Chrysalis

I must say, my dear readers, that I was positively giddy at the prospect of being able to interview the most celebrated individual member of the Colony. I had thought that speaking to Elizabant would have slaked my curiosity, but instead, it only inflamed it!

For a queen to be so deferential to this 'Eldest', the 'Great One' that the common people of Renewal held such reverence for. I have to say that the possibility of meeting such a creature set my heart positively aflutter!

I hadn't looked forward to a meeting so much since my much celebrated sit down with the Satrap of the Brathian Island conglomerate, a most influential and secretive individual!

Yet, my enthusiasm had to be tempered, dear readers, as my guide was only too quick to tell me.

"I must warn you Miss Tolly, an audience with the Great One will be all but impossible to arrange," Emilia said. "The Great One hasn't been seen by anyone from Renewal in years. I couldn't even tell what layer of the Dungeon they were on."

"Then who can?" I ask.

Always be problem solving, reader, that's the key to moving forward, no matter the project!

Emilia hesitated for a moment before she sighed and adopted a lecturing tone.

"Beneath Anthome, in the second stratum, lies the first and largest of the Colony's deeper nests. It's a very important site to the ants for historical and cultural reasons, and to the followers of the Colony like me, it's practically holy. There are frequent pilgrimages to visit the nest that thousands attend every year."

Well this all sounded positively wonderful!

will be able to find

we want to visit. The Colony insists that all visitors to the deeper layers undergo a mana saturation process to minimise the chance

don't suppose there is

years, as you well know, dear readers! But alas, there was no slipping through

whilst I took a moment to speak with my guards. Neither of the two strapping lads were particularly fond of the idea of pushing yet further into the land of the Colony, but alas, the terms of their contract required that they accompany me. The poor dears. I wasn't unsympathetic to their position

we were off! Deeper into the Dungeon once more, in the

of course. We approached a well guarded building that contained several portals, each

the second stratum. While we wait out the mandatory wait time we can tour the farms, visit the smelting facilities, and see a few other

will be wonderful,

of waiting, we were embraced by the dark mana of the shadow sea. It had been some time since I had delved to the second stratum, my lovelies, and it stirred the most wonderful memories of the adventures I experienced in my youth! Plumbing the dark depths, hunting for dark whales with

Emilia began to guide us through the darkness. Even here the Colony had gone to every effort to ensure our comfort, offering warm clothing and enchanted light globes to ease our passage. Even without such considerations there would have been no struggle at all, since the pathways were so expertly carved and well lit. One

quite strange, but

once wild and untamed expanse, humbled before the might of the Colony. Literally thousands of workers toiled without pause,

a way," Emilia told us, ever eager to continue her role as guide. "Some are left in basically their natural state, mainly to provide hunting grounds the ants

creatures atop the trees to me, my dear?" I

into an explanation of the origins of the aphids, the progenitor of whom was apparently a reconstituted pet of the Queen herself! I do admit to

"Which queen?" I asked.

replied, as if it were the

"Aren't there many queens?"