for starting such a stupid, pointless war, but neither was she fond of Ilia's abuse of their responsibility. But if two wrongs did not make a right, what did? Was it... right that Bern was free once more? Had they learned their lesson? Its army was in shambles now, but that would only last for a time, and then they would have the same temptation once more.

"Hm?" The Lycian mage looked upwards at the interruption, jerked from her concentration somewhat frustratingly but not enough to make a point of it. It didn't cost her anything to be polite after all, and sometimes there were opportunities gained from unexpected connections. Or at least a pleasant chat. She wasn't so mercenary as to expect some personal benefit from every minor interaction, after all. "Yes," Lilly continued smoothly after only a brief pause, quietly enough to... hopefully... not disturb the rest of the library. "I've been meaning to investigate his works in more depth for some time. Many are ambivalent about his contributions to strategy, and rightfully so, but he makes a strong case-" The Ryerden trailed off, a wry smile gracing her lips. "My apologies, miss. I don't mean to blather."

It... was a little embarrassing, honestly. She usually didn't talk much about herself. But Lilly had to admit it was... possible... that she was going a little stir crazy these days without her job, or the people she knew, or much of any real power to effect change. Sometimes you had to take refuge in what you knew. And then talk other people's ears off about it, apparently. You go, girl! Act even crazier than usual, that'll really fool 'em into thinking you're normal!

[Morrigan Reid]

Morrigan listened a bit as the woman went on, and she quickly picked up on the woman's genuine interest in warfare and strategy. She had cut herself short but Morrigan knew to recognize such rants when they came: she went on them often enough on her own! So Morrigan could hardly take any offense to the rambling that nearly happened, instead smiling politely. "Oh, it's not blathering. I had no idea he was so controversial, actually."

That was true, she didn't. What was also true was that she knew little about warfare or strategy whatsoever. The Convent had some...texts on the subject, but Morrigan felt as though they were likely incredibly outdated. Near Scouring era war strategies likely wouldn't be so applicable currently, for one reason or another. She had simply read a text under the same author out of curiosity, to make a contrast if she could. It was not so cut and dry, and while she likely failed to understand the true meaning or nuance behind it, Morrigan felt she still had a...fair grasp of strategies Bülow had seemed to discuss.

The real key here was to either figure out how exactly to best explain that to an outright stranger, or to simply move past it.

"I was, however, informed...albeit a touch rudely, that his works weren't exactly popular." It was rather amazing the sort of people one could meet in a library. Most were pleasant, or at least quiet enough for you not to notice otherwise, but others were...not so. "I suppose that made you stand out a bit. If...you don't mind, I'd ask for you to continue?" It truly was a question, as Morrigan gestured to the chair across from Lillianne. Can't just go sitting down in front of someone without their permission: that'd be too witch-like!

[Deleted]

That was... interesting. This unusual woman had heard of Bülow, but knew little of him. No, Lilly amended herself, her mind moving quickly as she worked through the steady procession of logic. She must know little to nothing of the art of warfare at all to not be aware of his reputation, which in turn meant that her recognition of the name had likely been one in passing at most - in much the same way that she herself might recognize, say, a famed cook's name, but have little idea of his recipes. It was unlikely that she had ONLY been exposed to that one author, unless it was a passing fancy.

Unless the name recognition had been false entirely, merely a pretext to begin conversation. Perhaps well-meaning friendliness, perhaps... well. Lillianne shelved her further suspicions for now, but did not forget them. She wasn't really anyone important, at least not anymore. Unless the woman was a citizen of Worde looking to avenge the death of their king to the witch that some doubtless still blamed - and how far away from the truth those suspicions were! She would rather have slit her own throat and drowned in her own blood than hurt good Caelan. No, it was unlikely this was a matter of such and sort, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. The Ryerdan was still a bit adrift and uncertain of what to make of herself, much less how others might, leaving her with such strange conundrums as these. Regardless, she did her guest ill to think so suspiciously of her without good reason; certainly the witchy woman had done nothing to deserve such caution.

"Of course," she said genteelly, substituting graciousness for suspicion. Noting the page number she had been at with a glance, Lilly closed the book and straightened up somewhat - not a difficult feat for the aristocratic ex-officer, and one that looked quite natural on her. Now then. Where to begin? She didn't know the other woman's exact background on high strategy or field tactics alike, so it wouldn't do to try to get too technical or use too much jargon right off the bat. At the same time, she wasn't looking to offend by treating the woman like a fool. Best to just keep it relatively simple and see what the woman picked to hone in on. "There is a disgusting shortage of quality literature on combined-arms tactics that use magic as more than a blunt hammer, so I find more practical value in writings on the philosophy of warfare, which can be extrapolated on and worked into personal approaches."

The Ryderdan magus paused to collect her thoughts, trying to think how best to summarize it. "He was guilty of the cardinal sin of high strategy - ignoring the friction of armed forces, pretending morale was not a factor - and in trying to break war itself into a simple system of equations, so he is often used as an example of the danger of forgetting the difference between strategy and tactics. But I find myself agreeing with some of his notions on tactics. To make a science of organizing disorder; the ultimate extension of the apocryphal saying of Goodhead - 'if we don't know what we're doing, the enemy certain't can't!'"

Lillianne smiled, chuckling lightly to herself as she raised one hand politely to cover her mouth. She had always found that statement thoroughly hilarious - and surprisingly piercing in its intent for how stupid it sounded on the surface. It spoke of the danger of using staid, conventional tactics from some famed rulebook somewhere; in speaking the same language of motion as your foe, you allow them to react in kind. There was danger inherent to change for the sake of change of course, one could hardly make tactically unwise movements simply to confuse the foe, but if one could make a doctrine of shock troops and skirmishers, they could certainly find some level of success. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name miss. You can call me Lilly." Of course she hadn't - the other woman hadn't offered it - but it was at least a polite way to broach the subject.

[Morrigan Reid]

While Morrigan did not notice if the blue haired woman had given her any indication to have a seat, neither did she notice her explicitly signalling her NOT to. So Morrigan pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, still doing her best to hide her embarrassing book on her lap. An occult book...gods, she'd rather be caught with erotica.

Gone were her doubts and lingering embarrassment, though, as instead she tried to follow what Lillianne went on to say. The woman had picked a good start to catch her interest, however. There was a rather bland view of the applications of magic by most of Elibe, even other practitioners. It surprised her very little that the typical view of magic in warfare was to...well, frankly, blow crap up. What made it worse was that magic was very adept and capable of knocking down walls, sweeping across large numbers of soldiers, and...blowing crap up...so the average person saw little other use for it. W

As Lillianne continued on Morrigan was able to follow. Ignoring the value of morale did seem foolish, even to her. A sword is only as sharp as its wielder, and a soldier only as sturdy as their will. Morrigan wondered if it was too easy for strategists to forget that soliders are human? That they possess emotion, ideologies and desires, as opposed to pieces on a board of Etrurian Chess? It...likely wasn't so easy, but it was a thought that amused her all the same. That said, war was no doubt chaotic even at the best of times, and so it made sense to her that mastering chaos itself could be seen as a fruitful endeavor for a strategist.

Really, Morrigan did find this all to be fascinating. She made a note to make more time for a new genre of literature in her future, but that likely would not be for a while yet. However there seemed to be some sort of insiders joke that Morrigan missed. Lillianne chuckled, and Morrigan did understand the humor of what she said, but she certainly did not recognize the quote. Nevertheless she chuckled a bit as well, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes before giving her a nod.

"You seem certainly well versed, not just in Bulow but in the...community of strategy and warfare as a whole." Again, the whole "inside joke" more or less tipped her off to that. It wasn't all that easy to pick up on something like that just from reading a book. That came from discussing the literature with someone else, maybe several others even. Perhaps Lillianne was a history buff who specialized in history of warfare, or perhaps...a soldier? Maybe nobility? Morrigan couldn't spot anything concrete to confirm either or.

"But ah, I do apologize. It was rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Morrigan, and it's nice to meet you, Lilly. And ah, thank you for sharing with me what you did. I do believe I was able to follow most if not all of what you said."

[Deleted]

Well versed.

Heh.

"I suppose you could say I dabble in the subject," she responded with a light smile, not a particularly helpful answer but Lilly didn't see much reason to explain further. Nothing against Morrigan of course, she truly did seem like a nice young lady, but, or perhaps as much because of that, the Ryerdan mage didn't see any value in burdening the raven-haired woman down with her own baggage. It wasn't really relevant anymore, after all. "The Elibe of this era certainly does offer a treasure trove of warfare to study, after all. I expect the next generation of would-be warlords to have learned something from all this tragedy."

Ha ha... just what Elibe needed, people who were even better at killing each other. Leave it to the bastards in Etruria to make everything worse. Nonetheless, she also didn't want to subject the lovely young lady to a xenophobic rant about how Etrurians were responsible for everything bad that had ever happened in the history of Elibe, so as she had gained quite a great deal of experience with, Lillianne swallowed those thoughts and focused more on putting up a good front. "Morrigan, please, it was nothing. It's rare to find a mind interested and understanding of these subjects, as I know all too well." WAY too well. Most of her damn ideas had been forced kicking and screaming through generals and commanders who didn't like them, soldiers who didn't understand them, and politicians who didn't understand war itself much less how to go about it. When she'd left Ryerde, Lilly had been very nearly at the breaking point of finally snapping out of sheer frustration born of years spent trying to find people able to recognize her talents.

And the worst part was that they WORKED. Her track record was phenomenal. But the old guard refused to see that, looking for any excuse to belittle her achievements and herself when they could not. And she had, unfortunately, left them with enough personal ammunition that they would likely never run out.

[Morrigan Reid]

Mhm, of course Lilly touched on the current state of Elibe. Morrigan was a bit saddened by the current state of affairs in Lycia. Their capital reduced to ruin by Etruria, and now the country was nearly overrun with monstrosities. Thankfully Morrigan had yet to actually experience said horrors first hand, but she had been warned many a time, often by a terrified old soul who had lost a grandchild or some relative to the beasts.

If...if she had the time, maybe she could offer a hand. Do SOMETHING to ease the pain. Even if just a little. But she had shouldered enough burdens as it was. Of course, knowing herself, Morrigan already knew that it was only a matter of time before her conscience overwhelmed logic. Heh, Raine had always called it a curse. "Cursed with Kindness" she'd jest and tease.

"You're unfortunately correct, when it comes to the violence that currently plagues Elibe." Morrigan started with a small, sad smile. "I certainly hadn't expected it when I arrived." Not entirely true. The Convent was not so isolated that they knew NOTHING of the mainland. After all Morrigan had set food on mainland Elibe many times before this particular excursion. Still, she realized a bit afterwards that she may have been vague or confusing there, so after blinking twice she continued on to elaborate.

"Oh! I am ah, new to the mainland, for the most part. I come from the Western Isles, in fact. A small hamlet nestled deep within the woods and mountains. I've actually come to Elibe hoping to learn more about magic. About how mainlanders study and practice it." And to promote the Convent as if it were a stage performance, but uh, she could hold off on that bit for a while yet. Besides, Morrigan had already answered plenty of questions that Lillianne had literally never asked. Smooth, Morrigan. Good job with that whole 'talking' thing.

"But um, that's a bit of a tangent." Morrigan let out a sheepish chuckle, her face reddening a bit. It was miraculous how easily she could screw up basic human interaction. She still wound up embarassed and giggling like some sort of teenage girl. Gods, Morrigan... "Anyway, yes. Will my primary interest is in magic, I just enjoy...reading and learning, really. Any form of literature. We had little need for books on warfare and tactics at the convent, but I still find them fascinating, even if I know very little."

[Deleted]

Ah... arrived. From heaven, Lilly could only assume; an ebony angel. While it did sound a little... strange even in her mind, she was't mocking Morrigan in the least; she simply honestly hadn't expected the girl to be so kind and considerate. Not to say it was completely alien to her. Simply that, put bluntly, most of Elibe turned a blind eye to the suffering of their neighbors. Country against country, state against state, brother against brother. Ryerde and Worde. Even with Etruria looming over the entirety of Elibe, with monsters running roughshod over the innocent, no one could agree to deal with the issue.

The Western Isles though, that was interesting. Lillianne had heard of them of course, she wasn't entirely clueless geographically, but she knew little OF them. They were controlled by Etruria but not exactly friends to it as a whole, which was all it took to separate "Morrigan" from "Etrurian scum" in her mind. And a small-town girl. Well, that certainly explained quite a bit, though given her comments about magic Lilly had a feeling that Morrigan might not be quite as helpless as she looked. And learning about types of magic! Oh, she would be here a long time and leave quite unsatisfied if that was the case, there were quite a few schools and most of them hated all the others. Well... the physical schools often belittled each other. Actual 'schools' of magic generally had little to do with each other.

"Well, I grew up in a Ryerden magic academy, but I'm afraid I may not be the best source of knowledge on common magical procedures. My interest was always more in their practical application." Without looking apologetic in the least, but at least having the decency not to smile or brag about the fact she sucked so much at real magic she had to invent a new way to magic, she continued. "There are others worth looking into as well, Laus is well known for its academy, and Etruria, but... well." The Lycian smiled tightly and shrugged expressively. "Etruria." There was no small undercurrent of unpleasantness in her tone, but she did not subject Morrigan to further ranting on that subject. "From what I hear of the politics of the Isles, though, you may need that expertise soon. Whispers of Etruria's further designs on the Western Isles have grown quite dark of late."

[Morrigan Reid]

It was strange how many different emotions one could be put through in such a short span of time. When Lilliane first continued on about magic, Morrigan's eyes had no doubt lit up with joy. Only so much of the convent focused on the actual application OF their magic. The focus was instead on the teaching of, and mastery of, the "way" of magic, so to speak. The art of casting a spell. To move your body in tandem to the spirits with which you communed. To bear your soul in all aspects, or to transfigure your body into a conduit for power in its most raw form.

However Lilly had continued on to give Morrigan a grim reminder that she er...had definitely needed. Etruria and the Western Isles had always had a turbulent relationship, to put it mildly, and the Convent had just recently cut some of their strongest ties to people of power in Etruria in a rather violent manner. They were a threat that had to be recognized, and they could not hide from them. It...was all the more important that Morrigan succeeded in her mission, then. The Convent needed knowledge. They needed allies. They...they needed power.

"I...see. I had heard that things regarding Etruria had been heading further and further south. I will definitely take your warning to heart." Morrigan spoke with an uneasy smile. That said she still fully intended to visit Etruria, and she would make a not to hit Laus as well. Any source of further magical knowledge, and a possible location for knowledge about the retrieval of one's consciousness from the nether, was critical to Morrigan's mission. Filled with some resolve, her worried expression settled, and continued on to speak.

"As for the Convent, my home, well...we never put too much focus on the practical applications of our magecraft. We tended to think a bit bigger...oh, not that this is a slight to you. If anything we could do with becoming a bit more grounded in our ideologies and goals as a community..." So said the woman who was determined to do what had never been done before in the history of her convent, as well as another act that, as far a she knew, had never been accomplished in the history of mankind. Morrigan, the great idealist, had no right to chastise anyone or anything when it came to practicality. But uh, whoops?

"So I am curious as to some examples that you may have come up with. How could magic be better utilized on an everyday basis?" Of course ah, Nether magic likely had few practical uses, but Morrigan was still deeply curious. She did have some training in Anima as well, after all, and the knowledge was not for her. It was for the Convent.

[Deleted]

"No offense taken." The Ryerden tactician smiled graciously, her words filled with a practiced warmth that while engineered rather than natural per se, was still perfectly genuine and honest in this situation. It wasn't as much of the way her specialty, but Lilly did appreciate the work of researchers and tinkerers who simply wanted to understand magic on an intellectual level - it was their calling, a purely personal decision that she would not think to take from them. In some ways she had been there as well, though her learning of magic in a noncombat application had been more from necessity than sheer pleasure; she did enjoy trying to push her study forward. What did it matter if there were one or fifty Morrigans in the Western Isles who dedicated their lives to that? Long as they could live, and weren't hurting anyone, it was perfectly fine by her.

As for practical applications... well, it appeared that she and Morrigan were speaking of two different things. Not the other woman's fault by any means in retrospect, she had no reason to truly assume, but Lilly's mind did not commonly combine 'practical application' and 'civilian life' together unless necessary. "Though I fear you misunderstand me, Morrigan. I meant more their tactical application. How to use magic as a force multiplier rather than simply another weapon. On a simple level, something akin to setting a forest on fire with Fire magic rather than torches, but more generally the use of magic to shape the battlefield from a holistic viewpoint - powerful Wind magic overhead to shield a unit from arrows or the noise to shield a moving unit from discovery, ice or earth magic for barriers to funnel a larger force, earth magic for rapid terraforming to create rapid and stable supply lines as a force pushes into enemy territory..."

Lilly shook her head with a smile, pausing for only a moment for effect before continuing. "Mind-altering and buffing magics, of course, tend to have obvious usage that I will not waste your time with, though some Dark magic in particular ought to be better utilized by saboteurs subtly - implanting ideas or mental sicknesses in enemy commanders before battles to addle their minds and warp their judgement, allowing for victory without the necessity of a real fight. Light magic has its usage as well, from truly hiding special forces from view to blinding foes to set up tactical strikes in relative safety."

The tactician leaned back in her chair, forcing herself to shut the f**k up rather than drone on and on forever on the subject... even if it was exactly what she loved. But it seemed that Morrigan did not think of war as she did, an understandable difference, so it would be rude to monopolize the conversation entirely for too long. "War will never move past sword and lance until we invent weapons to surpass them that can be used by every man, but armies with a good mage cadre who can master the use of a combined-arms approach will always have a great advantage over those who do not. One magician can be worth a hundred men at arms if they have enough tricks up their sleeves. Or rabbits."

[Morrigan Reid]

It seemed Morrigan had been wrong in her assumption of what Lillianne had meant. "Practical application" had more been "practical application of magic in warfare." Which was fine, really. It likely led to a more interesting line of conversation than what Morrigan's assumption would have led to. It was cruel, though, but of course it was. Mercy and kindness did not truly exist in strategy, only objective decisions and mindsets that would gain a strategic advantage over one's enemy. It was not "great" to think about, but it was a fascinating topic all the same. "I see. I find it to be a worthy pursuit, or at least a curious one. Again, from my admittedly limited knowledge on the subject, magic has overall been underused by the armies of Elibe. Or perhaps undervalued. Why utilize the support effects beyond spells that are geared towards that angle, or staves of course, when one could somply hurl thunderbolts or torrents of raw darkness at the opposing army."

It was not something that Morrigan necessarily agreed on, but it was the fact of the matter. The average Elibean had either a simplistic view on magic or an archaic one. Then again the average Elibean was a coin flip on whether or not they could read. Especially with the worrisome Etruria, and the apparent event that magic had caused in Lycia, it was clear that the "popularity" of magic was down. Magic also took time to cast, and a great deal of study and practice to utilize to the effect that a standing army would typically enjoy. So rather than train their battlemages for more complex strategies, the armies likely trained them to combine their powers in a more simplistic way. A hundred anima practicioners gathered simply to create a larger thunderstorm, when they could do so much more...

"Though I am unfortunately reminded of the naturally...cruel abilities that my branch of magic has at its disposal." Morrigan had a complicated relationship with the nether, and it showed in her even smile. She believed it could truly be utilized for good, that it was not destined to be the "dangerous, forbidden" branch of magic among the three. Despite what she had witnessed in her life, Morrigan herself had comitted no atrocities throughout her many years of study and practice, and has likely given up only the tiniest shreds of her being to the Nether. Pieces and shards of herself so small that she would likely never notice that they had been taken. "But you are correct. Sickness and...not necessarily mind control, but close. The induction of fear, paranoia, or potentially even madness. Elder magic could also be used to cloak a group in pure shadow, a possible 'night' approach to the light magic strategy you mentioned."

Jus a few ideas off the top of her head.

"What I wonder is if it is for the best, though. Is it for the best that the armies of Elibe maintain their overly simplistic strategies. As effective as a few of our possibilities could be, the tales of such tactics would spread. The commonfolk would learn of them, and even more false stories of what magic could be capable of would spread. And it would not just be Elder magic that wound up stigmatized." Morrigan paused and fidgeted a bit. The still embarassing book that she continued to attempt to cover up, not eager to explain to Lillianne that situation, was partially what had given her this thought. She just hoped she had conveyed her point in a clear manner. "Perhaps strategically, wars and battles could be ended with fewer actual casualties with such method. But for the magic community...well, there are things people fear more than death."

[Deleted]

"That is the catch," Lillianne agreed. She didn't like it of course. But she couldn't rightly say that it WASN'T easier, intellectually, to just utilize the direct, offensive powers of magic. A thunderbolt striking, the roar of flame, even the direct offensive use of magic had its psychological and physical effects beyond mere damage as well.

Though more interesting still was the fact that Morrigan admitted to being a practitioner of Dark magic; few did, at least not easily, given how little care Elibe had for them. Lilly, of course, was no more tolerant than others, perhaps less so than most in fact given her dislike of all Etrurians in the wake of what the country did - but in seeing magical from the perspective of its use in war, rather than how scary it looked, it had never really occurred to her to dislike or distrust dark magic users especially. It was just a fact of life, no different than taking up the lance or dedicating one's life to the way of the sword.

"Ah Morrigan," she said, all smiles. "Cruel perhaps, but useful! What I wouldn't have given for a few more who were willing to plumb the depths of the Nether for king and country, or, ah, marquess and country, I suppose would be more accurate," she amended with a somewhat more apologetic air. "I have wondered what you did, but I eventually realized that what Elibe needs is not the escape of weakness, but a fear, an... understanding, of strength." More naturally in her element, the pleasantry began to fade. Not into cruelty, but an icy edge of self that pretended little for subtlety. "Not in the way of a brutal dictatorship or a single world leader, of course. I would be a terrible ruler. But a display of how terrible real war is. The threat of mutually assured destruction, as terrible as it sounds, is the greatest ward against war that one could imagine. In the face of guaranteed destruction, the brave and the weak alike must explore other options.. diplomacy, friendship, intermarrying... one might even be able to end war as a concept in civilized Elibe, or at least minimize it to minor shows of aggression between trained armies, rather than involving the innocent at all."

"To use war to end war as a concept... and what better stage than an Elibe already consumed by struggle, on the verge of a continent-wide war?"

[Morrigan Reid]

As Lillianne began to speak more and more, Morrigan grew a bit more concerned and wary. Lillianne did not seem to share the common distrust of Elder magic, which Morrigan had hoped would be the case. However she seemed a bit too...eager to embrace it. To see Elder Magic be used in all of its cruelty, provided it was useful. It was so wrong...and the worst part was that it came from a non-practicioner. It always did, didn't it? The cruel fantasies, the romanticizations, the disturbing fetishes. They always stemmed from one who had never so much as touched a Flux tome. From one who had never filled another being with the Nether, through spikes or tendrils to a hollow, black fire that ate away at one's mind and soul. To watch as the hope and light died in their eyes, even as their heart continued to beat.

Indeed, the sorceress' smile had grown thin by the time Lillianne had finished her speech.

"...There's an ignorance here, and out of respect for that I will do my best to be patient." Her voice had not grown cold, per se, but it had certainly shifted. Gone was the casual, relaxed 'doe in the woods' that could usually describe Morrigan. It was as if she had shifted to a business persona. "The use of Elder Magic, or any magic, in a reign of terror would not end in the peace that you believe in. That sort of horror would just bring about greater violence. Violence that would come from those who do not wield that same power. I'm no historian, but even I know that Elibe has seen such a paradigm shift before, and it ended in a mass extinction."

"But to believe that one could have such control over the Nether, or command so many who had that level of control over the Nether, to cause enough pain across the continent to the point where it would cow all into submission, into a false peace, is the true ignorance here. How many of those practitioners, those who worked away to bring about your false peace, would lose their minds? How many would rebel as their personalities shifted and changed during this conquest? Between the terror of war and the price of Nether, I'm not sure you fathom the true human cost that would be required. Too much death will not lead to a greater peace. Again, we've had a mass extinction event once, and since then have simply turned upon one another."

And then Morrigan slid forth her book. The idiotic occult style garbage she had carelessly mistaken for a true text on the subject of Elder Magic. "In my experience, those who do not understand Elder Magic either fear it, or fetishize it. It fulfills some sort of fantasy in one's mind one way or another. It could compel them to write a foolish text such as this, or ponder on the horror that you had just decribed as a deluded motion towards peace for Elibe." Morrigan tapped the cover of the book before she reclined into her seat. "-I- have seen the human cost I mentioned. I have paid the price of the Nether, and watched as others have. You would find no peace in the mass utilization of a magic you do not truly understand, and even if you conquered the Nether would not serve to maintain that order. You say that fear of true war could halt all war? I say fear is what drives war farther. The greater the fear, the more terrible the war. How far would you push it before it is us who are on the verge of extinction?"