Chrysalis

What the heck is this stuff?

After venturing forth again, it wasn't long, and only one fight before we came across something curious and I halted the group for a careful inspection.

We're looking at one of the mangrove style trees that emerge straight out of the muddy waters of the marsh expanse. It's tangled knot of roots sinking beneath the water line like so many straws. Supported atop this mess of roots the tree rises, twisted and tall, opening into a grand canopy. It isn't the top of the tree that has garnered our attention at this moment; it's the bottom — specifically, the roots.

They're glowing. Not all the roots, mind you, just some of them, half perhaps, but there is a glow happening. The roots in question are shimmering with a soft browny, bluey sort light, the kind of colour that soothes and mollifies the tired mind.

Curiously I venture close enough to give them a tradition ant investigation, which consists of thwappity thwapping the offending wood with my antennae until I get a good sniff of them. To my more ordinary senses, they seem just like glowing wood.

Flipping on my mana sense skill, I get a very different picture. When I reach out with my magically attuned mind I can detect water mana, blue and clear, infused with the wood alongside another mana type, slow-moving and earthy in a way I can only imagine is earth mana.

So this wood is infused with not one, but two types of mana? Is it due to sitting in the muddy waters of the expanse, a place that is saturated with mana at the best of times and at present completely overflowing with the stuff?

Perhaps this is an example of the kind of rare materials Enid was mentioning? I wonder if the humans can make something out of this stuff? I'll have to take a sample up with us when we return, not to mention keep an eye out for any more sources.

Before leaving I give the wood one last thwappity with my antennae, the nimble sense organs flipping about rapidly as if they had a mind of their own before I feel satisfied.

["looks like some sort of mana infused wood'] I report back to my group when I join them, a few metres away from the tree.

"Oooooh" Vibrant coos, "sooooo, what does it do?"

"I'm completely certain" I reply firmly, "that I have no clue. We'll have to wait until we get to the surface and ask if the humans know what we can do with it."

"Aww. I was hoping we could do something cool with it."

Personally, I was hoping the same, but to preserve my dignity as the senior ant, I refuse to let my disappointment show.

get too fussed over Vibrant," I tell the soldier, "let's go find

punching the

own. There isn't strictly any reason why she has to be on my back. Perhaps I've gotten so used to having little creatures riding

I ask the ape as he

he grunts,

clacking with curiosity. What did he

eyes and takes a moment before I can spot exactly what he's pointing at,

Holy Mackeral! BIG!

since it was resting in the water, most of its body submerged. When the water rippled, I was able to pinpoint the long snout resting just

I mean, really?

Perhaps this is our first sighting of the legendary, so far mythical tier four offspring of Garralosh? I study the floating beast carefully. Yes, I'm confident that this is just too large to be

think

hear a shuffle next to

[Wha?]

You plant your big ape butt right here in the dirt until I say you

[Grrrr]

buddy. Sit down a chill out for a second. We don't how many

I can see him shift and look directly at me

that meant to be the fun

nods vigorously up and

Save me from this muscle

antenna I firmly point to

sulks and sits

of course, the Croc in the distance twitches in response to the

Tiny…. Was

massive ape looks innocently at me, and wide eyed as a newly