Chrysalis

Hello, dear readers! Once again, it is I, your friend Travelling Tolly, writing to you of my adventures in the lands of the Colony!

And such a grand adventure it has been. From the charming city of Renewal, to the wonders of Anthome and the incredible things these industrious monsters have created, I must say I have been positively delighted with my experience.

Also, it cannot be overstated, that the tea and biscuit service has been as fine as one would find in the Golden City itself. That is not something I say lightly, dear reader! But it is true!

So many people neglect the importance of the little things when going on tour. Yes, obviously, seeing wondrous marvels that cannot be seen anywhere else is important, but getting a decent cup of tea and a bikkie for dipping is what elevates an experience to the truly unforgettable!

That is my position and I shall not be dissuaded from it!

I must say that my guide, the wonderful Emilia, had been beyond patient. I had originally engaged her to tour Renewal and the nearby nest, and here we were, weeks later, about to descend to the third stratum. She was the soul of patience, and very accepting of my constantly shifting priorities.

“As long as you’ll have me, I will be happy to accompany you throughout the lands of the Colony,” she told me. Such a lovely and caring young lady!

She was very particular about our sleep schedule though.

So it was at last that we descended into the third stratum. Now, as you may know, reader, the third is not a popular destination for travellers. Abysmally hot, hard to breathe, and not much to look at unless you enjoy looking at millions of wriggling demons trying to poke each other in the eye.

Nevertheless! I have committed to exploring ALL of the Colony’s territories, and so I shall!

On the day of our departure, my escorts and I gathered together with Emilia within the walls of Anthome. The three of us had been confined to a special “acclimation zone” for several days to allow our bodies to adjust to higher mana densities in comfort, a welcome innovation to say the least.

“I hope you rested

sleep with all the excitement - don’t

quite strict

am pleased to hear

more, serenity settled over the face of our guide and she led us through the

overcoming my expectations, so I was quite excited to see what they had in store for us in the

asked, a little

deeper into the Dungeon,”

perhaps forty metres across, with a solid metal floor. There were other

taking a

mana-efficient and gates are anything but. This chamber, and another nine just like it, were built to move people and cargo between the second and third strata. Moving this way, we will consume only ten percent

will it take? It’s

arrive in

“An hour!”

say the least, dear reader. However, I swallowed my

that I kept quiet. As the room continued to fill

Place your feet in through the

been released from the floor at regular intervals. All around me, passengers were finding a place on the platform and slipping their feet through the strange

do as they do! That’s my

my amazement, that the loops tightened themselves over my feet once I’d slipped them

me calmly, “the straps ensure that you don’t fly up off