The Great Hive War

The Great Hive War, also known as Lii'drak'iek (‘Lii'dramachy') was a war that involved most Hives in the native Sedantis. It began on January 5, 27 547 BCE, with the Lii'dra invasion of Xtykt'lotec, and ended on August 27, 27 467 BCE with the sinking of Illuau'tia. It is considered the deadliest conflict in Vaurca history, with a population decline of almost 60% in its aftermath and the political legitimacy of the Zo'rane rule challenged in some territories. Its consequences remain relevant almost thirty thousand years later, from the introduction of the Afterlife technology to the great depression and stagnation of Vaurca culture and sciences in the following millennia.

Though the importance of the Lii'dra Hive in the Great Hive War is undisputed, political tensions in Sedantis, as well as a distrust of both Zo'ra and her collaborators. The collapse of the Court of Queens with the fall of Xtyk'lotec, its hosting city, led minor factions to have their own theatres of war. While the Zo'rane front remains the most remembered to date, military campaigns from the Kol'axta Offence to the Vek'myx Front are still relevant to both the K'lax and C'thur Hives.

Various armistices were reached between minor Hives at the last few decades of the war, most of their contents lost in the Virtual Reality servers that remained on Sedantis. Nevertheless, no formal agreement was ever reached with the Lii'dra Hive, and the date that officially marks the end of the Lii'dramachy is rather when, at the humiliation of the Illuau'tia Grotto, High Queen Zo'ra gave her Afterlife speech.

Background

Prior to the war, the different societies of Sedantis had achieved a peace period known as the Commonwealth of Zo'ra. This was especially symbolized with the ancient Court of Queens, which promoted inter-Hive dialogue, even between the smaller Hives. While the ancient Court of Queens remains the golden standard for Vaurcae, the truth is that their methods likely led to resentment between some factions. In particular, the sudden uplifting of the C'thur Hive, and their meddling in the Sedantian affairs was frowned upon, mostly because of how punishing they could be if the peace policy was not followed. Minor Hive conflicts, instead of solved, were frustrated.

Lii'draic motivations are unclear and mostly speculation. Following the aftermath of the war, many of the Zo'ra blamed the K'lax for various reasons. The main being that at one point Mother K'lax embraced Preimminence, preaching on other territories. There is no support to the claim that the Lii'dra Hive believed in the Preimminence at any point, though it is true that K'lax Shapers once evangelized in Illuau'tia. The conflict between both Hives, however, surged after the K'lax Hive stole the Virtual Reality technology from the Lii'dra. Fearing eventual retaliation, K'lax pressured the Kol'axta League (a group of minor Hives that resided in the Kol'axta Plate, under K'lax dominion) to sever ties with the Lii'dra, which may have caused famine and diminished the outsourced workforce Illuau'tia much required.

The theorized fertility issues within the Lii'dra Hive may have also promoted other more advanced biomechanical means to reinforce Hive loyalty. Machinations behind the Hivemind may have predated the Virtual Reality idea, but the focus for the Lii'dra Hivemind technology became prevalent after Project Maa'krek was leaked and studied by the K'lax. Project Maa'krek was the codename for the early Afterlife technology, consisting in the indefinite storage of a consciousness inside Virtual Reality. While its goal was to achieve immortality, the Lii'dra Hive did not develop this by the time Project Maa'krek was leaked. Maa'krek is the name of an ancient mythical Vaurca Queen that rose after death to lead her army for one last victory.

Changes in Warfare

By the time of the Lii'dramachy, war was considered an art to be distinguished from the wars of the ancient past, called Yol'k'iek (‘savage war'). Since the early Age of Death, the Warrior Nomadism was seen as uncultured and absurd, as they mainly fought for a resource that was now plentiful. Honor in war became important, with only melee combat being favored, and a strong sense of diplomacy. The terms ‘war' and ‘dance' are synonyms in the Vaurca language, as war was understood to be almost a choreographic activity in which coordination from all parties is required. Rhythmic battlecries and declarations of war were a common activity, the main exception being the original Warrior Hives of the Xtytk'lotec Rift, which Zo'ra later deemed beasts and were exterminated.

The Great Hive War forced the great powers of Sedantis to engage in what they considered dirty warfare, as the siege of Xtytk'lotec was unprovoked, unannounced, and fought with heavy artillery. It is said that the first victims of the war were a group of Zo'rane Workers when the capture or killing of anything other than the Warrior castes was not tolerated. As the Lii'dra Hivemind proved to be almost beast-like, and their objective of assimilation rigid, no dialogue was properly held, if ever.

The fall of Xtytk'lotec was also seen as ironic by many, given that the establishment of the Court of Queens there was seen as the ultimate act of domestication of an otherwise wild world. This realization that nature cannot be fully tamed and some instincts are stronger than civilization perhaps led to the rapid acceptance of the Evacuation plan of Sedantis once global peril arose.

Prelude

A year prior, in 27 548 BCE, the minor N'knu Hive decided to ignore the Court of Queens' agreements and mobilized to attack the Hy'looh Hive. Once the declaration was made, the C'thur Hive intervened and N'knu, as a penalty, was absorbed, losing all independence. The opposition of the N'knu Hive was vocal in Hivenet, and thus their relays were cut and all new larvae were raised as C'thuric.

While not the first act of its kind, this was seen as the most egregious example of the Court of Queens control over lesser hives, and many of its members that were not officially affiliated to the major Hives protested, Hy'looh Hive included. They were placed indebted to the C'thur Hive as a result.

It is unclear if this was the original motivation behind the invitation for the Lii'dra Hive to the Court of Queens. While the Zo'ra had no quarrels with them, Illuau'tia affairs were too distant and disconnected from the rest of the Sedantian society to be considered. It is also possible that the Zo'ra Hive had little to no knowledge about the Lii'dra until, a few years prior, the debate of the Kol'axta Plate was held in the Court. As their closest vassals, any benefit for K'lax was seen as a benefit for the Zo'ra, and thus the High Queen favored the resolution for the K'lax Hive to control their ‘subvassals' as they saw fit.

Although a popular legend states that a glamorous embassage composed of the most resilient Zo'rane Workers and their most relentless Warriors was sent to Illuau'tia, in a long journey where they faced many dangers, is often referenced in Vaurca literature, truth is that the invitation was likely sent via Hivenet to different smaller Hives that had yet to make an appearance in Court. It is commonly understood now that the Zo'ra were simply trying to reach other Hives that they had yet to engage with, with no particular consideration or even knowledge about what the invitation to the Lii'dra would provoke.

As those late records were ravaged by the war, it is unclear if the actual hearing of the Lii'dra took place. A common version of the story, which may be true, is that they showcased the Hivemind technology to a horrified audience. The technological summit is not confirmed to have taken place, but if that were the case no serious efforts were made to stop their plans to unify the species, although it may have been implied that the assimilation had already begun. Regardless, most common versions of this supposed Lii'dra speech, even the obvious forgeries, coincide that they preached for peaceful unification, with differences set behind and the proclamation that this would be the end of all wars.

Xtykt'lotec Invasion

The first attack against Xtytk'lotec began on January 5, 27 547 BCE, and it took only two days for the city to fall. As part of the peace initiative, the Xtytk'lotec Rift was mostly unarmed and at the outskirts of the Zo'rane Empire. The original building that housed the Court of Queens was demolished within hours, and any attempts to communicate with the Lii'dra Hivemind were futile. Although a fast mobilization was launched to protect the Rift, this battle was considered the first major Zo'ra loss that remains in recorded history.

Most of the Ta diplomats managed to escape, while many of the regular Vaurcae perished or were assimilated. Instead of killing the Warriors, the Lii'dra offense kept them as prisoners of war and later incorporated them into the Hivemind. This might have revealed a further strategy to their enemy, as the next Lii'dra movements were effective in preventing any Zo'ra victories.

The fall of the Court of Queens was beyond the symbolic destruction of their court chambers. The Zo'rane peace was no longer viable, and the new status the C'thur Hive had due to the Court was lost within days. Though the Lii'dra Hivemind never seemed to have interest in the C'thur, all Hive assets left the Xtykt'lotec Rift within hours. Their oldest settlements were there, while the capital itself had been long relocated to the Lei'kt Caves. The abandonment of the Xtykt'lotec cities provided an easy place for the Lii'dra campaign to settle in the early years of war.

Vek'myx Rebellion

Vek'myx Plate was the name of the region neighboring Lei'kt, and where the absorbed Hives by C'thur were often relocated. Though this presented a danger, the easy transport of goods from Vek'myx to Lei'kt outweighed the problems initially. However, as the Court of Queens fell, the N'nku Hive saw an opportunity for an uprising. As Lii'dra motivations were, by then, poorly understood, the oppressed Hives that joined N'nku chanted ‘Eternal life for High Queen Lii'dra!' as they rejected their fates decided by the Court of Queens.

Although the rebellion was crushed within months, the N'nku Hive reorganized an army, composed now also of smaller Hives Zo'ra had lost control of. As their native lands were tarnished by the war with the rapid expansion of the Hivemind, the Oppressed Hives saw Vek'myx as their new destined home, where their societies were to rebuild free of any conquerors. This movement would become harder to dissolve, as the Zo'ra Hive increasingly demanded C'thur aid in their own front.

First Minor Fronts

Not every armed movement involved the major Hives that arrived at the Orion Spur. Some, taking advantage of the collapse of the Court of Queens and its strict regulations in terms of diplomacy, as well as showing admiration to the Naxk'iek (‘new war') of the Lii'dra, seized the opportunity to become more aggressive with their conquests and invasions. Others, seeking fame, launched smaller military campaigns to bring glory to the Hive. Such is the story of Warriors like Za'Akaix'Mulek B'ao, that led its own army errantly, seeking to become involved in any conflict it saw fit.

Outside the Zo'rane Front, which kept pushing back the borders of Zo'ra in a Lii'dra conquest, most other Hives had little to no knowledge about Lii'draic intentions or philosophy. The so-called Lii'dra sympathizers were, for the most part, misinterpreting the actions that occurred far away. Misinformation saw a rise, in part, due to the constant sabotage of Hivenet relays, as well as spread lies and personal opinions. While these were mostly provoked by the same smaller Hives that sought some personal victory amidst the chaos, it is possible the failure of Hivenet might have been promoted by the Lii'dra Hive to favor their offense.

The Lost Cause

Though the Lii'dra advancements were stagnated, Zo'ra could not match their enemy. This period became synonymous with the longest battle ever recorded in Vaurca history, the Battle of Kis'lokt, which lasted approximately 32 years. The Lii'dra revived ancient land warfare simply known as spelunking. Much similar to human trenches, spelunking would take place in tight secure areas where troops would be protected from enemy fire. Unlike them, however, spelunking is both more dangerous, due to constant cave flooding or natural erosion, as well as constant trapping of Warriors due to the use of tighter places. It is also considerably slower, as the exchange of fire could sometimes cease for days, or even months, simply due to the harder nature to reach the other side. Many of the soldiers that participated in the battle of Kis'lokt spent their whole lives inside those narrow caves, even those that eventually died of natural causes.

The situation in the Veii'kt Plate was not favorable. Many Vaurcae, including Breeders, lived in constant fear, especially due to the supposed Lii'dra warheads that could cause mass destruction from far away, in the form of devastating earthquakes that could collapse entire societies. The existence of these weapons was never proved, and they are now considered a hoax. The impact of these fears motivated anti-erosion bunkers, as well as the prolonged use of Virtual Reality by many Unbound that were not participating in the war.

Smaller Zo'rane broods, some older than Vaur or Kaal (eventually L'kaal), were either merged with more important broods or sacrificed by High Queen Zo'ra. Though Zoleth was already an important Warrior brood, they would not reach their current fame until the near end of the war.

The Kol'axta Campaign

Separating the K'lax Hive from the Lii'dra Hive, the Kol'axta Plate was, from the beginning of the war, an important piece of territory for both sides. Unlike the easy openings from the Zo'rane Front, as in a way all roads led to the Veii'kt Plate, Kol'axta was dangerous territory, the main reason as to why the League had withstood for so long. Direct control of the population, to detain the Lii'dra, was important from the beginning, as the League was the perfect candidate to become assimilated by the Hivemind. As a result, Mother K'lax elaborated a plan that required her to act similarly to the other side: she would remove the Kol'axta Queens and place her own daughter, the Warrior Queen Reiik, as the legitimate ruler.

While the spread of the Hivemind is almost described as an infection by ancient and contemporary sources, and such descriptions have only seen a rise with the use of bioengineered weapons such as black k'ois, the truth is that assimilation required surgical intervention at first, with an exposition to a shockwave akin to a computer virus for the recipient's neural socket at later stages of the war. The Kol'axta Hives first received pheromonal supplements to solidify their loyalty to Queen Reiik, then implanted with dual-heart detonators, which would cause a cardiac arrest when captured by the Lii'dra, so they could not be incorporated into their forces. The use of the dual-heart detonators was a subject of controversy within the major Hives, where they were never forced but encouraged, and the belief that Lii'dra could reanimate corpses if included in the Hivemind dissuaded many Warriors from accepting them. However, these radical means with the Kol'axta population, as well as other defensive methods such as spelunking and increasing traps to the area turned Kol'axta into hell within Sedantis, a reputation that would not change until the end of the war.

The Peace of Vek'myx

By 27 454 BCE, the now cross-generational fervent cause of the Vek'myx rebellions reached an end, with the C'thur Hive agreeing on an armistice after Queen Vytel famously mourned the losses of both sides. This resulted in the C'thur territory being almost cut by half, and the freedom of most of their vassals, shaping the Hive to a similar size and identity as it is known today.

The N'nku Hive would become more relevant in the aftermath of the war. However, as a sovereign Hive, they were not included in the space program and were doomed to remain underground in Sedantis, forever lost.

The Attack of the Thousand Titans

The Attack of the Thousand Titans is an alternative name for the Battle of Kan'koor popularized in Basic by the scholars of The Hive War Myth, an epic piece of literature that is only recited inside Virtual Reality. While the events of the ‘poem' begin much later, the Battle of Kan'koor is remembered for introducing a large number of Warforms, some of which were even more militarized and exotic than those we can see today in the Spur.

Until then, the Warform was a limited unit in combat. The proto-Warforms were Bound Warriors mostly different in size only and used mostly as a defense tool to protect the smaller Warriors. Because ranged combat was generally frowned upon, in reality, the proto-Warforms served little use other than a taunt to showcase the military strength of an army.

Since the start of the Era of Augments, integrated weaponry in a Warrior's body became a symbol of military status and fame and was mostly seen as cosmetic. The basic unit, Type BA (also commonly known as Myrmidon in Basic), was praised for its ability on teamwork and organization, and their shortcomings were seen as a balance of the war, skill proving to be more useful than mere brute force. Their aerodynamic design remains popular today for very similar reasons.

Warforms used in the latter half of the Lii'dramachy included integrated ballistics, as well as their fiery breath commonly known as Zo'rane Fire. It is said that some of the Warforms used in Kan'koor even had missile systems or could create shockwaves with their steps, though this is likely the dramatization of posterior authors. Immediate sources after the Battle of Kan'koor are sober with their descriptions, though the importance of the battle is indisputable, as it marked the first great victory for the Zo'ra.

From the descriptions and studies of The Hive War Myth, it appears as the poet laments the use of this new warfare, though it concedes that it was necessary for the outcome of the war.

Zo'rane Victories

Also known as ‘The Fiery Years', the last two decades of the Great Hive War are the most documented in the history of the conflict, mainly due to the radical changes in the Zo'rane Front. The list of exhaustive battles and their most intricate details are available for all Vaurcae that request them in the heart of the Zoleth Virtual Reality, and a museum for humans to learn about the Fiery Years is in construction within Caprice.

In a relatively short timespan, Zo'ra recovered many of its lost territories, though the raze of the Lii'dra made it impossible to become usable again in millennia. Lii'dra's efforts to force the battlefield into spelunking warfare, the weakness of the Zo'ra, were unsuccessful, as the studies of their enemy reduced the options for the opposing Hive.

It was also in the Fiery Years when the Afterlife technology was likely finished. As a collaborative effort between K'lax and Zo'rane scientists, the main goal at the time was to find a way to recover the consciousness of those lost in the Hivemind. The groundwork of Project Maa'krek, however, caused the most advanced minds of the Hives to propose a different system, in which the Virtual Reality would be truly complete.

Second Minor Fronts

Quite different in the ideology to the first minor fronts, the second minor fronts is a loose catch-all term to refer to the minor Hives that fought the Lii'dra without involvement in the Zo'rane Front or the Kol'axta Campaign. After decades of endless war, the political instability caused by the void of power in some Sedantian regions worked in favor of the Zo'ra.

Though usually uncredited, they may be responsible for the survival of the Hive. An aggressive northern campaign, crossing the Xy'mok Caverns, would have reached Veii'kt if not for the minor fronts accidentally pushing back the Lii'dra. While they did not fight for the Zo'rane cause, the Xy'mok Campaign got involved with the army of the Fu'ruk Hive, known as suicide bombers (nowadays, ‘fu'ruk' holds a similar meaning to ‘kamikaze' for the Vaurca). Even though the Lii'dra Hivemind was willing to risk their assets in war no matter what, suicide attacks were seen as novel too. Fu'ruk fighters repelled the Lii'dra from the area, unknowingly allowing the Zo'ra to focus on pushing into Illuau'tia.

Siege of Kol'axta

Despite many victories, Fiery Years were also the deadliest. Cornered, the Lii'dra pushed for a more aggressive approach in the Kol'axta Plate, gaining control of the southern border and besieging the remaining territory. As the Mya'kt Fault, K'laxian capital, was not far from Kol'axta, were the Lii'dra methods to succeed the Hive would have disappeared. Despite the Zo'rane Front demanding a large number of Warriors, and Reiik's efforts to control the area, the K'lax Warriors were insufficient. Zo'ra provided some aid, but ultimately the newer generation of Myrmidons had to come from Mother K'lax herself.

Lii'dra's efforts proved to be effective. The region became isolated from the rest of Sedantis, and at some point, no more aid could be given. Hivenet communications, even within the Lii'draic protocols, failed, and famine struck for eight years. The siege involved two battles, each lasting no longer than ten days. Reiik's traps of the region were also effective, however, they became lethal for the native Vaurcae of Kol'axta, who desperately attempted to flee the area. The Siege of Kol'axta was the breaking point of the war for both the K'lax and Lii'dra.

Nowadays, it is considered a tragedy, especially for the K'lax Hive. Horror stories about cannibalism and desperation are common tales often referenced in retellings of the events. It is unknown how Queen Reiik died. When her royal chambers were explored, her corpse was found to have been devoured, with little of her carapace and muscle left. While it is most likely this occurred after her death, it is not uncommon to hear that, perhaps, the natives of Kol'axta ate her alive.

The Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss

Also known simply as ‘Our Victory' by the Zo'ra, this battle is considered the single most important in Vaurca history. Ryitu'kya was an artificial abyss created by the Lii'dra to protect the Illuau'tia Grotto when defeat was certain. Following the example of booby-traps used by the K'lax Hive to protect the Kol'axta Plate, the Abyss was filled with hazardous materials, landmines, and chemical weapons. The transportation of Warforms was not viable, forcing Zo'ra to employ Myrmidons for the most part.

Retellings of the Battle of Ryitu'kya are the most prolific literary expression within the Zo'ra Hive. While there are extensive chronicles of eyewitnesses, as well as other types of stored information that can recreate the experience inside the Realm of Zoleth, the most popular of all these stories is The Hive War Myth, also known as Reusk'otahn. The Warrior Reusk was a historical Vaurca that did exist, however, its deeds and achievements were not as portrayed in the ‘poem'. Many scholarly Vaurcae openly accept its status as a piece of fiction, however, this does not dissuade laymen Vaurca to take it as factual information.

Reusk'otahn begins when, as the Zo'ra mobilizes to attack Illuau'tia, an erosion causes a vehicle transporting elite troops to crash and, in many of those Warrior cases, perish by stone. Za'Akaix'Reusk Zo'ra and other surviving soldiers decide to, by any means possible, reconnect with the rest of the army. While Reusk and the others travel to reunite with the rest of the convoy, they discover that one of the Zo'rane allies is plotting to betray them once they reach the Abyss. In a dream, Queen Zoleth allows Reusk to attack the minor Hive, called K'ox before it is too late. The dream sequence also serves as a prelude for the evolution of Virtual Reality and the increased connectivity of years to come.

Reusk and its squadron annihilate the K'ox Hive Warriors, not without suffering some losses themselves too. Only a handful of them arrive at the Ryitu'kya Abyss, where they are surprised by the amount of bloodshed from both sides. At one point, Reusk gets ambushed by a Lii'dra mob that is ready to tear its limbs apart. It is here when Queen Zoleth personally saves the hero, fighting the hundreds of Lii'draic troops until she is consumed by the bodies. The poem heavily implies that Breeders from both sides join the battle to aid Zoleth. It is from this scene where the stories that Queens fought at the Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss stem from.

Eventually, Reusk and other Zo'rane mythical heroes reach the forward operating base of the Lii'dra, where they discover a unique type of Cephalon that appears to relay orders for the Hivemind. Once disconnected, most of the Lii'dra in the battlefield start to run in circles, disoriented. Those that escape this fate flee from the site, confused about what just occurred. It is then that the Zo'ra reach Illuau'tia, however instead of entering what they consider a cursed city, they decide to sink it to the same level of the now-scorched abyss.

While other accounts mention special Cephalons that were transported to relay some orders, it is unlikely one alone may have caused their loss in battle. Credible chronicles of the event, as well as historical reconstructions, also mention that Reusk arrived at the same time as everybody else and that it likely died during the battle. The carnage of bodies made it difficult even for contemporary sources to tell who survived and who did not. The K'ox Hive from the poem is not mentioned anywhere else, which has led many to wonder where the inspiration came from.

Ultimately, the logistics of the sinking of Illuau'tia were heavily documented, and it is now believed that most of the city residents died indiscriminately because of it. It was traditionally said that High Queen Lii'dra might have died here, however, the recent resurface of the Lii'dra discredits this belief. The Ryitu'kya Abyss, alongside Illuau'tia, was sealed off from the rest of Sedantis.

Although The Hive War Myth focuses mostly on Reusk, what is by far considered the most important part does not feature the hero, nor mentions its fate. It instead focuses on High Queen Zo'ra, however in this version, she provides her speech outside the Ryitu'kya Abyss, right after the battle. It is now commonly accepted that this was not the case, and that the speech was given in Kol'axta possibly two weeks after the aftermath. Although translation is prohibited, a famous line, “O death, no longer our kin shall meet you” has been translated to Basic and is commonly seen as a good luck motto, often being featured in Zo'ra-run establishments.

Aftermath

The Great Hive War was a major event in the history of Sedantis, and its effects still linger to this day. Despite the great contributions that have surfaced in the arts and the Afterlife launch as the war ended, the following millennia have been considered an epoch of stagnation for the Vaurca civilization, as plenty of chaos reigned in most of Sedantis. Commonly referred to as The Decline of Zo'ra, the former empire was now split amidst independence movements and the surge of Warladies. The rule of these groups continued to cause further political issues, and the major Hives were busy reconstructing themselves to deal with them.

Most of the advanced military technologies of the Great Hive War have never been used again. With the fear of a great-scale war ever occurring again, some Warforms were outright banned, and the situation Vaurcae have found themselves in after their Exodus has only made it harder for them ever achieve such advancements again.