Therapy Was Intended As a Joke...

Yulia hesitates, looking up at the Pyramid then glances at Talwa, "go get her please," she says and Talwa nods and heads back to the area where the fighting had occurred and returns a bit later with Ella gripped in her tail.

"What do you want?" she asks bitterly and is surprised when Talwa immediately lets her go, gently placing her down.

"To help you, Ella," Yulia answers.

"Ella... Who's-" Ella starts and then a blush appears on her cheek, "Y... You gave me a name?" she asks, sounding in awe.

"You deserve a name. All beings deserve a name and some degree of respect," Yulia says and then approaches, "despite everything you've been taught, you are not inferior. Especially not to those Scorpions," Yulia speaks placing her hands on Ella's shoulders.

Ella blinks all eight of her eyes, "but... The Scorpions are amazing, they're-" she starts and Yulia leans in.

"They're what? What can they do that you can't?" Yulia presses and Ella pauses.

"Everything... They're amazing and we're... Nothing..." she says and Yulia moves beside her and gestures to the pyramid.

"who built this?" Yulia asks.

"We did..." Ella answers.

"and who made and maintains those spells that keep everything around here working?" Yulia asks.

"We do," Ella answers.

"How can someone who is nothing do that?" Yulia asks.

"The Scorpions guided us..." Ella answers.

"But you did the work, just because they told you to do it, doesn't mean they did it or that they didn't rely on your knowledge and abilities!" Yulia responds.

"But it never would have happened without them," Ella argues.

"It never would have happened without you," Yulia responds and Ella looks uncomfortable as she turns her head away.

"You are some of the most powerful and skilled mages I've run into, not just in the Tower, but in my world as w-" Yulia starts and this time Ella cuts her off.

"-It doesn't matter how powerful or skilled we are though! We are just tools to be used by the Scorpions. Our knowledge and abilities exist just to make us useful to the Scorpions!" Ella yells, "the Wasps were like you! They thought wrongly that they were better because they were strong and look at what happened to them! They could have retained their free will if they just accepted their natural position!" Ella yells.

"But... You were the ones who did that to them," Yulia responds and Ella freezes. This did not seem to have the desired effect.

"The Scorpions told us to... It was the only way to save us... to put the Wasps in their proper place," she says her voice quiet and it has immediately been made clear that Ella and by extension possibly the rest of the Tarantula feel guilt about what they did to the Wasps.

Accepting their "natural" position as inferior also serves as a way to distance themselves from their actions. After all a tool is not responsible for what it's wielder does with it. Despite having control of the Wasps, there are no wasps on guard in the Tarantula's area. The reason now is clear. They don't want to think about it.

Convincing the Tarantulas they aren't inferior would also require forcing them to face up to their own guilt. Convincing Ella has just gotten much harder, let alone the rest of the Tarantulas.

For the moment Yulia decides to drop it and just puts her arm around Ella's shoulder, "for the moment, come with us. You don't have to help us, but I want to talk to you more. I like you Ella, you're brave and strong," Yulia tells her and Ella hesitates and then nods.

"I'll follow you for the moment, if for no other reason than to try and convince you to accept your natural position," she agrees.

The party then heads up the side of the pyramid. There are unfortunately no easily accessible stairs and while Ella can climb easily, the rest of the party struggles, especially Talwa. Eventually though they reach the top of the pyramid. The Pyramid's top is flat and four Tarantula are sitting around the swirling maelstrom of magic that is the barrier spell, clearly they are working to maintain the spell. Two Tarantula are here guarding them and these ones are wielding weapons, specifically they are wielding scimitars in their top most pair of hands. They watch Yulia and the rest warily as they reach the top of the Pyramid and Ella looks nervous.

"They... They're here to take down the barrier," she explains and the guards look pensive.

"We can't let them do that," the first guard says.

"They know..." Ella responds.

"We don't want to fight you, but we imagine there isn't another option?" Yulia suggests.

"There is not. We will not allow the Barrier to be taken down. The Scorpions have commanded that we protect the barrier with our life," the second guard speaks.

(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/ )