#hive litore

[monsoonceroom]

Hive Terra

In the months leading up to the completion of Irk's first spaceship the Gigantium, meetings were held by Hive Litore's former members in an attempt to take advantage of the situation. It was agreed upon that they would rather die trying to escape than stay any longer under the rule of Hitz, Soxx, & Kii. A plan had been made to stage a coup on the ship & fly deeper into space instead of going back to Irk. One source of debate was whether or not to have a Tallest if they were to make a new home. Many former Litorians were not keen on a new Tallest if it meant being ruled by another tyrant. They felt that even their Tallest's for ages have relied on oracles & therefore the oracle alone should reign. Others were hesitant to dissolve the Tallest title completely as the only oracle alive was just a smeet & unfit to rule. A compromise was eventually reached that they'll still have the Tallest & Oracle rule side by side once Ophelia's son, Kly, reached a suitable age. Whether the title of Tallest will continue will be up to future generations.

Finally, on the day of launch, thousands of Irken's occupied the Gigantium. Most were of the dissolved Hive Litore while there were several hundred from the current Tallest's respective hives. Included on the journey were at least a dozen coddle drones & their swarms. They were snuck onto the ship & hidden in a secret room before the official boarding. Included as part of the stowaways were Kly & his coddle drone, Ru.

Several hours into the flight, the Taller Irkens held a party to celebrate their planet's achievement of space exploration. The Irken's from the other hives drank heavily while the former Litorian's sipped their cider sparingly. Meanwhile, outside the party, communications were cut & panic started to set in among the shorter drones outside. Hearing the distress, those still sober at the party took it as the signal that the coup had begun. They drew their weapons & slew the drunken partygoers so that their own chosen Tallest would be uncontested. When they exited the room, they were met with the sight of shorter drones swearing their loyalty to this new interstellar hive while surrounded by the corpses of those who still followed the three tyrants. With the ship now theirs, they sailed onward in the hopes of finding a new home.

After months of wayward flying, the Gigantium finally reached a planet far from Irk & the rest of the galaxy. The tired Irkens were ecstatic & couldn't wait to take root in their new home. They were enchanted by the lush greenery that covered the land but were also wary that the beautiful flora may have hidden dangers. Sure enough they were not the only sentient species on this new planet. When a scouting team was sent out, they were accosted by those who called themselves the Fae. The team was taken prisoner & brought before their High Queen where they recounted their tales of woe. The Queen's heart was softened & asked to see their Tallest. Tallest Basa was a humble man whose humility further won over the Fae Queen. She agreed to give them land to live on as well as send out her own scouts on how to teach them to survive the natural & unnatural perils of this new world. In return, they were to give a tithing of 1/5 of whatever they produced, be it fruits, vegetables, livestock, cloth or precious metals every 7 years. The Irkens were more than happy to offer tribute to those who had shown them mercy in this strange land.

To the former Litorian's, Hive Litore died when Ophelia did & a hive on a new planet deserved a new name. After much discussion, it was decided that Hive Terra would be the name of their home. Irk seemed like a distant memory now as they even renounced the term Irken in favor of Irthen as a way of appreciating the planet they now inhabited. Tallest Basa became a parental figure to young Kly who eventually took over as Oracle when he was old enough. Generations later, the mantle of Tallest was no longer a ruler, but one entrusted to protect the Oracle.

The current oracle of Hive Terra is Oracle Delphi with her Tallest guardian & brother, Gigos. The bottom row from left to right is Frylady Dulce, Head of Maintenance, Head of Merchantry, & Head of the Nursery (all currently unnamed).

These are the Weavers of Hive Terra who are in charge of the oracle's wardrobe. From left to right they are Head Weaver Haberda, Spin, & Haberda's daughter, Fleecie.

These are some examples of what the citizens of Hive Terra look like & the clothes they wear. Sleeveless clothes are seen as lounging wear & are worn when not working.

The Fae's unnamed High Queen & her daughter.

There's more to come for Hive Terra, but that'll be all for now. This took hours as I wanted to make sure I had everything for them. This meant combing through various sketchbooks trying to find what I was looking for. I had a lot of ideas for the Fae princess as she's supposed to be a young Ms. Bitters long before she became a teacher. Anyways, enjoy my first art post & IZ lore drop for 2024 & hope y'all have a Happy New Year.

[misslisinsanity]

ㅤㅤㅤ𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐘: 𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄.

ㅤㅤㅤDecidi escrever esse "diário" para guardar melhor as memórias desses dias de turnê. Escrever sempre me é uma terapia e um momento onde posso colocar no lugar os pensamentos que invadem minha cabeça.

ㅤㅤㅤ Então, olá! Sou a Elis, e estou bem empolgada em compartilhar alguns momentos dos bastidores dos dois primeiros shows da América do Norte da “The Dream Reborn World Tour”! Tem sido uma experiência incrível até agora, com shows inesquecíveis um em Vancouver (Canadá, meu país natal) e outro em Seattle (EUA).

Vancouver: Um início perfeito

ㅤㅤㅤA turnê recomeçou em “Vancouver” (pois tivemos dois shows em Seul anteriormente), um lugar que sabe como combinar belezas naturais com um ar urbano que nos remete as grandes capitais do mundo. Eu nasci em Toronto, no outro lado do país, mas lembro de passar um tempo por Vancouver, pois serviu de locação para alguns filmes do meu pai quando eu era mais nova. E mesmo assim… ainda perdi o ar com as deslumbrantes montanhas e com o litoral de águas limpinhas (porém geladas). Christian adorou a cidade assim como nossos gordinhos que eram todos sorrisos, merecedores de prêmios de miss simpatias como sempre.

ㅤㅤㅤDurante nossa manhã livre exploramos alguns lugares que possuem um lugar especial na minha memória. Passeamos pelo Stanley Park, que ofereceu uma vista deslumbrante do horizonte da cidade e do porto, e o Mercado Público de Granville Island, um paraíso para os amantes da comida, e eu não pude resistir e comer uma coisinha de cada.

DAY 01: O SHOW

ㅤㅤㅤO local da apresentação foi o Orpheum Theatre e estava lotado e por isso, tinha uma energia surreal vinda da multidão animada. Sempre é emocionante presenciar de tão perto os fãs tão envolvidos e entusiasmados com o DPR - e um prazer poder contemplar o trampo deles. Como fotógrafa responsável pela turnê, admito que senti a pressão nos ombros (não queria e não quero decepcionar), mas mesmo com muito trabalho, acho que tudo saiu perfeito! Precisei coordenar uma equipe considerável de fotógrafos e cinegrafistas que estavam trabalhando duro para garantir que capturassem as melhores fotos e mantivéssemos tudo funcionando. E tentamos registrar tudo: desde a antecipação nos bastidores até a energia crua das apresentações, os rostos dos fãs, a emoção que energizava a todos vinda da plateia, pois como sempre digo: cada foto sempre conta uma história.

Seattle: A Cidade Esmeralda ainda brilha.

ㅤㅤㅤDepois da passagem por Vancouver, seguimos direto para Seattle, conhecida por sua cena musical agitada e uma rica história cultural - e que eu ainda não conhecia. Todos estávamos ansiosos pelo show daquela noite. E, no dia seguinte tivemos um tempo de descanso e aproveitamos para passear e absorver um pouco da cultura do lugar. Foi a minha vez de guiar meu marido e fiz questão de visitar a Biblioteca Pública (falarei mais sobre esse passeio na rede social da minha livraria “The Hive Bookstore”) e depois fomos conhecer o “Chihuly Garden and Glass”. As intrincadas esculturas de vidro eram tão cativantes quanto a vibrante arte de rua da cidade.

DAY 02: O SHOW

ㅤㅤㅤSeattle obviamente não nos decepcionou. A apresentação foi nada menos que espetacular, com a casa mais uma vez lotada. A energia na sala era palpável, fãs gritando, se divertindo, e o entusiasmo de todos fez da noite uma experiência memorável. Novamente, gerenciar a equipe de mídia e capturar cada momento tem sido um desafio que quase me tira o sono, mas ao ver o resultado final me traz uma enorme satisfação.

ㅤㅤㅤAgora a turnê continua pela Califórnia. Teremos shows em Oakland e Los Angeles, onde encontraremos meus sogros que estão morrendo de saudade dos netos. Quando paro para pensar, noto como os últimos dias foram carregados de adrenalina, equivalentes a uma maratona. Mas, sempre foi um sonho meu e do meu marido conhecer o mundo, pegarmos a estrada juntos e poder fazer isso, juntando o que ele ama ao que amo me faz ficar diariamente grata. Tudo tem sido muito inspirador e quero compartilhar todas nossas aventuras.

ㅤㅤㅤFiquem ligados para mais atualizações enquanto continuamos na turnê. Mal posso esperar para dividir mais com vocês!

Com amor,

Elis Lancaster Yoon.

[ivangzama]

El público alucinó con el show de The Hives

TodosPorVenezuela ¡Un sentimiento que nos mantiene unidos! 🇻🇪

VinculanteYVamosPalante 🇻🇪

[a-wanderin-whirlybird]

So UUUUH @messinwitheddie @sketchydesertghost I wrote a thing with Kii and Ophelia and Delta in life... its the first time Delta and Ophelia met and Fifi is there being... well Fifi. (Also some Hive Cadaver Lore) Enjoooy!

First Meetings

Tallest Delta fidgeting nervously with the hem of his robes. They were standard Priest Robes, ones all Tallest Priests wore to any kind of diplomatic meeting. Delta and his sister, High War Priest Fifi, were walking to the Meeting room in Tallest Kii's Hive to meet a new Ally. Delta firmly believed in Kii's judgement.

"Stop fidgeting Del." Fifi hissed to her Swarmmate. Delta let go of the Henry and pouted. 

"You know I'm not good at this Fi. What if I make a fool of myself and our Hive before this new Ally? Not to mention how that would reflect on Lady Kii, Our Hive rarely ends up in any kind of Alliance! We dint have any kind of protocol for this. It was already considered unusual that I aligned us with Lady Kii. If I make a fool of us- Ow! Fifi!" Selta stopped in his whispered rant as Fifi kicked his leg.

"You're spiralling again Del. Stop it. You will be fine. You always are around Kii. I'm more concerned about this Ophelia character." Fifi growled, talons flaring as she flexed her hand. Each small talon was tipped with ornate silver claws. Ideal for both battle and corpse preparation, they could slice through flesh and a few softer metals with ease. Delta lightly shoved his much smaller sister. 

"Stop that! Not everyone is out to get us. I'm sure Tallest Ophelia is an upstanding individual. From the information Lady Kii sent us it appears she is an Oracle, and the real deal too." Delta said. The meeting room was drawing closer.

Light spilled out into the Hall, showing the colors on Delta and Fifi's robes. Fifi wore a lighter set of robes. It was all a single layer of soft, cotton like material in vibrant greens and yellows. For those of earth reading this the robe resembled the Lunar Moth. It trailed behind her in short twin tails and a hood adorned with fuzzy accents covered her head. A simple cloth belt was tied about Fifi's waist and a Bow on her right side. 

Delta's robes were much heavier. Many layers of Cloth of varying lengths adorned his form. The sleeves looked like Atlas Moth wings, and an array of earthy tones peaked out from under one another. Delta had practice moving in these robes so he glided into the room with ease. If it came to it Delta could also Fight in these robes. 

"Tallest Delta. On time as Usual." Kii said as Delta and Fifi entered the room. She was standing besides a Fuzzy Tallest. Tallest Ophelia, Delta guessed. 

"We try to be Lady Kii." Delta said. He saw the small twitch of Kii's mouth, the ghost of a smile, when he and Fifi entered. It sent his Squeedlysplooch fluttering, but he steeled himself and swallowed the feelings. This was important. Kii was not interested in romance. Only friendship. And Delta had sworn to give her that. 

Besides, it wouldn't do to suddenly wax poetic in front of a stranger. 

Fifi tilted her head, a wry smile spread across her face. 

"We dont like leaving people waiting Kii. Though you've done that plenty." Fifi Teased. And just like that, the last vestige of tension left Kii and she relaxed.

"Hush. At least I have some manners." Kii retorted with a small smile. Delta watched Tallest Ophelia observe the exchange in the background. She looked shocked and confused, as many did when Fifi fearlessly teased Kii. 

"Either way. Tallest Delta, Allow me to introduce our new Ally. Tallest Ophelia of Hive Litore. Tallest Ophelia, this is Tallest Delta of Hive Cadaver." Kii introduce Ophelia, who stepped forward upon hearing her name. Delta gave a small bow, antenna sweeping apart as he did so. Ophelia returned the gesture and gave a small smile. 

"It is wonderful to meet you Tallest Delta. You do your Hive proud." Ophelia said Delta fought back the blush, but he Knew everyone saw his face flush a dark purple. 

"I thank you Tallest Ophelia. I have heard many good things about you as well." Delta said.

Shortly after the meeting commenced in earnest. Delta stayed as focused as he could throughout. Occasionally Fifi would interject and either Kii or Delta would respond. Tallest Ophelia did not engage Fifi, watching on instead. 

A recess was called when Kiz entered the room insisting they took a break after several hours.

"Thank the Weaver. Delta was starting to repeat himself again and Kii was falling asleep." Fifi said walking over to Kii who huffed. "Be as mad as you want Kii you need a rest. Ill join you and Kiz while My Brother gets to Know Ophelia."

Fifi was hard to dissuade when she got an idea. She took Kii's hand and practically dragged the tired Tallest away. Delta knew Lady Kii would scold her for such public displays. But Fifi never cared. 

Once the two left Delta turned to Tallest Ophelia and noticed a strangled expression. Delta laughed nervously and waved a hand. 

"My apologies my Swarmmate can be a shock to many." Delta said. Ophelia nodded.

"Are you not mad with her for Insubordination?" Ophelia asked. Delta shook his head. 

"No. How can I be? Fifi is my Swarmmate, my sister and our High War Priest. I would never ask her to change anymore than I would ask Lady Kii." Delta explained. "She and Lady Kii became good friends a while back, and for that I am glad. Neither fear speaking their minds, and though this may cause some problems they often move past those times with ease."

"Strange. Tallest Kii had informed me that your Hive has many different customs, I did not expect…" Ophelia trailed off and Delta figured out what she meant. 

"In Hive Cadaver anyone with a third eye, regardless of size, can become a High Priest. They run the Council of Rituals as we call them. Many decisions in regard to our practices must go through them first. Its incredibly rare for both the Tall gene and the Third Eye mutation to exist." Delta pointed to his own third eye in the center of his chest. It peered right at Ophelia through a white veil that draped over it. 

"As such the council ensures our practices remain intact, even when they must change. The Tallest, when lacking Priesthood training, do not get a say in such matters. Rather they run the day to day business for the Hive. Fifi is the High War Priest. She memorized every single ritual connected to war and preforms them regularly. As such she holds near equal control of our Hive's armies in these times." Delta explained.

"But you have the eye and the training. Yet you do not hold power above her." It wasnt a question. Ophelia stated it as fact. Delta smiled widely. 

"Well yes! We both went through priesthood training as cadets together. I did not reach my current Height until I was already a full fledged priest. I was something of a late bloomer. Fifi always protected me and helped me. As Tallest and a Priest I am in a rare and strange position. I have say over our customs but not enough to fully control it. However I am in charge of our day to day lives and alliances. I place my trust in Fifi and the rest of the Priests and advisors to ensure we maintain a proper balance of power. Hive Cadaver has always operated this way and it has done us well." Oohelia seemed to consider this before smiling.

"I was correct." Delta blinked in confusion. "You are an upstanding man Delta. You are aware of your duties and the emotions and wellbeing of those around you. I mean no offense when I say, you are ill suited for war. Had times been better, you would flourish beyond where you are now."

Delta blinked again, unsure what to say. Only for Ophelia to suddenly sidle up to him and firmly slapped his shoulder. 

"You are a fine friend to Tallest Kii. But why don't you ask her out?"

"EH?!" Delta squeaked and flushed, his whole head down to the tops of his shoulder turned deep purple once more. 

"I do not need to be an Oracle to see how you watch her. Yet you keep your distance!"

"It-I! I don't want to pressure her. Tallest Soxx already does that enough. My feelings are not worth hurting her." Delta admitted. He could not stop the twinge of sadness that laced his voice. "I will be content simply as her friend and ally."

"Hmmm. That is noble of you." Ophelia said, letting go of Delta's shoulder. "But its painful for you. Your love is strong. Strong enough to transcend the boundaries that all the living must follow. And I'm confident that you will one day get to show Kii how strong your love is. And how kind it is." 

It felt like a prophecy. It sounded like one too. Delta had received enough prophecies and messages from Lady Death to tell. But in this moment it did no good to linger on it. 

"Th-thank you Ophelia." Delta said with a sigh. "Now I believe we should catch up with my sister and Lady Kii before they decide to start throwing things." 

Ophelia laughed. "Yes, lets!"

[messinwitheddie]

Alright, new au drop:

Somehow Dava manages to visit (& possibly ally with) Hive Litore. While there, she meets drones with mutations she's only heard of in stories. Tallest Taig shows her their Tallest tapestries while recounting their histories. Dava marvels at the fisheries & other livestock kept deep underground. At the end of her visit, she's presented with rare pearls as a sign of their new friendship.

I know my submissions are a bit longer but hhhhnnn...I don't have the patience right now. Dava deserves nice things & look at her, she's having the time of her life! I also made Taig specifically for this au. I'm sure he exists out of it but sadly never met Dava in those.

Aw!!

I love this AU! Allies are hard to come by for tallests and friends are even harder. Dava certainly deserves a little fun in her reign.

Perhaps some weather disturbances or a mistake on the maps sent her troops off course.

She meets Tiag accidentally trespassing into his territory. He confronts her to address the possible threat she poses. They are evenly matched; admirable. She recognizes the details in his armor/ weapon during a customary pre-battle fight and immediately orders her soldiers to stand down so she may explain herself/ discover more about this new tallest/ hive.

Dava would have a ball being toured through Litore with tallest Tiag. He brings her smeethood fantasies to life by introducing the accurate story of Litore's past.

They enjoy a relaxing lounge on the shore together. She would gladly encourage him to info dump. Dava fears boring him with stories of motherhood/ her smeets before they joined basic training, but he finds them touching.

Dava offers him a metaphoracle key to her hive and a loyal military allegiance.

Sorry it took me forever to respond. Take care of yourself/ gather your energy. Hope you're feeling ok.

[monsoonceroom]

While Hive Litore is located in a forest, the sea was less than a mile away where Murkens lived in underwater caves. Every now & then, an Irken & Murken will come together to have hybrid children. These offspring have webbed fingers, toes, & antenna & a small fleshy tail. While not born with gills, they're renowned for the ability to hold their breath for several hours. Because of the lack of gills, these smeets were often given to the Irken parent instead of Murken one. However since most of these smeets were born outside of scheduled mating, they were usually abandoned if not outright killed.

Long before the first era, it was common practice to trap Murkens & force them to mate with Irkens. This came about when populations became too low &/or it was seen as beneficial to have smeets adapted to water. Hive Litore actually raised a navy as a result of this. However Murkens were kept in small crowded ponds & often died from poor sanitation. This affected the smeets as well since they were born sickly & usually also passed. It was finally ended by Tallest Osha who was a hybrid himself during the early mid-first era.

Relations between Hive Litore & the Murkens wouldn't start improving until Kuren proposed a trade agreement. It was rocky & uneasy at first, but became lucrative in later years as pearls were now available to lower class drones.

Friendly relations continued until pollution from industrialization began affecting Murken populations. Despite Litore's best attempts, full-blooded Murkens became extinct in two generations.

Their land dwelling descendants & stories of their race still lived on in Hive Litore until the late third era. It wasn't uncommon to have two normal looking Irkens have smeets with Murken features. One of these descendants was Tallest Ophelia's personal servant drone & friend, Ru (bottom left). After the Control Brains gained power, their stories were erased from history & their features locked deeply in modern Irkens' DNA.

[monsoonceroom]

My name is Thimble & I was of Hive Litore. I was part of Tallest Ophelia's wardrobe team alongside my superior's, Patch & Thred. Thred was the Head Seamstress while Patch & I were her assistants. Thred was traded away to Hive Cadaver so she could be with her life partner, Fifi. Patch took over as Head Seamstress & it was just the two of us. We still sent letters up until Thred was killed when Soxx attacked Hive Cadaver. We were devastated & our grief was compounded when Tallest Ophelia passed some time after.

Our time under Tallest Kii wasn't a pleasant one. While Tallest Ophelia was quiet & polite to her subjects, Tallest Kii was the exact opposite. She held no love for anyone in her hive or in Hive Litore aside from her aging coddle drone. Even then, she was sill known to lash out. While she was likely grieving the losses of Tallests Delta & Ophelia, it can only go so far.

The final straw was Kii allying with Soxx & Hitz. So, when there was a call for volunteers to go into deep space, many of my hive-mates agreed for the opportunity to leave; one of which was Patch. They went into the big clunky airship, left, & never came back. The rest of Irk never knew what happened to them. The ship could've come across any number of dangers in space or crash landed on some far-off planet. Either way, even with better technology that Irk now has, that first ship was never found.

I felt so alone when both Thred & Patch were gone. My only source of comfort was the Smeetery’s first test smeet, Lilip. Lilip was made using DNA from Fifi & Thred while they were alive. She was kept under observation for months to ensure her good health while her mothers perished in their Hive’s battle with Soxx. They did meet her on several occasions beforehand, though it pains me to know that they never saw her grow into the talented seamstress she became. I did my best to tell her stories of her mothers & her eyes always lit up when she heard them.

While I remained a seamstress, my ultimate goal was keep Hive Litore’s memory alive in the hope that the information could be used to inspire future change. When I spoke to my hive-mates, we spoke our native tongue in hushed whispers. When I took on apprentices, only those who I absolutely trusted were given knowledge of our history, relics, & language. To ensure total secrecy, I had a friend alter my apprentice’s paks so that memories of what they learned would be deleted upon death. I couldn’t risk the Tallests finding out what I was doing. I eventually passed & was replaced. Thankfully, my hive’s memory still lives on. We are mentioned in the smeet’s education, even if only a footnote.

The current Head Seamstress, Hemm, & her assistants carry our history now & are as tight lipped as their predecessors. When not making or mending their Tallest’s robes, they tend to the few relics that are left & give offerings to The Weaver & her swarm. When no one but I are around them, they speak & sing songs in Litorian. Milin struggles a bit with the language, but she’s still learning. They’ve been talking about spying for the Resisty, but are afraid it’s too bold of a move. I wish them the best of luck regardless of which path they choose.

I’ve since met up with my loved ones in the afterlife. Thred & Fifi reunited with Lilip upon her death & now taunt Soxx whenever they can. Patch did confirm that their ship did make it to a planet & they’ve since made a home there. Their descendants are much happier than those left behind on Irk. I think they call themselves Irthens now? I don’t remember. Tallest Ophelia reunited with her parents & even got to meet Tallest Kuren. I met him too & he’s just as kind as the stories made him out to be.

First picture left to right is Thred, Patch, & Thimble. Second picture is Fifi & Thred. Third picture is Fifi & Thred’s love-smeet, Lilip.

Oh boy, I finally got this out. Ever since I made the Wardrobe Trio I had plans to have them not be completely loyal to the Irken Empire. They still worship The Weaver & they can see The Unravelers. (They sometimes make tiny clothes for them too. The little guys absolutely love it.) The plot point with early deep space Irkens colonizing a new planet is pretty recent. I thought ‘What if mothman was Irken?’ & went from there.

There’s stuff I didn’t add since I haven’t made up my mind on whether or not to use it like a sacrificial cup/bowl combo thing. The cup part had silk burned so smoke could take it to The Weaver while the bowl contained snacks for The Unravelers. It was used for fertility festivals, times of hardship, & of general thanks for good fortune.  The two parts were separated with one half kept on Irk & the other went to space. It was going to be one of the few Hive Litore relics Hemm still had. Now that I’ve talked about it, I’ll probably use it. It’s not magical or anything but something about the lost first colony being found & reunited with Irkens. I don’t know where I’m going with this.

Gotta stop now or I’ll just keep rambling on. Tallests Kii, Soxx, & Hitz belong to @messinwitheddie​ & Delta, Fifi, & Hive Cadaver belong to @a-wanderin-whirlybird​.

[monsoonceroom]

It's very rare for smeets to meet both parents. If their mother didn't die in childbirth, their sire may die by either post-mating wounds or work related incidents before their smeets reached adulthood. It's also possible that they never meet simply because their paths never crossed within a large Hive.

For Tallest Ophelia she was one of the few exceptions. She was born to Oracle Pendel & his servant, Voona. Their swarm wasn't immediately taken to the Smeetery since they were to be observed for any signs of oracle traits. Ophelia was chosen to be Litore's next oracle & the rest is history.

[monsoonceroom]

After the death of The Colossus, Behemotta, the news took months to reach the edges of her empire. However, once it did, a power struggle erupted as various newly measured Tallests began to wage war against one another. Hive Lit was one of the pieces of this fractured empire under Tallest Arduus.

Arduus had been a young general shortly before he was Tallest & managed to keep his Hive afloat for a while. After several years, he realized they began losing more & more battles than they were winning. Even raids were no longer an option as it just meant losing thousands of soldiers for what could be only a few hundred prisoners. Humiliated & exhausted from war, Hive Lit migrated from their coastal home to a tropical region where they came across Hive Orrem.

Hive Orrem was ruled by Tallest Sula & well known in the region for having females that produced more silk than what was normal. Because of this, they could afford to create lavish tapestries without worry of silk scarcity. They were often commissioned by other hives to create depictions of their Tallests & victories. While not one of the most battle oriented hives, they were one of the wealthiest with a combination of their commissions & various mines that contained precious stones & metals.

Upon the meeting of the two hives, Orrem was quick to play host to the war weary Hive. Food & clothing were provided & an emergency fertility festival was held to assist with their dwindling population. The two lived side by side for several years as Orrem provided necessary resources while Lit recovered & fought off any Hive that looked to raid Orrem while teaching them how to raise it's own army.

Arduus eventually felt it was time to go back, though Sula was heartbroken to see him leave as the pair had become close. Plenty of provisions were packed along with a few soldiers for good measure. Along the way, Arduus raided a few hives; taking their resources & growing his army further. By the time they came back to their original home, they had the means to take back the lands they vacated. After they were settled, he sent word to Sula of their victory & asked if she wanted to combine hives. He received no word until Orrem arrived at their doorstep with a victory tapestry in Sula's arms. From then on they were referred to as Hive Litore.

Here's another IZ lore drop, everyone! It took a while trying to decide how Arduus would look from his armor to his facial features. Even his name took a while since I couldn't decide on any of them until now. Originally, I was going to have Hive Orrem be a migratory hive but decided against it.

First picture is Tallest Arduus in armor. It was more of a leather-like material as metal was scarce in his region & used mainly for weapons. Next to him is a common soldier with armor & a civilian drone.

Second picture is Tallest Sula with a common drone next to her. Underneath is a birth giver & a soldier in armor.

Hope you enjoyed this & happy holidays!

[monsoonceroom]

Lady Dodna was the last oracle of Hive Tunmar before it's destruction. She began prophesying during her smeethood & was often shunned by her peers for it. After predicting the death of a Tallest, it was thought she'd cursed him & she was chased out of the Hive. In the wilderness she further tuned her visions to the point where she could choose to see positive or negative events. One such vision showed Tunmar in the midst of a famine which she decided to assist. With her help, Tunmar managed to survive & become prosperous again. Dodna was then held in high regard, almost as much as a Tallest. She was given her own personal servants, one of which was Kirala.

During a festival to celebrate the new year, Tallest Blizzr asked what unfortunate events were to occur. The answer was Hive Tunmar's downfall within the coming year. Upon hearing this news, every able-bodied Irken was trained for war. As predicted, Hive Tunmar fell to Hive Litore with many of their smeets & females captured; one of which was Dodna. She managed to escape once they reached their destination but not before trying to convince Kirala to come with her. Kirala refused saying that she needed to exact revenge for Tunmar. After much begging & pleading, Dodna escaped alone. They both knew it would be the last time they'd see each other alive.

Over two centuries later, whispers of an oracle living in the woods surrounding Hive Litore were still rampant. By this time, Kuren had become Tallest & went out to seek her advice. His search didn't take long as she waited for him at the edge of the forest. Dodna led Kuren to her home where she gave several predictions to aid in battle. However, she also added that Kuren would sire swarms of which he was doubtful. Despite his skepticism he offered her a place in his hive, but she refused.

Dodna remained in the wilderness for several more years until she became pregnant with the swarm of a fellow oracle passing through the area. Due to her age, health, & the fact that this would be her second swarm, she didn't need a vision to know she wouldn't survive the birth. She asked for shelter in Hive Litore and she was welcomed with open arms. She continued prophesying up until her death, even in labor she never wavered. With her last breath, she thanked Kuren for his kindness before passing on.

Though her stay in Hive Litore was brief, her presence made an impact long after her death. Her written predictions offered advice & comfort for future Tallest's along with her descendants offering their services as oracles themselves. Her last known prophesying descendant was Tallest Ophelia whose swarm mates didn’t have such abilities. After Ophelia's passing, no other Irken has claimed visions of the future; at least none that others are aware of.

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Colored some Tallest's; from left to right & top to bottom is Taig, Osha, & Kuren. Don't really like how Kuren's skin came out, he's supposed to be practically albino but my markets wouldn't allow it. I'll probably use colored pencils for him next time.

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Aside from Chesher & the juju, the fuzzy Irkens in the above pic are the denizens of Kirala’s original hive; Hive Tunmar. Hive Tunmar was a small isolated community in the tundra that relied on hunting/gathering techniques for survival. Since food was especially scarce in their part of the world, they evolved to be omnivorous in order to be able to consume more types of food. Their clothing consisted of ornate cloaks with a simple dress underneath. Tallest Blizzr was their final tallest when Hive Litore raided & destroyed Hive Tunmar.

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage, Cannibalism, Death.

Tallest Kuren was one of Kirala’s smeets born to Hive Litore. He was a benevolent ruler who made sure his subjects were comfortable around him after witnessing the abuse at the hands of a previous tallest. He went so far as to write a code of etiquette for future Tallests. He was one of the few Tallests who managed to sire two swarms with his partner, Mirth; the first swarm with 75 smeets & the second swarm with 83 smeets. Shortly after the birth of his second swarm, Kuren later passed from his wounds following a battle. With these swarms, he created a lineage of Tallests who ruled until Hive Litore’s end in the late 3rd era. 

Tallest Chiri was announced the Tallest upon the death of Kuren. Though he accepted his position with grace, he was notoriously anxious upon his sudden coronation. He worried about not living up to his sire’s standards & carried around a copy of Kuren’s manuscript to ensure he conducted himself in a proper manner. 

Tallest Lemm & Tallest Amaranth were two tall smeets born in the same swarm. The physical trauma of birthing both of them killed their mother, Etna, shortly afterwards. The pair were as close as siblings could be after a battle that left them both seriously injured & relied on each other for survival. When Lemm became Tallest, Amaranth was his personal guard. Their relationship fell apart when an argument ensued on how best to run the hive. Lemm wanted to continue technological advancements while Amaranth though it best to preserve Irk’s environment as advised by the late Oracle Dodna’s written predictions. The two couldn’t find a compromise so Amaranth left Hive Litore to found Hive Hortica.

Hive Hortica was focused on the preservation of what was left of Irk’s plant & animal life. They primarily grew edible plants & created underground greenhouses. Being a new hive, the demand for soldiers was high which prompted Amaranth to attempt replenishing her army like Kuren had. She became pregnant but had bottomed out & passed away from blood loss. Her coordinator, Bubla, sent word of her death to Tallest Lemm. Lemm was devastated to hear of his sister’s passing since they never made up & blamed himself. He invited the rest of Hive Hortica to join Hive Litore which they accepted.  

Tallest Lemm did attempt to sire a swarm but was unsuccessful. This compounded with Amaranths death from her attempt left him depressed. He never made a second attempt.

Tallest Enesida was born to a swarm of 40 smeets. Upon her birth she was discovered to still be chewing on one of her unfortunate swarm mates who hadn’t had a chance at life. She was about to attack one of her living siblings when Tallest Lemm gave her a piece of cookie to prevent her from doing so. She’s well known for not only birthing a swarm as a Tallest but for her voracious appetite for meat. When animals were unavailable, she turned to any prisoners who would join the hive or servants that displeased her. Since blood was considered a nutritional food, she consumed copious amounts in the hope that it’ll help her conceive.

She did eventually become pregnant & had a swarm of 27 smeets. She is the only other Tallest aside from Kuren to be successful in having a swarm. Shortly after giving birth, she received news of an enemy hive on their way to attack. Enraged, she quickly jumped out of her birthing bed, grabbed her weapons, & summoned her army. She fought wearing her maternity gown instead of armor & some accounts say she even still held her smeets in her lower arms. She won the battle & had the enemy’s tall subjects rounded up & slaughtered. Enesida claimed the opposing hive for herself & asked the shorter inhabitants if they were against her ruling. One unfortunate drone vocalized his displeasure only to have his face bitten off by Enesida, thrown on the ground, & his head crushed in front of a horrified audience. No one else spoke out after that.

Oh boy, was that long! So there’s some history for you on Kirala’s & Kuren’s respective hives. Enesida isn’t their last Tallest, but the last one I have lore for before their actual last, Tallest Ophelia. I was planning on having her on this post as well but I accidentally deleted the picture in the draft & decided against putting it back since this is long enough. I will post Ophelia along with some info on Oracle Dodna at some point.

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As mentioned in a previous post, Tallest Ophelia was the last ruler of Hive Litore. She was also an oracle whose visions helped in various battles with other hives. Details are sketchy, but she managed to ally herself & befriend to some extent Tallest Kii. It wasn't uncommon to see the pair fighting side by side during a fight.

One of Ophelia's visions showed her hive being attacked and destroyed by an enemy hive. To keep her people alive, she had the civilian drones sent to Kii to join her Hive while her & her army fought their final battle. It was over by the time Kii arrived & Ophelia was barely alive. She asked Kii to take her eyes upon her death & gave her final prediction: "Kii, smeetie, don't be afraid to die. When you experience true death, love will greet you".

Well that's the end of Hive Litore but I’ll still post stuff on it when the inspiration strikes me. Tallest Kii belongs to @messinwitheddie​

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Those outside of Hive Litore very much do find Ophelia’s appearance unsettling since pincers & setae hair have become rare traits over time. It also doesn’t help that meat is occasionally eaten in her hive & Tallest Enesida has been a boogeyman (boogeywoman?) for many millennia.

Within her own hive, Ophelia is the pinnacle of beauty. Furry scarves, boas, & feathered antennae extensions have been in fashion for ages. Tall puffed collars are typically an option for the warrior classes who don't wish to have an accessory that could potentially be used to strangle them.

For Hive Litore’s residents, what they find intimidating about Ophelia is her quiet & reserved demeanor. It’s not uncommon to see her silently wandering the hive as if she were a spirit. There’s been several instances where a drone would turn around & become startled when they find her standing there without so much as a whisper. When she does speak, there’s sometimes a prophecy included in the conversation aimed at the drone she’s speaking to; usually about some unfortunate circumstance. They do their best to understand she’s just looking out for them, making sure the hive is running as is & to be alert. Still, the manner in which she does it is no less creepy.

Ophelia herself finds comfort in solitude & has the Unravelers to keep her company if she is lonely. However as Tallest, she realizes the need to socialize with those in & outside of Hive Litore. She’s gotten better at doing so since allying with Kii & Delta but will occasionally withdraw from conversation when she feels her input is no longer necessary.

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Before Kuren & Mirth became Hive Litore's most famous couple, they started out as a soldier & kitchen drone respectively.

Under Tallest Hesso, a stage was built in the mess hall for singers to keep up the hive's moral. Mirth managed to become a singer but only as backup or a replacement lead due to her height. Kuren developed a crush during the few shows he was able to see her in which his friends found odd since there were ‘taller & prettier females to gawk at’. 

After one performance where Mirth stood in for a lead singer, she was pushed off stage & onto someone’s food. She was laughed out of the mess hall followed by Kuren who consoled her & offered a cookie. The two struck up a friendship which became romance later down the line. They didn’t see one another too often early in their relationship since Kuren was usually at war. However, the distance only made them long for the other. At some point, Mirth began doing solo entertainment work outside the mess hall which consisted of humorous songs & jokes. 

Once Kuren became Tallest, she was his official jester & they rarely left one another’s side. Whether it was in the battlefield or taking a stroll through the hive, they were always together. Two weeks following the birth of their second swarm, Kuren had to go into battle. Though her spooch floor wasn’t yet healed, she still insisted on coming with him. Mirth was killed in the fight while Kuren lived long enough to be taken back to his hive’s medical ward where he then passed. Even in death, the lovers weren’t separated as Tallest Chiri made sure they were burned together in the funeral pyre.

I was thinking about posting several Irken couples, but I thought about doing this instead. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

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Depictions of The Weaver

The first picture of The Weaver is hundreds of thousands if not millions of years old. Since in Irk's creation story, she had given up most of her eyes, she was usually shown with only one eye. Silk is shown coming from her hands while being surrounded by celestial bodies above her & Irkens & animals below.

The first variation was the appearance of an Unraveler giving The Weaver silk. Other variants that followed included a multi-eyed Weaver & a pregnant Weaver. These differences were not mutually exclusive & several (or sometimes all) could be found on a single portrait. Pregnant Weavers were especially popular during fertility festivals & were frequently prayed to by expecting mothers in the hopes of easy births & large swarms.

During the First Era, The Weaver was shown not only using a loom, but also wearing clothes. This was because nudity became highly offensive around this time & to depict a divine being nude was seen as sacrilege punishable by death. The only time it was acceptable to show The Weaver nude was during fertility festivals. Other hives that still openly displayed nude Weavers outside of fertility festivals were considered barbaric.

Something that also started during the First Era were Presenting Weavers. This image showed The Weaver holding a smeet version of the reigning Tallest. This was a huge divergence from previous Weaver pictures which usually showed her creating. Around this time, many Tallests mythologized their births by claiming that they were The Weaver’s smeet & therefore had the divine right to rule. Some were successful in their efforts while many others were not.

By the late Second Era, pictures of The Weaver in some areas were replaced by Tallest Dava. The story of her birthing three swarms had some convinced that she was The Weaver in a mortal body. This idea was considered sacrilege by enemy hives & anyone caught worshiping Dava were executed.

When the late Third Era rolled around, The Weaver was seen as a myth by most hives, but there were still many others who worshipped her & her children. Images of her were still made but mainly for storybooks for smeets. Those that still saw her as a goddess had since gone back to her creating the universe & an Unraveler handing her silk. 

Pictures of The Weaver were mainly destroyed &/or lost due to constant wars & changes on how she should be presented over time. The few that remain were conserved by Tallest Kii after receiving Hive Litore following Tallest Ophelia’s death. Most of these images have since been locked away somewhere within Irk’s deepest vaults.  

Been wanting to do this for a while & finally got around to doing it. I just thought it’d be fun seeing how The Weaver changes over time. Hemm & her assistants do have a picture of The Weaver, but since this is supposed to be more academic-ish, I didn’t think mentioning a smuggled artifact would be appropriate. I also thought I posted this ages ago, but apparently not since I found it in drafts, so here it is now.

Dava & Kii belong to @messinwitheddie