[center][b][h2][color=brown]Mordukai[/color][/h2][/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/iXfXkx2.png[/img] [/center] [b]Day 1, Week 5, Cycle 1[/b] Drip. Drip. Drip. Plonk. The Original stirred from her sleep once more, agitated by the incessant dripping that seemed to grow stronger and stronger in their once secure home. Rising up on her six limbs, as she took a step, a light splash was heard. The Mordukai, being insectoid in nature and thus encased in chitin, were not known for their ability to tactilely feel anything at all other than perhaps heat. Their hard exoskeleton simply made the sensation of touch impractical. Thus, it was a surprise to the Original when she found the ground giving way slightly as she took steps, surrounded by a thin layer of water. Typically, Mordukai nests were reasonably hardened against both rain and wind, the wind simply passing far overhead, and the rain either collecting in the U-shaped tunnels leading up to chambers or soaking down into the groundwater. The insects would then simply hunker down in their chambers with their trapped air and hibernate out the rain at a very low metabolism, waiting for evolutionarily evolved triggers that would awaken them once the humidity dropped. Things were different this time though. The Original crawled over to the entrance of the tunnel leading to the main chamber, entering it a few feet before finding it completely full of water. She decided to turn around, and returned to the chamber, circling it, listening to the droplets of water and testing the walls with her claws. As she struck one of the walls lightly, part of it collapsed onto the Original, causing her to leap towards the center of the chamber. The nest was unstable. With the rains not abating, it was possible that they might all drown down here. Unable to effectively communicate this to her sisters, the Original simply began tunneling into the portion of wall that collapsed at a 45 degree angle upwards, strengthening it as she went and removing debris. Within a few minutes, Workers had joined her as they realized what she was doing, and the nest began moving into action collectively. Other Workers scurried about transporting eggs and larvae closer to the escape tunnel, once the other two Soldiers in the nest worked together to move the Queen into position to escape. As they worked, little balls of soaked dirt would occasionally fall from the sides of the nest, making the Mordukai move faster. An hour later, the Original busted through the final layer of dirt, causing a small stream of rainwater to begin pouring down into the nest, but this was of little consequence. She emerged onto the surface and took up position looking out at the environment for predators as the other Soldiers brought the Queen up first, being the most important member of the nest. It was the first time the Original had ever seen the Queen, her frail form attached to the enormously bloated abdomen full of eggs. She was perhaps 75% egg sack and 25% body, much of her legs and arms having withered away. While a human might look at this and feel aghast, it was normal for Mordukai. The Soldiers set her down on a patch of wet grass, all three Soldiers forming a defensive triangle around her. Meanwhile, the Workers formed an ant chain, transporting egg and larvae from claw to claw up to the surface. As they did that, the Original observed their surroundings carefully. The wind was fierce today, rocking the treetops and at times even cutting down into the undercanopy, the rain constant and thick. It poured in both droplets from the air and small streams from the trees, and there were no animals in sight. All had decided to take shelter. In contrast, the Mordukai stood now resolute, in the open against the wind and rain, determined not to perish. One Queen, three Soldiers (two carrying the Queen), eight Workers, each Worker carrying at most four larvae or a pile of eggs, they began moving further uphill, travelling primarily North. Their objective was simple, keep moving to safety and ride out the storm, relying upon their stored fat and the plentiful water surrounding them.