The Tower

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**The Tower** is the primary setting of ***Ascent: Trials of Vore***. It is an impossibly large "tower" that functions as an entire universe unto itself, each floor acting as a different locale and biosphere.

It first appeared in *Floor 1 - The Gateway*.

## Description

The Tower's structure seems to inhabit and function as an entire universe. Each floor of the Tower serves almost as a self-contained "world", unique from those around it, each having an Overseer who's job it is to handle everything on that floor. It was sometimes described as a place not for skeptics or philosophers, that could eat someone alive were they to try and solve every mystery it held.

The Tower as a whole is looked after by a pair of gatekeepers - presently Porter and Verge - who's job is to keep it functioning, and deal with new arrivals - though Porter has implied they are not the owners of the Tower, merely being caretakers. One Overseer - Esther Fuega - who answers to a power other than the Tower - has alluded to the Powers-That-Be of the Tower, though whether she was referring to a higher authority or the gatekeepers is unclear.

Those who arrive in the Tower - designated as "climbers" - are supposedly selected for a "grand destiny" awaiting them at the top of the Tower, though the details of what this reward entails are unknown. What is known, however, is that climbers must ascend through the floors of the Tower to reach it, completing tasks set for them by each floor's Overseer and consuming all who get in their way.

The Tower has a degree of autonomy, though it is unclear how conscious it truly is. The mechanism that brings climbers from other universes is allegedly under its control, and there were rumors that it wasn't fond of those who could easily resurrect due to its most successful climber supposedly having had such an ability and exploiting it to reach the 1,003rd Floor, and that it turned climbers who managed to escape it to dust. The full truth of this information is unclear, however.

At present, there are 1,003 known floors of the Tower, and an unknown number undiscovered by any climber, though some overseers have claimed it to have thousands, millions, billions or even trillions in its height.

## History

### Background

* According to Porter, the Tower was "almost eternal" in human terms, but present way of things - referring to system of overseers & trials - had been there for 55,000+ years by the time Ashley Gray arrived. ***(Floor 1 - The Gateway)***
* Either then or later, Porter & twin sister Verge would become Tower's co-gatekeepers & co-overseers of 1st Floor, Verge would later depart latter role to be overseer of 48th, after mysterious disappearance of prior overseer. ***(Floor 1 - The Gateway)***
* ~11,000 years pre-Ashley, Tower would see most successful climber, who reached 1,003rd Floor before settling down. ***(Floor 1 - The Gateway)***

### ***Ascent: Trials of Vore***

* In present, the Tower would bring Ashley Gray to 1st Floor, along with Syl and others, as part of Start Group 20200517-E. Only Ashley & Syl would survive opening challenge - on Porter & Verge's watch - & proceed to 2nd. ***(Floor 1 - The Gateway)***

## Politics

The Tower's overall "political" structure is rather simple, though that may simply be because it has not been shown in detail. It is known that two co-gatekeepers are in nominal control of the Tower, while each individual floor is run under the absolute power of an Overseer.

## Locations

### Floors

* 1st Floor ***(1F)***
* 2nd Floor ***(2F)*** - (Chessboard)
* 3rd Floor ***(3F)***
* 4th Floor ***(4F)***
* 5th Floor ***(5F)***
* 7th Floor ***(7F)***
* 22nd Floor ***(22F)***
* 48th Floor ***(48F)***
* 52nd Floor ***(52F)***
* 100th Floor ***(100F)***
* 101st Floor ***(101F)***
* 124th Floor ***(124F)***
* 404th Floor ***(404F)***
* 1,003rd Floor ***(1003F)***
* *Other Locations in the Tower*

## Trivia

* The basic concept of the Tower - and of *Ascent: Trials of Vore* as a whole - is inspired by and intended as an original setting parody of the South Korean manwha *Tower of God*.