Warriors
From SOTS
Warriors are the second most common type of Hiver, making up around 25% of the species.
Of all Hivers the Warriors have the largest variety when it comes to superficial physical appearances.
They can range from 50 centimeters to 250 centimeters in height and may have super-light bodies or massive armored frames.
They also sport a wide variety of chitin adaptations, including markings, which may be super-bright or subtle camouflage in any kind of terrain.
Warrior bugs are generally created to serve a specific function; they are tailored during gestation to perform a specific task as adults. Various features of the warrior are subject to change: size, strength, toughness and thickness of its shell, resistance to radiation and extremes of heat and cold. Some warriors are even adapted to be able to withstand vacuum for limited periods of time.
Warriors are generally engaged in high-casualty professions. Deep-sea diving, mining, arctic exploration and toxic waste disposal are all generally handled by warriors, as are other tasks involving similar levels of personal risk. Accordingly it is no accident that Warriors, although rare in Hiver society at large, make up a disproportionate percentage of personnel aboard space-faring vessels.
Warriors do not have sexual organs but their bodies produce a powerful array of hormones making them far more prone to aggression, ambition and powerful mood swings. Their interactions are more insular than those of any other Hiver class; Warriors often form secret societies, join dueling academies or participate in athletic contests to channel their aggression. They tend to receive less formal education than Workers do, but in turn, far more vocational and martial training.
Like Workers, Warriors are loyal to their families but they are fanatically obedient to their Mothers. Aware from earliest childhood that they have been born to die for the Queen and consider it their honor and privilege to do so.
When compared to other Hivers, the basic warrior form has much thicker armor than a worker or a prince, with heavy, sharp flattened edges of chitin on the upper set of forelimbs and spiked joints on the lower set. Warrior physiology is also the most likely of any Hiver's to be modified for specific tasks and professions.
The shaping of Hiver warriors is a pervasive practice. Just as an example, every clan has a ceremonial Queen's Guard of warriors who have been modified to wear a permanent "dress armor" of the appropriate color and style. This chitin shell is every bit as rococco and elaborate as the parade plate of any Human knight and warriors of the Queen's Guard are also very large, strong and highly trained to defend their princess—they are basically a cross between the ceremonial guards at Buckingham palace and the U.S. President's Secret Service bodyguards.
