The Morning After Volume 1

From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki

Title: The Morning After 1

Author: Professor Ellie Rafkin

The jungle air was cool. Morning dew weighed on nearby palms and chirping birds welcomed the rising sun. I'd only managed a few hours sleep and woke groggy, my mind was in a fog. Several porters had been attacked in the middle of the night, what remained of their corpses was covered in a thick yellowish-green mucous.

The escorts managed to defend against the Myrmidex, but not before they had their chance at us. The escorts assembled the corpses, both of the porters and the Myrmidex a short ways from the camp so that I could examine them. As I meandered awkwardly through the camp I looked at the men who'd been escorting me. Their faces looked tired and worn. It had been months since we first set foot into the Valley. I remembered the exhilaration I felt when I stepped through the Moongate and the lushness of the Valley of Eodon came into my focus for the first time. Eodon, despite its dangers, was a truly remarkable place.

Flora and fauna previously unknown to Britannia was ripe for study. Creatures, both friendly and foe, looked upon us with an equal level of curiosity. I had spent these months carefully indexing and cataloging everything we'd come across. The landscape, the beautiful flowers, the curious creatures that called Eodon home. Inside one of our tents a small table had a modest selection of provisions. Our cook had unfortunately fallen from a sheer rock face so we'd been surviving on rations of salted fish steaks and whatever fruit we could forage from the jungle. If I'd never seen another banana in my life it'd be too soon. The corpse showed clear signs of mastication.

I had learned much about the biology of the Myrmidex since we first encountered them. From my observations I knew there were three stages in the growth cycle. Like most insects the Myrmidex grew from a single egg implanted into an organic host. These eggs were mostly implanted by the drone of the species, often moderately sized with modified fangs that served as ovipositors.