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.

down the tour. It’s important you get enough rest. Eight hours of

am perfectly well rested, dear,” I

reach fifty kilometres high! Also there is a monument raised not

“I am certain the Colony has left wonders everywhere they’ve set down

search for the correct 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

book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets

upon learning our application had

left the darkness, smoke and ash behind, and entered a world of light, life and beauty. Ah, it soothed my soul to set foot once again

period of mana acclimation before we travelled, reader, don’t think

allowed to travel without having done so. The Colony is quite strict on

was an exciting moment, reader! After all, who hasn’t heard tales of the great nest? My fellow old biddies and I have exchanged

I wasn’t expecting to see any human sacrifice or

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! We all know of the incredible mercantile efforts of the brathians in conjunction with the Colony, but seeing it firsthand, I was

requirements for such an enterprise must have been absolutely

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

guards were perhaps a little more relaxed in this space, due to the sheer number of non-ants around, but I think it was rather foolish of them, considering there were still thousands and thousands of them! Directing traffic, inspecting cargo manifests, and performing all of the millions of administrative tasks that go into running a gate hub of this size were teams of ants, performing their roles with the efficiency and aplomb I’ve come to