Shael Hive

Template:!Nation Infobox The Shael Hive is a nation formed as a collective mind entity nation. They come from planet Shar, on the Ireen System, in Avana, a small galaxy in the void outside Herschel Space.  Its is based on a Polygyny, Pleometrosis and Polydomy hive system. They are Pleometrosis because the colony is established by multiple queens, Polygyny, since it has multiple egg-laying queens, and Polydomy since it spreads across several nests.

.The Shael Hive is similar to co-operative insectoid societies. The Hive is a stratified society, with breeding ***Queens*** and ***Kings*** as well as the figures of ***Directors***, being at the top of the nation. They are followed by other complex Shael lifeforms and then it gets simplified into other more simple Shael lifeforms towards the bottom of society.

## History and Origins

The Shael are a native species from, Shar, their home planet. In this planet, they arose as a very skillful and cooperative society that could easily thrive. They were on the early days separated on several hives that either cooperated or fought between them for territory, resources etc...

Soon, the Shael hives started to form cooperative hive nations, formed by several cooperative queens, creating something similar to nations. Most notably this associations occurred often between related queens and their respective hives, but soon for the sake of genetic diversity, other non-related hives were incorporated, forming Super Hives similar to nations. However, not all unification happened through cooperation.

This "Super Hives" fought either passively or actively between them, to get domination over the others or access to valuable resources in order to boost their own supremacy and survival. Finally, all hives were unified into one single entity, the Mega Hive.

Several Hives had been fighting themselves but instead of destroying the defeated Hives, one Hive winner incorporated iths defeated Queens to their hive in order to increase their power. This kept them on winning, and assimilating other Hives to form one of the Super Hives as mention previouslty. They fought or unified with other Super hives until unification of the species into one Worldwide Mega Hive was achieved.

This led to a massive degree of advancement, bioengineering and successful space exploration and colonization. Soon the Hive kept improving to form a single entity and nation that expands several billion planets. They seem to be on good terms with other species, and tolerate them good. The Diplomats are a specific bio created subclass of the Shar made for xeno communication, investigation of alien technology and learning (mostly cultural xeno aspects).

## Factions

There are two factions within the Shael Hive. When the Shael started venturing into the Yalata Galaxy, they colonized habitable worlds, respecting other alien nations and even building cordial and peaceful relations. even to the point of commercial and intellectual exchanges. Then colonization of other Galaxies began when the Hivemind achieved the technology to keep intergalactic contact with nearby galaxies.

One of this Galaxies, the Terror minor-galaxy or nebula as it has been known, had a center rich in antimatter. When the Shael Queens started colonizing and building nests in the planets of the area, something seemed to happen within their own Hivemind, and soon all Queens in the Terror Galaxy were affected by it, changing rapidly towards an aggressive behaviour.

This Aggressive Faction was in complete denial of other sentient life, looking only for survival of itself and supremacy. This came into conflict with the rest of the hive, starting the ***Civil War of the Shael Hive***, the only major internal conflict since ***the Shael*** ***Wars of Unification***. The Aggressive Faction acted on its own will, having de facto independence from the main hive. The Peaceful Faction wanted to keep things the same way as how they had been until that point. This conflict of interest ended up with the Aggressive Queens becoming a separate entity, although to all purposes they consider themselves the real Shael Hive and vice versa.

Both factions have thus seek to anihilated each other ever since. The Aggressive faction however is on the minority for the sake all sentient live.

## Population and Size

   Although they have presence over Avana and small satelite galatic objects, they only fully control about 1/6 of Avana. Of satelite minor galaxies around Avana, 2 have some partial presence of the Shael, and around 3 of them have a small Shael presence. They are known to exist by most advance species in Herschel Space (they live mostly in the border territory of Lewis Nation's Space, with the Shael not fully controlling any of the Galaxies) Nevertheless, their population is very high and very dense, due to their Hive lifestyle. With almost a quarter of the size of some of the smaller lewis Nations they have a similar population who is concentrated around 1/6 of Avana.

## Society

### **Castes**

There are several castes within the Shael Hive Nation. They are a stratified society.

 File:Shael Elite Forms.jpg  **High Caste**

* ***The Queens***: Are on the top of society. Their main job is to lay eggs and give others to the Hive. They are also on top of the entire hivemind, being them the only ones having a sort of a will of their own and a decision making skills that can be given to the entire hive. They are basically in charge of leading the hive and only them known the goals the entire hive moves towards. They organise themselves on councils. The oldest Queens, mostly known as ***the Matriarchs*** are in the Council of Queens, the ruling body of the entire nation, the heart and brain of the Shael. They are the most revere of all the Shael, and seen almost like-god beings by the rest of the Shael.

* ***The Drones***: Although less important, they are crucial to the survival of the Hives. They are mostly based on fertilizing the Queens eggs. They are in charge of managing and macromanaging the will of the Queens, and act sometimes as advisors. They organize themselves in the Council of Drones.

* ***The Directors***: They are very powerful Shael, able to comman large quantities of Shael, transmitting the will of the Queens through the Drones, pulsating the will towards the lesser Shael of the Hive in order for them to act as one. They are also in charge of micromanaging task and put in key sectors of society.

* ***The Sapientia***: They are Shael with huge brains, in charge of acting as antennae of the Directors and drones, transmitting the signals of the Hivemind (the Queen's will) further. They are mostly in charge of scientific research and problem solving. Most of the problems are given to them to be solved and their finds are consulted by the Queens to take final decisions and give orders. They have psionic like powers, in order to potence the signal of the collective will.

* ***The Collectors***: Are in charge of gathering most of the information and knowledge of the hive, the universe or areas explored by the hive. This are one of the Shael forms that lives the longest. They have most of the knowledge of the Hive and can base themselves on past actions to act as advisors of the Hive. They act as judges as well.

* ***The Generals***: Are a caste in charge of Military guidance and control. They help themselves with the Directors and the Sapientia to fasten their commands and send info back to the main hivemind in order to put all the community updated on how a battle is turning on, allowing the rest of the Hive to retreat or regroup itself. Generals are able to have some degree of own leadership as much of the High Caste is given.

#### **Medium Caste**

 File:Shael1.jpg
* ***The*** ***Diplomats***: They have been specially trained and created to communicate with other species or communities in Space. Before space faring, they were used to contact other hives. ***The Communicators,*** are a subclass inside the Diplomats, use to take first contact initiatives. ***The Ambassadors*** are the other subclass, use for the long run, in order to keep contact with the other hive or alien species. They usually live abroad and keep as a nexus of contact between its original hive and its adaptive hive or alien nation.

* ***The*** ***Maidens***: This caste is in charge of taking care of the High Castes. Specially the ***Royal Maidens*** are a selected few or a subclass of the Maiden, specially trained and produce to care for future Queens and Drones, in all their stages of their development, as well as protecting them.

* ***The Guardians***: The caste is made of few individuals, just as the Maidens, compared to the overall population of Shael. Their main task is to defend with their own lives either the Hives, the egg nests or specially as the Subclass known as the Real Guardians, the Royal offspring and the Queens and Drones of a Hive. They usually are equipped with large bodies, large muscles and bone structures, venomous appendixes and other defence genetically bioengineered forms.

* ***The*** ***Traders***: They are usually in constant movement and as it names specifies, their are in charge of transporting substances and products from one hive to another or from the hive to another Alien Nation and viceversa. They also start and negotiate deals with other traders so they can both agree on a metod and quantity of material being traded.

* ***The*** ***Explorers***: They are in charge of exploring the planets and universe. They travel vast distances but cant get too far in order to not lose contact with the hivemind. if this occurs, the Shael can simply get mad until they get back to a nearby Queen, Director or Sapientia. If they dont do it on time, the Shael simply dies. Sometimes the range of the Hivemind can extend throughout billions of lightyears. Specially since the Shael technology has been evolving into getting better in this regard.

* ***The Entertainers***: They are in charge of the task of imprint the art and culture of the Hive, to help the workers of the hive to relax and give away the daily stress they suffer. This goes from the heavy shoulders of Queens and Directors in charge of important and crucial decision, to enjoyment and relaxation of the lowest of workers which manual tasks and daily routine can be really repetitive. They reinforce the bonds between the give and the union of their minds into one single fused entity. It contributes to the happiness of the hive as well as preserving the art and creation of the beauty for all to see.

* ***The Breeders***: This caste is in charge of the new generations. They feed them, transform them, educate them and grew them up to serve society. They are in charge of the eggs from the Queens and the newborn mostly, and take them until they reach adulthood.

* ***The High manufacturers***: They specialise in producing goods for the need of the hive, such as weapons, clothes, Housing, storing material, ships etc... they are in charge of most of the design and the leading part of production, commanding over other shael in charge of the boring and mechanical producing tasks. They supervise and lead the micro managements of production, deciding what to produce, when, how much, who gets what first and what part goes for trade.

#### **Warriors**

 File:Shael War Forms.jpg
* ***The Gunners***: They are the bulk of the army and through heavy shooting appendices and others they shoot their enemy all sort of bio weaponry and fight through certain distance from the front, although still pretty close to it.

* ***The Fighters***: They are the bulk of the army and through heavy, sharp and venomous appendices they fight to death with claws and jaws against their enemy.

* ***The Shooters***: Are a big and very slow part of the army. The Shooters stay behind and through large deadly shoots they fire from the distance to either an army or a structure. Their weapons are completely bioengineered.

* ***The Strong***: They are an elite force of the army of the Hive. They are very muscular and have an incredible force, a heavy body and impressive height. They are also reinforced by a strong cover, all over the body, and deadly appendices. Arms have genetically ingrained in their bodies to make them deadly.

* ***The Shielders***: This beings have incredible brains and their tactic is mostly for defense. They are able to create a psionic shield that protects all nearby creatures and structures. This shield is so strong that becomes physical and acts as a physical actual barrier. They can also be used to fight other psionic creatures.

* ***The Flighers***: This Shael are the only ones with wings that allow them not only to see through the battlefield and transmit this info to the Hive but can engage in air attack as well as fighting any air-force from the enemy. Usually they can aswell command space ships. This subclass is known as ***The Pilots***.

* ***The Heaviers***: Although slow, they are of incredible force, height and weight. They do have some deadly bioweapons but are set to smash armies and other big stuff that is in their way.

* ***The Dexters***: They are light and thin, they can move throughout the enemy at incredible speeds and through their cutting appendixes slide anything that is found in their way.

* ***The Jumpers***: This army soldiers are also light and have the ability to directly jump into their enemies and kill them through their deadly jaws, claws and appendices.

* ***The Micros***: This creatures are quite small and numerous creatures and are meant to infiltrate through small structures and under the feet of their enemies bringing them down by the power of the mass.

* ***The Bursters***: They have the ability to kill themselves. They can throw themselves into the enemy and just burst in a rain of fire, venom or deadly spikes.

 File:Shael Worker.jpg
#### **Low Caste**

* ***The Artisans***: Are in charge of building any sort of object needed in the hive. From simple tools to complicated ones, weaponry, manufacture of any sort and any other sort of industrial or service work.

* ***The Farmers***: They are in charge of feeding the hive. They grow food for all the millions of mouths that need to be fed. They dedicate mostly to grow any sort of organic plant.

* ***The Shepherds***: They are also in charge of feeding the hive. They are mostly in charge of caring for other fauna like creatures and slaughter them afterwards to feed the mouths of the hive. This caste is also in charge of hunting activities in case it's needed. They can take the lead on exploration missions on a new planet in search for food.

* ***The Builders***: They are in charge of building any sort of construction, building or infrastructure. They are also in charge of repairing them constantly and take care everything is preserved properly as well as taken into account for future need of reparation.

* ***The Miners***: This caste is in charge of mining and taking resources from the soil, gas giants, asteroids and others. Their main task is to provide raw materials for keeping the hive from building itself.

* ***The Servants***: They are looking after most of the high caste needs or the medium caste needs as well. So they serve as assistance to them and to all people working in the service for the hive.

* ***The Lifters***: Are a very basic lifeform, big, huge, heavy and strong, they are use to either carry or pull stuff in building, farming and mining, as well as transporting goods and others. For the most part, they are rather similar to large animals than actual sentient beings. Some of them, ***the Riders***, are light and agile, and less tall, strong and heavy than the rest, and they are used to serve as equivalent of human horses and others, to help explorers and hunters on their tasks on a planet surface ecosystem.

The livespam of all Shael lifeforms is incredibly different. While some of them may last up to a year, the oldest of them can last up to several hundreds of millenia.

   The Matriarchs and the Collectors are the longest living creatures of the entire hive. The oldest Matriarch is named as ***Ishael***, with almost 50 346 years of age, while the oldest Collector is ***Earen*** with 50 510 years, being slightly older than the Matriarch. The Queens of the Hive are the only ones allowed to have a name of their own at birth, with the Collectors and other members of the High Caste achieving one after either a success or merit, once their reach a certain age, or live well above their expected lifespan. All other members are named after the caste they have been born out of, followed by the queen's name from which they are born from, plus a number. Their number is between the members of their same caste. For example "*Farmer Ishael 329 876"*, all of course in Shaelian language ("*Kor'aen Ishael ish'sho'olish ne'shei'na"*)