An hour and a liter of mutagen later, Clotho's new security system was complete. Resting candidly on the floor of her Heart was a large insect, approximately a foot across and wide, with traits of both tick and cicada. It sported a thin carapace, murky brown-green in color, that would help to camouflage it, but its dominant feature was the huge eye in its abdomen, facing upward. This startling oculus resembled a human's, but its sickly yellow in hue and orange iris served as stark distinctions. Clotho called the new species Macula, but they were hardly creatures worthy of fighting in a Keeper's horde. Instead, she envisioned the Macula functioning as a living security system for her Dungeon. The Macula would quickly adjust to their habitat, accepting the current creatures as members of the ecosystem. Anything else would be picked up by their bulging abdominal eyes and registered as a threat, instigating an alarm response. Using their loud, grating song, they would alert other Macula throughout the tree, who would in turn take up the cry. 

Of course, when Clotho created actual creatures later, they would need to be inducted into the Macula's catalog of accepted entities, but that was a problem for later. For now, Clotho had a security system. Though not perfect, the little Macula were quick, and if targeted by intruders they could run or close their eyes with shell membranes for defense. The real potential in the Macula came with an open end Clotho purposefully left in their design; once sufficiently developed, the bugs would be able to translate their visual images into signals that could be received and viewed from great distance. Though the future plans were hazy, Clotho guessed that -after the construction of some sort of observation chamber- she would be able to use the Macula to peer into other lands from the safety of her own Dungeon. It was a brave new world that had such creatures in it.

Just as Clotho was forming these plans, the light streaming in through the hole in her Heart's ceiling shivered and discolored, like two liquids poured into one another. A deep red light replaced the white, and in that instant everything changed. Suddenly Clotho wasn't so safe after all in her paper nest in the sky, and mind raced with questions. Was some sort of great event taking place? Was she under attack? The single Macula lolled open its bulging eye before skittering into the comfortable shadows. Conversely, Clotho stretched her cooped-up wings and shot through the hole into the open air.

It didn't take long to discover the source of the disturbance. Elysium's sun, once so vibrant and holy, was stained crimson. As if all life stood still in fear or reverence, an intense quiet had settled over the jungle, despite the high-altitude winds howling at Clotho's ears. Though beautiful, the sight was also immensely foreboding. She couldn't imagine why this had happened to the source (it had always seemed to her too remote, too permanent, for alteration), but if it was the work of some being, incredibly powerful...

The thought made Clotho feel small, vulnerable, and insignificant. Out of these feelings arose rage. “I must grow stronger,” she whispered into the thin, chilly air. The work on a receiving station for the Macula visions would begin immediately, and in the meantime she'd begin work on a second creature. Though she had only just emerged from the cocoon, it was time to enter it again. Clotho descended into her dungeon to seek out Scutra and relay her orders and create blueprints for the new facility, which he in turn would convey to all the imps.

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3/3 security measure
05 new creature
Location: Dungeon
Dungeon: Jungle north of Saploya River, N16°W12° An incomplete and unfurnished yet vast hive spanning the length, width, and height of a massive, ancient tree in the jungle. The hive itself is constructed of a magically-created liquid that expands and hardens into a stiff, paperlike substance upon exposure to air. The main body of the hive is suspended by countless support struts that reach for hundreds of feet in every direction. The Dungeon Heart is situated at the very top of the tree. Bugs called Macula infest it, functioning as living security cameras and alarms. Currently has: Dungeon Heart, Myrmidon Spawner. Living Foundry, Apothecary, Macula infestation
Forces: 24 Drone Imps, 59 Myrmidons, imp construct Scutra
[/hider]