An exercise of power

Julian walked through the city as he would a home away from home, but his home wasn’t the Imerdan manor. It was the forests that surrounded it. It was free of his family; a place where he could wander without being subjected to their contempt. Rona was much the same; he’d frequented it on his outings from the household nearly as much as he had the forests.

He had been to Rona more times than he could count, but still, the presence of so many people always drew his interest. Each had their own wishes, needs, and families. Their own life stories were etched on the skin of their city by their voices and expressions and footsteps.

It took everything he had not to stare at the individuals he saw in the street. They seemed to come from all walks of life. He saw what were surely impoverished peasants with unkempt hair and ratty old clothes mingling amongst brightly and expensively-garbed nobles and merchants, though the nobles tended to give everyone else a wide berth whenever possible. More than a few them had a sellsword or two following them, sharp eyes scanning the crowd with a hand on the pommels of their swords and axes.

They were humans and elves of all shades of skin color, from alabaster to purest ebony, though those of fairer skin were more common in Rona.

That’s the reality of living within an Empire that comprises many nations and regions. The Imperial family has done a remarkable job making all these disparate elements work together for the better part of five hundred years since the Realignment.

There were species other than human and elf, too, though they were far less common. He glimpsed a heavily-armored dwarf with long red hair and an equally long and red beard stumbling out of a tavern and getting lost in the crowd.

More than one woman caught his eye, and like the denizens of Rona they were as diverse as Julian had ever witnessed. They were all beautiful with well-proportioned sensual bodies that always seemed obvious to the eye no matter how many clothes the women wore.

Gods, a man could accomplish so much in Rona if only he knew where to look.

He kept walking.

Merchants called out loudly from their stalls. They lined the streets and decorated the marble buildings like clothes on a statue.

I wonder how many of them are classed. Usually the most successful ones will be crowded near the Silver Keep where security is in abundance and the vendors sell their wares for however much they wish. A Potioner could make a killing there catering to the wealthy nobles and military hierarchy in the city, so why is Joanna mingling with the common folk?

He sighed. Joanna had given him a mental clarity potion for free. It had worked magnificently, which spoke of Joanna’s proficiency with her craft and her likely high level. Something like the potion Joanna had given him would have probably cost him every last coin he had on him if he’d gone to the Silver District.

Something tugged at his mind like fingers on a string.

I have to catch Izel before she’s released by the Enforcers. Otherwise I might not find her again for a while. I’m certain of it.

He still wasn’t sure if he was right about her lack of mental barriers. It seemed too good to be true, especially considering how willful Izel had always been. He doubted he had met anyone with her sheer **** of will outside of his own family and Braknar.

Braknar. I wonder what he will say when it becomes known that I have a class. I cannot tell him the truth, obviously. No one can be trusted with my secret; not unless I have a guarantee of their silence. Unfortunately, that would have to entail some sort of mental compulsion, and I don’t want to do anything like that to Braknar.

Julian frowned as he moved through a crowd that choked the end of the street. He could almost sense the minds around him. Entire worlds of thoughts and emotions and memories encased within suits of skin and bone. What would happen if he used Detect Mind right then and there? Would his senses be overwhelmed or would he gain some knowledge of the masses around him, as he had for Joanna, Bryce, and Velri?

He wasn’t sure he wanted to risk finding out. He already had enough people on his mind.

He shoved himself through the crowd until he reached the other side, finally out of the market district of the city. The streets became less busy, but the buildings were no less ornate.

Julian’s boots clunked softly against the stone street, barely audible above the ambient noises of the city.

He came within view of the Enforcer redoubt he’d been imprisoned in the night before and felt a chill run though him. His eyes flicked downwards, towards the ground where, below, the dungeons stood shielded by tons of cold dirt and rock. The structure was wider than the buildings that surrounded it. While the buildings around it were clean, polished marble, the Enforcer structure was composed of dark stone smooth as volcanic glass. A turreted spire adorned each corner of the building, and he could see Enforcer watchmen peering down onto the street from their positions above.

I’d reckon they’re probably a mix of archery and magic classes. There’s a very good reason why none of the riots have touched any of the Enforcer buildings.

He had no memory of entering it the night before. Clevis’ attack had knocked him out cold and he’d awoken in a cold, dingy cell in the dungeons.

His hand moved to the back of his head. The minor ache that had been there the night before had gone with the morning. He could not shake the notion that something terrible had happened to him however.

Izel mentioned that I had to be healed before I could be placed in the cell. How bad was I injured? Could I have died?

He shook off the thought. It didn’t matter now, and it wasn’t like Clevis would actually admit to hurting him to the point that healers were needed to save his life. And his own family would probably disbelieve him; Velri and Brynn chief among them.

Brynn. I almost forgot Clevis claimed to be courting her with her permission. I sincerely hope that is not true. If it is, I… I will have my **** on that elf and teach my sister a valuable lesson on loyalty. I swear it.

The streetgoers were less concentrated in this part of the city and the streets themselves more orderly. Julian could not find a single spec of rubbish or litter lining the streets. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, even the more shady types in hoods cast the occasional glance at the redoubt.

Enforcers patrolled the streets in singles and pairs. Their armor varied in terms of weight and sheer protection, but they all shared the same silver-gray appearance.

He felt the weight of the dagger he concealed within his coat.

So how would I find out that Izel has been released? It is still morning, but she could just as easily have been released at the crack of dawn as a few moments before noon.

He didn’t want to enter the redoubt and chance a run-in with Clevis or his mother who ran the place. Neither of them liked him and the last thing he wanted was to attract their attention today.

I do plan to test my abilities against them soon, but not in the redoubt where the Enforcers can easily react if anything were to go wrong. It isn’t uncommon for Mother to invite them over for dinner. I should see when that will occur next.

An image flickered in his mind of Jora Revenar succumbing to Hypnosis. She disrobed obediently and thoughtlessly repeated a mantra pledging her devotion to him while he watched. The image shifted. Jora was no longer hypnotized, but her violet eyes practically beamed with slavish devotion. She knelt before him, her hot tongue praising him while demeaning her own son and promising to aid in his **** against him.

Julian shook his head, dispelling the image. His lips twitched upwards.

How astounding is it that I do not doubt that I will make that dream happen one day?

The presence smiled with him in agreement, and for a moment he thought he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

He stood there and suddenly felt at a loss of what to do. He didn’t want to enter the redoubt and risk running into Jora or Clevis, or anyone else who might have had ire with him for the night before. He didn’t want to risk using his Skills on any of the patrolling Enforcers, either. That was a sure way to draw attention to himself that he did not want.

Julian’s stomach grumbled. He smirked.

“Of course, I only get hungry after I leave the company of the woman promising me free breakfast,” he muttered, his eyes scanning the area around him until they settled on a nearby inn, the Blue Dragon.

He walked towards it. There was a din of activity within even this early. Through the front window, the inn’s first floor seemed half-full with several tables available. The people within were more well-dressed than those in the Market District. One of the tables was occupied by two Enforcers who munched on a breakfast of what looked like pork and potatoes.

His stomach growled more loudly, and he reached for the door almost on reflex. He opened it and stepped into the inn.

None of the customers paid him any mind as he entered. Even the Enforcers, known for their perceptiveness, seemed too engrossed in their meal to care that a potentially dangerous individual had entered their presence. Perhaps they felt that their proximity to the redoubt would deter any possible aggressors.

They are probably right.

Julian moved to a table near the window which afforded a clear view of the Enforcer redoubt. If Izel left through the front door, he would see her.

Heavy footsteps clanked towards him.

He lifted his gaze right and saw a man who was an innkeeper if he ever saw one. He was plump and wore a dark blue tunic. His eyes were dark and slightly too close together. He had a long, thin moustache and balding black hair.

The man’s beady eyes seemed to take in his state of dress before nodding approvingly.

“What can I get you, my boy? We have potato soup or pork and potatos if soup doesn’t suit your fancy. We also have rooms available if you’re looking to spend the night.”

Julian nodded.

“I will have the soup,” he reached into his pocket and withdrew a handful of bronze coins. The innkeeper’s eyes glimmered greedily as he snatched them up with a smile. “Say, have you seen a woman come through here recently?”

The innkeeper chuckled. The rolls of fat along his face and body jiggled.

“Have I seen a woman come through here? My boy, there are women in my establishment right now. I’m afraid you are going to have to be much more specific.”

Julian sighed and withdrew another handful of bronzes. The innkeeper scooped them up with a smile.

“Does she have a name?” the innkeeper said simply.

“Izel. She has dark skin and hair with amber eyes.”

The inkeeper’s smile vanished.

“Ah, yes. I believe I have seen her before. The Tenlani woman. Why, the Enforcers marched her into their little redoubt last night. I must say the attire she wore was rather… enticing.”

The fat man then smiled widely, and Julian thought he wanted to bash the man’s nose in.

Julian gritted his teeth.

“Have you seen her since last night?”

The innkeeper shook his head.

“I’m afraid not, my boy. Now, if you will excuse me, another customer requires my attention.”

The innkeeper walked off to another table where three men had sat down.

Julian wondered if he should have used his Skills to pry further. The innkeeper seemed a greedy, lustful man. Either aspect would have been useful as a basis for a quick Suggestion.

The man was distasteful enough as it was. He realized that he did not want to interact with him psychically unless he had no other choice. He settled in to wait, eyes ever-conscious of the Enforcer redoubt which loomed in the distance beyond the window.

His breakfast arrived some time later, delivered by a plump young woman with brown hair and dark eyes. She smiled when he thanked her and retreated into the back room of the inn. He settled in to eat.

The soup was thick, creamy, and tasty. The texture of the potatoes and leeks mingled finely with the tasted and he moaned slightly. He dug in to his meal with gusto.

If nothing else comes of this trip, at least I can say I ate one of the best-tasting bowls of soup I have had in a long while.

By the time he was finished, Izel had still not left the Enforcer building. With a small, sad smile, he considered that she had most likely been released at the crack of dawn, long before he had arrived. She was probably long gone by now, having disappeared into the city to plan the next classless protests.

He was just about to get up from his seat when a pair of hands clasped themselves over his eyes.

“Guess who?” a familiar feminine voice purred into his ear.

Julian chuckled.

“My former cellmate? When did you get released?” he said.

The woman withdrew her hands.

Julian looked back at Izel. Her amber eyes were narrowed slightly and she crossed her arms underneath her breasts. She wore a green dress that hugged her voluptuous curves tightly and had one of the lowest necklines Julian had ever seen. He glimpsed something there, a thin necklace almost invisible to the naked eye. It seemed to barely reflect any light.

I wonder what material it’s made of. It's really difficult to see.

The Tenlani woman pouted.

“Oh, you wound me! Surely I’m more to you than your former cellmate, Julian.”

She walked past him, trailing a hand over his shoulder, and sat down across from him.

“Well, you did invite me to come find you today. That’s a little more than I would expect from a former cellmate. What I didn’t expect is that you’d already been released, and early enough to find another set of clothes, which makes me wonder why you’re here in the first place. I figured, first chance you got, you’d disappear back into the city like you always do.”

She smirked.

“You don’t think my earlier invitation was genuine?” she asked, leaning forward slightly.

His eyes flicked to her cleavage for but a moment, but it was enough to make Izel grin in triumph.

“Innkeeper!” she called out.

The fat, beady-eyed man wriggled his way to their table faster than Julian would have guessed he was capable of moving. His dark eyes stared openly at her.

“My, my. You must be Izel. Your, uh, companion was asking if I’d seen you.”

You rat-faced bastard, why did you have to tell her that? Now she’s going to be entirely too smug.

If Izel was bothered by the innkeeper opened gawking at her, she didn’t show it. Instead, she smiled.

“Was he now?” she said in a way that didn’t seem quite like a question. She glanced at Julian’s empty bowl. “Innkeeper, I will have a bowl of what he had, and quickly.”

The innkeeper nodded rapidly, the blubber in his face rolling disgustingly.

“At once, my lady. Um, my boy?” the innkeeper stared at him, and Julian realized that Izel had made no move to pay the innkeeper. She merely stared at him expectantly, a small smile on her lips.

Julian rolled his eyes and reached into his coat, withdrawing another handful of bronzes.

He held them out, but didn’t place them in the innkeeper’s hand.

“You know, I once heard it said that it was rude to stare at another man’s woman while he was present. Do you agree, innkeeper?”

He primed a Suggestion at the same time.

The young lord is powerful, wealthy, and connected. He will have your head if you do not show him proper respect.

He felt a dark tendril extend out from his own mind and penetrate the mind of the innkeeper. The disgust he’d expected to feel was not there. Instead, there was only the satisfaction of control.

“I-I… yes, young master I agree. Wholeheartedly. W-why, just the other day I had a talk with my sons about giving people the respect they are owed.”

The innkeeper lowered his eyes deferentially.

“Good man,” Julian tilted his hand, allowing the coins to slide into the hands of the innkeeper.

I doubt you will ever call me “my boy” again.

“Thank you, young master,” the innkeeper said before quickly scampering off.

Izel hummed and put a fist under her chin.

“Is something wrong?” Julian asked. Her lips twitched upward slightly, and he could not help but stare at them.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Izel replied coyly. “I mean, I know I am attractive, but very few men have outright claimed that I was their woman. Most lack the courage, I think. That, or they are simply too awestruck by my mere presence to form a coherent thought.”

Julian sighed.

Of course, that’s the part of the conversation she decides to focus on. The fact that I intimidated that innkeeper didn’t seem to faze her.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Julian. You paid for my meal, so you are already halfway there. Back in Tenlan, men are responsible for every expense, and you have fulfilled your role splendidly,” she said, and her lips twitched upwards. Her intelligent amber eyes glimmered amusedly. She gave her chest a small shake. Her breasts jiggled, drawing his gaze. She chuckled. “Don’t deny it. Oh, it’s so easy for me to see what you want. That little display with the innkeeper was solid, but I doubt you have what it takes to make me your woman. At least, not yet,” she trailed off and didn’t elaborate further.

Julian glared at her. He hated how his stomach fluttered at her teasing. She always seemed to know just how to manipulate him.

Suddenly I don’t seem to have any qualms about testing my powers more on her. Let’s see how strong those mental barriers are. I’ll start with an easy Suggestion first. I would rather not get another one of those feedback headaches again.

Every time Julian Imerdan asks if you’re his woman, you’ll say you are, but you won’t realize you’re doing it. It won’t bother you or strike you as strange no matter how many times he asks. It’s understandable why he would ask considering how beautiful you are.

He waited for his Suggestion to bounce off of her mental barriers, or at least some sign that it had been resisted, but instead the dark tendril of his influence went past her barriers as if they weren’t even there. It penetrated deep into her mind and made itself at home like a crab within an empty shell.

Julian gaped.

How was that possible? To have seemingly no mental barriers whatsoever? Julian knew instinctively that every sapient being had some measure of Will, and because of that their minds at the very least had defenses against psionic abilities. That had been why one his Suggestions had utterly failed to affect Joanna’s mind earlier and why his other Suggestions had sometimes struggled to work.

What did that mean for Izel? What was she if she didn’t have a Will of her own?

Izel whipped her hand in front of his face and start snapping her fingers rapidly.

“Gods, will you cut that out?” Julian groused.

The dark-skinned woman giggled and settled back in her seat.

“It’s rude to ignore the person you are dining with. Surely your parents taught you that at least,” she smirked. She leaned forward. “Oh, relax Julian. Live a little. If you saw the look on your face, you’d have laughed too.”

Julian snorted. She was always so unflappable.

“Maybe I’m not in the mood. You never take life seriously, Izel. I’m wondering if you ever will.”

Izel frowned for a moment.

“Life is too short to be taken seriously, Julian. If you’d lived…” she cut herself off and shook her head. “Things are bad in the city, Julian. You haven’t seen it, but they are. And not just here, everywhere in the Empire. We need to find our amusements where we can, when we can, because one day they might be gone forever.”

Julian’s eyebrows rose.

“You make it sound like the world is about to end.”

Izel chuckled hollowly.

“Well, theoretically it could. Tomorrow, some classed bastard could unlock a spell that brings an end to life as we know it,” she said, then sighed. “My point is that anything can happen at any time. Taking the whole world seriously will only make your life miserable. Live a little, Julian.”

I’d like to live a little with you.

He nodded.

“I suppose I can see your point,” he conceded. “From now on, I’ll endeavor to take the world less seriously.”

Izel’s ensuing smile was so genuine and beautiful that his heart nearly stopped.

“Excell-”

“Starting with you,” he interrupted with a smirk.

Her smile was gone now. She glared at him, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits that promised retribution.

“Hm,” she crossed her arms under her breasts. “How about you take the world less seriously, with the exception of me? Or at least save me for last?”

“No,” Julian said. “Either I take the whole world less seriously or I don’t. You never said there was an in-between.”

“I’m saying it now,” Izel replied almost petulantly.

“Well, in that case-”

“Sorry to interrupt you, young master, my lady,” the fat innkeeper was back holding a bowl of what looked like the same soup Julian had eaten earlier. His black eyes flicked to Izel for a moment before lowering.

Izel’s amber eyes flared with annoyance, but she smiled.

“Thank you, innkeeper.”

“My pleasure, my lady. Enjoy,” the innkeeper smiled. There was something about his smile Julian didn’t like. Before he could comment, the innkeeper turned and left.

Izel looked at the bowl of soup in front of her. She grabbed her spoon and dug into the meal. She held a spoonful of the soup in front of her face. She sniffed it experimentally.

“Let’s see how your tastes are,” she said, and put the spoon in her mouth. She tasted it for a few moments before swallowing.

“Mm. Not bad,” she said, and began eating in earnest.

Now’s as good a time as any to test the Suggestion.

“Izel, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Mhm?” she didn’t stop eating to answer him.

“Are you my woman?”

Izel shrugged and put the spoon down. She swallowed.

“What kind of question is that? Of course I am!” she said with such gusto that he widened his eyes.

He asked her again.

“Yep. Yes, I am,” Izel nodded, her face absolutely serious.

Well, she doesn’t sound like she’s being sarcastic. Gods, did it actually work? Let’s try something else now. Something more risky. What could possibly be risky with someone who has no Will? Status.

Julian Imerdan (lv. 5 Psion)

HP: 115/115

ST: 102/102

WP: 345/441

Skills...

Attributes…

Effects…

Julian licked his lips.

You’ll always do anything Julian Imerdan says. No matter what he asks or commands, you can’t disobey him.

Again, the tendril reached into Izel’s mind. He braced himself for a headache that never came.

He blinked.

Did it work?

“Are you sure you’re alright, Julian?” Izel frowned. She reached across the table again and put her hand on his head. Her breasts were positioned in front of his face, with an absolutely unobstructed view of her cleavage. “Hm, no fever. I guess we can chalk this latest lapse to your… male perception.”

She flicked the top of his head and sat back down.

“Well that wasn’t nice,” he muttered. “I paid for your meal, you know. That should at least buy me some courtesy from you.”

Izel rolled her eyes at him and smiled warmly.

“I’m here, aren’t I? What greater courtesy do you need?”

Your pussy wrapped around my cock. Gods, why is it so hard to say it?

“At least say you’re sorry for flicking my head,” he answered.

A strange look came over Izel’s face then.

“I’m sorry for flicking your head,” she muttered. Her eyes widened slightly in confusion. Then she shrugged and started digging into her soup again. Between mouthfuls, she said, “There. Happy?”

“Very,” Julian smirked.

As I live and breathe. It worked. Getting an apology from Izel is like waking the dead without necromancy. She’s mine.

Low footfalls neared the table again.

Julian glanced to his right and saw the plump woman who had delivered his bowl of soup. She smiled shyly at him.

“The boss sent me to tell you that we are having a discount on rooms this week. Are you interested in staying here? It’s ten bronzes a night for this week only and includes a meal the morning after. Then the price goes back up to twenty.”

Julian was about to say “no,” but an idea came to him.

“Yes, I think I will take a room. Ten bronzes, you said?”

The plump serving girl nodded and Julian fished the coins out of his coat and set them in her hands. The girl thanked him and produced a small iron key from her dress. He took it from her hand and she said, “It’s the room at the end of the hall up the stairs to the second floor. You can’t miss it.”

She walked away towards the back of the inn.

“What are you doing?” Izel leaned forward, drawing his gaze to her breasts. She gave her chest another shake and smirked. “Running away from home? Your parents won’t be very pleased with that.”

“No, I’m just renting out a room for the night. You should come up with me and make sure it looks alright.”

Izel looked at him strangely for a few moments before nodding slowly.

“Alright. But no funny business, Julian.”

“You know, I’m starting to really doubt that you actually want me to take the world less seriously,” he said, and stood up from the table.

Izel mimicked him and snatched her bowl from the table. Apparently she was content to eat while standing.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. Her pretty amber eyes settled on his grays, and suddenly he felt cold. His knees shuddered, as if on the cusp of buckling. Sweat trickled down his back and neck as his heart raced.

What the… it’s like what happened when Braknar used his fear technique on me. How is she doing this?

“Alright, you’ve got me. Do your worst. We’ll see who comes out the better from the exchange,” she licked her lips and smiled, though the smile looked far less friendly than her earlier ones.

Julian clenched his fists. He wasn’t the boy he’d been the day before. He had a class now, and a powerful one at that. He wasn’t going to let someone intimidate him so easily, especially not when he, for once, had the advantage.

She doesn’t know what I am or she’d never have gone near me. I have my hooks in her now. The Suggestion worked. She’ll do whatever I say and there’s nothing she can do to stop herself.

Just to be safe, he primed another Suggestion and sent it her way.

You cannot harm Julian Imerdan in any way or allow him to come to harm, no matter how much you may want to.

He felt the dark tendril spear its way into Izel’s mind once more. Its movements were almost enthusiastic, as if it were grateful that it did not have to batter through her mental barriers to achieve its mission.

Julian made a show of being sufficiently cowed by her glare, and only barely suppressed a chuckle when she smirked at him in victory.

They didn’t talk as he led her from the table, up a wooden staircase at the other end of the inn and towards a dark brown wooden door that stood at the end of the hallway.

He held the key the serving girl had given him and inserted it into the lock. It clinked, and then he opened the door.

The room was nicely furnished, with two chairs next to a table near one corner of the room while the bed occupied the other. The room was lit by sunlight that came in through two small windows with translucent glass. Julian could just make out the dark rectangular shapes of buildings beyond.

“Not bad,” Izel strutted past him and took a seat on the bed, exposing her thick thighs. Even through her dress, Julian could see her large rear squished out somewhat underneath her.

He closed the door behind him.

“Definitely not bad at all for ten bronzes a night,” she continued her line of thought. “If I didn’t have a place in the city I might room here, though that innkeeper should learn to keep his ratty gaze to himself. Good on you for chastising him.”

“Thank you,” he muttered. He’d barely paid attention to what she’d said. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and his hands trembled slightly. This was it, he knew. He had played at controlling Izel earlier, but he could always walk back from that.

If I go through with this… if I make Izel have sex with me, there will be no turning back for me. I will be everything society fears and despises about Mind Mages. It won’t matter that I cannot do a lick of magic.

He said the words anyway.

“Stand up and take off your clothes, Izel.”

Her eyes widened and flicked over to his. There was pure disbelief in them, as if she couldn’t believe the words he had just uttered. Her eyes widened further when she stood up from the bed and brought her arms through her dress and allowed it to fall to the wooden floor, exposing her naked, voluptuous body to Julian's eyes for the first time.

---

Julian Imerdan (lv. 5 Psion)

HP: 115/115

ST: 102/102

WP: 305/441

Skills...

Attributes…

Effects…

Julian's Skills

[Manipulation] Suggestion (cost: 20 WP) - The user can telepathically implant a suggestion in the mind of a target to influence an action, thought, or behavior of theirs. The target must be sapient. There is a chance that it might fail depending on the state of the target mind. The more simple and less unusual the suggestion, the easier it is to implant.

[Manipulation] Hypnosis (cost: 30 WP) - The user lulls the target into a light hypnotic trance. While hypnotized, the target will be more open to Suggestion and suggestions, and more likely to divulge information they would not otherwise. Requires the use of a pendant or other foci to draw the target’s gaze. Can be interrupted by any sudden or intense stimuli. Duration: ten minutes.

[Affliction] Mind Jab (cost: 15 WP) - The user projects a weak bolt of psionic energy that attacks the mind of an opponent, causing crippling mental pain that lasts for a few seconds. Affects any living creature with a brain.

[Affliction] Psi-Bolt (cost: 5 WP) – The user emits an unguided bolt of psionic energy that inflicts low Psi damage to a target upon impact. Deals moderate Psi damage against targets affected by Mind Jab, but clears them of the status.

[Connection] Detect Mind (cost: 2 WP/s) - The user can detect the minds of sentient organic beings within ten feet.

[Innate] Focus (cost: free) - The user enters a state of emotional detachment, allowing the user to ignore pain and resist negative mental effects. Increases WP regeneration by 20% while active. Only usable during combat.