On the Elevation of Species

Recent events have convince me to consider the direction of my research and skills. To this point, I've considered development and improvement of my own functions purely for their own sake. By improving my tools and bodily structure through the application and improvement of my exoskeleton, I've achieved a greater amount of agency and domain over my immediate surroundings. However, as I consider the continuation of these improvements, I am convinced that mere tuning and improvement will eventually approach a bounded upper limit. Within the nature of my physical form, I am restricted to the amount of power and agency I am able to consolidate. Thus, the next question becomes how to remove or exceed this upper limit.
 
Firstly, I must consider the order of species, from highest to lowest: gods, demigods, mortals, beasts, plants, and mineral. Within those orders themselves are less structured importance and power, but those are unique to the creature rather than the order containing them. For example, a king wields more power than a pauper. A Lion possess a greater domain than a hare. Power may comparisons of individual creatures across orders may exceed the rankings of those orders, such as a Cave Bear wielding more power than a halfling child. The orders represent the hypothetical potential of its members, rather than the specific power one wields. A hare may fall victim to a falling rock, but the rock has no means to autonomously traverse distances, engage in relationships with other members of its species, or even have an awareness of the difference between self and other. In this way, the hare as a member of the order of beasts will always exceed the potential of a mere rock.
 
Now, having established the order of species and the implications on the potential for each species, I can consider the boundaries between those orders. The orders themselves are closely tied to the nature and understanding of its member species. While one could argue that a plant has no true awareness, I assert that within its nature is an awareness of growth and reproduction. Within the form of the plant is the rules and structure necessary to continue the process of life. This is something clearly lacking in the mineral species. A beast has the same process of life, but also has the awareness and understanding of its surroundings. A mortal has the same processes as a beast, yet also possesses the awareness of itself. As I am neither god nor demigod, I will not presume to speak of the nature that those species possess beyond my own. With the examples thus far, however, I can draw several conclusions. Firstly, that the higher orders are a superset of the lower orders. I can see this to be true both by the consolation of nature in each higher order, but also in the fact that each order lives by the fruits of those orders below it. A plant consumes minerals to benefit itself the same as a mortal may employ beasts for profit. As an aside, this further brings to question whether a god is truly such if not for the mortals that worship it. The second important conclusion to make is that members of a species may transfer to a new order upon a change in their nature. A plant is made of the mineral it consumes to grow. Prior to becoming part of the plant, the mineral is a member of its own order. However, upon changing nature to become part of a plant, that mineral is now elevated into the order of plant as its identity is now that of the plant. Similarly, a beast may consume a plant to elevate the plant into its own being, or a mortal may perish, returning their material to the order of mineral. Finally, I can assert that such power exists to elevate beast, plant, or mineral to mortal directly. Some orders of druid can instill the change in nature upon a beast or plant, "awakening" them to the state of mortal. My very existence is evidence of a mineral directly elevating to the order of mortal.
 
In all examples I have thus far discovered or considered, the elevation of a species required the intervention of a higher order. In no case has a species achieved a higher order by its own volition. Thus, this outstanding question must be answered: can a species reach a higher order through its own means? Either I may pursue an elevation of my own will, or I must seek the intervention of a higher order. For the purposes of my research, it is more beneficial to pursue the former, as the latter has been proven. Revisiting my examples, each elevation implied an increase in awareness, some change to cognitive function. As such, my research will begin in that regard.
 
The recent events that have inspired this redirection of my efforts was the witnessing of the studies performed by the kingdom of Brenica. The experiments showed certain changes in nature being imposed upon beasts partially though the intervention of mortals, but more largely through the interaction of a beast with a specific, foreign mineral. It is a tragedy that the bulk of the research was lost in a conflagration, but some specific notebooks were recovered. Personally, while studying these notes, I will be considering the cognitive changes that occurred. Hopefully, they will provide some hint into the changes in nature and the process that occurred to achieve them. By doing so, I may be able to create and test some means of increasing the cognition of another being beyond their nature.
 
Given the preferences of my immediate companions, any such testing must be done or perceived benevolently, not bringing harm or disruption to the subject. I have a subject in mind given the potential for growth; so hopefully my research into the means proves fruitful.