Chrysalis

I'm a little nervous. What's the story going to be? No matter what I don't think it's going to be something I like. Don't keep me in suspense, let me hear the damage. Just how bad are things going to be. The three guards remain perfectly still during this time, watchful and poised they don’t miss a single movement I make. The three older shapers are a little more mobile, but not much. I get the feeling that these Golgari are a little more attached to stone than just having different varieties of it for skin. They are unusually still when they don't have to be moving, as if becoming a rock themselves.

[You know the purpose of our Cult?]

[Absolutely. You desire for a twentieth ancient to take its place amongst the other nineteen. Something about 'closing the circle' or some such.]

She nods her head in agreement.

[That is correct. We seek to empower a monster in order than it may come to dominate the lower Strata and achieve a tier of evolution on par with the existing ancients.]

I'm a little surprised to hear that.

[Do you actually know what tier the ancients are?] The theoretical maximum tier? I wonder how high it is! Ten? TWENTY?!

[No, we don't.]

Dang.

[To our knowledge there have been only two conversations between the sapient races of the surface and the ancients. During the Cataclysm we now refer to as the 'Time of Rending', the mana level in the Dungeon rose to unprecedented heights. When the tunnels connected to the surface, mana from the centre of Pangera flooded the skies, followed a tidal wave of monsters that nearly washed away any remnant of civilisation on this world.]

Yikes.

bad. How long ago was

two thousand years ago. When the mana reached its peak, the ancients themselves were able to come to the surface for a time, devastating all that they found. Tales of the destruction they wrought are legend to this day. Scholars debate the history of these events, for not much that was

That's how monsters get

true. So why consume so much? Could

and these people think they were trying to

[Sure…] I lamely agree.

from a dialogue between a powerful Kaarmodo Wizard and Arconidem, who rose under their lands. For us, it was Yarrum, the Eternal Worm. A Shaper by the name of Irrin Stelix

what did they say?

three of them snap their

share,] the

No need to

about

goals are not able to receive the

course it is. Gotta … you just gotta love them ancients. Worms.

that works? There was a brief pause in the dialogue. I presume the three of them were discussing my incredible, sincere and fervent love of the ancients and worms. For my part, I continue to remain perfectly still whilst I watch them. No need

odd about the last wave?] A new voice breaks into

It was the first wave

turned into a boon for the colony, enabling us to harvest experience and Biomass at an unprecedented speed. By the end of it, I'd started hoping it might stick around. The solid defences we encountered on the way down to the second strata gave me pause though.

thought that might be the case. Compared to other recent waves, this was much longer and more intense. The mana levels in the upper strata rose beyond what we would expect, by far, and the duration of the wave was much longer. Even now, the mana has yet to return to

but muse, [it started to rise not along after I was born in the Dungeon and its never gone back to the level I experienced then. I can't say I never wondered why that might be the

brief pause