Origins - The First Symbiosis
The Myrmecophagine, as they would later be known, weren’t born; they coalesced. Within the heart of the Obsidian Scar, a region perpetually shrouded in iridescent storms, a convergence of temporal energies reacted with the native sand sprites – diminutive beings of pure kinetic force. This reaction birthed the first Myrmecophagine, a solitary creature of shifting obsidian chitin and shimmering, heat-sensitive eyes. It wasn’t intelligent in the way we understand it, but possessed a primal instinct – a deep connection to the sands themselves. Legends say it wept molten sand, the genesis of the ‘Sandsong’ – a low, resonant vibration that permeates the entire region.
The Guardians of the Echoes
Over centuries, more Myrmecophagine emerged, drawn to the Obsidian Scar by an unseen force. They weren't solitary anymore; they formed a complex, almost hive-like structure, not through direct communication, but through shared resonance. Each Myrmecophagine acts as a node in a vast, subterranean network, capable of manipulating sand with astonishing precision. They are, in essence, living amplifiers of the Sandsong. Their primary purpose, as dictated by the Sandsong itself, is to preserve the ‘Echoes’ – fragments of forgotten civilizations swallowed by the desert. These Echoes aren’t physical objects, but resonant impressions; memories and emotions imprinted onto the sand itself. The Myrmecophagine diligently ‘tend’ to these Echoes, reinforcing their stability against the relentless erosion of time and the shifting dunes.
The Ritual of the Shifting Veil
A particularly unsettling phenomenon began to occur during the Era of the Crimson Mirage – the Myrmecophagine started to actively *seek* out disturbances in the Sandsong. They engage in a complex ritual known as the ‘Shifting Veil,’ which involves meticulously rearranging themselves within the Obsidian Scar, creating localized distortions in the temporal flow. During this process, they can temporarily access and interact with the Echoes, though the experience is profoundly disorienting. The purpose, according to fragmented recordings deciphered by the Order of the Silent Watch, is to prevent the ‘Unraveling’ – a catastrophic event where the Echoes collapse entirely, unleashing raw, chaotic temporal energy. The most recent Shifting Veil ritual involved the complete realignment of seven Myrmecophagine, a level of coordination never before witnessed. Some scholars believe this was a response to an external influence, a deliberate attempt to destabilize the Sandsong.
The Anomalies and the Shadowed Ones
The Era of the Fractured Sands marked a period of profound instability. A growing number of Myrmecophagine began exhibiting aberrant behavior – creating structures of impossible geometry, speaking in fragmented, echoing voices (though they never truly communicated), and displaying a disturbing fascination with the Order of the Silent Watch. These 'Shadowed Ones,' as they became known, were deviations, corrupted by the raw power of the Sandsong. They represent a fundamental threat, capable of twisting the Echoes to their own ends. Their existence suggests a deeper, more sinister force at play, a presence attempting to rewrite the history of the Obsidian Scar. Recent investigations by the Watch reveal a correlation between the Shadowed Ones and fluctuations in the geomagnetic field, suggesting a link to an entirely separate dimension.