Staring death in the face never gets easier. Well maybe it's just me, but staring down death makes me want to blink. As in purposefully falter. To give up this great struggle I have called life. To finally rest and be no more. Well to be honest I do know if there is anything for me when I die. I hope not, I've existed long enough. It's all conjecture though, I don't know if I'll ever be free from this nightmare.
Stygian however had decided to persue the path I no longer could and sink, our bug would rather die than become a savage thing. Consuming all of Stygian’s focus was the corruption, and it ravaged our small friends very being. The water seemed empty and still except for Gwyn's bleeding corpse. The psyling began to wonder what pixies life had been like. Then wish it had metamorphosis into a waterling instead of a psyling psychic powers be damned. Psychic powers could stop it from drowning. Although that wasn't necessarily true it was a clear sign that corruption was directly affecting the bug's brain. It didn't take long for the bug to realize that if it had the capacity for idle thoughts then the corruption was not actually taking all of the bugs focus. Putting its full mental weight into the effort Stygian pushed back against the corruption and slowly began to win the exchange, but it wasn't nearly fast enough to prevent the deväk's inevitable drowning.
The deväk hit the bottom of the pond, and thought that this wasn't such a bad place to die. At least the view was nice, and the water was warm. Then something stabbed into Stygian's back and the most miraculous thing occurred. This no longer seemed like a good place to die. Well that and Stygian began breathing. Whatever had stabbed the bug was provided it the oxygen it needed to survive deciding not to look a gift centaur in the crotch Stygian stomped the corruption out of its very soul.
Congratulations. You have removed your soul corruption. Aspects of your magical make up may have changed. Hidden status effect removed: Nightmare Visage. Gained new ability: Shackles
One less thing to worry about, and now that nightmare visage was lifted the bug that seemed to be made up of hard edges with dangerously glowing eyes seemed to soften. Indeed ever since Stygian was corrupted it has been difficult to describe the bug as anything other then nightmarish. This effect had peaked when our bug was drowning, but now our bug seemed almost like a normal bug. Albeit a bit bigger. Stygian had the head of an ant, with its horrifying mouth subdued and the rest of its body seeming all of a sudden less jagged. The bug seemed almost cuddly. Almost. It was still a murder machine, at least one in the making.
As always the prompts were less helpful than Stygian would have liked, but couldn't do much about it. Increasing general knowledge of oneself and the world would make prompts vastly more informative, but being a two month old bug was limiting. Speaking of informative now that Stygian wasn't dying it decided to open the prompts it had gotten from the battle.
Congratulations, Path of the spear has reached level 3, and Dodge has reached level 4. Attributes increased; Vit +5, Con +5, Mnt +4, Dex +3, Agi +3, Acr +3, and End +1. Physical modifiers increased; Vit +10%, Con +5%, and Acr +5%.
Congratulations, you have been awarded a special perk.
At Death's Door
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When victorious in a confrontation that should have killed you, one of the rewards will be doubled upon section. Warning: this perk will fade after 5 uses.
After reading first prompts and finding no increase combat level made the bug a bit miffed, but reading the perk prompt another prompt flooded Stygian's mind asking what attribute increase the bug would like to double. Think about its cracked and mangled chitin Stygian chose vitality. It was a shame that Stygian couldn't abuse the perk forever, but at some point risking death for a doubled reward wasn't exactly worth it. Now time for the new ability.
Shackles
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Growing stronger is easier with a disadvantage. Shackles let you create you're own disadvantages. The ability to restrict or even disable your own skills, abliities, attributes, professions and more all in the name of further growth. Restricting something will make it harder to use and in return making it easier to level. While disabling allows similar skills, abilities, attributes, or professions to shoulder the burden.
The deväk quite liked the idea of training it's charisma with this ability, or any of its lesser used skills. Stygian could disable physical modifiers to just train attributes, or vice versa. This ability was more utility than anything, but Stygian still liked the idea of it. Plus it made some sense to the bug. Fight while under the effects of gluttony were taxing, but the rewards were immense. So hopefully shackles could do the same in a more controlled environment.
Speaking of gluttony a part of Stygian was telling the bug it should eat the halo still in its grasp. Thinking it was probably a bad idea, but feeling an odd ugre to spite and destroy Gwyn's legacy. Then Stygian felt gluttony rise up, and demand to eat the halo.
Stygian took a bite.
Instead of exploding like our bug normally would have, the power was pulled into the cavernous space warping expanse that the psyling called a stomach. For the first time in a while Stygian tasted something. The overly abundant energy overpowered the sin for the barest moment. It was delicious, and... Oddly righteous.
Stygian tried to hold on to the flavor and ate more, but the effect wasn't quite the same. Our bug began to pull and tug and struggle. Wanting more energy, wanting to taste. Wanting to indulge in its sin. The psyling thrashed about having a full blown tantrum.
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Luckily the bug was restrained by the root, if not it would have begun it's slide into madness. Of it would have eventually become a demon on side, but at the total sacrifice of what out shelled friend was. In a brief moment of exhausted clarity the bug shackled its sin, cutting off its mind altering effects.
This was enough for the bug to calm down and catch its breath. While it couldn't keep the sin shackled forever, this was a rather nice reprieve. Sins were, or are a constant tax on the mind, trying not to give in would wear one down.
Stygian sent a psychic word of thanks to the forest for saving it, and the root released. Stygian shifted it's armored tentacles into lopsided fins and shot towards the surface. Even with the extra absurd density of Stygian, the task was still pretty easy.
Making bad to shore in slightly better condition than when our bug had left, Stygian propped itself against a rock and waited. Everything but its tentacles were still pretty mangled, and the bug didn't want to go back to the tree. So it waited.
Unfortunately the allied pixies were not the first to appear. Several guards came out of the settlement to see if Gwyn needed any help. Only to be greeted with a strange looking purple-ish insect that was nearly half dead. Not actually of course Stygian was just covered in blood that looked remarkably similar to the purple line that covered the insect. Making it appear worse than it was. The guard believed that since there wasn't a body Gwyn must still be fighting, and shut the door. Not feeling capable of doing anything to help.
Eventually after much too long the allied pixies showed up, bringing the entire tree with them. Like a walking tower the tree slowly advanced with an armed pixie guard. Truly a sight to behold. Waving dumbly, and a bit numbly Stygian waited for help to arrive, when something black shot out of the tree.
It speed straight towards Stygian and made our bug stand in preparation for a fight. Tentacles wrapped around arms to make them move better, spear in hand, and the now less nightmare-ish chelicerae of its mouth clattering.
The figure stopped directly in front of Stygian hovering a few centimeters off the ground. The figure looked strikingly similar to the desecrator ants queen, though off slightly. For starters this figure was black, and was missing a pair of arms. Then there was the head, it looked like Stygian's old visage before the metamorphosis.
Then the figure pulled off its own head, revealing a pink headed pixie Stygian new very well. Vae was wearing a set of armor made from Stygian's old shell. The one it molted a few before metamorphosis.
"Do you like it? I asked Rhind to make it a while ago, he finished while you were sleeping. I... It's not creepy right? It's feels like I killed you and decided to wear you corpse. I just thought the added protection would be nice..."
"It looks faantastic. Itss noot creepy and yoou neeed the prootection." Stygian shifted its tentacles into a smile and a thumbs up to reinforce its approval.
It was doofy and rather cute if you were into that kind of thing. Which Vae totally wasn't, not even a little bit. She was a professional and... Okay she thought it was adorable, even though most would still called Stygian creepy, she had a soft spot for stuff like that. The soft spot was made even softer because Stygian was a good friend.
Which made her forget to be mad, albeit briefly. She began to hit the foolish bug and berate it for its rash actions. Normal this wouldn't be an issue for the supremely sturdy Stygian, but Vaelin buff herself so the bug couldn't just shrug off the hits.
Vae had a right to be Stygian knew, after all they had a good plan and Gwyn probably would have been put down faster. A part of Stygian however foolish it may seem relished the act of combat. Though our bug was young and these feelings were still quite knew, it takes a special sort to be born with the combat section unlocked. The type who loved impossible odds and large scale battles. The type that never stopped looking for ever increasing odds that they might lose.
Stupid and reckless yes, but Stygian found the idea exhilarating. While staring down a thousand man army alone on a hill was still a long way off, the bug couldn't help fantasizing about it. If Stygian was being honest though that wasn't the reason it fought Gwyn alone, at least not the whole reason.
Stygian feared what might've happened to Vae in such a conflict. It would be nigh impossible to protect both itself and the noble pixie. Stygian realized how dumb that actually was. If Vae had been there she would have been protecting the deväk with her magic. Making the job easier allowing Stygian to focus on combat. It was at that moment Stygian remembered its combat specialization.
The bug had been wrapped up in the excitement of metamorphosing and had really dug into what it could do. Sure being a monster tamer/breeder would be useful for its gene pools, but it also had combat potential as well. If Stygian could breed and tame a monster that would enhance or help shield it, then its offensive power would only rise.
Figuring that it had more important things to be getting on with though, Stygian began apologizing and asking Vae to stop hitting it. Eventually Vae calmed enough to heal Stygian. She was still mad that one the first friends she had made in while had almost died, but Stygy didn't. And next time, since there was bound to be a next time, she would be there right along side the bug. Doing what she could to keep the idiot alive.
The guards that had remained loyal to the elders and elders themselves stormed the settlement proclaiming Gwyn's death. Several violent scuffles ensued. It seemed like they would hold out believing that they indomitable new leader would show up any minute to turn the tides form them.
Gwyn did show up. Though only because Stygian jumped back in the pond and to fetch his head. Their morale breaking, and finally accepting their leaders death the rebel pixies surrendered. Talk of how they should be punished and Stygian got bored, walking off with Vae.
Now that the settlement was back under the elders control Vae had laid climb to the entity of the tree tower, she had sculpted it so it was rightfully hers. Rhind was the only other pixie in the whole structure, he liked the view and Vae let him stay. There would be time for talking tomorrow, and the Woods probably had a task for the deväk, but right Stygian didn’t. It had endured a long fight, accepted death then cheated it, swam with debilitating injuries, got berated and beat up while still injured, was finally healed only to go swimming again, and all of that was just in the last few hours. Stygian decided that sleeping sounded like the world's greatest treat at the moment, and indulged.
And it was just so that Stygian Half-light got the first good sleep of its whole life.