The Queen's Nest

The Queen's Nest is not merely a chamber, but the pulsating heart of the Chitinous Hive, a bio-organic cathedral where The Queen K'tharr reigns supreme. It is located deep within the Iron-Grip Mountains, nestled within the Hive's labyrinthine tunnels, far from any light or hope. Forget stone or metal; the Nest is crafted from a living chitinous weave, constantly secreted and reshaped by the countless drones that serve their queen. The air is thick with a cloying sweetness and the relentless drone of the swarm, a symphony of hunger and propagation.

Geography within the Nest defies easy description. It is a space of constant flux. Pools of viscous liquid pulse with life, and the walls breathe with the rhythm of the Swarm. The primary structure is a massive, chitinous throne upon which the Queen K'tharr lies, a grotesque monument to fertility and destruction. The Chitin Weave forms a protective barrier, and tunnels lead to the Umbral Divide.

Besides the Queen, the Nest is inhabited by her most loyal brood: grotesquely swollen breeder drones, heavily armored warrior drones, and bizarre manipulator drones, whose purpose is to maintain the Queen and her domain. One new variant is a Resonance Drone, which seems to be able to control the Auric Resonance within the area.

Historically, the Nest has always been the epicenter of the Chitinous Swarm’s influence. Destroying the nest may finally stop the Great Unmaking. Attempts to penetrate its defenses have always ended in utter failure, the bodies of intruders absorbed into the ever-growing biomass of the Hive. The Forgotten Smith may have had visions of this place, in the Vault of Whispers. The Silent Monks of Durin's Peak fear its power, while the Order of the Azure Hand seeks a means to eradicate it with a Celestial Alignment Ritual. The Crimson Cartographers have mapped the Hive’s expansion, knowing it will end in tragedy. Even the Cobalt Corsairs have been brought down, their airships nothing but chitin after falling here. There is hope, with the rediscovery of the Runes of Lumina, to purify the area. Perhaps access can be gained via the Warped Gates. New discoveries may come from the Lost Pilgrims, as they search for a way to fight back. Their story may one day be told in the Chapter of Decay.