Broodkeeper Thal

Thal’s scarred blue-gray face is crowded with teeth, and their body bears the traces of wounds survived. They consider each scar an account of a lesson: where an attacker struck, how long the flesh took to close, and what the brood learned while it was exposed.

Chrysalis grew from that curiosity. Thal nurtured a vessel whose living shell answers injury with an astonishing rush of growth, then sought opponents willing to test it. They do not hide the process. They want witnesses, especially skeptics who believe a wound must remain an opening.

Their pride has a practical purpose. Young broodkeepers study the scars and the ship together, learning that recovery demands nourishment and care as well as resilience. Thal will spare an opponent who stays to observe in good faith. Someone who mistakes the invitation for helplessness may become another lesson, remembered by an audience of eager offspring.