Hive Federation

[mmarquee]

Hi

I have been thinking about the make up of the Hive Federation. The population is 90% Hiver, and has about 170+ non-Hiver 'Minor Races', amongst them the Ithklur, Gurvin, Za'tachk and Prt' (although they are sort of non-Canon).

Does anyone think that these races have internal 'states', cultural areas, etc. Is there a Gurvin Autonomous Region, an Ithklur Cultural Region, etc.

Would there also be Hiver regional centres ?

Any one else loosing sleep over this?

Mark H

 

[mike wightman]

Yup, the Hive federation has always been of great interest for me.

During the great Spica sector development a few years back I tried to track down everything written about the Hive federation. My principle sources were the CT Alien module, the TNE Hivers and Ithklur book and GURPS Hivers

Cultural regions would make a lot of sense. There is a great secret to be discovered about the human races within the federation.

It also wouldn't surprise me if the Hivers hadn't transplanted a K'kree colony or two for "study" purposes

 

[mmarquee]

Canon information

I think the available documents reflect what the Federation wants outsiders to know.

 

[whulorigan]

I think the available documents reflect what the Federation wants outsiders to know.

How do you know that simply isn't what they want you to think?

 

[whulorigan]

Cultural regions would make a lot of sense. There is a great secret to be discovered about the human races within the federation.

While this would not at all be surprising, is it explicitly mentioned in a particular Aliens Module, or is just an IMTU thing? (Just curious, as I don't recall having seen a particular reference to that effect, and I would be interested in going and re-reading that documentation).

 

[mike wightman]

It's either in the TNE Hiver book or its something Dave Nilsen mentioned in his massive Q&A thread.

I'll do a trawl and try to dig it up unless someone gets there first

 

[HiverLord]

It's either in the TNE Hiver book or its something Dave Nilsen mentioned in his massive Q&A thread.

I quick-read through Nilsen's Q&A. If I didn't read through too quickly (a distinct possibility), it implies that the Hivers are "spending an aweful lot of time" trying to find a way to manipulate Humans into something acceptable, so far unsuccessfully. Apparently the Humans know something the Hivers don't... at least according to Hiver thought.

I didn't find anything else in there about the topic specifically.

It also says that the Ithklur attempted to adopt some human cultural history as their own in an effort to open communication/dialog with humans about their common culture elements, the Hivers, etc.

Hope this helps, assuming I read it correctly. (Time for a long re-read later)

 

[mike wightman]

Here is the section from Dave's Q&A:

The first book of the epic was going to be called "Terminal Manipulation."
Heather and Joy would lead the characters to a world on the Hiver frontier.
This world had once been within Hiver space, but was part of the area that
was lost to Virus, and is still not incorporated back into Hiver control.
On this world there are some archeological digs going on that the players
become involved in.

What they notice about these digs is that there was a civilization of humans
on this planet in the past, although the planet has no sapient life now.
Further research will show a layer of radioactive debris that shows that
the human life was destroyed by a massive nuclear strike. Mo' better further
research can date this strike to the decade following first Hiver contact
with Interstellar humans. The Hivers were attempting to manipulate this
human race into another useful subject race when they realized that this
would not look good to these new aggressive, expansionist interstellar
humans, so the Hiver in charge invoked a terminal manipulation to destroy
the evidence. Upon discovering this, the party and Ithklur realize that
they were in fact pawns in another manipulation, and that there are Hivers
springing a trap on them. Knowing that the Ithklur had discovered this site
and would bring humans to see it, they had waited to capture the entire
group and engage in another terminal manipulation to ensure that the
secret stayed buried. "Terminal Manipulation" would end (assuming the
players don't dork it up) with their witnessing an ancient and rare
ritual as the Ithklur ranking Exposer of Deceit exacts vengeance on
their Hiver opponent, with the Hiver's consent.

Subsequent installments of the story would take the party deeper into
Hiver space, now with Hiver confederates where they will discover the truth
about other deeply concealed subject human races in the Federation, as well
as the truth about the Ithklur autonomous area, where live the untamed
Ithklur, and their quid pro quo with their "masters" the Hivers. This would
reveal the structure of the true relationship between Hiver and Ithklur, the
nature of the "hands across the truth" organization, and provide the RC
another ally in the form of the Ithklur who would eventually be instrumental
in meeting the threat of the Black Curtain.

As I've said above, if there's only one single thing I hate myself for being
unable to finish, it's the Hiver-Ithklur storyline. But I also hope that I can
remember it all.

I really wish Dave had the chance to write this in full

 

[whulorigan]

I quick-read through Nilsen's Q&A. If I didn't read through too quickly (a distinct possibility), it implies that the Hivers are "spending an aweful lot of time" trying to find a way to manipulate Humans into something acceptable, so far unsuccessfully. Apparently the Humans know something the Hivers don't... at least according to Hiver thought.

I didn't find anything else in there about the topic specifically.

It also says that the Ithklur attempted to adopt some human cultural history as their own in an effort to open communication/dialog with humans about their common culture elements, the Hivers, etc.

Hope this helps, assuming I read it correctly. (Time for a long re-read later)

Here is the section from Dave's Q&A:

I really wish Dave had the chance to write this in full

I wish Dave Nilsen had written more about this also. I remember when I first read about the Ithklur in TNE Aliens of the Rim, I was really peeved about the whole San*Klaas thing with the red Christmas hat. Then I read in his article about what was behind it all and I did a complete 180-degree on my opinion and really liked the racial-cultural concept a lot.

I think I have a comlpete copy of Dave Nilsen's interview somewhere. I'll have to go dig it out and check out the TNE Aliens of the Rim book a little closer as well.

Thanks for the references.

 

[mmarquee]

Published Federation Details

Gurps Alien Races ....

"Hivers do not form a majority but are the largest single group (45%). The others in order of size : Are Gurvin (15%), Za'tachk (13%), Humans (8%), Ilhklur (7% - not counting the independent client state), and others including the Young Worlds (12%)."

From Aliens of the Rim (p.16) ....

"The interstellar empire of the Hivers is technically a federation group of states, each internally independent, which have joined together into a union to which they have surrendered certain rights and responsibilities (concerning foreign affairs primarily). This federation is less centralized than a republic or an empire, but more united than a confederation or casual alliance"

From Aliens of the Rim (p.65) ....

"The Hive Federation is an interstellar government formed from a coalition of individual worlds and a few multiworld groupings."