ONE DAY I WILL RETURN TO YOUR SIDE

art will be tagged #prop's art tag, worldbuilding/text stuff will be tagged #prop's worldbuilding tag.

both i and my sona are they/them exclusively.

bug doodles from suggestions

bonus Powered Up Super Form lore that i wrote below the cut

okay. im still in the process of actually figuring it out BUT. like i said, i wanted to redo that bug species setting stuff i wrote before with something slightly more unique, so ive got some unordered rewritten snippets to share, still partially based on the stuff i deleted but with new context. feedback welcome. ____________

The Crossroads: a space outside space. The connective tissue of many worlds finds itself bonded here, and travelers from across all of reality pass through it. Buildings of a thousand different styles are constructed within ancient structures, in turn built within even more ancient structures- the detritus of past civilizations piled atop one each other, apartment blocks built in the shadows of shattered, swooping arches of stone. There is no universally recognized central authority in the Crossroads, despite the efforts of several groups throughout history, world-bound or not- though some alliances, treaties, and territorial claims remain firm and provide a semblance of peace. Skirmishes occur irregularly, but the superdense urban surroundings and spatial anomalies make any real attempt at conquest pyrrhic and infeasible. Culture and morality varies wildly between locales within the space, influenced by a myriad of worlds. Full-body cyborgs rub shoulders with merchants in colorful flowing garb.

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BOOTING. . .SUCCESSRETRIEVING EMULSION "crossroads_for_dummies/phraFINALFINALtruefinal". . .LOADING IN COMPATIBILITY MODE. . . --------- "The Phractae- the official term in egghead circles is 'Teratochimaeris cataphractis sapiens', though most people say something like "ants," which is wrong- are one of the species you'll see around our neighborhood here in the Crossroads that you probably won't recognize at first. They're a type of bugfolk, obviously, but more specifically, they were designed that way, which I'm sure is a familiar story by now if you've been reading the rest of these reports. See, they (plus some others) originally come from a world that was relatively high-tech, where they were made to be able to seamlessly go between land and long-term space habitation. The structure of their exoskeleton helps mitigate microgravity- normally murder on the bones, as any old spacer in a wheelchair will tell you- plus they've got fantastic heat regulation, organs analogous to reaction wheels for zero-g, the list goes on. The records we've got say that the main reason they and the other survivors ended up here was an interplanetary war over the jurisdiction of their jovian moons- their history roughly lines up with your own, just a few centuries forward- apparently comets got deorbited into every major biosphere, and over a decade things fell apart without enough raw material to keep the surviving population afloat. By now, the Phractae are a decently significant population, and you can find them in more than a few of the polities around here. The stereotype is that they're all tech experts, which I assume comes from the first generation to arrive being largely maintenance workers. It's not true, obviously, but that's the context in case it comes up. Anyway, attached to this file you'll find some medical reports going into more detail. They're a bit wordy, though, as a fair warning."

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RETRIEVING EMULSION "of_the_body_of_the_phractae_and_its_processes". . .LOADING IN COMPATIBILITY MODE. . . --------- [editor's note: Yeah, I know, it's Blue Order, but they do good work if you can get past the lingo.] "IT HAPPENED IN 1294 of the NEOAZURE CALENDAR that the PHRACTAE, being INSECTS CRAFTED IN THE HEAVENS, arrived in the CROSSROADS, fleeing PERDITION. The following document is an account of their BIOLOGY and LIFE, such that they may be CURED OF ILLS when the need arises. PHRACTAE may be as diminutive as [compat: 150cm], while generally not exceeding a height of [compat: 220cm], disregarding the length of their antennae. Note that as crafted beings within the great chain of being, they do not have a true linkage to INSECTS, and thus not all properties are shared between. They possess three clawed fingers on each hand, including a thumb, and two claws on each foot. A PHRACTAE may appear in one of several MORPHS, being a collection of physical traits associated together albeit with the caveat that they may be expressed independently or not at all. The MORPH of a soul will adapt over time to match and conquer their environs, though this change may be harnessed or expedited via the intervention of a medic for functional or aesthetic purposes. Notably rare potential traits include WINGS, FURTHER PAIRS OF ARMS, and EXTREME HEIGHT, which require specialized knowledge to maintain and remain in good health. Alike other INSECTS, a PHRACTAE grows via MOULTING. As crafted beings, their MOULTS are generally safe and well-managed, expending comparatively little energy. It is customary for a moulted shell to be recycled, and such wishes should be honored if requested following assistance. PHRACTAE emerge into the world first as larvae, and remain as such for little time before proceeding to their first instar stage, resembling the imago in all but size and proportion. There are four further discreet instar stages prior to the imago maturing, though as stated before the imago may further develop and adapt as needed: as such, development remains a relevant topic of health even once maturity is reached. The expression of certain traits is often a subject of desire for PHRACTAE patients, and fulfilling these wishes is conducive to spiritual health. This may be fulfilled via exposure to relevant compounds, the procedure of their synthesis being bound to this document. As crafted beings, PHRACTAE exhibit several unique features owing to their conception in THE HEAVENS. The INSECTOID ABDOMEN, connected at the analog of the tailbone in a vertebrae, possesses not the expected digestive organs, but instead a set of workings that control the release and intake of heat throughout the body, alongside a contrivance that allows for precise control of rotation while in the air. Similar organs may further develop in the chest, appearing as breasts. The CLAWS of a PHRACTAE are tough and dextrous, permitting fine manipulation of small objects such that complex devices may be adjusted without issue. The LEGS of a PHRACTAE are truly powerful, granting the ability to leap significant distances if properly maintained." [DOCUMENT CONTINUES FOR 37 FURTHER PAGES]

the idea behind all this is, a) it means i don't have to fully commit to a single writing style, and b) it gives a bullshit explanation for my sona showing up in random places with (although they probably arent canon to this setting).

also including the current species ref below the cut because i dont think its very good and i plan to redo it sometime but figure i should still post it