Yuria, the Witch

Lore

Yuria is a witch that practices a dark form of Soul Arts. Yuria wears the hat of a witch, but the insect-infested clothing of one who has lived through horrific things. After being freed from the lone tower in the Boletarian Palace, she can be found in the southeast corner of the bottom floor of the Nexus.

When Yuria was born, she had a magical ring in her hand and was thus branded a witch and persecuted as a threat to society. As she aged, her bitterness and lust for power grew and she was drawn to the accursed land of Boletaria. She was defeated by Executioner Miralda near the entrance to the Boletarian Place and was then imprisoned. During her incarceration she was kept separate from the other prisoners in a tower reserved for "special" cases. The key that accesses the tower is encrusted with dried blood, meaning horrific torture must take place there, and the blood would run down to the key hanging on the belt of the Ministers. In that tower she was ill-fed, tortured, and probably sexually assaulted by the Fat Ministers. By wearing a minister's cap, the player is allowed access to Yuria, which further implies there was widespread abuse of her by a multitude of Officials. Inside the tower there are also two corpses, holding the Ring of Magical Nature and the Ring of the Accursed. The item description of both these rings implies those corpses were also witches. Just like Stockpile Thomas's wife and daughter, they fell victim to the Fat Ministers.

That horrific experience robbed her of her lust for power, making her timid and very reluctant to teach the player witchcraft. Once rescued by the player though, she can teach them to channel a Major Demon's Soul in order to create a new, powerful spell. While Sage Freke makes use of magic by studying the essence of a Demon Soul, Yuria uses emotion to channel the soul's raw power. This method of channeling the Soul Arts is believed to be intrinsically evil, as channeling cursed souls will taint the caster. Her magic is often more powerful than Freke's but lacks focus and is more unpredictable. Nonetheless, she is one of the few characters able to break free from her lust for power and the corrupting influence of the Demons.

Saint Urbain and his followers disapprove of Yuria's practices.

Theories

Yuria's Name

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The character may be named after the Japanese pop singer YURIA.

Dialogue

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First encounter (in Boletarian Palace):
"Heavens, you… You… came to… save me? Thank you. No, I’m fine. With a little rest, I can soon walk. You go on ahead. I do not wish to be a dead weight."

First encounter (in Boletarian Palace, while wearing Official’s Cap):
"What do you want with me? Have you brutes no mercy? Do as you wish. There are no secrets here; only a tired, emaciated frame."

In the Nexus (after rescue):
"Hello again. You saved me from great agony. I am sorry, for I cannot offer proper thanks. If you wish, however, I can teach you magic in trade for Demon souls. But my witchcraft is of a dark nature, and arouses suspicions. Why not try the magic of great Sage Freke? Once, I lusted after the power offered by Demon souls. I ventured through the fissure into Boletaria, but became trapped in the Nexus. Then, the King's executioner, Miralda, chained me up inside that tower. My thirst for Demon souls is no more. On the contrary, I find such power dangerous."

In the Nexus (after you rescue Yurt):
"Do you know Yurt, the silent chief? He dons pitch black armour, and a helmet with two sharp spikes. Yurts presence in Boletaria has resulted in the death of many a great hero. Whatever his motives may be, he is a grave danger to us all. Do watch out for him. I cannot bear to think of harm coming to you."

In the Nexus:
"Freke wields a different kind of magic from my witchcraft. Freke's magic stems from an understanding of the essence of the Demon soul, while my witchcraft merely channels its energy. If the Demon is cursed, so shall be the witchcraft. Freke's power comes from human potential, while mine is a dark, dependent art."

In the Nexus (after defeating all Archdemons):
"I feel great misgivings about Freke. I was branded a witch at a very young age, and since then, I have been persecuted as a threat to human society. Although I never had ill-intentions, this black craft of mine is intrinsically evil. If there is a God, he gave us souls to do good, not to practice witchcraft. My accusers detested my dark arts for good reason, for the path I have taken is tainted. This has been one of my realizations since coming to Boletaria. But I am afraid that Freke, too, has ventured down the wrong path. He has become obsessed with the dark arts."

Greeting:
"Are you certain you wish to learn witchcraft? It would honour me to assist one such as you, but… Are you sure?"

After learning a spell:
"Are you here for more Witchcraft? Very well. I shall help you however I can."

Upon leaving before learning a spell:
"I owe my life to you. If you are ever in need of Witchcraft, speak to me. It is a dark art, but it is all that I can offer."

Upon leaving after learning a spell:
"Thank you. Speak to me again whenever you are in need."
"Thank you. I hope that my witchcraft may be of some help."

Upon leaving abruptly:
"Oh… Where are you going?"

When attacked:
"Wh-why?"

Sources

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Three-cornered Hat
A stiff and dirty three-cornered cap
The witches hat painted through tradition actually seems to be worn by witches…

Old Raggedy Robes
Robe made of layers of ragged fabric. It's covered with tears, unsightly open seams, and numerous unsightly insects wriggling within it. No sane person would dare wear something like this…

Ring of the Accursed
A thin, gold serpent ring.
Draws the attacks of all enemies.
Once used to mark criminals, the bearer of
this ring was continuously pelted with
stones and spat upon.
Bloody Key
A heavy iron key encrusted with dried blood.

Official's Cap
A hat worn by the minister of the King
Just by wearing this hat, you can be a minister too!

Ring of a Magical Nature
A cold ring.
Increases spell memory capacity.
Legend says that cursed witches are born
holding it. The natives of savage lands
avoid it at all costs.

Biorr Dialogue
Hm, you've seen the lone stone tower that sprouts forth from the outer wall of Boletaria castle?
According to that spineless warden, a young sorceress is held prisoner there,
where she is subject to, um, all manner of untold acts in the name of purification.
…
You rescued the young sorceress from that tower!
I express my gratitude. There is no excuse for such ill treatment of a young innocent.

Sage Freke Dialogue
That witch Yuria is quite a compelling woman.
She uses a different type of magic than I.
Hers is powered by emotion; a lesser type of miracle.
I wonder if it is related to her gender?

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PREV: Worshipper of God

NEXT: Yurt, the Silent Chief

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