A denizen of Lusternia refers to any non-player character (NPC) or creature that you may run across during your sojourn in the world. Some denizens may be helpful to you or even be an ally, while others may be downright hostile. Almost every Lusternian will at some point find themselves having to battle denizens. There are two forms of battles with denizens: (1) a physical battle which is generally a fight to the death; and (2) an ego battle which is a non-violent interchange with a sentient denizen for purposes of influencing that denizen’s behavior. Note: Ego battles are considered non-hostile and may even result in a benefit for the denizen.

Physical Battles
Physical combat with a mobile is a fairly straightforward affair. To initiate, you swing your sword or cast your spell at the denizen and hope for the best. Some denizens may attack you first, so be prepared when walking into enemy or unknown territory. Note that most abilities that do something other than just cause damage will not work against denizens. The reason for this requires some understanding of how player vs. player combat works, but for now suffice it to say that creating an artificial intelligence that allowed mobiles to effectively deal with the hundreds of things a player can do to another player would be prohibitively complicated. It should be emphasized that player vs. player conflict, in all forms from combat to politics is the emphasis of Lusternia, not simply bashing monsters.

When you wish to fight a mobile, you may, generally, initiate combat with it simply by finding it and attacking it with whatever ability you choose to use. However, most abilities that do something other than just cause damage will not work against mobiles. The reason for this requires some understanding of how player vs. player combat works, but for now suffice it to say that creating an artificial intelligence that allowed mobiles to effectively deal with the hundreds of things a player can do to another player would be prohibitively complicated.

Once you have attacked a mobile, it will, in most cases, either attack you back, or run away. Usually a mobile will continue to attack you until either it begins to panic and runs away, or until you or it is dead. Be warned that some mobiles may loot your corpse of an item or two after they have killed you.

Ego Battles
The skill of Influence is a non-lethal form of interaction with the sentient denizens of Lusternia (non-player characters). Rather than slaughtering such denizens for such base reasons as gaining experience, you may instead enter into ego battles that are not considered a hostile (i.e., won't get you enemied). Influencing a denizen is an engagement in forces of personality to try to temporarily change that denizen's behavior. Losing an ego battle will result in a loss of experience similar to that of losing a battle in combat, whereas winning an ego battle will result in gaining experience similar to winning a battle in combat. There are five general types of ego battles:

There is a sixth form of ego battle that is not dependent on your skill in influence, but rather your rank in a city or commune, and can only be used during on denizens of villages during the window of time when that village is 'in play' and not under any sphere of influence.

Once the type of ego battle has been started, the denizen will become fixated upon it and only ego attacks of the same type will be recognized. Further, the denizen will become resistant to an ego attack used over and over. For example, a denizen will become resistant to begging (a charity attack), so it is more beneficial to alternate with other charity attacks. Once a denizen has won or lost an ego battle, he or she will be exhausted and not enter into another one for some period of time. The power of your influence skills increases the higher the prestige of the clothing and jewelry you wear. The exception to this are the charity influence skills, which increases the lower the prestige of your clothing.

Overview
Player combat is an entirely more complicated affair. This is what our combat system is primarily geared to, and few, if any games, can match the intensity and complex nature of our combat.

It can be difficult to fully describe player combat, as there are so many different approaches to it. It is possible to fight with your goal as death of the opponent, crippling of your opponent, re-arrangement of items (for instance, stealing things from him), or even just as a demonstration or lesson.

Generally, the details of your offensive combat maneuvers will be covered in the help files for your class-specific skills, as this is where the majority of offensive abilities lie. Some of your defensive abilities (more for some classes, less for others) will also lie in your class-specific skills, but probably the majority of defensive equipment and abilities are available to everyone who has high enough general (i.e. non-class-specific) skills and enough money to purchase the proper equipment.

Player combat generally involves much more than simply inflicting damage on your opponent. Not only can individual body parts be damaged, with different, harmful effects resulting from enough cumulative damage on a body part, but there are hundreds of afflictions that can be inflicted on an opponent.

If we take the most general goal of combat, which is to kill your opponent, then combat can be said to generally consist of: 1) Locating your opponent and finding him or bringing him to you. 2) Pinning him into place so that he cannot escape. 3) Damaging him until he dies.

This is an over-simplification insofar as only with a very surprised or helpless opponent will you simply execute 1, then 2, then 3. Usually there will be much moving around, healing of the things that pin you, healing of the damage done to you, etc. Combat is therefore a give-and-take process. For many offences, there are defenses, and for many defenses, there are methods of removing the defenses There are many afflictions (the general term for anything that affects you in a negative way aside from damage), ranging from the classic web spell to paralysis, to anorexia, to the aeon curse, which slows your movement through time.

Normal Damage vs. Deep Wounds
When fighting a warrior who wields weapons, the damage done to your body causes deep wounds that cannot be cured normally. Indeed, the more deep wounds you have, the greater chance the warrior will be able to inflict serious afflictions on his next blow, up to and including mortal wounds or instant death. It is important to be able to take stock of each of your various body parts: head, chest, gut, arms and legs. Each of these body parts can have deep wounds and must be deep healed, either by a proficient healer or by applying a healing potion directly to that body part. Note that when applying a healing potion you will not be able to immediately drink that potion. Therefore, it must become part of your strategy to know when to drink a healing potion or when to apply it to cure deep wounds.

Most of the damage and afflicting-dealing abilities in Lusternia, as well as some defensive and movement ones, will require that you have equilibrium and balance and will, after you use the ability, take equilibrium or balance away from you for a certain number of seconds. How many depends entirely on the ability.

Perhaps the single most important factor in mounting a successful attack against another player, and even against a mobile, is the efficient use of equilibrium and balance. When engaged in combat, you always want to be making the most out of every second of combat. If you recover equilibrium and balance, and your opponent is in the room with you, there is no reason not to immediately use another ability that will use these up, unless you wish to flee.

The process of being as efficient as possible in your use of equilibrium and balance is referred to as "chasing equilibrium" or "chasing balance".

Feats are the most spectacular and impressive spells and skills available to players. In combat, feat skills take on a new dimension. It takes experience to know how to regulate using feats. Is it better to wait for your opponent to use a feat that drains his or her power before doing your own feat? When do you use your most powerful feats that cost all of your power? When is it better to do smaller, less power-expensive feats rather than the big ones? Power and feats add a dynamic dimension to strategy and tactics.

Just as using most offensive abilities requires equilibrium and/or balance, many healing abilities or equipment have their own type of balance. These are often referred to as "healing balances". For instance, you are limited as to how often a health or mana elixir can be drunk with a beneficial effect. Since they both use the same "balance", you must choose which to heal while in the midst of combat.

Healing in Lusternia may be accomplished in a number of ways, dependent upon your resources and what it is you wish to heal. Alchemists create a variety of potions, purgatives and salves that will cure and heal a variety of ailments. Herbalists gather herbs that can be eaten, smoked or applied to the body. The most proficient healers, however, are those with the Healing skill, an empathic ability where they can heal your wounds or take on your ailments directly into their own body.

Healing of health and endurance may be accomplished by sleeping, while mana, ego and willpower may be healed via meditation. SLEEP will put you to sleep, WAKE will wake you up, MEDITATE will cause you to meditate and any command will cause you to cease meditating. These are the most basic methods of healing, but they are not really sufficient for an experienced adventurer, as they are slow and require that you do not do anything else while performing them.

The other ways of healing are legion. They include abilities in various skills, salves, elixirs, plants, and smoking. Nothing need be said here about the abilities, as suitable help may be found on those within the skills. However, the other methods need some explanation.

Potions are liquids that may heal health, mana, ego, cure afflictions, or set up various defenses. Salves are also fluids, though they are thicker and are able to be spread on your body. Purgatives are also potions with healing abilities similar to herbs.

Both elixirs, salves and purgatives come in the various types of vials found throughout the land, and when full, can be used many times before running out.

One drinks a potion or purgative, but one applies a salve. One may apply a salve to either head, arms, legs, or body. For instance, a salve of mending would cure a broken arm if applied to your arm, and a broken leg if applied to your legs.

The exception is the healing potion, which can be drank to heal normal physical damage or applied directly to a body part to heal deep wounds.

Herbs are plants that you eat to cure afflictions or set up defenses. Sometime herbs must be smoked to receive the benefit, such as creating an anti-weapon field by smoking faeleaf. To do this, you simply find yourself a nice pipe, PUT IN PIPE, LIGHT PIPE (you must have a source of fire, such as a tinderbox in your inventory), and then SMOKE PIPE. A lit pipe will eventually go out if you don't smoke it now and then, but you can simply relight it.

Combat goes much, much deeper than the few things mentioned here. It is, however, up to you to discover its full breadth and depth. The successful combatant is the one who has practiced, practiced, practiced, and who has investigated every ability, in every combination possible. Considerably more information on combat may be found in the help files.