Chrysalis

After my visit to the core shapers and taking in their own advancements, I hustle off to find Propellant and Coolant. I track down the two mages busily training their own Skills and overseeing the progress of their fellow caste members in the 'mage training area'. Appropriate, I suppose. A rather large, enclosed place that puts me somewhat in mind of a bowling alley. Long, straight lanes to the left and right on both the floor and the ceiling, each ending in a carved, enchanted target which the ants hurl spells at.

The noise is deafening. Roaring flames, shattering ice, splashing water, crunching stone and rushing air are all around, the sounds mingling into a shattering din. Luckily, hearing has nothing to do with being able to talk when you're an ant, so I manage to find who I'm looking for by asking around.

"Hello, Eldest," Coolant welcomes me, "how do you like our new training facility?"

"It's looking good!" I congratulate the two of them, "presumably you're seeing some good results from it?"

She flicks an antenna with authority.

"At the moment we have three separate training areas that are being assessed. All of these mages report daily on their MP used, number of spells cast and Skill gains. Hopefully, we'll have some hard data soon and can adjust our training to be more optimised."

Already conducting experiments and trying to optimise the training time? They grow up so fast… Also, three separate locations? Looking around, there must be at least a hundred mages in here! I keep forgetting how many of us there are now. Focusing on why I've come, I tell the two council members all about my experience with the Golgari Shapers, the ways of training, different levels of magic, the various elements and combinations thereof, and the extraordinary power of mind magic when combined with high stats.

It's a lot for the two of them to digest and I leave them to it after letting them know I'll be hosting a council meeting later on. With that job ticked off, it's time to chase down the carvers, Tungstant and Cobalt. The two of them are much harder to find, neither of them are working in the forges, enchanting chambers or even in the statuary.

Yes. A statuary. I know I wanted to let the ants do whatever they felt called to them, let them find their own way in life… I just didn't expect statues!

Sigh.

just move on. Before I leave that particular chamber I just ask very politely if they would consider other subjects for their works. I'm not sure how well they listen to that suggestion, most of them appeared to be taking my measurements with

down the two I'm looking for in a 'design sketching chamber'. As I enter, I don't see the two of them drawing anything, but rather talking to each other as they fuss over an intricate 3D model of

say as I approach. "Is that the layout of this

in their discussion

greets me. "No, not at all. This is the proposed

do you mean, proposed? I thought this was accepted!" Tungstant

tunnel layout?

to compromise somewhere, Cobalt!" The other carver fumes. "The stone in the third quadrant is too soft! Proper design

call this suiting the environment? This is

Ellie got to do

two. Chill

It really is a fantastic piece of work. Every chamber is perfectly shaped to the desired dimensions, not to mention they are 'open' on

something like this?"

rock can hold mana which

intricate connection of chambers, tunnels, with their elaborate defences. In the heart of the