Mage's Bane

Yulia casts identify and Ella's hand moves and Yulia stands there. The spell isn't working, "what... I... I cast identify why isn't-" Yulia starts and Ella speaks.

"We Tarantulas are masters of the magical arts. I can see your spells, I know when and what you're casting and more importantly," she says, "I can with a bit of focus... Interrupt your weak little spells," she explains.

Goma casts puppet on one of the back Tarantula and weirdly despite what she just said like before none of the Tarantula seem to notice Goma casting the spell and are caught off guard when one of the Tarantula suddenly turns on the others.

Watching the puppeted Tarantula square off with another Tarantula is actually quite impressive. The Tarantula seem able to cast and dispel with each of their limbs at the same time, both Tarantulas constantly trying to cast spells at each other while also blocking the spells of the other. It's an intricate battle occurring at lightning speed while both just stare each other down. Luckily Goma doesn't need to actually direct each action, as there is no way Goma would be able to keep up with the speed at which that fight occurs.

Regardless the two of them are for the moment at least out of the fight. Goma blows the horn as Lemiel sends the Zombies forth into combat. Ella steps back and fires two spells at once as the rest of the Tarantulas assist. With one hand Ella summons a storm of Lightning to strike down at the zombies and with the other a wave of kinetic **** to push them back if they get close. the rest of the Tarantulas also attacking. One of them leaping forward crawling atop the zombies and dodging through the lightning storm as she leaps towards Yulia who gasps and steps back.

Cherchiel rushes in front and catches the Tarantula on her shield, but the Tarantula lands grabbing the edge of the shield with four of her arms and then climbs along it until she can grab Cherchiel with her remaining two arms and then lunges forward biting into Cherchiel's neck making Cherchiel cry out before the Tarantula leaps back and as she's leaping back she casts two spells, one being a **** lance to launch herself back faster and the other is a spray of green gas that quickly spreads over the group.

The **** mist spreads and forces the group to spread out to escape from the cloud. Even with protection from the gas it obscures their view. Cherchiel has dropped her spear and shield, grabbing her neck where she was bitten and her eyes are wide with terror. Yulia, immune to the cloud rushes to Cherchiel's side.

"Heal!" she screams and Ella waves a hand.

"Uh uh..." she says.

"Cure!" Yulia tries and Ella simply dispels it again with a sigh.

Yulia clings to Cherchiel as Cherchiel is visibly growing pale.

The Tarantulas are flinging lightning strikes at the scattered members of the group, but as one raises a hand to shoot a strike a crossbow bolt suddenly seems to just appear in her hand and she screams. Maple reloads the rail gun bow with Sally in front of her and the one that was just hit by the bow spots the two of them and casts a lightning strike which Sally simply reflects with the shield. The Tarantula screams as the strike hits and fries her. she collapses to the ground. Another Tarantula suddenly sprouts a Katana tip from her chest as Lri decloaks behind her and then pulls the sword out vanishing again as the Spider drops to her knees grabbing her chest with all six hands.

Isalia and Lemiel both realize things are falling apart a little and enter into Melee range with the Tarantulas. The one puppeted by Goma has been freed when Goma's concentration was broken as she choked in the poison cloud, but Isalia and Lemiel down her before she can actually rejoin the fight and then focus on the one who was fighting her. At close range the Tarantulas are less dangerous, but their rapid mobility makes them dangerous regardless. Easily dodging attacks and trying to bite their attackers. The long range battle has ended since the Tarantulas stopped firing on the group seeing as Sally was starting to easily turn back their spells on them.

Ella meanwhile is focused on Yulia and Cherchiel. Cherchiel is sickly pale and struggling to breath. Yulia is clinging to her as ella just watches grim faced. Yulia hugs Cherchiel close, "I have a plan she whispers as she reaches into her bag,"

As the fighting continues elsewhere the area suddenly begins to grow cold, the sudden cold followed by the freezing hail of the blizzard, slows the Tarantulas removing their only advantage in close combat. Lri, Isalia, Lemiel and some ranged help from Maple quickly down the last few leaving only Ella who is looking around confused.

"What... But... This is magic? Who cast a spell?" she asks and Yulia stands, letting go of Cherchiel.

"I did," she says.

"Impossible I was watching you!" Ella yells.

"Yeah... and yet you didn't seem to notice when Goma cast Puppet either of the times she did. It was possible that a spell connected to the Archdemon of Deceit might be somehow hidden, but I bet on your kind just not having much experience or knowledge of Demonic magic in particular. It seems my bet was correct," Yulia responds and Ella glares at her. Cherchiel stands up beside her and then suddenly lunges forward with rapid speed and grabs Ella by the throat raising her into the air. She's wearing the boar mask and spits a cure potion out of her mouth before slamming Ella into the ground.

Ella cries out as her body impacts the ground and with that the Tarantulas are defeated. Without the fear of being dispelled anymore, Yulia casts a quick heal and cure on the party just in case anyone else got bitten or breathed in too much of the poison cloud.

"You lost... We're going to take down the barrier now," Yulia tells Ella who is lying dazed on the ground, "I'm going to heal you and all your friends before we head to the pyramid though," Yulia does before casting heal on the group of Tarantulas.

"Why?" Ella asks as she sits up, Boarchiel still hovering menacingly over her.

"Because we're strong enough to have the luxury of being merciful," Yulia responds and then hits Ella with an identify making Ella gasp and cover herself as if naked, clearly not liking the idea of being identified with the spell.

"Ella, Desert Tarantula. Originally called E23 since the Scorpions, who have convinced the Tarantulas that they are their superiors and that subservience to the Scorpions is the natural state of the world, deem only important Tarantulas deserve actual names. Despite this the voices have given her the name Ella though she is unaware of this change of status just yet. The Desert Tarantulas are naturally talented mages and their inquisitive nature often leads them to hone that natural talent to absurd levels. Tarantulas are among some of the most powerful mages in the Tower, their unique physiology and ability to split their focus allows them to also have the almost unique ability to cast multiple spells at the same time adding to their magical dominance. They also, through their thorough understanding of magics of almost every kind, have the ability to identify any spell being cast and, with a little magic of their own, disrupt the casting. This makes them especially suited to face other mages. Despite the Scorpions having no natural advantage over the Tarantula, except perhaps their lack of morals or feelings of guilt, the Scorpions have through years of emotional manipulation, gas lighting and browbeating convinced the Tarantula that they are useless and worthless. Their only reason for existence along side everything else in this world, being subservience to the Scorpions. Unfortunately at this point there is nothing except long sessions of therapy that would be able to disabuse them of this belief," the spell returns.

After that the group quickly moves on arriving at the base of the pyramid. The six Tarantula appear to have consisted of the entirety of the guards outside the structure, but there may be more within or on top where the barrier spell is. There is of course two paths available, into the pyramid or climbing it. The spell for the barrier you were told was at the top and the spell controlling the Wasps is somewhere within.

Combat: Tarantulas

Difficulty: 10

Numbers +6

Dispel +30

Multicasting +20

Poisonous Cloud +10

Lover's Sting +10

**** Lance +10

**** Wave +10

Lightning Strike +10

Lightning Storm +20

Magical Mastery +20

Insane Mobility +5

Undying Loyalty +5

Hunting Horn -38

Undermine - 0

Puppet -20

Icicle - 0

**** Lance -0

Heal -0

Cure -0

Fireball -0

Great Fireball -0

Magic Armor -0

Illusion -10

Invisible Lri -10

Blizzard -17

Boarchiel -20

Rail Gun Bow -10

Zombie Grapples -30

Mirror Shield -50

Final Difficulty: -39

Yulia's Roll: 8

Result: Victory

(Health: 100%

Mana: 100%

Inventory:18 EMP grenades, 17 Aphrodisiac Grenades, 17 incendiary Grenades, 17 fragmentation grenades, 18 flash grenades, 17 smoke grenades, 3 healing kits, 1 sewing kit, 8 days worth of rations, 1 two liter water jug, 3 two liter jugs of Lemiel's Milk, 2 empty two liter water jugs, 12, mana infused health potions, 2 health potion, 12 mana infused mana potions, 100 mana potions, 8 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), 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), 12 mana infused 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%)

Open (Lvl 3, Mastered, Cost: 15%, Cost currently halved rounded down: 7%)

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, Breathplay Rank: 1, aphrodisiacs Rank: 1.

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.

Trauma Rank 1 : Costs of all spells doubled for the remainder of the floor. (Caused by **** involving aphrodisiac ****)

Calm

Not Thirsty

Cool

Companion: Cherchiel, Goma, Martin, Isalia, Lri, Lemiel, Maple, Sally, Talwa'Ish Renni.

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, Carapace Armor (Currently Unequipped), Aspect of the Apex.

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

Not Thirsty

Cool

Goma Health: 100%

Goma Mana: 50%

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), 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

Warm

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, Mastered, cost: 2% per 1% Health healed)

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

Isalia Status Effect:

Not Thirsty

Cool

Lri Health: 100%

Lri Mana: 80%

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), Necromancy Staff, 3 undead servants.

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), 8 cross bow bolts.

Maple Status Effect:

Not Thirsty

Warm

Sally Health: 100%

Sally Mana: 100%

Sally Charge: 100%

Sally Equipment: Ultra Durable tech metal shield (-4, unequipped), Ultra Durable Tech Metal Club (-4, unequipped), Mirror Shield (-4, reflects all damage and spell effects to the caster/attacker), Needle Mace (-5, Inflicts hit targets with a deadly poison, potency increases with each hit)

Sally Status Effect:

Not affected by heat or cold.

Does not require hydration or Nutrition.

Talwa Health: 100%

Talwa Mana: 100%

Talwa Equipment: Bustier, Glasses, Prism Staff, Potion of Libidinous vitality.

Talwa Spells Known:

Magic Armor (Lvl 1, Mastered, Cost: 10%)

Firestorm (Lvl 3, Mastered, Cost: 25%)

Great Fireball (Lvl 2, Mastered, cost: 25%)

Fireball (Lvl 1, Mastered, Cost: 15%)

Talwa Status Effect:

Calm

Not Thirsty

Cool

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