Chapter 200: Scalebane

The Collector clicked its mandibles as it heard this new information and processed it. The presence of a pathogen known as the 'Scalebane' was one of extreme value to the Collector, and one that the Collector understood as possessing of exceptional potency considering what it knew of dragons.

As the species known as 'dragon's had been long extinct, the Collector did not know personally of their biological and magical capabilities to assess and analyze their combat potential. What the Collector did know was simply hearsay derived from haphazard information recalled from the goblin elder.

Yet, what the Collector did hear was worthy of note. The dragons were the premiere species upon this world before the arrival of the gods, dominating it and acting as a natural buffer by which tinkering civilization could not advance strongly beyond a certain point.

The dragons were an intelligent species but at the same time highly individualistic and solitary, thus limiting their own capability to consolidate their power and authority. However, due to their overwhelming individual combative might, might that was said to be capable of calling upon natural disasters upon entire kingdoms, and a sense of pride in being recognized as a dominant species, they did not allow tinkerers to consolidate either.

When a tinkering civilization grew too strong, the dragons razed them or subjugated them, though never did the dragons ever rule tinkerers for extended periods of time.

The advent of the New Gods, however, ended this power dynamic. The New Gods, according to the elder, 'rained great fire and thunder upon their great heavenly fortress' upon the dragons, and dragons fell in countless droves.

This caused the dragons to finally cast aside their pride and unite, and initially, they turned the tides against the New Gods. The New Gods arrived with seven great floating fortresses, and all but one of them were destroyed.

However, the actual nature of how the New Gods defeated the dragons in the conflict known as the Draconomachia was stated by the elder as a brave blow by the first high king of the god. One struck against the leader of the dragons in a proper battle.

Yet, this did not seem to be the case according to the Jotnar intelligence. There was no upfront fight, only tinkerers devising a pathogen to fell enemies too mighty for them to force their way against.

This was significant because it indicated more reference points for the Collector to determine the strength of the New Gods. It was difficult to ascertain any proper information about them for any tales of them seemed to be heavily steeped in myth that functioned similar to propaganda, painting the gods as those with limitless powers and adhering to noble values shared by the tinkerers.

However, if the New Gods had required a pathogen to defeat the dragons instead of pure force, then it indicated that in terms of raw, direct combat potency, they were weaker than the dragons. At the same time, it had been over a thousand years since the Draconomachia if tinkering timekeeping was to be believed, and certainly, the New Gods could have advanced greatly since then.

Yet, also unlikely. The New Gods did not seem to have uplifted any of their tinkering civilizations to starfaring capability which would have entirely been possible had they devoted themselves to innovating their technology, especially with the flexibility of magic.

The New Gods also seemed to adhere to archaic principles of organization and deific worship that prioritized staying upon this planet, not expanding past it.

This, the Collector could not fully grasp, for it seemed that if the New Gods had possessed even the slightest desire of expansion outside of this world, then they could easily have.

Or, perhaps, the New Gods intentionally wished to stay on this world and halt innovation for a specific reason. This reason, the Collector did not know, and did not care of so long as it did not affect its mission to destroy the New Gods.

As for the Scalebane itself, at face value, the pathogen would be exceptionally useful against the Draconids for the Collector hypothesized with great deal of confidence that the Draconids were descended from the dragons not only in naming but also in their genetic makeup.

From the beginning, the Collector could tell when it synthesized the draconid genes that they were comprised of a much older, more complex 'base' that had long degraded over time. This base likely being that of the extinct dragons based off contextual clues the Collector had garnered.

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The degradation had occurred for so much time that the Collector could not extract the original genetic base that made up the original dragons, but there was another thing the Jotnar voice spoke of that related to this: the origin of the Draconids.

The voice had stated that one of the theories revolving around the rise of the Draconids was that they had formed from the corpse of a dragon. If the Collector could find this deceased specimen and sample it, then it could come to access the original and vast power of the species that had competed directly with the New Gods.

Regardless, that was merely a theory on the part of the Jotnar. More information required on that end.

For now, the Collector would focus on obtaining the Scalebane sample the Jotnar had synthesized, for if it was an intact one, the Collector would have no difficulty incorporating it. If it was a particularly dangerous and complex pathogen, then the Collector would utilize its evolutionary cocoon to break it down and incorporate it.

There was also the likelihood that if the Collector could obtain the Facestealer specimen's ability to seemingly alter the state of physical forms and minds, then it could cross apply their abilities with Higher Calling to create differing strains of the Scalebane that could affect other species.

All of this, of course, was planning for the future, but to the Collector, these myriads of thoughts occurred in the span a lightning quick instant. At its essence, however, this new information did not alter the Collector's current trajectory too drastically.

Access the Jotnar's site of slumber. Gain any strength and reinforcements along the way. Obtain Jotnar allegiance or biomass. Attain the Scalebane. Then, draw conflict with the Draconids. Subdue the Draconids. Investigate their site of evolution for the corpse of a dragon. Harvest their Shards and the Old Gods they have absorbed. Then, defeat the Facestealer or, if sufficient power was already garnered, attack the city known as 'Middir' to forcibly break into their warp gate.

"The Scalebane is held in the ruins of our capital city of Gimli," said the rune voice. "When you bear this Origin Rune and enter the city, regardless of how destroyed it is, you will gain access to the Bifrost: a final vault within which we have stored our greatest military treasures.

All of our mightiest war capable golems, armor, and weapons that we have abandoned for our slumber. Among them all will be a small piece of the Scalebane. Just enough to infect one Draconid, but our Seers have said that the disease spreads quick like the Great Storm's winds.

Infect the correct one, and you can inflict a grievous blow upon the forces of the Draconids. Afflict this disease upon Valtr the Exile, and you can cut the head off the beast in one fell swoop.

But it is up to you to decide what you wish to do with it. And when it is done, when the destiny of Ragnar Uruk is fulfilled you may find us.

Just beyond Gimli, you will find our site of sleep. It will be a land seemingly of nothing, simply more snow and ice. But come to the zone with this rune, and you will know that we are there.

I shall be honest. We as a fighting force number barely a thousand. We are on the brink of annihilation ourselves, hence, our decision to slumber. We cannot help you in your battles. We cannot fell the New Gods. We cannot even defend our own homes from the Draconids.

But you, Successor, if you can fulfill your destiny, if you can bring down the New Gods, if you can unite the Shards, then you will know to turn to us for we alone may seed new life into this dying, hurt world."

The Collector clicked its mandibles. Technically, if the Breath of Life was the only prerequisite to counteracting the strange phenomenon known as 'Undeath', then the Collector alone could likely deal with it provided it managed to find the necessary adaptations to project the breath over wider areas.

There was no need to parlay with the Jotnar to restore this world, for when the Collective dawned and the Collector restored its connection with the Hivemind, they would gain access to its stored genetic materials and mass produce new units with the Breath of Life if Undeath was deemed any real measure of a threat.

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