ToA [IC]

[Qwertystop]

"I agree about the rope - not much point taking a risk like that when the power's not on yet. Save our luck for when we need to rush."

"So, what sort of things did you learn in the simulation, anyway?"

[Stegyre]

Etienne

"I learned –" he pauses, uncertain what to say about the "enhanced mode" the simulation had allowed him to invoke. In a moment of haste, he decides that would take too long to explain, "I learned how to fight and defend myself better. It was very – instructive." The truth, if perhaps not the whole truth. He turns to Jorad for help, hoping that his experience resembles and supports Etienne's own.

"It is amazing. You need not do the same holycrystal I did. Find one that you think may interest you. I think you will not regret it."

Spoiler: Etienne's Mentations

Show

It is wondrous how these simulations can teach one so much, so quickly! he thinks. He looks down at his hands, flexing and stretching them, and feeling the strange power he is now able to summon within himself. Ever since the nightmares have started, he had found he was much more – connected – with himself than before, like he had somehow evolved to a new kind of life. Now, he felt like he had done so yet again.

I am "becoming," but becoming what?

[Breitheamh]

"I think instructive is too small a word, Etienne," Jorad says excitedly. "It was like this thing took everything I know, everything I want to be, and made it real. Give me a sword, or a hammer, or an axe, and I'll do things you've never seen before. And yet, it feels like only the beginning of a journey."

This is where my destiny begins, he thinks to himself.

[ikbenscott]

I learned how to be more cautious so to say..
Zara does allow others to see the mischief he created in simulation, but does not pay the onlookers any attention.
When he gets out of the simulation, he waves at the rest of the party and listens to the plans carefully.

Etienne, I will accompany you. I thinks that there might be some vines in the garden level which we can use as rope. Also, the garbage shute is in the kitchen, maybe you can lower me down into it..and I'll have a look, should it be to far down, or too dangerous you can pull me up right?

[Stegyre]

Etienne

"Vines sound like a good alternative, if we can't find any rope," Etienne nods in agreement. "We can go get one or the other while Larissa gets more information from Number 3."

[Tyrann]

Trent

No. 7 gets out a measure ribbon and a large map of fabric samples and asks how you would like the pockets - inside, out, or both. He tells you making the cloak will take about 6 hours - he will get to work straight away.

Larissa

It takes a while - long enough that it might feel like he isn't going to respond - before you get a reply from No. 3. The answers to your questions come as a whisper in the back of your mind.
"Limited 3 replies per day. Chutes - different sections same level. Emergency - bottom LeMurs top abandoned dragon hatchery. Restaurant chutes exist. Fall likely not lethal.

Mistin

After nearly 2 hours of waving now, your fingers and wrists are starting to tire. But you're making improvement. Maybe with a few more tries and..

Spoiler

Show

Another hour has passed. Good luck!

[Tyrann]

Etienne and Zara

You get to the teleportation tube, intending to go to the storehouse, when you notice a problem.

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

Spoiler: Inside the garden

Show

Previous garden description can be found here.

The warden, who is transporting a few plants on opaque platforms that float 3 feet above the ground behind tiny propellor drones, turns to greet you.

"Welcome back, chosen Zara" and turning to Etienne "Welcome chosen. My name is number 4, tasked with preserving nature's balance. Is there anything I can do for you?"

[Breitheamh]

Jorad stays behind with Larissa while Zara and Etienne go looking for rope.

"So, what did you find out?" he asks.

Spoiler: Anyone can look in this

Show

I guess he hasn't gone to get his new clothes yet? Meaning he's still in his ceremonial robes?

[Stegyre]

Etienne

"Greetings, Number 4. We need a route back to the storage area, or if that cannot be done, we could use some vines, long enough, and strong enough, to be used as ropes. We have an assignment Number 3 to descend the garbage chutes. Can you help us?"

[Tyrann]

Jorad

Spoiler

Show

Whether Jorad has clothing or not is up to you. Whatever makes sense, I'm fine either way.

When Jorad finally gets to the shop, number 7 gets up from his work on a cloak that appears to be made of bright patches of cloth and bows to you.

"Greetings chosen. I am number 7. Welcome to our humble shop. Olfactory sensors indicate elevated levels of transpiration-related odors on your person.

Have you been working out?

If I may be so bold: we recommend copious use of AbrAxe déodorant and remind chosen to use the bath-house after prolonged physical activity. Abraxis prefers his chosen lemony fresh!"

Etienne and Zara

"I do not know how to get to the Magnificent Storehouse. My place is here in the Garden. However, I do have vines."

He walks over to the back of the white-wood shed that holds the teleporter, and returns with two rain ponchos which he offers to you. They look old and decrepit so they probably won't stop much water, but it's the thought that counts, right?

"Please follow me when you are ready."

He walks over to the centre of the level, and calls three of the small propellor constructs to him. When you join him, your feet feel weird. Sticky.

"Before we move on, I am required by Abraxis to offer you a warning. Once turned, stepping off the marked platform is likely to result in injury or death. Please take care to not leave the marked platform and only step off the marked platform to get on the floating disks behind the garden helpers.

Abraxis reminds all users of tower services that to the greatest extent permissible by applicable law, Abraxis does not guarantee or warrant that any use of or contact with the tower or anything therein will not lead to inadvertent damage to your person.

Would you like to proceed?"

[Qwertystop]

Trent is, at this point, just waiting with Larissa - having nothing to do, it's better to not split the group up any more than it already is.

In reply to No. 7: "Inside and out, please. But... I'm not sure if we'll be here in six hours - maybe you shouldn't bother."

[Stegyre]

Etienne

The strange warnings and disclaimers make Etienne's head spin. I wonder if there is a holycrystal to teach one to speak like that, he wonders. He looks at Zara and then back to Number 4, "Yes, I think?"

[ikbenscott]

Upon entering the gardens Zara is happy to be back in such an magnificent part of the tower. He takes one of the ponchos handed to him by number four. Zara is very exited and replies to Etienne with a hastened voiceYeah for sure man..You have to say yes..We are gonna fly..This is amazing..I also flew with Jorad..We should be fine
Zara then replies to number fourYes, I would like to proceed while he is still struggling with the oversized poncho.

[Archmage1]

Larissa smiles and nods as No.3 responds.
"It sounds like there is a chute in different sections, and that he doesn't believe that the fall would be lethal. The emergency exits lead to LeMurs for the bottom exit, and an abandoned dragon hatchery for the top exit. Neither of which sounds very good, but with some luck, we can get back to the tower proper from there."

[Tyrann]

Etienne and Zara

After you've both consented, you hear and feel a loud thump, accompanied by jets of brown dust rising up all along the outline of a large circle surrounding you two and the warforged.

Then, suddenly, the inside of this outlined circle drops a few inches and flip-turns 180 degrees with incredible speed. The sudden sensation of your stomach being pulled makes place for the feeling of blood flowing to your head - you end up hanging upside down, 50 feet up, from the ceiling. All around you see luminescent jungle plants, vines and a few very odd insects.

There is rain pouring down from the entire ceiling, spattering off the thick canopy. The air here is heavy and humid. What little sweat you had left after your training immediately appears on your skin under the would-be waterproof poncho. The only rain-free spot appears to be your upsidedown platform, and as the hover bugs fly over to the side and form their concave disks, you can immediately see the rain starting to fill them.

The warforged gets on the first one and tells you. "Please follow follow me." Two more disks park, and you train along.

Unlike the previous levels, this one seems to have a few horizonal tracts for the hoverbugs, allowing them to navigate the trees to some extent. When you get to a vine tree that glows in rave-blue neon, No. 4's drone stops and he asks "Was this what you were looking for?"

[Stegyre]

Etienne reaches a hand out to one of the vines to test it for strength, though he has no experience with such things. He decides he should defer to Number 4: "That depends. Would one of these be strong enough to support a person, climbing up and down? If so, that is what we want, probably at least 50' in length."

[Tyrann]

The rain pours heavy on your heads, so the druid has to raise his mechanical voice to make himself understandable.

"Yes, the vines would be sturdy enough, at least until they are used up. Though that is not their purpose. This is glowvine. "

He grabs a vine and holds it up in his hand, water bouncing off. The vines are a series of canules separated by nodes about every feet.

"Here. Cut off the end, just under the node." He gives the vine to Zara.

The moment you blade cuts through, brightly glowing saps ooze out of the wound and solidify almost immediately after. This causes a chain-reaction in the cut off part. First you see a pattern of glowing lines and noduli form. And then it gets brighter and brighter until it gives off more light than even a torch would.

"The same can be done by pressing down hard on the nodes. It is this species' means of reproduction. The tree's seeds are carried around by creatures using it for light. The light lasts about 6 hours, and for this duration the vine will remain sturdy. Afterwards, the vine snaps open to release its seeds. The stress caused by climbing will likely activate all of the vines."

Zara, your fingers on the hand that was holding the vine are a bit glowy too, because the rain caused a little of the hardening sap to ooze over them.
It's dim, but definitely noticeable.

The vines are about 10 to 15 foot each, and he can give you about 100 feet.

Spoiler

Show

Mechanically, this functions like a sunrod except as otherwise noted. It weighs a pound per 5 feet. He says that if you treat them carefully, they stay good for about a year after they're removed from the tree.

[Stegyre]

Etienne

"Well, with that, we should rejoin the others. Thank you Number 4. If you can help us back to the transport tube, we will continue our mission." Etienne looks up dubiously, wondering how they get back through the ceiling-that-was-formerly-the-floor, and hoping the process won't involve the same rush of vertigo.

And as he feels his damp clothing, he thinks, self-cleaning and self-drying, that is how someone should enchant clothing.

[Archmage1]

Not hearing anything else from those with her, Larissa starts heading towards the teleportation chambers, meaning to go to the restaurant.

[Breitheamh]

"Ok, then. Restaurant it is," Jorad says as he follows behind Larissa. "Just be careful. There's a guy named Vinny in the kitchen. He's big, kind of scary looking, and I don't trust him. He didn't try to kill me and Zara or anything, but something just doesn't seem quite right with him."

[Archmage1]

Larissa pauses, and looks back at Jorad.
"Thank you for the warning. With luck, we won't need it, but... it is good to know."

[Qwertystop]

Following, Trent remarks "Well, if we're in a position to choose when we get to that bit, I'd prefer the dragon hatchery. It's easier to get from up to down than from down to up, especially if the others get us some rope."

[Archmage1]

Larissa nods, smiling.
"My thoughts exactly!"

[ikbenscott]

Zara has a bit of trouble adjusting himself to the idea of leaping downwards when hanging upside down. He does not want to land on his head so he makes a nimble jump onto the disk..

Spoiler: Acrobatics

Show

(1d20+9)[25]

When arriving at the glow-vine Zara is fascinated by this plant. He has never seen such a thing. He does not really like the fact that his hands are very visible now so he tries to rub some of the glowing sap off with the rainwater. He thinks Ehm, this might be useful for the big ones..they will need this to see when there is little light..how useless are their eyes..

Zara replies to number four Thank you again kind number four. Could you spare me 50' please?
Zara hastily puts the glow-vine away and tries to take in as much of the wonderful garden as possible and he is happy he is flying again. He gives Etienne a honest smile which is filled with excitement.

[Tyrann]

Bella

Yesterday
Like all other chosen, you arrived the evening before the ceremony. A priest welcomed you, and tapped your hand with a thin wooden rod that left a blue A on your hand. Afterwards you enjoyed the first night of the festival surrounding the tower ceremony. There were roasted foods, there was alcohol, there were fireworks. And above all, there were people. Everyone from the entire world was here.

This morning
You arrived at the grand temple of Abraxis at dawn. You were shown in by a priest, and asked to change into ceremonial robes. If you tried to smuggle anything in, this is where you will have needed to do so: after the changing robes you were taken through a box-like device that scanned you for roughly 18 seconds and then padded down by a priest.
You were led into a room with stone tablets in the back.

Spoiler: They read

Show

The truths as spoken by Abraxis
1) Everything in life is impermanent and ever changing. Therefor transformation is useful, but ultimately without an end, and as such cannot lead to happiness.
2) A life based on possessing is not without its merits, but is ultimately hollow.
3) You can hide behind veils, but sooner or later you will meet one that sees true.
4) Do not cling to negativity, for it will never lead to eternal peace.
5) Truth does not lie in evocation, and one who is complete need never do it so long as he is mindful of his shadow.
6) Think with your mind, create with your hands. Without both of these authentic creation is impossible.
7) Divine not truths too difficult to grasp, for knowledge is the bane of bliss. Live your life in bliss, and know that God is good.
8) To truly live a life of happiness, Abjure all but that Abraxis is God.
Know that Abraxis is a Champion of Abjuration and to follow the eighth, most noble of truths is to follow in His footsteps.

The way of life
1) To work hard is to be close to God.
2) Treat all sentient beings with love and respect.
3) All sentient beings are born equal.
4) Priests serve as shepherds to man.

Spoiler: Also

Show

DC 25 will save. Failing means you are charmed by Abraxis (as the charm monster spell).

About ten minutes after all of the chosen arrived in this room, the High Priest appeared. He was an old hunchbacked tiefling that walked with a staff. The other chosen whispered about him

"He is the only person in the world who is a direct descendant to all five demigods, as well as several angels."

He said a few prayers with you and then left you, leaving a senior priest to brief you all on the procedure.

"Soon you will be brought to your designated ceremonial delivery carts. There are twenty carts, and groups have been carefully preselected. Please do not stray from your group.

Once inside, you will drive between the sea of history and the sea of dreams. You are free to admire these, but keep in mind you have five minutes until the next cart goes in.

Once you are in the middle of the tower, you will ride over the Tiles of Ascendance, which will lead you to the Magnificent Storehouse.

There you will be met by the Man of Metal. He will point out where you are to place your offerings. Do not be disturbed if you are aided in this by the Invisible Hands. They, like the Man of Metal, are an extension of Abraxis' will. After this is done, you are to present yourself to the Mirror of Inner Beauty. We all pray that one of you will be deemed worthy of meeting our beloved creator."

The wait for the evening was long. But when it finally came you were informed you'd be in the second to last cart. You met the other chosen you'd be on a cart with. A human. A boring human.

Outside the tower
When you set off from the temple compound towards the actual tower, it's like the entire world has come out to watch you. You see friends, family, and so many people you have never seen before. All of them singing, cheering and praying for you. A few of them try to shake your hands and wish you good luck.

When you get in front of the plaza, there's a large clearing in front of the tower. No-one but the chosen are allowed here. The first cart goes in and five minutes later the second, accompanied by cheers. And then the third. And so on.

And then, there is confusion. There is excitement. The chosen on the third cart never came out. Their cart came out, driven by a girl called Agnes who was so overwhelmed that she couldn't remember what she had seen inside, just that it had been glorious.

Could it really be that Abraxis had finally selected chosen, after 40 years of absence?

And then. Finally. It is your turn.
When your human cart buddy drives the cart through the tower's gate, the first thing you notice is the light. There is white light everywhere. The second thing you notice is another set of holy tablets on the ceiling that seem to radiate with similar power.

Map You start at (AP, 4)

The ceiling is incredibly high up. At least a thousand feet. The pillars holding it up are beautiful, with dragon carvings curling around them. And on both sides of the room is a sea of whiteness that begins to take form as you come in.

On your right:
You see the history of mighty Abraxis shaping the world. You see him, beard and all, heroically fighting the ancient dragon of old. It feels so real you can actually feel the wind when the dragon flaps his wings, and you can smell the acid in the air when it breathes.

Abraxis charges right through the breath as men fall all around him, striking down on the beast with a thundering axe and ripping through it's entire chest, causing it to explode in a cloud of acid.

Then you see him destroying many younger dragons, rather brutally and heroic, before erecting the tower that reached unto the heavens, upon the top of which he places his throne.

Then you see him create the grass, the trees, the animals, and then the people.

The people bring him offerings and Abraxis looks on from the top of his tower, blessing them.

On the left:
It has a few seconds of delay, but after a while you figure out that any thought you focus on for more than six seconds is echoed and projected in the sea of white.

Images start with surface thoughts. Faces you've just seen in the crowd, or the songs they sang. Notable things you saw inside the temple or details of the tower. Maybe even Abraxis slaying the dragon. But soon the images become more guided, following the focus of your thoughts. It could be memories, it could be fantasies, it could be the wildest thing you can think up. As long as you focus on creating it and try to make it appear.

A minute ago

When you got to the middle of the floor, you saw what must have been the tiles of ascendance. A circle made out of mosaic tiles that show a night sky. When the horses went on, they disappeared front to back as they got to the innermost ring. Soon after, the cart followed, and you found yourself somewhere new.

The first thing you noticed was the stench. Something was definitely rotting in there. The other thing that felt weird was the air. It was cold, but only from one side of the room.

It took a few moments for your eyes to adjust. This room was much less bright than the previous one. But you could immediately make out a huge reflective shape: the Man of Metal.

You heard a metalic voice

"Greetings chosen. I am the Man of Metal, right hand to Abraxis and extension of His will. We thank you for your gifts, and request your aid in bringing the following items to the following locations.

4 large cheeses, Quarter C, Aisle 12 row C unit 53."

You notice it's not actually the Man himself that the sound is coming from. It's the pole coming out of the floor next to him. OOC, it sounds a bit like a drive-through.

"12 bags of flower, Quarter C, Aisle 41 row G, unit 32.

Set of large meat cleavers .. .. .. Please deliver the knives next to the kitchen rune in the storage room between Quarters A and D. Do not stand on the runes. The kitchen is off limits."

So that was what that crate had been.. It was a heavy crate. The human you were with couldn't lift it. Neither could you. So you dragged and he pushed. And then you saw the rune. You knew it was off limits. Maybe the clumsy human pushed you in. Maybe you went there because you felt like this storehouse and its rotting goods had nothing good to steal and a kitchen might have more. I don't know. But when your foot touched the rune..

The present

You find yourself in a new room which is disorienting for two reasons.

The first one being that the sensation you've had ever since you saw the tablets (Abraxis is the greatest thing ever) seems to have diminished a bit.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Effect of charm monster is suppressed inside this room

The second thing is that this room is a lot brighter than the previous one. The ceiling is much lower here, about 20 feet up, and there is a very sharp light coming from glowing orbs that are worked into it.

The kitchen looks incredibly professional but much too big. There are several rows of counters and to your surprise they appear to be made of shiny metal, with pans hanging underneath them. You can't even see the top, because these appear to have been made for a giant. Even a human would be hard pressed to see what's on these.

The room is circular, and quite large, but not quite as large as the previous ones.

There is much more in the room to be seen, but before you can get a better look, you hear an unearthly deep grubmbling voice behind, in a mobster accent.

"Oh hey, is that my new equipment? I appreciate the concern, but you didn't have to deliver them personally. But where are my manners. I'm Vinny. Pleasure to meet you. Can I offer you a beverage?"

When you turn around you see this

When you turn he comments "It must be my lucky day, huh? Three chosen all in one day when I ain't seen any in 40 years. Welcome to my kitchen! Hey, you kind of look like that kid.. Oh I'm sorry if my appearance offends you. Trust me I cook a lot better than I look. But yeah, you kind of look like that Zara kid. He a friend of yours?"

You know who Zara is. He's a whisper gnome from your village that was on cart 3. Bit of a brat, and a bit of a mamma's boy.

The rest of the party

You take the teleporter to the restaurant from your respective levels and find eachother in the restaurant's cloakroom, Etienne and Zara with 100 feet of glowvine.

When you step outside, you see the restaurant, some of you for the first time.

The restaurant is nice. There's a bar on that circles around the middle of the room on the outer wall of what is probably 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.

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 now fully dark outside, and you notice that from up here the stars look way bigger from up here.

There is also a podium, and a room that says "Toilets" on the door.

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.

And oddly, you hear voices coming out of the kitchen. Zara and Jorad recognize the deep voice as Vinny. But it seems he is talking to someone.

[Qwertystop]

"People in the kitchen... I guess we took long enough that they sent the next group in, and someone else went off-track. That won't look good - the whole group never returning."

Trent walks over towards the kitchen, calling ahead -

"Hey, there! You went off-track too? Turns out there's a bit of a -"

- and then catching sight of Vinny.

[Deadlykire]

Bella saw the kitchen rune. Bella ignored the kitchen rune. There was no way they could both push this stupid crate. If they didn't want her in the kitchen they'd just have to wait to take their knives until she could get out of the stupid thing.

As she is ported Bella lets out a small sigh as she is released from the hold of Abraxis. "That was weird," she thinks to herself, "I don't believe in Abraxis and I'm no one's servant but I couldn't help but to follow directions. She scans the room, but before she can survey it more she hears a voice behind her. She hides her scowl at having someone get the drop on her before turning. Bella eyes the creature uneasily already wishing she hadn't left that thunderstone at home. "I know him. Not sure I'd call us friends though, ran in different circles if you know what I mean." Her eyes wander for anything to use as a weapon if needed. She knows the knives in the crate would probably work, but the thing was likely to be sealed shut thus not her best option. "No wonder we hate this place," she muses to herself, "my father wasn't kidding when he said nothing good came of this place." Gnomes had longer lives than the other races. Long enough lives to remember the last time there were chosen. Her father had told stories of the time. It always seemed like he was happy he hadn't been chosen...but now she started to wonder if he hadn't been telling her lies on that count. None of that mattered now, she appeared to be stuck in this place with the creature.

She hears a voice calling out from the distance. Something about 'going off track'. She isn't sure what the fool meant, but apparently she wasn't the only one not following directions around here.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

If Bella fails to find anything weapon looking, she'll look for a rune to escape. And for any open door way out which she can dart.
Weapon Options - (1d20+7)[25]
Doors and Runes - (1d20+7)[9]

[Tyrann]

Bella

There's an open box on the counter near you, that looks an aweful lot like the boxes that a store you occasionally visit sells knife sets in.
The problem is that the counter is 7 feet up, and you can't see inside the box. And Vinny is right next to it.

And then there are the pans under the counters. Maybe not the greatest of weapons. But they could definitely hurt a gnome. Or a human. So maybe they could hurt this thing too.

You scan the room for exits and you see two. One directly behind you, which is also where you heard the voice from. The other directly in front of you, past this hulking monstrosity. There might be more, but it's hard to see anything with these counters being as high as they are.

[Breitheamh]

Jorad clambers through the screen to find himself back in the kitchen, looking at a scene that apparently was becoming a habit: a gnome talking to the giant, creepy chef named Vinny.

"Hello again, Vinny," he says nonchalantly as he crosses his arms. "Sorry, we haven't got the stuff you need. We're just passing through on our way to the garbage level."

Then he turns to the newcomer, "Hello, fellow chosen, I'm Jorad, this is Larissa, Etienne, Trent, and Zara. Things are a bit different around here than you might think."

[Archmage1]

Following Trent and Jorad, Larissa heads into the kitchen, where she soon spots the giant red skinned creature, Vinny.
"Hello Vinny? You seem quite different from us."
After a few moments, she too spots the newcomer.
"Hello to you as well, chosen. Are you with the next group?"