The morning after the gala, Lydia as well as her bunkmates are woken from a very restful, and magically induced, night's sleep and brought to the dining hall for a nourishing meal, possibly the last good meal some of them will ever have.  They are then taken to a cool room and Lydia is directed to strip down and lay back on a table, her feet in stirrups.  She does so under the gaze of purple cowled priests.  Once in place three of the purple-robed, cowled figures step forward. Judges of Cyril, impartial and devoid of emotion; she can't even tell their gender. As they close in around her naked form, Lydia tries her best to relax. The first steps between her splayed thighs, parts her labia, and peers close.<br/>"Unsoiled," it intones, and backs away.<br/><br/>A second steps into the place vacated by the second. Lydia feels hands spreading her backside and forces herself to relax as a finger penetrates the tight bud of her asshole. Like the first, it withdraws, intoning, "Unsoiled."<br/><br/>A third steps alongside her and leans over her face. Even this close, Lydia cannot see the face underneath. She opens her mouth, and can hear as the being sucks in through its nose. Like the others, it too backs away. "Unsoiled."  She relaxes. Using whatever arcane methods they have invented, the Judges have determined her to be truly a virgin in every sense of the word.<br/><br/>"Contestant," intones a fourth Judge. "You have been found worthy of entering the Dungeon. May Cyril light your path." As it speaks, the Judge steps forward. In its hand is a silver stamp, such as those used by the bureaucrats to imprint the seal of the State on important documents. The Judge presses the stamp into the meaty flesh of her upper arm. There is a flash of searing pain, and the Judge withdraws. The Sigil, Lydia knows, even as she prods at the tender flesh. She isn't sure of the details, but she knows it is how they monitor her in the Dungeon, among other things.<br/><br/>The Judges file out, leaving her alone for a few moments to gather herself. In just a few hours, she will be in the Dungeon. Her life, her eternal future, will shrink down to a handful of hours. How far will she get? Will she make it to her chosen Counselor? Will she make it to the Reaping levels? Or will she end up trapped, becoming a Denizen? Or worse...fall prey to the dreaded Void.<br/><br/>After a minute or two a slave girl, mute, shows up to take Lydia to bathing facilities.  She is given simple but high quality soap and scents and given time to prepare.  Lydia chooses a very flattering satin gown and the slave girl helps her with her hair.  It is unclear if the slaves in the temple of Cyril are mute by choice, magic, or training, but almost never are they heard speaking, and it is known that those who serve well and with conviction find their way into the ranks of the priesthood of Cyril.  So it is with no surprise that the slave girl shows absolutely no emotion, simple detachment and duty as she helps Lydia with her ablutions.<br/><br/>Each contestant, once prepared, is led to a private room with an Æthertube and given the rare privacy to contact the counselor of their choice.  Of course, time is very limited to contact the counselors and with forty nine other contestants there is a bit of competition to talk to the most desirable .  Lydia knows that she has an hour to speak with the counselors, and needs to make the most of it.  However she notices that there are only eighteen counselors listed to contact.  Strange as each dungeon has twenty four each year, which six might be missing?  It is impossible to know for certain as some years there are different counselors than others.  Whatever reason there might be for limiting her choices, she does not know.  If she waits to talk to the most popular counselors listed, like the paladin, Malefactus, or the archion, she may have little time to speak to them, and little time to speak with others.  Then again other counselors might be a waste of time as well, it is said that the barbarian doesn't even talk, so what purpose his name on the dial might serve is unknown.  But Lydia needs to make her first choice because the time started the moment the door closed behind her.<br/><br/>Should she wait to talk to her first choice, or see if she can communicate with one of the less popular counselors on the list?<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">Counselors on the list include<br/>https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=234676.msg11541514#msg11541514<br/>If you want to come up with a new counselor not on that list, feel free to do so (especially if you already have an image for him, her, or them)</div></div>