Hivers at War

From SOTS

Wars are common among Hivers. The Hiver military impulse is generally driven by population pressure or the urge for supremacy. Because each Hiver princess can produce countless offspring per year, the population of Hivers in any one place can spike very quickly leading to intense competition for space and resources. A hive under pressure has one of two options: either they can cull their own population or eliminate the competition.

Although there are more than 30 words for "suicide" in the Hiver language, many families choose to go down the warpath rather than institute any other population control measure. Wars of this kind are grim and brutal battles-to-the-death in which the full time and resources of all Hive members are devoted to destroying the enemy Hive and its princess.

Occasionally an ambitious Hiver princess will take it into her head to become the High Queen of her species. The global wars of dominion in Hiver history are many and some have assumed legendary status over time. The destruction and loss of life associated with a battle for the throne has often left the planet almost completely depopulated with only a few exhausted clans left alive in the rubble.

For information on Hiver military ranks, see Hiver Ranks and Promotions.