Chrysalis

Hello my dear readers, it is wonderful to be able to share with you the next instalment of my adventures amidst the lands of the Colony! When last we spoke, I had been assured that a meeting with THE Queen was quite simply impossible, outside of a crusade of the most bloody sort to fight through tens of thousands of fanatical insect soldiers! I enjoy a good crusade as much as the next person, but I have to say that even I am not that eager to score an interview.

So with a great deal of reluctance I abandoned the idea of speaking to the Queen. I was, however, eager to continue to explore in the pursuit of finding the 'Great One', the Eldest! Exactly what had this ant done in order to secure such devotion from its Colony? Of course, my guide, Emilia, was replete with stories of this particular individual's excellence. Great battles fought, duels won, incredible feats of strength, cunning, bravery and derring-do!

I have to say, reader, that there could be a very good book in the telling of this ant's exploits. Might I suggest, this author's tenth best seller?

Naturally, I assume some level of exaggeration to be in play, but I am far too polite to push my guide for the exact details! That simply wouldn't do! It pays to be polite at all times, this has been my policy for decades.

My guards and I continued to enjoy the hospitality of the Colony within the second stratum and I must say the sights I beheld were quite beyond my expectations.

After the well regulated expanse in which vast fields of trees hosted the aphids raised by the Colony, we visited a mine. Emelia was quick to assure me that this mine was typical of those operated by the ants and I have to say it appeared to be a model of efficiency. A replenishing supply of Cold Iron, the brittle, freezing ore that can appear in the Shadow Sea, was being efficiently harvested by a rotating team of ant workers. The entire operation was conducted in perfect silence, a trait of the ants that I struggled to adapt to.

It's so strange! No matter how many of them are gathered in one place, the tikky tak of their claws is basically all that one can hear. Emilia assured me that the ants were constantly communicating and were, in fact, quite chatty, but without the ability to understand their pheromonal language, it isn't possible to partake in these conversations.

After visiting the mine, we followed the trail taken by the raw ore into Anthome itself, whereupon it was delivered into the largest foundry I have ever laid eyes on. The heat was so intense, even within this frozen stratum, that the viewing area we were taken to was lined with cooling enchantments on the walls. The air outside wavered and shimmered in the heat rising from the enormous crucibles of molten ore. At least a dozen of these literal melting pots could be seen from our position and Emilia took the time to point out the different minerals being processed and the final products they would be turned into.

into which tons and tons of material seemed to constantly flow, with waste product and separated liquid metals flowing from controlled outlets at the bottom. From there the precious metals

to feed a foundry like this? A hundred? And this was far from the only such foundry, I was assured. Hundreds of mines, thousands of tons of material that was fed to a literal army of

the craftsants, was Smithant, and I was especially pleased to be able to

ant beyond feverishly worked the tools of her trade. “It isn’t often that she returns

my guards were impressed as we watched the dark coloured ant shape the metal; the speed at which she worked was incredible, taking a raw ingot, firing it, and then using a strange, enchanted hammer to pound it into shape. Her six legs were constantly in motion, shifting,

it cherry red as she plunged one claw deep into

when she leaned forward and clamped down onto a rod of glowing iron with her jaws directly! Sparks flew as she

her obviously enchanted hammer during this motion. The more I watched, the more I felt I wasn’t looking at a smith, but an entity who had designed its entire being around metalwork. She had moulded every aspect of herself to better suit her chosen

a mage present, I couldn't speak directly to this remarkable individual, but Emilia offered to translate for me and I was

she's

go for the

respond in any way, even after Emilia turned towards her and (I

is attempting to perfect a new archetype of heavy armour. Specifically,

"Mark 10?"

nine previous versions of this particular armour, I believe. I must confess,

she mean by 'Immortal