Three Hiver Classes, The
From SOTS
The Hiver species is divided into three physical and social classes: the Worker, the Warrior, and the Breeder.
All three classes are very different from one another and might almost appear to be different species to the casual observer.
A Worker looks, thinks and behaves so much differently than a Warrior or a Breeder that it is sometimes difficult to believe that all three could have hatched from the same cluster of eggs!
There are "swimmer" Hivers who can be quite massive and work in sub-aquatic environments; there are "nurse" Hivers who have very soft external shell plates, which allows them to work with infants and other delicate objects without scratching or damaging them, etc.
Hivers are not telepathic but this is a race that really knows the meaning of the phrase "family values". Even in Humans there are some empathic bonding events in families that seem to defy an easy explanation—for example, the uncanny connection between identical twins or the way some people seem to sense when a close relative is in trouble. These phenomena also exist among Hivers since all Hivers are essentially members of a very large extended family.
To a Hiver the members of his clan are brothers—even the ones you don't personally like are still blood to you. And since a Hiver's mother is the object of almost all the feelings that a Human being would call "love"—the child's love of parent, the student's love of a teacher, the soldier's love of country and the awe that some men might feel for a beautiful, remote and eternally unobtainable woman—it would be natural that some Hivers would automatically sense if their Princess was threatened or injured, much less killed.
Needless to say, they would react very strongly...
The following are brief synopses, with links to full description pages.
Contents |
Breeders
Within any given Hiver family a small community of breeders—a female Hiver or "princess" and her coterie of male "princes"—will rule over a large number of Warriors and Workers.
Some royalty are extremely cunning, politically and strategically adept, and deeply involved with planning and command of military ventures—the Queen tends to be such a Hiver, for obvious reasons. Other princes and princesses can spend a whole lifetime without really touching on any kind of military service at all. There are whole clans dedicated to colonizing, mining, farming, etc.; they accumulate power, wealth and influence by providing (and thus controlling) valuable commodities and services.
Princesses
The Princess is the absolute-ruler for any given clan, and female Hiver capable of reproduction. Her children are loyal to her unto death.
Princes
Princes are the male Hiver capable of reproduction. They are very influential in society, and are, without a doubt, the Hivers that express the most individuality.
Mating
Mating between Prince and Princess is a very private matter. Prince and Princess Hivers have a mode of communication which involves their personal pheromones. At the flirtation stage of courtship these are released as an invisible aerosol—like cologne or perfume. As things become more intimate between them the Prince caresses the vulnerable wing membranes and the antenna-crown of his mate, delivering his pheromones to her bloodstream more directly; she finds this extremely arousing and pleasant and releases her own pheromones for his pleasure.
Warriors
Warriors are the second most predominant type of Hiver. They are used for mainly military purposes, but are also perfect candidates for things such as arctic exploration and toxic waste disposal. If it's hazardous, it's the Warrior's job to do it.
Workers
Workers are the predominant type of Hiver and are commonly used for menial tasks such as cleaning and maintenance.
