Chrysalis

One of the foundational issues that the Church of the New Path had to contend with in its formative years was the sheer opposition the object of their devotion had to the entire project. Anthony didn’t want to be worshipped. More than that, he thought the entire thing was nonsense. Worse than nonsense, Anthony thought it was baseless and dangerous. When he wasn’t trying to passively hamper the efforts of his own followers by not engaging with them, he was actively hampering them by telling Beyn and others to be quiet and leave him alone.

Of all of us who got closest to him, it was Jern who had the most success, mostly through sheer stubbornness, in wearing him down to the point of accepting how others thought of him. Jern could have that effect on people. Once he had an idea in his head about a person, it could be impossible to dissuade him. Anyway… it was when Anthony went into the depths and became harder to reach that, ironically, the burgeoning church gained more momentum. Without the ability to chase Anthony around, due to him becoming less accessible, Beyn and his followers were able to devote more time to productive things.

- Excerpt from the private notes of Templar Alis

I really don’t like the way these people look at me. For whatever reason, the golgari decided it would be a great idea to bring a whole asylum’s worth of cultists down here to have a chat with me, and after just a few minutes I can already tell they are straight up kooky, if not fully insane in the membrane.

The look in their eyes… it’s… a little intense. In fact, is that one trying to touch my leg?!

[Hey, hey! Keep your hands to yourself, thank you very much. Sheesh!]

I admonish the handsy cultist via the mind bridge while skittering away a little, my enormous legs thumping into the ground loudly with each rapid step.

[Dr Melshin,] Granin admonishes her, [what do you think you’re doing?]

[I just… wanted to touch them. They spoke to Perrianon!]

[There isn’t a lingering smell or anything,] I point out tartly. [Or… or is there? Is that something Ancients can do?]

[How would I know?] Granin says while the others burst into excited murmuring amongst themselves. [Now look at that. Try not to get them excited, would you? It’s been hard enough trying to keep them calm as it is.]

[You think they’re calm?]

[They’re as calm as they’re going to get,] he growls back.

[Brilliant is less excited by dimensional magic than these guys are right now. Some of them are practically drooling.]

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[Anthony, try to cut me a little slack here. You have personally and directly spoken to their gods, alright? Every cultist who so much as heard the rumour about your communications with the Ancients was practically frothing at the mouth to get down here and interrogate you. Keeping the numbers down and getting them to refrain from trying to jump you when we arrived is as good as I can do.]

[Wait, is that Rassan’tep?]

[You recognise him?]

[Well sure, Rassan’tep and I go way back. Hey Rassan’tep! How are you doing?]

The big lizard wizard turns towards me, seemingly as surprised as Granin that I remember them.

[Greetings. It has been some time. I am pleased to see that you are doing well.]

[You’re pleased to see that I’m a better bet to become an Ancient than Garralosh ever was.]

[That wasn’t one of our best decisions. In hindsight, she never had the potential to achieve the status of Ancient, despite the resources we devoted to her.]

I’ve never really forgiven the Cult of the Red Truth for their assistance to that lousy crocodile. Without their support, the Legion would have been able to starve out and deal with her years ago, but thanks to the ka’armodo cultists, she survived and went on to kill Grant, one of the original members of the Council, before we were able to bring her down, and I’ve always regretted it.

[And I suppose you want to know what I have to say about the Demon God? Detail my many deep conversations with Arconidem?]

[You have had these conversations?] the ka’armodo asks intently, eagerness played all over his lizard features.

[Of course not! You really think they speak out to random monsters like me that often? It doesn’t happen!]

[Oh.]

I never really knew what disappointment might look like on the face of a giant lizard, but hey, there it is. I direct a communication privately to Granin.

[These guys have gone completely nuts, they think I’m chatting with even crazier old monsters from the depths every minute of the day!]

[Anthony, you’re the only one to have recorded contact, mind to mind, outside of a dream vision, with the Ancients for something like three thousand years. Yes, people are excited.]

He shakes his head, then hesitates.

[You haven’t… spoken to Yarrum, have you?]

I can only slap myself in the forehead with one antenna.

[Granin… not you too.]

He looks uncomfortable, but not apologetic.

[You can’t blame me for asking,] he grumbles.

[Yes! I can!]

[Well, what’s the answer?] he snaps.

[It’s no! I haven’t been speaking to Yarrum the really big worm!]

[Eternal Worm.]

[Whatever.]

It takes a little while, but eventually Granin manages to impose some sort of order on the gathered Cultists and they can start asking me questions. A limited selection of questions, there’s only so much time I’m willing to spend on this nonsense. These guys look as though they might go on forever, but I have to impose some hard limits. They look like they want to examine me forever, which is definitely not going to happen.

What’s with all of these nuts? They creep me out.