Canoncrunching...
Canoncrunching...
Chapter 1.23 A
Klbkch leads a covert team of Workers to the surface to uncover and rebury a mysterious door outside Liscor. Along the way, he observes a peaceful but anomalous "Clicking Worker" and communicates telepathically with the Free Queen regarding their hidden plans and high worker attrition.
Deep within the Free Hive, Klbkch reflects on the nature and expendability of the Worker caste, the lowest tier of Antinium bred solely for manual labor. During his observations, he notices a peculiar anomaly: a Clicking Worker that exhibits traits of an Aberration by generating continuous, rhythmic noises. However, unlike typical Aberrations that violently break from their programming and attack their kin, this anomalous Worker remains entirely peaceful.
Klbkch soon leads a group of Workers on a secret expedition through the deeper tunnels. Along the way, they must navigate past aggressive, razor-mouthed underground insects known as Shrieking Moths. The group eventually emerges onto the surface outside the walls of Liscor under the cover of night, taking note of strange nocturnal creatures that the Antinium simply refer to as Flappy Things.
The true objective of this surface mission is a buried, mysterious door. Klbkch directs the Workers to dig up the structure. Once the door is fully unearthed and inspected, Klbkch issues a seemingly contradictory command, ordering the Workers to immediately rebury it to conceal its location.
During these events, the Free Queen communicates telepathically with Klbkch. The two discuss the intricacies of their secret plan involving the door and acknowledge the severe attrition rate the Workers suffer in order to secure a future for the Free Antinium.
Inside the Free Hive, Klbkch observes a Worker making rhythmic noises, exhibiting harmless Aberration-like behavior.
While moving underground, Klbkch's group encounters aggressive flying insects called Shrieking Moths.
The lowest caste of the Antinium, bred purely for manual labor and simple tasks.
aka Workers
An Antinium Senior Guardsman in the city’s watch; arrives at Erin’s door and greets her.
aka Senior Guardsman Klbkch, ant-man +23
The subterranean home of Klbkch and the other Antinium located beneath the city of Liscor.
aka the Hive, home +8
Klbkch and the Workers emerge outside Liscor, observing nocturnal animals like the Flappy Thing.
The Free Queen speaks telepathically to Klbkch regarding their secret plans and the high attrition rate of the Workers.
A specific group or type of Antinium to which Klbkch belongs.
aka The Antinium
“Another breach. The fifth this week. Casualties mount. My Queen—we cannot continue this rate of attrition.”
“Yes. The plan must be completed quickly, Klbkch.”
“I shall expedite it at once. Five teams of Workers have already perished, but we are near completion. You four. And you…sixteen. Follow me.”
“Follow. In silence. We must not be detected.”
“Within you will dig. There is a door. Reach it. If monsters attack, kill them. Dig—you have until morning.”
“The sun is rising in two hours. This will do.”
“Collapse the opening. The door should be visible from above; no signs of any tunneling. Work fast. We have less than an hour.”
“Good. Very good. Go back and rest. This will do.”