Chrysalis

I was blessed many times over for such events occur, not only in my lifetime, but in my vicinity, allowing me to take a direct hand in the magnificent triumphs that transpired. But that isn’t what I value most, the thing I gained the greatest joy from. The understanding that was granted to me far outweighed any other considerations in terms of the impact it had on my life and the direction I took.

What is the System? Divine intervention, most would say, certainly in the human kingdoms where the Church of the Path is most entrenched. A power that was granted to the wise that they may defend the light of civilisation from evil and temper themselves in battle, that they might prove themselves worthy.

What is the Dungeon? Providence, they would say. A place of trial, where the gifts of the System are to be developed to fulfilment, so that the worthy might be discerned and given their proper due. That, was the Path.

But I was shown that it wasn’t so. Even now I am surprised that it didn’t shake me more, I had been diligent and faithful all of my life, trained with the priesthood with such zeal that I had graduated two years ahead of my peers. The masters at the Temple of Ways in Croninheim had anticipated great things from me, but even they could not have anticipated the insights I would gain.

I was shown a new way, a different path. The depredations and depravities of the church had blinded it to the truth of the world in which we lived. What is the System? A tool, nothing more. A tool to be grasped by strong hands and wielded by each individual to forge a path of their own. The Dungeon? It is not of the divine, but of the earth. It is a tool, nothing more.

I lost an arm in order to glimpse the true divinity, that creature who forged a path of compassion, of sharing, protection and purity with the tools that others made objects of their worship. For that blessed realisation I was cast low by mortal hands, only to be raised high by the winds of the divine.

Excerpt from ’The Path Reforged’ by Beyn Naligic the Apostate.

Tungstant, Victor and Mendant stood huddled in a small chamber awaiting the next round of scouting reports from the front.

"Seems as though the ambush went to plan" Mendant offered to her sibling.

Victor waved the compliment away with one lazy antennae and continued to click her mandibles irritably.

"What is so wrong with the battle going the way we wanted it to?" sighed Tungstant, puzzled by the attitude displayed by one of the two generals of the council, "Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?"

Victor clacked her mandibles a few more times before focusing her attention onto her two siblings. "The ambush went well" she conceded, "but I had hoped most of all to bait some response from Garralosh or the Lizard creature. Those two are the greatest threats to us and not having a clue of what they might be capable of is... worrying."

hit them

many injuries suffered by the soldiers who had battled in the tunnels. Despite the scales being tipped so far in their favour, it was inevitable that a few legs would be lost, an antennae shorn off here and

be considered a spell caster greater than the Eldest by several degrees.

to work with stone and dirt, concrete materials that behaved the way they ought to. The Generals and soldiers took so many variables into their claws it seemed

said and

see what the scouts

the same room together anymore, but they quite enjoyed the companionship of

to report, rushing into the chamber without appearing to be hurried

for little old me?" Wills chuckled, "surely you have better things

no

ground out,

many" Wills shrugged, "you’ll seldom have a

settled herself unhurriedly before beginning to

to the main body and resuming their march along the projected path. So far no deviation has been observed. Current count of casualties

with a calm tip of her antennae. The colony hadn’t produced many healers yet, barely twenty, but each and every one of them had been

enemy are over five thousand,

an antennae

them right now,

survived the acid strike in a wounded condition are being consumed by their ... allies. I don’t

A tremendous victory by any metric, yet each of the four ants in the chamber was

happy" Tungstant sighed, breaking the

never going to get out of this without losing family

just shook her