Southern Hiver

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Though nearly identical in form to their Western cousins, Southern Hivers are distinguished by the deep red hues of their skin and the stark white or crimson lines that trace their bodies like ritual markings. But it is their temperament that truly sets them apart, where the West builds, the South consumes. Fiercely xenophobic and violently loyal to their King, Southern Hivers see all outsiders as intruders to be sacrificed or devoured in the name of hive purity. To walk beyond the hive as a Ronin is rare, almost mythic, most who leave are hunted, broken, or haunted by instincts that never fully release their hold.

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Drone

Drones make up the vast majority of the Southern Hive, taking to their work almost the moment they can stand, driven by instinct, discipline, and the unquestionable will of their King.

Physical Description

Smaller and slighter than their Soldier and Prince kin, Southern Hive Drones stand between 4 and 5.5 feet tall, their wiry frames rarely exceeding 100 pounds. Their skin ranges from pale rust to deep crimson, often marked by faint ritual lines or burnished patterns. Though built for labor and swarm tactics, some display remarkably intricate facial features, subtle variations that may hint at elevated intellect or latent magical potential. In the Hive, beauty is often mistaken for purpose.

Personality

Though fully capable of independent thought, Southern Hive Drones are fiercely loyal to their King, obedience is not demanded, it is offered, often to the point of self-sacrifice. They throw themselves into danger without hesitation, believing the Hive’s will to be more important than their own survival. Within the hive walls, Drones are often found in a haze of hashish and smokeleaf, substances cultivated in abundance and used to dull the ache of toil, quiet the mind, or keep the swarm calm.

Soldier

Southern Hive Soldiers form the relentless core of the Hive’s war machine, bred in droves, shaped for battle, and born with a singular purpose: to die in service of their King.

Physical Description

Towering over their drone kin, Southern Hive Soldiers stand between 5.5 and 7 feet tall, their powerful frames often exceeding 200 pounds. Their skin ranges from clay-baked tan to deep red, stretched taut over dense muscle and reinforced bone. Most are instantly recognizable by their broad, armored skulls, natural helmets honed by

evolution and often used as weapons in their own right. Built for endurance and brute force, these soldiers are walking battlements, known to meet blades with their foreheads when all else fails.

Personality

Of all the hiveborn, Soldiers are the most unwavering, silent, stoic, and bound wholly to the King’s will. They rarely leave the hive of their own accord, and when they do, it is often in service of some distant command. Few return. Those left behind often carry a deep sense of betrayal, not from disloyalty, but from being forgotten. Though not known for expression, many Soldiers display quiet reverence for beauty in its most disciplined forms, a perfectly balanced blade, a flawless formation, or a meticulously prepared meal can stir something almost sacred within them.

Prince

Rarest among the hiveborn, Southern Hive Princes appear once in a hundred births, gifted with heightened will, sharp intellect, and a dangerous measure of ambition. They serve as the Hive’s tacticians, emissaries, and visionaries, guiding the swarm with minds as sharp as their blades.

Physical Description

Southern Hive Princes bear a striking resemblance to humans in both form and stature, standing between 5 and 7 feet tall with lean, adaptable builds ranging from 100 to 200 pounds. Their skin, ranging from sunbaked tan to deep crimson, is often smooth and unmarred, fitting for those bred not for labor or war, but for command. Neither frail nor hulking, they are balanced by design, excelling in mental precision and arcane potential more than brute force.

Personality

Within the Southern Hive almost all Princes are obsessed with proving themselves and gaining the respect of the King. This obsession doesn't seem to be rooted in the same mental affect that holds the rest of the hive and more of a cultural one. Many will plot against other princes to gain standing or an audience before the King. Outside of the hive, prince hivers can be found in all sorts of professions and social classes however many still seek fame.

Drone
Key Attribute: Agility
Drone Talent: Relentless Drive
Soldier
Key Attribute: Strength
Soldier Talent: Hive Frenzy
Prince
Key Attribute: Wits
Prince Talent: Unfettered Will

Racial Traits

Hive-Gut
If not food, why food shaped?
Hard Headed-(Soldier)
Why wear a helmet when the Queen gave me one I can bash a door down with?

Names

The Southern Hive does not understand the concept of names. Only those with the highest of honors will take a name in remembrance of their great deed. Outside of the Hive, many Southern hivers take a name that represents their job or morals. Names like Noking, or Bestbread.

Related Organizations

• Southern Hive

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No-Hive Life

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To be No-Hive is to live in the hush after song, a life once full of purpose, now haunted by memory. Some No-Hives fall into despair, unable to function without the rhythm of orders and unity. Others awaken to new identities, becoming artists, wanderers, mercenaries, or mystics. They often band together in loose communes, mimicking hive structure out of habit or longing.
Viewed with pity or suspicion by hive-bound kin, No-Hives carry a quiet defiance, they are the only Hivers who have learned to live with silence in their heads.