Chrysalis



It takes a few minutes for Granin to come back to himself. Torrina and Corun fuss over him as he lies on the ground in a catatonic state, only to break out of it with boisterous laughter.

Which goes on for way too long, by the way. I'm about to nope out of the situation and creep out of the room when he suddenly sits up and returns to his chair, still chortling away.

Judging by the looks on his students' faces they haven't seen him laugh this much, probably ever. I have to admit, even though I haven't known him as long as they have, seeing the normally stoic shaper with a grin on his face is creeping me the heck out.

[Granin, I honestly thought if you smiled, your face would crack.]

[Hey, that's a rude thing to say to my people. We're very sensitive about cracking and chipping,] he says, still smiling.

I give him a ten thousand lens stare, an intimidating glare which only those with gigantic compound eyes can perform.

[You need to pack that grin away or I'm out of here,] I warn him and he immediately wipes his expression clean. [That's better. Mind telling me what is going on in that head of yours? That was quite a reaction you had there.]

The other two nod, still standing close to their mentor, worried for his health. They should be worried for his sanity, more like!

Folding his huge granite-coated hands beneath his chin, the old golgari sighs and shakes his head.

[I wanted to put you on the path to being an Ancient so badly. We don't know much about their species, organs, abilities or mutations, but we know a little. More for some of them than for others. Your Vestibule, Nave and Altar have put you on a path to become a demigod, thriving on the energy of your followers. And you did it by accident. Before you even met me.]

Granin quickly buries his face in his hands and his shoulders start to shake with silent laughter. I feel a little insulted. He holds up a hand in apology and collects himself.

[Hurrump! Anyway. N-No wait.]

More silent laughter as he slams a stone-covered fist into his knee.

[Are you done?]

[Hooo. I think so. W-wait… I think I'm good.]

He exhales a long, slow breath, gathering himself.

[I'm good. So anyway. We, and I mean the Cults, have stumbled across evolutionary options like your Paragon before, offering similar abilities that draw on belief, or Will, or some other intangible force to empower the individual, but usually at tier seven or eight, and only as Mythic evolutions. I'm assuming this chain started as a rare evolution?]

I nod and he blows out another breath.

[Which is… insane. Just another thing that separates you ants from other species of monster, I suppose. You two wouldn't have learned about this stuff yet.]

The last is addressed to his two students, who both shake their heads.

[Well. I suppose I should have told you about it. Normally, this sort of information is restricted to those who've proven themselves within the Cult, but we're a little cut off at the moment and our work is too important for keeping secrets. Anthony, your path sounds similar to that of Arconidem the Demon God.]

[That jerk?]

I'm not pleased to hear that at all. Of all the Ancients I know about, that one seems like the worst. What he's doing to the demons is downright nasty.

All three golgari react like I just farted in church.

[Don't say that!] Corun hisses at me.

[I didn't… we're talking via mind magic.]

[Don't think it, then!]

[The Ancients are powerful beyond measure,] Torrina warns me, worried. [We can't know what they are and aren't capable of.]

[Who cares? That guy is getting thwacked, no matter what,] I grumble. [I think I saw him, actually. His face formed out of mana out on the plains and he looked at me. Creepy looking thing… what now?]

All three of the golgari before me look utterly horrified and deeply reverent at the same time. They appear as if they can't decide whether to slap me or kneel before me.

[His visage formed from mana before you?] Granin asks slowly.

[Ye-... no?]

[Don't lie, Anthony. You suck at it.]

[Fine. Yes. Then one of his tier eight followers jumped me. That was a heck of a fight.]

Granin buries his face in his hands. The other two look at him with sympathy.

[Seriously. Can you slow down for a minute? Any other revelations you want to drop on us?]

I think for a moment.

[I think that's all of it?]

[I hope so. I'm centuries old, Anthony. I can't take much more of this.]

Torrina pats him on the shoulder. Corun is still staring at me, wonder and horror mixed in his eyes.

[Well, if we didn't know the Ancients had their eyes on you before, we for sure know it now.]

I shrug my antennae.

[I mean… I don't really care about that. If anything, I'd be much happier if they ignored me.]

[I know, I know. Unfortunately for you, it seems like you were destined to draw their attention well before we met. All the time I've spent trying to push you down this road,] he shakes his head, [you were already on it. I'd laugh some more but…] he glances up at my antennae, [... it's unhealthy.]

He's not wrong.

[So, this type of organ that you have, gathering Will from your own species and putting it to a purpose, we know a little about it, very little. It doesn't make sense for most monsters to use it, since you would need a large number of compatible beasts to feed enough power to make it worthwhile. You seem to have created the ideal conditions for this evolution without even trying. Arconidem did the same, binding himself to the demons and the demons to him. It's one of the reasons why the demons are so unreliable as allies. They aren't always able to control themselves, especially when the Ancient is awake. Though not many outside the Cults are aware of that.]

[I'm not just tied to the Colony, though. There are humans who provide me with Will as well.]

[Dammit, Anthony! You said you were done!]