Chrysalis

The origins of the mother tree are difficult to determine, even for us. Her children have been consulted on many occasions but not even the most talkative Grove Keeper was willing to spill even an iota of their parent's secret history. What we can say with certainty is that she was spawned somewhere between the third and fifth strata, most likely several hundred years after the Rending. As the interests of the Colony moved alongside her own, the tree and her people became something of an ally to the family, but even so there has always been a certain standoffishness to the mother tree that is not present in her children.

Despite the best attempts of the Diplomants, there has been little to no success in drawing closer to the tree herself, she seems content to exist in almost total isolation with only her children allowed anywhere near her actual body.

After she aided the Colony during the initial Legion War, more to spite her enemies than out of any genuine affection for ants, we have always been predisposed to her people and have had many favourable engagements with them over the years. The Eldest in particular seems fond of the Bruan'chii and famously makes a point of visiting every grove they come across, something the diplomatic wing of the Colony greatly dreads. The Eldest has caused many an incident with our enemies, and allies, with their casual 'visits', but curiously, never once with the Bruan'chii.

Despite the mystery that still surrounds their progenitor and matriarch, the folk of the mother tree continue to be a source of wealth and friendship to the Colony. We can only assume that this is in line with their parent's goals.

• Excerpt from 'Notes on Dealings with the Bruan'chii' by Historiant.

"Are you sure you aren't being lazy, Eldest?"

"Positive. I'm conserving my energy, storing it all up like water filling a tank. Nothing is being wasted here, I assure you."

"Stop slacking, Eldest!:"

resent that! I'm actually doing something

"Slacking!"

to be doing rather than

"We are working!"

"Ah. That's true…"

them communicating through scent! Despite objectively being very busy, the team

of holding a dozen lines of thought all at once, so exchanging words

attention inwards, towards the Vestibule. With thousands of ants within the city and more working above, in the second stratum, and below scouring the plains, the organ is awash with energy, the collective Will of the Colony feeding into my being after being magnified through the Nave. The thoughts and feelings, the desires and

and experience that little wrapped up parcel of Will like a vignette. I've gotten much better at doing this lately, since I have been almost exclusively using this method to track Brilliant through the thoughts she unknowingly supplies me. Now that I have a little time on my mandibles, I've decided that it might be a

at the vast sums of energy pouring through me at any given moment. Guided by divine providence I

slacking, but I suppose it's fine. It's

Yes you, the soldier over there! I'm NOT slacking off! I'm testing some things over here!

their heads in confusion, turning to look at the poor soldier and then back to me. For her part, the soldier shrugs it off admirably

because I checked on

either. The more attention I pay to the thoughts and feelings of the Colony, the

the connection

last thing we need is to have all of the ants struck by indecision, a lack of care to detail and an allergy to proper planning! It would be a