Chrysalis

Hello, dear readers! It has been some time, but I greet you once more from the pages of my tome, the record of my grand adventures!

It is I, Travelling Tolly, and I continue my amazing journey in the lands of the Colony, the remarkable species of monsters who have captured imaginations and set tongues to wagging. As you are well aware, I can never resist a wagging tongue, and as such have made it my mission to thoroughly explore the lands claimed by these boneless creatures and bring my tale of excitement and endeavour to you!

When last we left you, I had been a resident of the Demon city of Roklu and the grand nest which the Colony had made underneath. Such an incredible place, the architecture, the customs, the people!

However, and I’m sure this is no secret to you, precious reader, the third stratum is not, shall we say, the most salubrious of locations.

Oh! I have travelled in the most miserable swamps, the most explosive of volcanoes. Never forget, ‘twas I who plunged into the depths of the forbidden mountain of Krak’tooa in search of the Crystal Fountain, hidden within the subterranean jungle of death, Amagor!

However, it’s no secret that your Tolly is getting on in her years. Breathing the smoke and ash all day long isn’t good for the lungs, reader. I assure you that my doctor has said so!

So it was that after my gentle urging, my host, guide and dear friend, Emilia, was persuaded that we might take our travels down to a deeper layer of the Dungeon.

“Are you sure, Ms Tolly?” she asked me, wide-eyed.

The precious thing.

slow down the tour. It’s important you get enough rest.

am perfectly well rested,

which is said to reach fifty kilometres high! Also there is a monument raised not too far away to commemorate the Eldest’s triumph over the demons! Are you sure you don’t want to see

left wonders everywhere they’ve

framing, reader. It is the key to any discussion! At my gentle urging, Emilia agreed to speak to the representatives of the Colony, and we secured passage

original

that my heart fluttered upon learning our application had been approved, reader! The fourth stratum is,

to set foot once again into that vibrant place, and I was most keen to see what the Colony had made of themselves in

it was necessary to endure a period of mana acclimation before

allowed to travel without having done so. The Colony is

the great nest? My fellow old biddies and I have exchanged many a salacious rumour over cards, not that I believed any of it, of course, but it

wasn’t expecting to see any human sacrifice or

took in most eagerly, I assure you, was one of prosperity. We stepped out of the gate and into the major gate reception of the ant mountain, and it was busy!

to and fro in a seemingly endless stream! The mana requirements for such an enterprise must have been absolutely absurd, and I could see huge arrays gathering the

such to-ing and fro-ing. Such a scene wouldn’t have been out of place in

thousands of them! Directing traffic, inspecting cargo manifests, and performing