Lymph Node

The **Lymph Node**s are a half structure class of drone. The presence of these Drones is a sure sign that there's little to no hope left for the planet. Once a Lymph Node Chamber is formed, the atmosphere will soon become largely uninhabitable. Not every Hive will have each of the three Node types, and it can be difficult to distinguish which ones are present.

## Spores

Lymph Nodes produce spores, which are then cast into the atmosphere by the respitory system of the Hive. There are three types of spores which are produced, and three types of Nodes corresponding to them.

### Clotting Spore

These spores are the most common. They stick to any surface, organic or not, and will break upon contact with a surface which it sticks to. A small tumor of Bulwark is released from the spore, clinging to everything it brushes against. This can snare prey in large webs or completely clog whole machines over time, especially if it is not caught early. In some Hives, there is a rare variant of this spore which will attract the attention of nearby Drones to their location, though this is often not a concern due to how infrequent it is.

### Infectious Spore

These spores specifically stick to any moving or organic surface. They're almost as common as the clotting type of spores, and the two can be easily confused. Hosts commonly contract the infection in their lungs or in any open wounds, though it's still entirely possible for these tumors to sprout from anywhere on or in a living organism. The host will not show any strange symptoms until roughly 8 hours after their initial infection, when the parasite switches to a violent form. A host will quickly develop symptoms, and it is generally understood that once it begins to show it is generally too late to save them. The parasitic growth rapidly drains the host and spreads quickly through any sort of veins within. Once it reaches any form of central nervous system, the host will experience a rapid decline in mobility as their body is slowly cut from their control. The parasitic Bulwark will then release a chemical which irritates nearby Drones to the discover the prey and devour it. Rarely, in some cases, the infection can keep the host alive just enough to function, making them highly aggressive and drawn to the Hive.

As the infection progresses, the symptoms will quickly drain the host's sanity. At first, the host will begin to get off feelings about certain places or other beings, and will try to avoid such things. Soon, this may lead to the host beginning to hear voices. Sometimes this is a mix of mild hallucinations and the Hive Mind corrupting their mind. A few hours after the first symptoms, the host will have total hallucinations, including voices, distortions in other beings faces, eyes staring at them from the darkness, and the overwhelming feeling of some impending threat or fear drawing closer. They will often be scared away by these hallucinations, which direct the host as far away from other beings as possible. The Bulwark within the spores will then consume the host's body, or lead it to a hunting swarm to be caught.

### Hive Mind Spore

These spores are the rarest of the three, and Hives with this type discovered are immediately listed as highly dangerous. These spores act similarly to the infectious spore type, however with one major difference. A host will be connected to the Hive Mind, taking over the body and controlling them similarly to a Morphos. Whatever the shell of a host discovers will be interpreted to the Hive. Information and battle tactic leaks then become an issue, as the Hive can predict how the enemy will respond and wipe out everyone in one planned sweep.

## Rehatching

If a Lymph Node becomes aware of an impending threat, they have the ability to hatch back into a Lymph Drone. If their cocoon sustains signifigant damage, this can also be triggered. The Lymph Drone will immediately enrage all nearby Drones to cover its escape. Lymph Drones that were rehatched have a higher chance of becoming Lymph Nodes than normal Lymph Drones.