The Nari'Kit
'The last hive burned and I saw it all in the flame's reflection; our battles against the host, the peace of eons, the burning of a world tree and the charge of the last Nari'Kit; and I felt such despair. How did this come to pass? How did we get here?'
- Account of High General Lisure of Luren
Merely a myth to those of western Lenwir but not to the kingdoms of the east and their long lived denizens who suffered greatly at the hands of their former allies. The Nari'Kit were a species of intelligent and proud insectoid creatures that stood with the Light and the Creators during the Age of Desolation and suffered greatly during The Cataclysm. Though somewhere along their journey their minds and deeds blackened and war ravaged the eastern continent for seventy years, now called 'The War of the Wood'. A war that led to their extinction and the current shape of power in eastern Lenwir.
The creatures had blood like most others, though it was green in hue. Some were bred as mixtures of humanoid and insectoid to better facilitate diplomacy with their allies and use more delicate tools with their humanoid hands. Others possessed acidic projectile weapons, horns for tunnelling or wings.
The cataclysm ended this and with it shattered much of their infrastructure and hierarchy. Upon the birth of the Age of Strife only one Brood Queen named Oethic remained alive and had to birth their species once more. This meant a slow growth of hives and land, though with the assistance of the other shattered nations nearby that had ever been their allies they managed to survive and heal.
The Scar is a remnant of a particularly fierce battle during the Age of Desolation, one that saw the land stripped of life for blood pooled ankle deep across the land. 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 one day a scout upon the edge of the woods reclaimed a broken shield that called to it. As soon as it touched the shield its mind was forfeit, though it carried it back to the hive as instructed. Nari'kit after Nari'kit heard the voice of the shield and sought to investigate, losing their will and individualism at a touch, until the accumulated power began to seep through the hive's mind, corrupting all including the Brood Queen with its treacherous words.
The voice and its power triggered the basest vice of the Nari'kit. One of greed and consumption, and they 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 until one remained.
Hive Elekthes was nestled far to the west, upon the slopes of the The Flametip Mountains and because of such, their numbers were less, but bred for the tough and fiery environment. When the hive minds of the other hives began to wink out, Brood Queen Nilixus of Hive Elekthes took action, ensuring that none of the other hives entered their 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 whatever reason of morphology, those of Hive Elekthes held no affinity to the voices of the shield, though they heard its whispers. The Brood Queen divined through her magics that this was the cause of the corruption and had her guard 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 and she sent her royal guard away, to take the shield and cast it into the fires of the Flametip Mountains or bury it beyond the grasp of her people 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 and all knowledge of its resistance was lost to time.
The last years of the war saw the true damage of the corruption as mutated and twisted Nari'Kit began to appear on the battlefield and dark magics were cast into the fray. Even when the hives were taken and scoured, some of the Union of the East saw the twists of corruption within the architecture of the hives and inexplicably went mad, so far had they descended into darkness. For their souls had rotted beyond belief and a the eastern nations had no choice. This once proud and powerful race had to be forcibly extinguished from the continent for good.
Merely a myth to those of western Lenwir but not to the kingdoms of the east and their long lived denizens who suffered greatly at the hands of their former allies. The Nari'Kit were a species of intelligent and proud insectoid creatures that stood with the Light and the Creators during the Age of Desolation and suffered greatly during The Cataclysm. Though somewhere along their journey their minds and deeds blackened and war ravaged the eastern continent for seventy years, now called 'The War of the Wood'. A war that led to their extinction and the current shape of power in eastern Lenwir.
The Nari'Kit
Anatomy
The Nari'Kit as a race resemble large insects, though don't have a single appearance. They do however all share similar traits common to insects like carapaces or exoskeletons, antennae, multiple legs, mandible jaws, etc. Those most commonly observed outside their hives were large eight legged scarab creatures with thick carapaces that resemble large beetles, three or four feet taller than most humanoids and smaller ant-like creatures that stood a foot or two higher than most humanoids.The creatures had blood like most others, though it was green in hue. Some were bred as mixtures of humanoid and insectoid to better facilitate diplomacy with their allies and use more delicate tools with their humanoid hands. Others possessed acidic projectile weapons, horns for tunnelling or wings.
Variety
The needs of the hive are met with forced allocation of roles, much like those of insects. Whatever is needed, whether it be gathering food, digging tunnels or protection is birthed by the Brood Queens of the hive. This meant that hives in different areas had a different make-up of their colony. Some possessed more flying bat-like creatures, while others, in areas with rocky ground, had more strong scarab-like beetles to tunnel through the earth. Whatever was needed was bred and this meant an endless possibility of creatures fell under the 'Nari'Kit' name.Birthed to Serve
Within the spawning chambers of the inner hives all creatures were imprinted with the mark of their Brood Queen. Old magic of a sort was used to fashion these sigils and forever bound the loyalty of the Nari'Kit to the hierarchy of their Brood Queen. This was as innate to them as breathing is to humans, and those marked with this ancient sigil could never disobey their Queen or bring her harm, though they all possessed independence within the confines of their role, being able to make their own decisions and interact with others as any other race might.The Swarm of Kilithit
Each hive had its own Brood Queen at the top, and were as different as any nations lords and ladies, though didn't appear so to outsiders. So even though each being was called a 'Nari'Kit' the nation was called 'The Swarm of Kilithit'.The Hives
Across the plains of their territory stood dozens of hives, and though any outsider might see no difference between them, they actually all held claim to their own lands, much like states or regions among a nation. The hives acted as cities do, rising high above the earth and tunnelling far below, built from combinations of earth, stone, glass and metal, for they had perfected the use of these materials long ago. To many that beheld them they appeared as giant outcrops of stone or cliffs shining with metal filigree, glass and marble architecture.Society
Many of the Nari'Kit were bred for specific roles and took pleasure in performing those. Though they were also bred with independence and a mind for thinking and reasoning, even the most basic able to perform problem-solving tasks. It was learnt early in their evolution that by allowing freedom and individualism amongst their brood the queen could better bring prosperity to their hives. Though how much of these traits she bred into each was completely at the discretion of the different Brood Queens, who had their own ideas on that. So some hives had more individualism that others, depending on how much control the Brood Queen wished to exert. However, most had their own ideas of art, architecture, literature and music, some of which would be considered completely alien to other species. For example, literature or tales were often told from memory through repeated rhythmic drumming upon the carapace of the one you wished to tell and usually entailed the a journey of changing scents throughout any environment (e.g. hive, beach, forest, etc).Power Structure
A classic top down hierarchy with the Brood Queen at the top, her royal attendants, guards and other creatures she deemed necessary were part of her inner circle. Then further down were the warrior caste, then the trail caste, then the worker cast and finally the cavern caste. Within each of these castes were further breakdowns of hierarchy depending on length of life and assigned role. Amongst the Brood Queens there was no hierarchy; each served at the pinnacle of their hive and answered to no other. Though many were respectful of each other and often communicated. War between hives was exceedingly rare in their later civilisation as each hive was actually descended from a single Brood Queen named 'Oethic' long before the Age of Strife and all shared a familial bond.Politics
The Brood Queens bred envoys specifically able to communicate with the other species of eastern Lenwir and had embassies amongst the four other eastern nations for many years. Politics with others was often not a matter of discontent, for these nations had subsisted beside each other since they were one great nation during the times of Famala and as all were Lightsworm nations there were rarely disputes over land or resources that could not be resolved diplomatically.History
Beings of Light
The Nari'Kit trod the face of Venya long before many of the mortal races and were once part of the great nation of Famala. Though their birth was tumultuous, as can be the said for the foundation of any species, they quickly learnt how to parlay with their neighbours, adapt to hostile situations and environments and pass fair judgement. The hives of the swarm revered the creator gods and saw their works in themselves and the structures they built, seeking to please them with their architecture and moulding of the land. During the Age of Enlightenment they too wished for ascension to a higher plane and were tricked like the other races. During the Age of Desolation they fought alongside the races of Light against the Host of Darkness at the cost of many of their hives.The cataclysm ended this and with it shattered much of their infrastructure and hierarchy. Upon the birth of the Age of Strife only one Brood Queen named Oethic remained alive and had to birth their species once more. This meant a slow growth of hives and land, though with the assistance of the other shattered nations nearby that had ever been their allies they managed to survive and heal.
Fall to Darkness
The exact date is unknown and none among the surviving races upon the ending of 'The War of the Wood' know, even to this day, what caused this decent into darkness, but it began with a single scout and a forbidden place.The Scar is a remnant of a particularly fierce battle during the Age of Desolation, one that saw the land stripped of life for blood pooled ankle deep across the land. 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 one day a scout upon the edge of the woods reclaimed a broken shield that called to it. As soon as it touched the shield its mind was forfeit, though it carried it back to the hive as instructed. Nari'kit after Nari'kit heard the voice of the shield and sought to investigate, losing their will and individualism at a touch, until the accumulated power began to seep through the hive's mind, corrupting all including the Brood Queen with its treacherous words.
The voice and its power triggered the basest vice of the Nari'kit. One of greed and consumption, and they 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 until one remained.
A Defiant Hive
The Resistance of Hive Elekthes was a secret war that none remember, for none remained to document it or acknowledge it even happened, though these Nari'Kit likely spared even greater destruction of not only eastern Lenwir, but the whole continent.Hive Elekthes was nestled far to the west, upon the slopes of the The Flametip Mountains and because of such, their numbers were less, but bred for the tough and fiery environment. When the hive minds of the other hives began to wink out, Brood Queen Nilixus of Hive Elekthes took action, ensuring that none of the other hives entered their 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 whatever reason of morphology, those of Hive Elekthes held no affinity to the voices of the shield, though they heard its whispers. The Brood Queen divined through her magics that this was the cause of the corruption and had her guard 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 and she sent her royal guard away, to take the shield and cast it into the fires of the Flametip Mountains or bury it beyond the grasp of her people 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 and all knowledge of its resistance was lost to time.
Death of a Species
The fall of Hive Elekthes proceeded the beginning of the 'War in the Wood' by barely a month, as the swarm consumed all in their land and began to spread north, coming up against the land of the The Elyswer. So here begins the account of the war and its results. The war saw tragedy and destruction unparalleled since the days of Desolation and both the Redwood and northern wood burned. Two world trees died and were consumed. Luren and the kingdom of Talimot were besieged for years and the end of the war triggered their decline to this day. Though the turning point came in two places. The siege of Talimot in the north, broken by a combined assault of Iaur, Talimot and the Elyswer and the Battle of Blueglow Lake in the south where Luren and The Dwarven Enclave threw back the hives of the swarm, smashing their solider casts beyond the ability of their corrupt Brood Queens to replenish in time.The last years of the war saw the true damage of the corruption as mutated and twisted Nari'Kit began to appear on the battlefield and dark magics were cast into the fray. Even when the hives were taken and scoured, some of the Union of the East saw the twists of corruption within the architecture of the hives and inexplicably went mad, so far had they descended into darkness. For their souls had rotted beyond belief and a the eastern nations had no choice. This once proud and powerful race had to be forcibly extinguished from the continent for good.
EXTINCT
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