ToA [IC]

[Stegyre]

Etienne is at a loss for what Mistin's comment means. Since the nightmares started a few years ago, and things "changed" for him, it seems the other young men and women around him often made such statements, words that said one thing yet seemed to mean another as well. It was -- a little confusing.

As for this other Chosen, still here when his group had clearly gone on, "You need to go now." he tells the man, in a loud, flat monotone. He stares the man out of the room before finding a corner to discretely wash himself.

[ikbenscott]

Wow, you have been here for almost a thousand years? Did you help him vanquish all the evil before He created the world?(referring to the history wall)
Zara follows the instructions of the giant carefully and bakes the meat to a crisp an places them on the perpetrator first and then on the nice platter.
Zara is intrigued by the giant and would really like to learn some recipes, especially if they would please our Lord.
Ah yes, it would be great if you could teach me something, how does one make this hot sauce? I could teach you how to make the special blend of spices my mother always makes.. O, eh, Hi, this is Jorad, one of the other chosen ones...
Zara realized the big guy is making a joke and is polite enough to smile back at him. He is oblivious to the motives of giant and is thinking in lines of trading recipes.

[Tyrann]

Bathhouse group

On the men's side, the man in the corner does not respond verbally to Mistin's remarks, but the effect Mistin's words have is quite evident. It looks almost as though the man is trying to disappear into his corner, eyes are locked on the floor in front of his feet. That is until Etienne tells him to leave, at which point he quickly scans the room and darts out once he's found the exit, taking extra care to keep himself covered, and almost slipping on his way out.

When the soap Mistin and Etienne are using comes into contact with the water, it starts sizzling a little (which feels pleasant) and produces small clouds of purple with a fragrance you've never smelled before (lavender, fig trees, patchouli).

Spoiler: Inhaling these clouds

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Spoiler: DC 10 fort save

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If you pass, you feel a little lightheaded, but that's about it. It's not unpleasant, but too much of this could definitely have an effect on your mind.

Spoiler: Failing

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You are in a state of euphoria and a somewhat heightened libido. You take a -4 vs bluff or diplomacy checks against seduction attempts for 10 minutes.

Spoiler: Attempting to inhale more than one "dose", failing another DC 10 fort save

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You memory gets all fuzzy. You can function like normal, but you suffer 1d3*10 minutes of retrograde and anterograde amnesia (roll 1d3 for both).

On the women's side

"Yes, the soap. The clouds with the things I'd never smelled before. How- Do you know how I got here? I need to go see our lord. I think there was- Was there a mirror?"

The woman gets up, still clearly embarrassed and still covering herself up.

If Larissa used the soap, it does the same as it does for Etienne and Mistin.

Kitchen Group

"Nice to meet you Jorad. My pleasure. Don't mind runes. I've been looking at them for a thousand years now and I keep telling the old man to change them, but he never does.

And I hope you weren't too set on going back, there's only two ways out of here and they don't go to the storehouse.
There's the trash port over there, and the portals out there in the restaurant."

He points out of one of the "windows" that you were trying to get a look out of anyway.
You see shimmering screen of violet energy over the belt, and behind that you see what looks like the fanciest restaurant you've ever seen.

"Ask the butlers, the portal to the lobby should still work and it's 2 way."

And then he turns to answer Zara.

"Well, no. I'm just the cook, kid. I ain't never done no dragon slaying or nothing. Abraxis just called me here after he put the kitchen in. Good job on that bacon by the way, he'll love it. If you can find him. I haven't seen or heard from the old man in fourty years.

And yeah sure we can trade recipes, but in order for me to teach you I'll need a few ingredients if we're going to make it any good. If you're gonna go up to deliver that plate to him anyway, you can get them on the way back here.

I'll need a vial of liquid pain from the fairy garden on the 7th level, and here's a list of a few herbs I need from the gardenkeeper on the 4th. The custodian on the 5th floor should still have some scrolls of Erase and Amanuensis, those would be great. Oh and to add the true divine spark, if you could get me a hair or some nail clippings of Abraxis somehow, that would really help tie the whole thing together."

He thinks for a few moments and adds while pointing at the stove "Oh and kid, if you're going to make fire like this without me you'll need someone that looks like me. You know, with the horns. If there's another one of you chosen running around like that, I'd very much like to meet them"

[Archmage1]

Larissa nods, taking her hand away from the soap dispenser.
"Ah. Interesting. I think, perhaps, that I will be declining to use the soap in this case. You were chosen as one of the bearers of gifts for Abraxis, I assume. I believe we are meant to clean ourselves off, before proceeding. But don't use the soap. When we meet Abraxis, I don't want my mind to be clouded."
Being careful to keep her book as dry as possible, Larissa cleans herself off, before she heads out the exit, giving the other woman the chance to come with her, if she wants to.

[Stegyre]

Etienne

Spoiler

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Will save: (1d20+5)[17] (using Elan Resistance)

Ah, the waste of a power point, but it's the principle of the thing: He doesn't like to lose his head.

The scent of the soap is rather heady, but Etienne clears his thoughts with a shake of his head. He finishes his shower and resumes his ceremonial robe to head to the final mirror, wondering what it may finally reveal, about Lord Abraxis, about himself.

[JBarca]

Mistin breathes in the fumes and pauses for a moment. "Wow. That's... That's some fancy soap. Right. So where to now?"

Mistin stands up unashamedly and looks around for proper way forward, letting himself air dry. Once that's done, he wraps himself back up in the robes and gestures for his companions to come along.

[Tyrann]

Bathhouse group

You could backtrack to the door behind you, where your robes are, but the only way forwards is though the next door on the other side of the shower ceiling room.

Spoiler: Larissa

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We never specified what the material of the cover of your book was.
There's two materials available for binding outside. Leather and thick pressed paper.
If it's the former: the leather is quite wet but the water damage inside is minor. The water is wet around the edges and a bit of runny ink around there. But everything is still legible.
If it's the latter however, your cover absorbed a lot of water and that's now seeping into the rest of the pages. The longer you stay in here the worse it will get, but right now you've lost about 30% of what was inside the book.

After Larissa has finished, the woman who had remained in her corner for all of this gladly follows her out into the final 8th. Behind the door is a field of hot air blasting from one side to the other. Stepping through dries off the worst of the water. Behind it are towels and new robes. You're in a new changing room. The woman the was with Larissa dries her hair in the jets of air by the entrance, and then goes looking for something to brush her hair with, but cannot find anything.

On the men's end everything is the same, except that the man they've sent out of the showers is already gone when you enter the changing room.

Once everybody is dressed anew and you leave this changing room, you enter another hallway, where the party meets back up. This hallway is much longer, and ends in a well-lit circle that has a mirror in it. The mirror faces away from the party.

When you get to the mirror, you hear the metalic over static voice from the warehouse again. "Chosen "Agnes", please step in front of the mirror." Once she does so, and has stood there for a few seconds, the voice continues "Chosen "Agnes", we regret to inform you that Abraxis has not requested your presence. Please proceed to the light and exit the tower in a calm and orderly manner."
A light similar to that in the storehouse appears on the wall, and the girl touches it (even if spoken to by any of you.) She disappears.

"Group 3. Next chosen, please step in front of the mirror."

Spoiler: When you look in the mirror

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It's a very odd mirror. It appears to be made of regular glass, but behind it, on the outer edges in particular, is some manner of white opaque gas. You see your own reflection, but it's too small. It's almost like looking in a mirror through a window.

[Archmage1]

Spoiler

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Larissa's book is meant to be rugged, so it would be leather. I was picturing one of those old timey books, with a leather cover, and a flap that can be tied down on the other side, to keep it dry.

Larissa uses the towels to dry her book, and then herself off, before running her fingers through her hair, in an effort to neaten up a bit. It works, kinda. That done, she puts on another robe, sighing at the lack of underthings, before she exits, and examines the mirror.

[Breitheamh]

Jorad tries to hide his displeasure at the sound of some of the ingredients Vinny is asking them to retrieve. "Well, first thing first. Let's deliver that food to Abraxis, and then we'll try and figure it out from there. Come on, Zara." He beckons to the gnome as he climbs through the portal to the restaurant.

[Stegyre]

Etienne

If he is going to be struck down by Abraxis, he would just as soon it happened after the others had passed on, so Etienne hangs back, waiting for the rest to step before the strange mirror.

[ikbenscott]

"Wow Vinny, that's quite the list, you need all that for hot sauce?" Zara answers to the big guy.
and, o, yeah, one more thing, do you have a use for these fine knives?(referring to the box of fine kitchen knives)

Spoiler: knives

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If he has no use for the knives I will take 2 of them with me, as "cutlery for the platter"

Upon hearing Jorad's idea, Zara realizes the platter still needs to be delivered and he follows Jorad into the restaurant area with the platter whilst saying to Vinny;
"I will give it a try and will keep an eye open for others such as yourself, thanks for the help with the platter"

[Tyrann]

Kitchen group

"Those toothpicks? Yeah sure, you can take those."

Spoiler: OOC

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There are several and not all of the same size. These count as daggers for both of you.

When you pass through the purple screen, you don't feel very different.

Spoiler: OOC

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The charm effect of the holy words you read earlier is completely dispelled. It was already suppressed in the kitchen, so in your perception nothing will have changed.

The restaurant is nice. The kitchen makes up the inner ring of this level, and on this side of the wall you just climbed out of it's a bar that completely surrounds the kitchen. Behind and above the bar are bottles. Some of them you recognize, but for every one you know you see three you have never tasted and at least ten you've never seen before.

The rest of this level of the tower is all restaurant. There are no pillars here: the kitchen serves as a column to carry this level. The ceiling is about a hundred feet up and depicts a slowly changing night-sky with an aurora borealis effect and five moons. Occasionally a star shoots.

Besides the light coming from behind the bar, the ceiling and the windows, the room is lit by small candles on the dark wooden tables. The tables are set with fine silverware, crystal glasses and intricately folded napkins.
The room is further lit by small blots of light dancing around statues on pedestals, that smile and nod at you as you pass them.
If you look out of the high slender windows you see you're nearly a mile up. Below, you can see the faithful outside the tower as a mass of tiny lights. It's already starting to get dark outside.
There is a podium on one side of the level, near the windows, and two more rooms, both of them with letters on them (one says "Toilets" and the other says "Wardrobe/Portals")

And then there is the staff. Behind the bar and in the restaurant are spectral waiters, men and women, that bow deeply as you approach and point you towards a table. They never speak a word, but they do respond to your instructions.

Bathhouse group

As soon as Larissa starts moving, the voice says

"Chosen "Larissa", please step in front of the mirror." After a few seconds of only static, the voice continues "Chosen "Larissa" in lieu of the Gift of Sublime Aroma the Divine offers you the Gift of Blissful Remembrance. Please proceed to the light and enter the box in a calm and orderly fashion."

Spoiler: Layout of the room

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I don't have access to my maps at the moment (I should have uploaded all of them to drive) and I don't feel like making it again, sorry about that. But the mirror room is circular and not very big. Maybe a 15 foot radius. The mirror is in the middle, faced away from the hallway and is man-high and free-standing. If the hallway is in the 6 o'clock position, Agnes went out at 3 o'clock and the light glowing now is on the 9 o'clock position. If you're going to touch the walls, please be specific about where.

[Qwertystop]

After a pause-in-shock, Trent provides light applause for Larissa - "Well done, looks like you got something! Maybe you'll even get to see him."

After she has passed, he steps forward, hoping against hope to be worthy.

[Breitheamh]

Jorad takes in the sight of this beautiful area, dazzled by the celestial lights above. "Wow..." is all he can whisper as he looks around, and then again, as he peers out the window, "Wow..."

He comes out of his reverie enough to spot the sign for the "Wardrobe/Portals." "C'mon, Zara. I think it's this way," he says, pointing to the room near the podium.

When he's sure that they can't be heard from the kitchen, he gives Zara a grave look and says softly, "I don't trust Vinny. Something about him tells me that he wants us for something more than just helping him prepare a meal, and those ingredients? They just sound creepy."

[Archmage1]

Hearing the voice choose her, Larissa smiles happily, her dream fulfilled, as she would get to see the marvelous Abraxis, she was sure!
"He chose me! Isn't it wonderful! Good luck!"
Trusting the word of Abraxis, Larissa heads towards the light.
He chose me! I can't believe it! Blissful remembrance sounds wonderful! Although... I wonder if the gift of Sublime Aroma was the soap in the bathing rooms.

[ikbenscott]

As Zara is following Jorad he first notices Jorad staring at the ceiling. Zara looks up and is amazed by the ceiling and wonders.."If I would ever own a Inn.."
When Jorad moves to the window Zara is less interested by the view and more by the silverware..."nice forks will go nicely with the platter..Definitely...yeah, He wont eat with just knives.."

Spoiler: Sleight of hand

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(1d20+6)[10]

When Jorad mentions his idea's about Vinny, Zara responds Well, I would really like to get that hot sauce recipe though, also he was really friendly and helped me out with the platter. But yeah, I do agree those ingredients are unlike any hot sauce I have ever heard off."

[JBarca]

Mistin waits for a moment to see if others will examine the mirror first. When Larissa does, he watches everything that happens intently, then raises his eyebrows in surprise when she's chosen.

"Well. Who's next?"

[Stegyre]

"After you," Etienne offers, with a wave of his hand, stepping back as he does so, so that both Mistin and Trent are clearly closer to the mirror than he.

[Tyrann]

Retaurant group

Zara picks up a fork and is noticed by a waiter, who runs off.

Spoiler: If you wait for him to get back

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He comes back with a new fork and replaces the missing one.

In Wardrobe/Portals room is.. a cloak room because your DM fails at English. There are still some coats in there, as well as a few umbrellas. Trenchcoats, leather jackets, even two long fur coats.

Spoiler: OOC, functionality

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The leather jackets are functionally padded armor. The rest is just cosmetics

Behind the cloak room is a large upright hollow metal tube with a raster on the bottom, and lighted letters in the back with buttons next to them.

1st: Bathhouse
2nd:Restaurant <<
3rd: Theater
4th: Botanical garden
5th: Library
6th: W-Labs
7th: Bio-labs
8th: P-Labs
9th: Security
10th: Simulations
11th: Ballroom
12th: Lobby/Guest rooms

Mirror group except for Larissa

When Larissa disappears and Trent steps forward, the voice speaks again. "Chosen "Trent", please step in front of the mirror." The pause is a bit longer this time. After about thirty seconds it continues "Chosen "Trent" in lieu of the Gift of Sublime Aroma the Divine offers you the Gift of Blissful Remembrance. Please proceed to the light. In the event that the box is locked upon your arrival, please patiently await your turn. If a queue should form, please patiently await your turn. For maximum enjoyment and your own protection, only one person can go into the box at any given time. Thank you for your cooperation."

If Trent follows these instructions, Etienne and Mistin receive similar instructions, except that the wait between the messages is shorter for them. Only about ten seconds each.

Unfortunately I'm going to have to pause you guys there until I know what Larissa is going to do.

Larissa

When you touch the light you find yourself in a new room yet again, but there is nothing magnificent about this one. It's a small rectangular room, 10 by maybe 25 feet long, with empty crude brick walls. The room is lit by a single ball in the ceiling. There is only one way forward: a white door.

After entering through the door, you come into a room that is lined with white padding on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. Even the back of the door you came in through is padded. There is only one object in this room. A chair. And this room too is lit by a single bright orb in the ceiling.

The voice speaks again. There is no static this time, and it sounds much closer and louder. It is still metallic.

"Chosen "Larissa", please close the door behind you and take a seat on the chair. Thank you."

Spoiler: Perception

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When the door is shut, you hear the lock click inside it. It is locked.
Lesser eyes would have missed this, but you passively notice that the the chair has hidden compartments where your wrists and ankles would go. The chair is thick enough for something like spring-loaded manacles to come out. Just in case, the chair is firmly stuck to the floor and would require a rather large strength check to move.

Spoiler: DC 20

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There is a hidden door in one of the walls. There is no handle for it, regular pushing doesn't open it.

[Archmage1]

Studying the situation, Larissa thinks, not wanting to fail Abraxis.
Hm... a test? I don't want to be trapped, and I can't seem to get this hidden door open, and I don't see a trigger, so it probably opens from the other side. Which suggests that I need to sit, but in a way that won't trap me.

Taking care, Larissa follows the directions once more, but sits so her legs and arms won't be trapped.

[Tyrann]

Larissa

After you sit down, manacles do indeed come out of the chair with incredible speed. Fortunately they miss you.
A few seconds later the secret door opens, and a metalic man-shaped construct steps in. As soon as he notices you are not held down by the chair he drops a rod shaped device he was carrying and he charges at you in an attempt to restrain you. He only uses one arm. The other arm is just kind of dangling and held in place by wires that give off an occasional spark. He also only has one glowing eye. The other is an empty socket.

He yells "Chosen "Larissa" you are committing an act of heresy! Stand down immediately!"

Spoiler: Initiative and map

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If you go first, you can act before he does.
Init Larissa - (1d20+3)[11]
Init Warforged - (1d20-1)[2]
Map

[Archmage1]

So, there's more to this puzzle yet. Let's see if this works. Perhaps the damaged state of this creature is part of Abraxis's plan? Or is it more signs of the failures of his servants? Regardless, I need to act now.
Trying to solve the puzzle, to impress Abraxis, Larissa moves quickly, darting past the warforged, and trying to close the door behind it, pushing it out of the way.

Spoiler: roll

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Here's for good luck?
(1d20-1)[19]

[Tyrann]

Larissa

You successfully make it past the construct and find yourself in a strange new room filled with lights. The door locks as soon as you close it. On the floor is the weird rod the construct held. To your right is a very strange chair with an even stranger helmet attached to it. Behind it is a wall that has orbs in it. Thousands of them, all about the size of a marble and of a similar look. Some a bit larger than others. Next to the chair is a bucket of see-through regular glass marbles, and a slot to put new ones in.

If you sit down in the chair, a very large crescent shaped keyboard made of light appears in front of you. The buttons are in an alphabet you've never seen before.

The rest of the mirror group

A short while after arriving you hear a muffled thumping coming from the other side of the door.

Spoiler: If you want to open it

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It's a DC 20 break DC

[ikbenscott]

Upon following Jorad into the coat room, Zara notices the leather jacked and wonders if he would fit into one..

Spoiler: leather coat

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Should there be a coat which fits Zara's small posture, he will take it and wear it on under his ceremonial robe.

After fiddling with the coats he turn to Jorad and asks"how about we visit the botanical gardens, the big guy told us there is a gardenkeeper there, maybe he or she can help us find the others?"
And thinksI would also be able to get the herbs on the list there..

[JBarca]

Mistin watches the proceedings with curiosity, then starts as the thumping is heard.

"Um... I'm going to admit I'm getting a bit nervous..."

He puts his ear against the wall and shouts, "Hello? What's going on in there?

[Archmage1]

Larissa looks around with interest, her hand rapidly taking notes in her book.
This place... is so strange... but I don't see another exit here. These marbles... The mirror said Blissful Remembrance. Are these, then, memories? I would be tied down, and that servant would apply the memory? But how was it damaged? Did someone break free, and try to harm it?
Idly thinking, Larissa reaches out to touch one of the spheres on the wall.

[Stegyre]

Etienne

"Chosen 'Etienne' in lieu of the Gift of Sublime Aroma the Divine offers you the Gift of Blissful Remembrance. Please proceed to the light. In the event that the box is locked upon your arrival, please patiently await your turn. If a queue should form, please patiently await your turn. For maximum enjoyment and your own protection, only one person can go into the box at any given time. Thank you for your cooperation."

Etienne sighs with relief when the same words are said of him as of the others. I am no different in the eyes of Abraxis than the others, he thinks.

Yet I am different. He remembers the nightmare figure from the hall below. A heretical notion occurs to him, Is Abraxis really here? Does He really see us?

He has time, with two others before him awaiting the Gift of Blissful Remembrance. He turns back to the mirror and thinks, No one has told me I cannot touch the mirror.

I am going to touch the mirror if the voice does not command me not to. He pauses a few seconds, to give the mysterious voice time to respond to Abraxis's command and tell him otherwise before reaching out his hand to touch the mirror's surface . . .

Spoiler

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Assuming no voice orders him not to, Etienne reaches out and touches the front surface of the mirror.

[Breitheamh]

Jorad examines one of the leather jackets and contemplates taking it, considering how off everything seems to be, but thinks better of it. It probably belongs to someone, and it might be sacred for all he knows. He shrugs at Zara. "He also said there was a custodian on the fifth floor, which appears to be a library. Well, ok. Let's go to the gardens first, and if the gardenkeeper can't help us, then we try and find a way to the library, deal?"

There is also a spark of curiosity in him about the red levels. Are they off limits, are they dangerous, are they exactly where they need to go? But he keeps those thoughts to himself.

[ikbenscott]

"Sounds like a plan" Zara replies to Jorad.

[Tyrann]

Mistin and Trent

With his ear to the wall Mistin can make out a bit more.

Spoiler: DC 5 Perception

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The thumping seems to have moved from this door to somewhere else in the room. The wall vibrates with every thump. Only a little, but enough to notice.

Spoiler: DC 10 Perception

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There is a metallic voice screaming behind the door, but you can't make out what it's saying.

Spoiler: DC 15 Perception

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"Chosen Larissa, open this door at once! The viewing station is off limits to the chosen!"

Spoiler: DC 20 listen and DC 10 sense motive

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Even though it sounds rather monotone, there is a tone of panic to the robot voice.

Etienne

When you touch the mirror, nothing interesting happens. It appears to be solid, and feels like regular glass. Your finger leaves a print.

Larissa

You touch one of the spheres on the wall, and are jerked into a scene outside the tower. It's evening, and two men are talking in front of a farm building. There is no sound, and you cannot change the angle you're looking from. You recognize both men. They are the high priest and a local fruit farmer. But this must have been 20 years ago judging by how they look. The vision ends as abruptly as it started. You are back in the room, holding the marble in your hand.

Spoiler: If you touch a second

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You enter a new scene, again feeling like you're being jerked into it. Your sight is guided and like the previous one there is no sound. You see a man you don't recognize taste wine from a barrel and it looks as though he is greatly enjoying it. You can read the side of the barrel. This wine would be 42 years old today. And again, it has a snap ending.

Spoiler: If you touch a third, bigger one

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Same thing, except this time you're looking at women in the showers you've just been in. This one is a bit longer and you're getting all the angles. And yes, they do use soap.

Jorad and Zara

You touch the button next to Botanical Garden, and you hear something whirring and grinding under the raster. A plate slides in underneath it, and you are teleported into a new metalic tube, and you notice the arrow has moved.
4th: Botanical Garden <<

When you look behind you, you see you're inside a white wooden booth.

The first thing you notice, before even seeing them, is the herbs and the flowers accompanied by the roaring sound (and smell) of a nearby waterfall. When you open the booth's creaky door you see this garden isn't just one level. Or it is, but there are 5 tiers of platforms hanging above it, suspended by enormous chains that end in the walls. The sound of roaring water is from the ever increasing streams that pour down from the platforms, dropping 50 feet each time. You can't see what's on the upper levels, but the bottom level alone is beautiful. There are flowers everywhere, in yellow, red, pink, violet, white and every combination of those. Some hanging in bowls from the platform above, some in patches, but most of them just as fields scattered all about. On the outsides of the room you see a few ponds filled with vibrant colored fish and lilies. And still further out, the water gets more swampy and you see a few trees that look like weeping willows, except that their vines have nodes that give off a dim light.

From behind one of these trees a slightly rusted man-sized robot appears and greets you in a gentle, though robotic, voice as he moves towards you over stepping stones in the ponds, his voice slightly raised to make himself audible over the water.

"Greetings, visitors. It has been a long time since anyone has visited my garden. I am Unit Number 4, tasked with maintaining nature's balance. Is there anything I can do for you?"