The Hungering

'They hunger mindlessly, seeking to feed forever. They have truly become The Swarm, no better than a virus or plague. Nothing can save them. Purge the Nara'Kit, purge them all! - Warmaster Emberoot, Armies of the Elyswer

Written by Yerran

'The Hungering', sometimes referred to as 'The Greed Plague' forever changed the landscape and societies of eastern Lenwir and led to the destruction of the The Nari'Kit. This once Lightsworn race succumbed to the terrifying infection vector of 'The Hungering' due to their unique anatomy and modes of communication.

The resulting plague twisted the Swarms of Kilithit, altering their minds, and then mutating their bodies to follow. Many who faced them in 'The War of the Wood' commented how their visage revealed the corruption that had taken hold of their souls. The insatiable greed that arose from this sickness ultimately led to their destruction, and despite all the years of peace and progress that had passed, the Nari'Kit are all but wiped from history. Their name only spoken in hushed whispers.

Susceptibility and Transmission

The Nara'kit were a species of giant insects, advanced in magic and architecture, able to communicate with the other races of Lenwir, though somewhat oddly, in their native tongues. However, amongst the hives of The Swarms of Kilithit, each rules by a single Brood Queen, the creatures communicated much as insects do, though more advanced.

They used pheromones and chemicals that through their evolution, bordered upon mind-speak. Complex conversations, memories and experiences could be shared between all the creatures of the Swarm through this highly evolved mind-speak, and at the top of this hierarchy was the Brood Queen. A powerful matriarch who birthed and cared for all those of the colony, filling its needs and ordering all to action. The Brood Queens had no need for the pheromones and chemicals used by the simpler Nari'Kit. They possessed a powerful psychic aura that stretched far over the hive and surrounding land like a great cloud. What became the vector of their downfall. 

Once a large enough group became infected with The Hungering the accumulated power began to seep through the hive's mind, corrupting all including the Brood Queen with its treacherous words and thoughts. The demon prince's essence, trapped for millennia was free. Without a mind to steer it or channel it, the primal drive of its greed and lust for power and consumption poisoned its victims. The Nari'Kit began to consume the land around them, stripping it of all they thought worthwhile to grow their hive, and when they'd stripped their land, they spread to another. Hive after hive fell to the voice of treachery with none able to fight it. None save Hive Elekthes.

Causes

The origin of 'The Hungering' is truly unknown to those of Lenwir and those that perished within 'The War of the Wood'. Its source was never found, though little remained after the combined armies purged the lands, fearful the contagion of darkness and greed would swallow them. 

In truth the origin of this magical plague can be traced back to the 'Age of Desolation'. A period before The Cataclysm when mortals, immortals and gods battled against the outsiders that sought to ravage their world. Across the lands battle raged, fierce and horrifying, though few were more destructive than for the city of 'Ilithimar'. Each step of land was fought over, and by the end blood pooled ankle-deep within the streets. Within this battle, a hero named Saris struck down a demon prince and sealed its essence within her shield as her last act. This was lost to conflict and time. Even to this day, nothing grows upon it, for the blood of outworlders spoiled the land for too long. This blight on the land resided within the lands of the Swarm, though it was a forbidden place and none ventured there until a scout upon the edge of the woods reclaimed a broken shield that called to it.

 With A single touch of the shield, the scout's mind was forfeited. It was a simple creature and could not contest with the malicious spirit of a demon prince. It carried the shield back to the hive as instructed and began to tell others of its find. Each expelling of pheromones and mention poisoned the air and minds of those around it. Nari'kit after Nari'kit heard the voice in the memories and experiences shared and lost their individual will.

Symptoms

The infection was almost instantaneous for the simpler creatures of the Nara'kit. They didn't possess the individualism to ignore the orders, for that is all they had done their life. Though amongst the more intelligent and individual Nara'kit caste, it was like the whispers of temptation, usually exhibiting the symptoms below in stages:

Stage 1:

Erratic movements and speaking, hyperactivity

Stage 2:

Cognitive dissonence, irrational mood swings, confusion

Stage 3:

Deterioration of communication (language), excessive consumption, hoarding

Beyond this came aggressive and single-minded behaviour. They higher castes still possessed mental faculties, their minds as intact and intelligent as before, but any trace of personality was expunged, beyond their will to serve the Brood Queen and grow the colonies strength.

Treatment

Early during the war, the allied factions sought to cure their former allies, hoping to salvage their species. They tested many cures upon capture Nari'kit, though no natural or magical remedies worked. A few sought to meld their minds, to discover why the beings could no longer communicate how they once had and seemed more bestial. These few found no clues and soon began to exhibit symptoms of 'The Hungering' themselves. They were quickly dispatched and their bodies burned. From then on, at the orders of Warmaster Emberoot, the only cure for their condition was death.

Cultural Reception

A direct result of 'The Hungering' this war changed the face of eastern Lenwir. It saw the destruction of two world trees, the loss of vast areas of forestland and the near destruction of several civilizations. The toll inflicted upon life by this infection was staggering, and those who survived have not forgotten. Many of these races are long-lived or immortal and can remember the charge of giant twisted Nari'Kit or the poisons of their bio-weapons. Many still consider the consequences of this mind plague while governing. Magic users even train to identify and purge mind poisons in the Floating City, while those of the Elyswer have their own way of dealing with untold consumption and greed, cutting it out at its source.

Even to this day, the effects of 'The Hungering' can be seen in the landscape and nations of eastern Lenwir.

Origin

Divine Artefact

Type

Magical

Affected Species

The Nari'Kit 

Related Historical Event

The War of the Wood - 1727 AC

Another Tale of Venya

Learn more about the world, its history and the factions here.

A Fearful Resurgence

Following the end of the 'War of the Wood' and the human migration it was feared what darkness had taken hold of the Nari'kit would be found again. Those of The Elyswer watched with particular care for many years. Occasionally individuals drew their attention, having amassed power, wealth and groups of fans and fanatics. Each was removed, usually through a combined strike of Spear Dancers and fey druids, often led by Tiandra's champion Sanyeal Sor'Lenya. Their intervention was often bloody and none could know of their strikes, so great care was taken to silence all bystanders and remove any evidence of their intervention.

Their strikes never found the source of this Hungering sickness in humans or any link to the one that affected the Nari'kit. Perhaps humans possess their own variant or strain. Either way the leaders of the Elyswer have not forgotten and will continue to 'prune' the outliers in this human society, just like the poison buds of a great tree.

Hive Elekthes

The Resistance of Hive Elekthes is a forgotten secret, for none remained to document or acknowledge it even happened. However, the Nari'Kit of Hive Elekthes resisted 'The Hungering' and spared the continent greater destruction.
Hive Elekthes was nestled upon the slopes of the Flametip Mountains. This fiery and dangerous environment made for a smaller hive bred for toughness. When the hive minds of the other hives began to wink out, Brood Queen Nilixus took action, barring those of other hives from entering her lands. She sent fliers out but instructed them to avoid all others and return if challenged, though the other hives were more concerned with consuming than their comings and goings. For reasons of changed anatomy, those of Hive Elekthes held no affinity to the voices of the shield. They no longer communicated through pheromones or scents, something impossible in the sulphur and smoke-filled air of their home. They had adapted beyond the initial infection vector of the Hungering and Brood Queen Nilixus worked hard to protect their minds from the psychic aura of the corrupted Queens.
It wasn't long before Hive Elekthes discovered the cause of the Hungering and its 'magic' effects. She ordered her guard to raid its location and steal it away. They were successful, though hot on their heels came the rest of the swarm and a losing battle raged before her hive. Brood Queen Nilixus knew it was only a matter of time before they lost, for their numbers could not compete with those of the eleven other hives. In the final moments of battle, when the hive core was breached, she ordered her royal guard to take the shield and cast it into the fires of the Flametip Mountains or bury it beyond the grasp of her people. To ever stand watch over it and protect it till their dying breath. Her final decree must have been successful for the shield was never recovered, and has never been found. Though Hive Elekthes fell, all knowledge of its bravery and resistance has been lost to time.