Chrysalis

[Well, that sounds about right,] Granin rumbles. [I’m not an expert on Arconidem by any means, but what your friend has to say tracks with what I know. If you want more detail from a cult perspective, you’d need to talk to your ka’armodo buddy.]

[I don’t recall having a ka’armodo buddy.]

[You know what I mean. Effectively, Arconidem has some sort of influence across the demons who spawn on this stratum. I don’t know how or why, but I do know that it’s true. In fact, it’s not even a secret really, any demon who’s willing to talk will tell you as much.]

[I thought the Ancients were like, secret or something. Isn’t it the case that a lot of people don’t believe they even exist?]

[You think just because some Pride demon says they live in service of the Demon God Arconidem, everyone will believe them? They just dismiss it as delusional monster talk. The Ancients themselves haven’t been seen by mortal eyes in thousands of years, and almost no records exist from that time. They’re legends to most, myths to the rest.]

[Except for you cult types.]

[Well, every cult was founded by a person who, according to our history, actually conversed with one of the Ancients during the Rending. It’s hardly surprising that we know more about them than anyone else.]

That would have been a heck of a conversation. I wonder what these super old monsters had to say for themselves after massacring almost everyone alive. Must have been persuasive since people like Granin are still working for them after all this time.

[Any chance you’d be willing to share what that chat was about? Your founder had words with Yarrum, right? What did the worm have to say for itself?]

grins

he says, then he shrugs. [I’m willing to tell you more if you accept your place as a candidate for the twentieth Ancient. Regardless of what you want, you’re caught

to rid myself of

doubt you’ll manage it. The Ancients are gods on this world, as powerful as it is for a creature

kind of doubt that. Gandalf gives me severe ‘in-control’ vibes, and he doesn’t seem at all impressed with the Ancients. In

all that,] Corun breaks in, [tell us about your new form? Is it working as well as you wanted? Were the

you’re coated with doesn’t have the same shine as what you had before, but it seems thicker. I’m sensing

members have been circling around me while I talk to their boss, poking and prodding at me, both mentally and physically. I’m flattered, in a way, but also embarrassed, and frankly a

as shiny as before, but I’ll fix that with mutations if I have to. And yes, it is thicker, and a

along one of my mandibles. Seriously? I just asked

this close up, certainly one that isn’t trying to kill us. When you

me a bit, but it’s still

your carapace is made of now?] Granin asks, a gleam

Corun and

much, much tougher than the diamond coating I had before, and much heavier. More

gravity compression work?] Torrina frowns. [Can you

of energy that would need to be applied to crunch diamond down to something even more dense… I don’t even want to try and think about

gravity, more squash. Let’s leave