Chrysalis

I’m not sure what I expected, honestly. Here in the base of Garralosh’s psyche, I kind of thought I’d be talking to a person. Instead, her mind is represented by an amorphous shifting mass that is at any one time part human, part crocodile, part Escher painting.

[I WILL KILL YOU.]

Good start!

[You do a lot of that. Killing I mean. Why do you have such a grudge against the people up here anyway?]

[THEY HURT ME.]

When she communicates, it’s like a psychic scream that punches into my mind with brute force. Unpleasant, to say the least.

[How the hell did a bunch of farmers and townsfolk hurt you? They could barely hurt me!]

[NOT THEM. OTHER’S. VENGEANCE.]

So.... To get back at the person who had chopped off her arm, she annihilated a kingdom full of innocent people. Yeesh.

[So, care to explain that dragging feeling I noticed in your memories?]

The second I mention it, her struggles double in intensity and my mind starts to ache under the strain of pinning her down.

[GET OUT OF MY HEAD!]

[No.]

Once again I’m able to master her, my will is superior. Neglecting her mental stats is proving to be a grievous error. I suspect the Karmodo has done a fair bit of mind magic on her and she doesn’t even remember it. I can only imagine the Lizard Wizard would have magnitudes for control and finesse than I do. I barely know what I’m doing!

[THE PULL. I EVOLVED TOO MUCH. TOO FAST. I WAS CALLED TO THE CENTER. OTHERS LIKE ME. ALL DEEPER.]

Called? By the System? Or something else?

[You don’t like remembering that you were human do you? Tried pretty damn hard to suppress it. Must have been part of what kept you... sane-ish. Even a cruddy life as a human was better than being a monster in the Dungeon I suppose.]

[DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER.]

danger and the threat of death isn’t great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nice to feel like

[NO.]

came to the surface, destroyed a kingdom, maybe two, and

THEM AWAY.

’vacation from murder’, just kill, kill, kill. What about my colony then, huh? What about us? We never did squat

[KILLED MY CHILDREN.]

kill me first, to be

ARE MINE. THEY ARE FOR

not sure I want

Maybe even two! Where’s the accumulated wisdom of the ages? I suppose, if you

of instincts and emotions. There isn’t much left of the human inside. Just enough for

outside, at least, that’s how I understand it. I’ve been in Garralosh’s head for a minute or two but probably only a few seconds have passed on the outside. My goal is to try and bind her mind from her body, to trap her

but I’ll take

A prison of mind magic that will bind this weak mind from its decidedly not weak body. Mind magic is so damn useful, who’d

being at one stage. I get you felt like embracing your new life here, I can relate to that, believe me, but mass destruction? Seems a little

STAND IN MY

can.

[I’LL KILL THEM!]

[Yeesh. Back to this.]

working that sweet, sweet mana with all the

me, her words a psychic barrage of madness. [I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU. ALL OF THE INSECTS WILL BE CRUSHED BENEATH MY FEET. I WILL CONSUME THE HUMANS AND TURN THEM INTO MORE OF MY KIND. THEN I WILL DESCEND AND THERE WILL BE DEATH.

Whoa there!

coming apart at the seams as her desperate insanity gives the beast new strength. We fight a silent, mental war for a few minutes but I manage to subdue her once again.

then? Err.. The System I mean?]

WHAT I HAVE SUFFERED, I WILL

some serious rage issues here. Not entirely unjustified, I suppose. It doesn’t sound as if Garralosh has truly enjoyed her second life experience. One out of five stars, wouldn’t stay again. My spell has almost completed. Just need to keep her talking a bit

My name’s Anthony, by the way. I’ve kept that name

twisting, amorphous blob of rage that is Garralosh’s mind as a response. Perhaps she would fly off the handle again, or go nuts in some other way.

an answer. Cage is ready to go! Finally!

BAM!

the one that’s