Desire is a powerful emotion, but I find it lacking. Whether it's desire for power, wealth, or the desire to change oneself. It is usually insufficient to make one take action. Desire alone is never enough. No in my experience it not the want to be better, but an outside influence that makes one pursure their desire. Most often it is the loathing of what one is that helps get things started. It could be you hate your own weakness, or complacency. It could be even be you loath what you may become and wish to stop. The combination of desire and hatred can move mountains. However that is not always enough, sometime people drown those intense feeling with drink or other tedious emotions. They tell themselves if they just wait it out the feeling will go away, but they don't, they are always there right below the surface waiting for a moment of peace or weakness to rise up to sour everything. You see my dear friends complacency is for fools and hiding from what you are or what you feeling will destory you eventually.

Conversely I find that those who are dissatisfied with complacency, and no matter how much they have been given or achieved most are unhappy with something. Be it about themselves, their situation, or the world at large. Once you begin to take it becomes almost impossible to stop So my dear friends, I'd wager that if I offered you ability to change one thing about yourself at no cost whatsoever without any effort on your part, nearly all of you would take it in a heartbeat. It wouldn't matter if you wanted to change something or even if you were content with who you are, I would wage you'd take it. Unless of course, you were just trying to spite me.

The ability to remake oneself is a unique situation that very few will ever find themselves in, but one our shelled friend is currently experiencing. Stygian had expected to enter metamorphosis and then sudden wake up after it was complete. Instead it was greeted with a pitch black space and twp prompts.

Please select a single bonus for each. Descrator Ant; Thick Plating, all chitin is strengthened magically. Hive Mind, control your kin with ease. Mudling; Aquatic Affinity, being underwater feels natural. Pool Expansion, mammalian pool will now accept amphibian genes, becoming mammalian/amphibian. Host-worm; Writhing Flesh, shapeshifting is easier. Take-over, control a unsuspecting creature for up to 10 minutes as though it was yourself. You have begun metamorphosis, thanks to your level of sentience you will be able to direct the changes you will under go. You have 3 gene pools with 124 points a piece. You can spend these points on abilities/skills, subspecies modifications, anatomical/cosmetic modifications, and you can increase physical modifiers. Feel free to shift things and see hypothetical variations. Nothing is finalized until you are satisfied. Abilities Subspecies Anatomical Skills Modifiers Cosmetic

Those bonuses didn't provide a lot of information and our deväk was unsure if they would do more than what they stated or if that was it. Hive Mind and Take-over were automatically out, they just weren't super useful to the deväk right now. In the case of hivemind it probably wouldn't every be useful to Stygian, since it was the only deväk of its ilk. While Take-over sounded kind of fun the insectoid didn't like the idea of using it in combat. Whereas Writhing Flesh was directly useful and would make shifting easier both in and out of combat. The mudling bonus was a no brainer the more genes Stygian had access to the better and brighter its future would be. So after some deliberation our shelled friend went with, Thick Plating, Pool expansion, and Writhing Flesh. The boxes turned gray when Stygian reached a decision, almost to say that while it could change its mind the current decision would be save. Deciding to go with Abilities first for no other reason than it was first on the list, a new widow popped up.

Select a new ability. Cost 50 points. Desecrator Ant; Blind Sense. Perfectly sense your surroundings when your eyes close. Range scales with your size. Mudling; Lurk. Makes you unremarkable to anyone and everyone's physical senses, but it can't hide magic. Host-worm; Monsters Vitality. Gain the insane regeneration of shapeshifter. Your body will refuse to go quietly into that goodnight. You regenate faster and Vitality is more effective for you.

All three abilities tempted the deväk greatly, but it knew what it was going to pick as soon as it read the prompt. Monsters Vitality sounded like it would make Stygian nigh unkillable at a high stat level. So that would be the one it would choose, though Lurk was more than a little tempting thanks to the debilitating effects of lust. Which is the same reason it considered Blind Sense. Looking at the stupid pixies always made it tentacle tied, and the way they looked at Stygian was worse. Maybe if the deväk could go a little more unnoticed, then perhaps the words would come easier. Stygian focused on Monster Vitality and the prompt turned and layered itself over the bonus prompt. Focusing on Subspecies another prompt appeared.

Select a new subspecies. Cost 50 points. Only one may be selected. Deväk (Youngling): Reject your gene pools and return to the path of a mutated aväk. Gain instability. Deväk (Psyling): Desecator ant's navigate through enhanced senses and psychic communicate with their Queen. Gain the psychic powers of a queen, but with the ability to mentally speak with all. Mnt +15, Int +10, and Wis +10. Deväk (Waterling): Mudling's live most of their lives underwater, it feels like home. Gain the pack instincts and underwater acuity of a mudling. Per +15, Agi +10, and Dex +10. Deväk (Wormling): Host-worm's are parasitical shapeshifter, with every intention to massacre everything it sees. Gain the bloodlust of a monster, and shapeshift all of your limbs freely. +20 Vitality (Vit), +15 Con, and +15 End. Deväk (Morphling): A combination of all available gene pools, with no direct specialties, but with greatly reduced instability. +5 to all stats

All of those options were tough choices except for the first one. Stygian was already a deväk, it could never revert to an aväk even if it wanted to. Still it was an intriguing option, though a dumb one. Thinking about the youngling option made a light and something odd appear in the darkness. Infront of Stygian was another deväk a lot like Stygian, but not. This deväk was bigger with a mouth on its face more evenly proportioned than Stygian, but it looked frail. Like all that made Stygian dangerous was missing from this specimen. Our deväk had an idea of what this was, so it thought about the next option on the list.

Infront of Stygian a new deväk appeared black shell accented in purple with purple eyes. This deväk was just a little bit bigger than Stygian, but only because it was slightly hunch over. Over all it probably weighed twice as much as Stygian did. On the face was a mouth pulled straight from nightmares. Instead of teeth or a tongue the only thing I the mouth were two clawed appendages. These smaller mouths were perhensil and we're vaguely reminiscent of Stygians tendrils. When these two mouths or whatever you'd like to call them weren't ripping hunks of flesh from bone the outer section the claws would fold together making what looked like a vertical line of an otherwise unassuming mouth. This monsterous depiction of a deväk must have been the hypothetical version of Stygian if out bug friend chose this subspecies.

The Waterling was mostly white, and a lot of Stygian's plating was absent being more mammal and amphibian than bug. The rounded shell on Stygian's back was gone reveling a straight backed posture that Stygian rather liked. Instead of tendrils sprouting from its back it had a long tail that could spilt into more tendrils. On this variations neck was a set of gills, but everywhere that there wasn't chitin was a thick white fur. Stygian's hypothetical head was very rat like if not quite as long and narrow. The only places that kept Stygian's orginal chitin were the forearms, hands, legs, feet and our bugs auxiliary arms. It looked rather fearsome and grand.

While the Wormling looked like Stygian, but with noodles for arms and legs with skin an unassuming beige. It could shift the limbs at will, but it was rather vulnerable. Final the Morphling looked like a big better version of what the deväk was currently. Twisted limbs sorted out, stronger plating, and with a bigger brain. Currently Stygian is the same height as Vae at fourteen centimeters. All the variations would push our deväk to nineteen centimeters or taller.

Stygian really like the look of the Waterling, but if there was one thing that Vae had drilled into the deväk, it was play to its strengthens. So to maximize the bonus Thick plating it should choose either Morphling or Psyling. To Stygian Psyling felt like the better choice just because of the plus ten to wisdom and intelligence. Plus the purple and black color looked really cool. Selecting Deväk (Psyling) the widow grayed and stacked itself on top of the others. Next up anatomical.

When Stygian selected the next option a new didn't appear, instead the Psyling hypothetical grew transparent allowing Stygian to see the skeletal structure, the musculature, organs, and the interplay between all of Stygian's different gene pools. It was rather overwhelming looking focusing on different parts showed what spieces it was orginally from, and the percent of stability or instability it caused in the genetic structure followed by the total instability. One hundred percent instability would mean a quick death while, zero meant a long life. Right now the Psyling was rated at fifty three percent unstable. Everything was a jumbled mess. Most of the internal organs were that of an arthropod and would struggle to keep this body alive at anything faster than a jog. The bones were thin and almost pointless in this body, and the section of shifter flesh was quite small. When Stygian focused on something it wanted to change it was greeted with a window asking if the deväk wanted to convert the selection in to a different gene pool. So Stygian replaced almost all the internals with that of the mudling's expect for its arthropod respiratory system opting instead to just give itself a small set of lungs on top of that. This had the unpresendented side effect of make the Psyling jump in height to twenty two centimeters. Taller than Gwyn. Which made Stygian feel more than a little smug.

Unfortunately this increased height made Stygian's potential bones even weaker. So Stygian decided to increase bone density across-the-board, of course this would cost point, but right now it was just hypothetical. After increase the density to a bit higher than an average mudling's, Stygian began to alter the Psylings at rest posture, making it more reminiscent of the Waterling. Even going so far as to give Psyling a small tail, making it like the tendrils concealed under it's bulbous carpace. The Psyling was now incredibly funtional and relatively stable at thirty seven percent, but for some reason Stygian just wasn't satisfied. Wether it the effects of lust on its mind or just personal preference Stygian wasn't sure, but it knew that it wanted to look better than just functional.

So Stygian sacrificed the bulbous shell on its back creating smaller overlapping plates that wouldn't restricted movement, but still allow for protection. Then Stygian covered the Marg tendrils with overlapping chitin scales, making the tendrils look more like snakes. The tendrils were nearly four times their original size now becoming full on armored tentacles. Stygian tried to converted all of the muscle tissue upon its back to shifter flesh, when a widow popped up.

Warning, inacting this change will use up all the remaining points in the shifter gene pool. Do you wish to continue?

Yes / No

Stygian was relived that all of its modifications were within its bonds and the little bug wanted more shifter flesh so focused on yes and the widow disappeared, feeling just about done with anatomical changes Stygian decided to see what it would cost with one extra change. Increasing the length of the Psyling toes gave it the double jointed legs of most four legged mammals.

Proposed changes will cost, 74 shifter/annelid points, 67 mammalian points, and 20 arthropod points. Remianing points 57 mammalian, and 54 arthropod. Str +10%, Con +5%, End +5%, Agi +5%, and Acr +5% Do you accept?

Yes / No

One hundred and eleven was a good and the bonus to physical modifiers was extremely nice. Stygian planned to come back spend any extra points on chitin and bone density if it had any to spare. When Stygian opened the skills tab next it realized that all the available skills we're just lesser version of the abilities screen.

Select a new Skill. Cost 25 points. Desecrator Ant: Blind Sense Level 1. Vaguely know you surroundings when your eyes are closed. Mudling: Lurk Level 1. Blend with your surroundings for up to a 1 minute Host-worm: Monsters Vitality Level 1. Increased regeneration for 30 seconds.

In cosmetic section Stygian could change its color patterns freely, as well as add new colors from other pools. Finding a deep satisfaction in this section our deväk began to methodical put purple lines racing all along the Psyling. Marking all the edges of its plating with faded to white, as well as making the edge of its claws pure white like fallen snow. Then turning the blue eyes it received from its aväk parent to purple, and ending with the skin of its shifter flesh. Stygian's future self was now a uniform black, with jagged purple lines accented in white near the edges. This entire process only cost Stygian five mammalian points, and four arthropod.

One hundred and two points left and Stygian wasn't sure what to do. The skills were lesser version of the abilities, and even though they could be leveled up and eventually reach some semblance of the abilities power, they weren't really worth it. Skills could never surpass abilities of the same type. Thats not to say that abilities can never be over come by skills. Take Lurk for example if someone used a skill to analyze Stygian they would be able to see how strong Stygian really was even with Lurk. Stygian wanted Lurk badly, but Blind Sense was unappetizing in both ability and skill form. So abilities are not infallible, but they are extremely potent. Unsure of what to do Stygian checked the last tab; Modifiers.

Increase physical modifier limit to 65%, instead of 50%? Cost 50 points of any type.

Now that peaked the deväk's interest. Stygian had assumed that the physical modifiers section would just allow for a direct increase. However, it would seem that Stygian's future form had a limit how high the modifiers would go. It made some sense to the future Psyling, it's body was still unstable so there would be some limits that other beings wouldn't have. After some thought Stygian spent the last of its arthropod points on increasing its physical modifiers, and then Stygian decided to pick up the ability Lurk. It was useful and would make the deväk's otherwise monsterous appearance seem lack luster. With the final seven points Stygian increased its bone density a fraction more.

Do you wish to spend the last of your points?

Yes / No

Selecting yes another screen immediately filled its place.

Are you satisfied with these proposed changes? Name Physical Modifier Attributes Unique Statuses Stygian Half-light Str: +20.7% Str: 15 Oath Age Agi: +9.6% Agi: 12 Soul Corruption 1 month Dex: +3.9% Dex: 19 Metamorphosis Species Acr: +6.0% Acr: 7 Thick Plating Deväk (Psyling) Mnt: +8.2% Mnt: 28 Monsters Vitality Int: +1.0% Int: 15 Wis: +1.0% Wis: 15 Per: +3.7% Per:11 End: +14.7% End: 14 Con: +15.0% Con: 13 Vit: +10% Vit: 1 Cha: -15% Cha: 1 Abilities Skills Sins Malleable Tendrils Minor Shapeshift Gluttony Parasitical Growth Unrelenting Lust Metamorphosis Density: Level 2 Lurk Dodge: Level 1 Psychic Apptitude Path of the Spear: Level 1 Writhing Flesh

Everything seemed fine and dandy to Stygian, until it reached Malleable Tendrils which was cross out, and further confused when a unknown ability was also present. Which was probably the Psyling race ability, but it had an odd name for a pyschic communication ability. Then again Stygian didn't really know what was normal. Finally looking through the page once more Stygian realized that it was missing the Pool Expansion bonus. Deciding to do some investigating our little bug focused on the crossed out ability first, and yet another widow popped in to existence.

Malleable Tendrils

This ability has become defunct, and is no longer applicable, due to the lack of preexisting tendrils. This defunct ability can be cast off gaining you 40 points, or combined with another ability/skill to create some new.

Sacrifice / Combine

Stygian was a bit upset that turning its tendrils into armored tentacles would cost it a useful ability, but sometimes you can't have your cake and eat it too. What really stuck in Stygian's craw though was the fact that the ability didn't give a full fifty points back. So Stygy decided to combine instead of sacrifice.

Combine Malleable Tendrils with Minor Shapeshift to create Shapeshifting Level 1 (Skill): Can freely shapeshift the areas of one body that have shifter flesh. Combine Malleable Tendrils with Writhing Flesh to create Malleable Flesh (Ability): converting excess food to shapeshifter is faster.

Without really having to think about it Stygian chose the first option the shapeshifting skill, because minor shapeshift as a unique skill was quite limited. So upgrading it to a leveling skill, without the shitty minor modifier was better than throwing away its new bonus ability. At least it was in Stygian's mind.

Stygian then looked over the unkown ability.

Pyschic Apptitude

Derived from the Desecrator natural ability for pyschic communication. The Psyling possess the same ability, as well as an increased aptitude to develop further psychic abilities. Psyling's ability to develop further psychic ability increase with use.

Psyling was just cementing itself as the best choice for Stygian, after all Vae had spent all the effort to increase intelligence and wisdom. In Stygians uniquely professional oppinion with the soul corruption and the low mental attributes, this subspecies was perfect for the deväk as it was currently. Stygian was also completely enthralled with idea of more pyschic abilities. A smarter being would have checked the other subspecies, but Stygian just assumed from the other descriptions that the other abilities were trash. Checking over everything one last time, Stygian made sure everything was as it supposed to be. Apparently Pool Expansion was a hidden bonus, because changing the bonus made Aquatic Affinity show up, but no matter where Stygian looked Pool Expansion couldn't be found. The only thing it noticed was that the gene pool would include amphibian when Pool Expansion was selected, so at least it was working. Finally after triple checking everything Stygian was content. Every grayed out window disappeared and suddenly Stygian felt very tired. So very tired, the soon to be Psylings consciousness slipped away as its body slowly began changing.

Normally such dramatic and drastic changes would cause mind altering pain, but this process was slow and measured so that wouldn't be the case. Bones extended, plating thickened, new flesh grew, old organ shifted into something more suitable and slowly Stygian began to change. The mountains of insect flesh Stygian had consumed would keep the bug alive, but gluttony would punish Stygian by suppling only the barest minimum to the deväk. I should apologize for not explaining this sooner my dear friends, but you see gluttony acted as a sort of pocket dimension for food. Which Stygian has known, but I've never fully addressed. I am unfortunately split across much, but I digress. No matter how much Stygian ate it would all be stored in an abyss of sorts, this abyss would act kind of like a funnel. Now this funnel would slowly supply Stygian with nutrients, while still making the deväk feel constant hunger. This is not unbearable, but it does make gluttony one of the worst sins to have, and in this case will make Stygian's metamorphosis take longer than it should. Bumping the Psyling up to two months in age.

Quite a lot can happen in a month my dear friends, quite a lot indeed.