Bathing

They request Hess to accompany them as they move into the bath and she hesitates, but does so. The bathing area is sandstone like the rest of the temple except for the bath itself and the aforementioned drinking fountain. The bath is 5 meters by 8 meters and 1 and a half meters deep at it's deepest end, almost more of a swimming pool, though not very deep. The bath itself is made out of checkered black and white marble. The fountain is a simple stone basin attached to the wall beneath a carved feminine face embedded partway in the wall that leaks a small fountain of water from it's open mouth. A drain in the basin keeps the basin from overflowing. Subtly Maple has Sally drink from the fountain first and Sally whispers that the fountain does indeed contain perfectly safe and normal drinking water presumably from some sort of deep underground reservoir. That confirmed everyone takes a drink and proceed to undress, Lemiel handing her suit over to Goma and they all relax in the bath. The water in the bath feels nice, not quite as amazingly good as the bath in the deep, but nice especially after the desert.

"So, Hess what can you tell us about this place and the desert?" Yulia asks as she settles in the water. Hess is standing nervously at the edge of the bath.

"Um... Well I can tell you quite a bit about the temple, but as for the rest of the desert, you'll have to be more specific," she says.

"More specific? I just mean anything about the other areas," Yulia presses and Hess looks confused.

"Um Yulia... You realize the desert is a truly massive area. The version we are experiencing is somewhat... spatially abnormal. The four directions we have been provided are just four possible areas of the desert, Hess here as an actual resident of this floor would have to travel kilometers to even reach the nearest other location. It's through the Tower's magic that we can travel between these areas so quickly, likely people from each area we encounter might have no idea about the others and wouldn't even know what other places we're experiencing," Lemiel explains.

"Oh more tower trickery..." Yulia sighs splashing some water frustratedly, "Well.. we don't know what lies east or south either, so I suppose we can just ask what she knows about the one place we have experienced. Do you know anything about the area controlled by Bai'zebul?" she asks.

Hess' face darkens, "Bai'zebul is a scourge, it's Starvers and Mongers wander the desert, grabbing anyone they see and dragging them back to that horrid mountain. No one in their right mind goes to the Hungry Sands and anyone taken away is as good as dead," she says and Yulia hesitates.

"Ah... Yeah sounds like an archdemon alright... They're just a problem everywhere they are, huh?" Yulia asks and Cherchiel and Lemiel at nearly the exact same moment respond with a blunt

"yes,"

"Alright well what can you tell me about the temple?" Yulia asks.

"Oh well-" Hess starts, her face becoming cheerful, however it falls again as a noise echoes towards them from the main hall. It's a sound of loud clicking metal against stone, "D... Don't come in here," Hess whispers under her breath as the clicking continues and then goes away and she breathes out in relief.

"What was that?" Isalia asks, staring back in the direction of the main hall.

"I don't know... It came suddenly one day, a short time ago. It moves through the temple and when it finds anyone it... Does terrible things to them," she explains.

"Wandering monster?" Lemiel whispers and Yulia nods.

"Alright we'll try to deal with it," Yulia says determinedly, "you were saying about the temple?" she presses and Hess nods.

"Right this is the temple of the sand mother, our goddess! Mother, Queen and Goddess of the Lamia and Naga peoples. We try to be kind to guests, but I'm afraid you might not have the best time here. After so often being assaulted by outsiders either after our treasures or... us, we've become a bit... Paranoid perhaps. We don't trust outsiders easily and while I doubt anyone would kill you without cause, you can expect some hostility, it doesn't help that we've been in a bit of a... famine of sorts lately. Some of us are pretty... hungry," she admits, but something about the blush on her face tells Yulia that she doesn't necessarily mean hunger in the normal sense.

"What do you mean," Yulia asks carefully and Hess hesitates and then her tail moves, dipping into the water and Yulia feels it slowly, tentatively wrapping around her waist. She hesitates, but allows it, the rest of the group on alert as they watch. Hess pulls Yulia closer and then leans forward and runs her long, split tongue over Yulia's cheek.

"We've been in heat... The desire to breed has been... Irresistible, but something is preventing us from simply coupling with others of our own kind, a strange aversion... You're the first guests we've had in a while and I've been holding myself back ever since we got in the bath. So, many naked cuties, but since you asked," she opens her mouth her fangs bared and Yulia stares back determinedly, "I want nothing more than to gobble you up," she says, "euphemistically of course" she says and there's a tension in the air.

Yulia responds evenly, "It is my duty to help people. If this affliction is such a problem, I might be willing to help you out, but... We might need something in return," Yulia says, she's doing an admirable job of pretending to be uninterested, but subtly her thighs are rubbing together and she's blushing slightly. It's clear Yulia wants this almost as much as Hess does, but she's trying to play it cool, hoping to get something out of it still.

"What would you like?" she asks.

"What would we like?" Yulia asks, seemingly rhetorically, though her question is obviously subtly directed towards the voices.

(Health: 100%

Mana: 100%

Inventory:18 EMP grenades, 17 Aphrodisiac Grenades, 17 incendiary Grenades, 18 fragmentation grenades, 18 flash grenades, 17 smoke grenades, 3 healing kits, 1 sewing kit, 8 days worth of rations, 3 two liter water jug, 3 two liter jugs of Lemiel's Milk, 3 health potion, 5 mana potions, 7 vials of Semen, Quiver, 1 sack of cooking ingredients (Apples), Ash's Quiver, Smithing Ingredients (3 steel ingots), 1 sack of cooking ingredients (Vegetables), Grenade Launcher, Grenade Bandolier with 1 grenade, Smithing Ingredients (1 silver ingot), twenty feet of Spidersilk rope, 1 sack of Cooking Ingredients (Fish), an Onahole, a shard of Illustone, Gloves of Harvest (-3, heal for all damage dealt), modest two piece swimsuit, Binding Bandages, golden bangles, silk gloves, Siren Queen's black heavy armor, black bikini bottoms, Smithing Ingredients (98 metal plates), 2 cure potions, Shutdown Gun.

Yulia's Equipment: Simple black one piece swimsuit(currently removed). Ceramic Beaked Mask (currently Removed), Reinforced Monastic Scapular (currently removed), standard bra (currently removed), Standard Panties (currently removed), Ornate Rapier (-3), Silver Staff (-2 added to the effect of all spells), A tarnished Silver Ring of clear mind (warded against demons and angels, can bind a Demon or Angel), Cloak of Turbulent Waves (immunity to ranged attacks and offensive magic), Demon Horn Hairband (-2 to all ice magic, currently removed), tech armor, tech bodysuit (Core upgrade: speed, Special Upgrade: Light Module, Arcane Flux), plasma rifle (-10, 5 remaining charges.).

Spells known: Great Heal (Lvl 2, Mastered, Cost: 25%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 12%)

Great Cure (Lvl 2, Mastered, Cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

Energize (Lvl 1, Mastered, Cost: 25%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 12%)

Icicle (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

Masterful Unlock (Lvl 2, Mastered, Cost: 10%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 5%)

Repair (Lvl 1, Mastered, Cost: 5%-20% depending on factors, Cost currently halved rounded down: 2%-10%)

Undermine (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 25%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 12%)

Life Drain (lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 2% per 1% Health healed, Cost currently halved rounded down: 1% per 1% Health healed)

Blizzard (Mastered, cost: 5%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 2%)

Lightning Strike (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

Identify (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 10%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 5%)

Fireball (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

**** Lance (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

Cloak (Lvl 1, mastered, cost: 10%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 5%)

God's Light: (Mastered, cost: none. Passive ability. Fully heals mana and health outside of combat)

Fetish: Bondage Rank: 3, Masochism Rank: 3, Lesbian rank: 4, Submission Rank: 3, Incubating Rank: 1, Large Insertions Rank: 2, Degradation Rank: 2, Exhibition Rank: 1, Anal Rank: 2.

Status Effect: Permanent increase to physical attribute. Combat level raised to medium

Atrophied: Permanent Decrease to Physical Attribute. Combat Level lowered to weak. (Countered previous Permanent Increase)

Faithless: Yulia gains no effect from support spells cast on her, but offensive spells cast by her double in effectiveness. Lasts until faith is restored or replaced.

Psychosexual Break: In order to deal with her trauma, Yulia has begun to subconsciously fetishize her experiences.

Deflowered: Virginity Lost, sexual experience changed to: Inexperienced, non-virgin.

Not Thirsty

Cool

Companion: Cherchiel, Goma, Martin, Isalia, Lri, Lemiel, Maple, Sally.

Cherchiel Health: 100%

Cherchiel Mana: 100%

Cherchiel Equipment: Ultra Durable Spear( -5, -10 with Boar Mask), Ultra Durable Shield (-5, -10 with Boar Mask), Staff (-1), God's Favour (Halo. Prevent **** one time), Bikini(currently removed), plasma Sword (-10, five charges), Tech Armor.

Cherchiel Status Effect: Divine Grace. Combat Level raised to High

Not Thirsty

Cool

Goma Health: 100%

Goma Mana: 100%

Goma Equipment: Ritual Knife of Escaping Threads (-1, -3 with boar mask, automatic -5 when being used against tentacles, webs or other binding methods), Hunting Horn (-2 for each ally affected), Reinforced and Nethicite Augmented Thick Hide Outfit (Negate most physical damage, Currently removed.) Tech Armor (currently removed), Swim Trunks (Currently Worn), tentacle dagger (-3), Scepter of Still Waters, Plasma Rifle (-10, five charges).

Goma spells known: Heal (Mastered, 15%), Puppet (Mastered, 10% per active command)

Goma Status Effect: Atrophied: Permanent Decrease to Physical Attribute. Combat Level lowered to weak.

Not Thirsty

Cool

Isalia Health: 100%

Isalia Mana: 100%

Isalia Equipment: Isalia's Sword (-3), Masterwork Trident (-3)(Unequipped), Isalia's Shield (-3), One Piece Swimsuit (Currently removed), plasma rifle (-10, five charges), Tech Armor, Tech Suit (Core Upgrade: Speed).

Isalia spells known: Life Drain (lvl 1, Unmastered, cost: 5% per 1% Health healed)

Isalia Fetish: Submission Rank: 1, Domination Rank: 1.

Isalia Status Effect:

Not Thirsty

Cool

Lri Health: 100%

Lri Mana: 100%

Lri Equipment: Twin Daggers (-3), black swimsuit (currently removed), Blood drinker, tech armor (Sans helmet), tech suit (Core upgrade: speed), plasma rifle (-10, five charges), 3 EMP grenades, Veil of Hidden Depths, fishbowl of Illusions.

Lri Status Effect:

Not Thirsty

Cool

Lemiel Health: 200%

Lemiel Mana: 200%

Lemiel Equipment: Angelic Visor, twin magic blades (Summoned, -10, take 5% mana to summon), Tech Armor, Tech Suit (Core Upgrade: Strength, Special Upgrade: Arcane Flux), plasma rifle (-10, five charges).

Lemiel Spells Known: Angelic Rays (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 20%), Heavenly Soothing (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 25%), Retribution (Lvl 1, Unmastered, cost: 100%, unusable, triggers automatically at 0% hp if Lemiel has enough Mana to trigger it), The One True God's Judgment (Lvl 1, Mastered, Cost: 100%), God's Light (Mastered, cost: none. Passive ability. Fully heals mana and health outside of combat)

Lemiel Status Effect: Divine Grace. Combat level raised to high.

Not Thirsty

Cool

Maple Health: 100%

Maple Mana: 100%

Maple Equipment: Tech armor (Helmet removed), tech suit (Core upgrade: Speed, special upgrade: Conversion), plasma rifle (-10, five charges), targeting helmet, rail gun bow (-10 when used ignores evasion abilities or resistances), 9 cross bow bolts.

Maple Status Effect:

Not Thirsty

Cool

Sally Health: 100%

Sally Mana: 100%

Sally Charge: 100%

Sally Equipment: Ultra Durable tech metal shield (-4), Ultra Durable Tech Metal Club (-4)

Sally Status Effect:

Not affected by heat or cold.

Does not require hydration or Nutrition.

https://forum.chyoa.com/threads/the-tower-of-voices-voting-thread.3460/ )