The Hive

[The Librarian]

The hive is a product of the Nexus itself. In a place where all realities seem to collide, there is bound to be some conflict.

The hive is many races and it is one race, it is many individuals and one being.

At one time, there were many separate hives and similar creatures. These included the Tyranids (Warhammer 40K), Zerg (Starcraft), Wraith (Stargate), Bugs (Starship Troopers), Xenomorphs (Aliens and Alien vs. Predator), and the Brood as only a few. In whatever grand event spawned the nexus, these races came into contact with one another for the first time. A great war ensued as each hive and swarm tried to overwhelm the others. In the end, there was no winner in the conflict. Each race ended up incorporating so many traits from their enemies that these hives and swarms eventually merged into one.

Goals
The Hive has one simple goal, to expand. Whenever the hive meets another species, it examines the species for any traits that might be useful when incorporated into the swarm. It then sets about eliminating that race or absorbing it into the hive.

Hive Creatures
There are many different strains types of hive creature, each spawned for a specific task and mutated in such a way as to have the ability to accomplish that task. That said, every member of the race shares some traits.

Acidic Blood: The members of the hive have a highly acidic blood. This serves to eliminate threat from disease and poison, as well as injuring those the creature is in combat with. All members of the hive are immune to this acid.

Psionics: The hive is ruled by a great Overmind. Every member of the hive has at least some psionic ability which allows them to keep in contact with this mind. The weakest members are only able to keep in contact with the swarm. Stronger strains are able to control the weaker strains while the strongest strains are able to use their psionic might in combat.

All members of the race can withstand the effects of the vacuum of space

Other traits
Aside from the traits which all members of the hive possess, there are many others which any single member may have.

Many strains use toxins, venoms and acids as weapons. These may be only from their physical attacks or may be in glands which allow these substances to be fired. The array of different toxins and venoms is nearly limitless.

Claws and bladed appendages are common among many strains, as are stingers. Strains may have any number of appendages, the usual amount being between zero and eight.

Carapace armor: Though the members of the hive have an internal skeletal system, many also have chitinous plates of armor which cover their bodies.

Technology: Except for specific individuals, the hive does not use technology in the normal sense. All of the technology used by the hive is composed of living organisms grown for a specific task. From buildings to ships each is an organism in the mass of the hive.

Transformative Venoms & Spores: Some hive members can produce venoms or spores that will slowly infect their victims turning them into Infested members of the Hive.

The Overmind
The hive is ruled over by the over mind. This is a mass consciousness created by the linked minds of every member of the Hive. Weaker members of the hive have no free will at all, they may have rudimentary decision making abilities, but all of their actions are still controlled by the over mind. Stronger members of the hive may have sentience and free will, but they are still connected to the Overmind and are driven by an urge to further the hive.

Evolutionary Levels
Due to the extremely adaptable nature of the hive, and it's ability to spawn specific evolutionary traits to deal with any given situation, the following evolutionary list is only a guideline and is not set in stone.

Level 1:

Larvae: These are the most basic members of the hive. Roughly the size of a cat or small dog, these Larvae usually travel in swarms of tens to hundreds using their numbers to overwhelm victims. Given sufficient food (quadruple their body weight) in a short amount of time(less than a day) a Larvae may enter a cocoon and evolve into a higher state of the hive. During this metamorphosis, the larvae incorporates traits from those organisms it has fed from. Larvae are completely mindless except for the over mind. All they know is feeding.

Level 2:

Gaunts: The second stage in a hive member's life. Gaunts are about the size of an average dog or a young human. They have rudimentary problem solving ability and are generally the workers of the hive. Though they are still able combatants. Given sufficient food (quadruple their body weight) in a short amount of time(less than a day) a Gaunt may enter a cocoon and evolve into a higher state of the hive. During this metamorphosis, the Gaunt incorporates traits from those organisms it has fed from. Gaunts are strong enough to control Larvae, but are nearly as mindless and only do so in rare instances.

Level 3:

Lisks: The third stage of evolution, Lisks are the standard warriors of the Hive. They range in size from as small as a gaunt to almost ten feet tall. They are about as intelligent as a young human and are capable of making decisions on their own when needed. Lisks can evolve into a few different forms depending on their feeding habits and stimulus.

Fexes: Given sufficient food (quadruple their body weight or more) in a short amount of time(less than a day) a Lisk may enter a cocoon and evolve into a higher Fex. During this metamorphosis, the Lisk incorporates traits from those organisms it has fed from. Fexes are the heavy artillery of the hive. They range from ten feet tall to nearly thirty feet. They are responsible for taking out things such as buildings and vehicles.

Level 4:

Niques: These are the first tier of leaders in the Hive community. They have complete free will and intelligence equal to an adult of any other species. Many have massive Psionic abilities. They range in appearance from looking almost exactly like a Lisk to nearly being able to mimic any other race from a distance. A Nique can command any lesser Hive member through sheer force of will, though will only do so when needed.

Infested: These beings didn't begin life as members of the hive. They have been absorbed into the hive through some other means such as transformative spores and venom. This process causes a metamorphosis in the individual where they take on any number of Hive traits. They retain all their knowledge and abilities from before being incorporated, but are now connected to the Overmind. Regardless of any other traits they gain, all Infested possess the acidic blood of the hive.

Level 5:

Overlords: Evolved from Niques and Infested, Overlords are capable of commanding entire armies of Hive members ranging in the thousands. Most are extremely psionically powerful.

Level 6:

No individuals from this stage or any higher are known. It is unknown where the Hive Ships and Hive cities fit into the evolutionary scale.

Level ?:

The Overmind: This being, if it exists, has access to all the knowledge and senses of every member in the hive. It would no doubt be a being of amazing power growing stronger as the hive gets larger.

[The Librarian]

Most people playing members of the hive will be playing Level 3 and above creatures. Those that show skill will also be leading armies of NPC hive members.

Hive FAQ

What's the point of the Hive?
Total Nexxus is supposed to be a place promoting inclusive RP. A simple way to get people involved is to give them an enemy. That is the position that the Hive fills. The hive is an enemy to everyone, with few if any exceptions.

So does that mean we just come into rooms and start attacking people?
No. The hive is an enemy, but it is a tool. Use it wisely. If you are playing a Nique then your character may actually be interacting with other people in the RP in more ways than mindless violence. If you are playing a different Hive member, or a group of Hive members, then judge the room before entering. If the room seems to have no direction, people are bored, and they seem like they would go along, then by all means bring in a few violent Hive members to stir things up. Just because the charactes are enemies does not mean the players should be jerks about it.

If the Hive is enemies of everyone, then why would a Nique be RPing with other people?
Niques have free will. They are part of the Hive and can be controlled by higher evolutions when needed, but they generally are left to themselves. Sometimes they are on missions to gather intelligence, sometimes they are simply looking for some sentient interaction. There are plenty of reasons a Nique might actually be RPing with people. Perhaps they have found a worthy candidate and are recruiting.

Recruiting?
Many members of the Hive have transformative venom that will turn another creature into a member of the hive. When injected into mindless animals they simply become soldiers, when injected into sentient beings they become Niques. If you are playing the Hive in a room and come across people with generally good attitudes and a willingness to play along, then by all means infect them. Their character remains their own, but will become part of the hive just as any Nique.

I'm already playing a Zerg/Tyranid/Xenomorph/etc. What about me?
This can go a few ways. The easiest is to say that you are simply a member of the hive and this is your appearance. The different breeds are so varied in appearance that any of the above are acceptable. Alternately you could actually be a member of one of these other races, in which case the Hive will try to kill you or assimilate you.