Scorvian Queendom

Overview

The Scorvian Queendom is a matriarchal society of giant, sentient scorpions, dwelling in the hidden depths of the Scorpion Hills. Ruled by the enigmatic Great Mother and her Broodmothers, they are both feared predators and revered guardians of the desert’s ancient balance. With their venomous stingers, fortified lairs, and deep spiritual connection to the desert and stars, the Scorvians embody the harsh, merciless beauty of the shifting sands. Fiercely territorial and deeply isolationist, they are as much a mystery as they are a threat.

Origins & History

The Scorvian Queendom is one of the oldest societies in the desert, older than many of the human tribes that now claim dominion. Tales among Desertborne shamans say the Scorvians were born from the blood of the desert itself, their ancestors shaped from molten stone and venom under the burning gaze of the sun. For centuries, they thrived unseen in the Scorpion Hills, emerging only when intruders threatened their sacred lands.

Conflicts with humans and orcs are remembered in their carvings, yet the Scorvians see themselves not as conquerors, but as guardians of balance. They strike with patience and precision, ensuring that those who disrespect the desert pay a swift and final price.

Appearance & Identity

Scorvians are giant, sentient scorpions, their bodies covered in hardened chitinous exoskeletons that shimmer in shades of sand, gold, and obsidian. Their venomous stingers are not just weapons but also symbols of authority, each carrying toxins unique to its bearer. Their many eyes glow faintly in the desert night, reflecting the stars they claim as ancestral spirits.

Though insectoid in form, Scorvians are highly intelligent. They wield simple tools of stone, bone, and metal, using their pincers with surprising dexterity. Their artistry is remarkable: ancient stone carvings mark their lairs, depicting constellations, desert spirits, and the triumphs of their Great Mothers.

Culture & Society

The Queendom is matriarchal, ruled by the Great Mother, whose will is law. Beneath her are the Broodmothers, who oversee individual clutches and territories, acting as governors, priestesses, and generals. Males are vital but hold lesser roles, serving primarily as warriors, laborers, and hunters.

Scorvians value loyalty, cunning, and survival above all else. To betray the Queendom is to be exiled into the desert—a fate worse than death. Their spirituality centers on the desert as a living entity, its shifting sands seen as the breath of their ancestors, who shine eternally in the constellations above.

Rites often involve venom rituals: younglings proving their maturity by surviving diluted venom trials, and warriors sharpening their stingers with sacred poisons before battle.

Territory

The Scorvian Queendom rules over the Scorpion Hills, a rugged expanse of arid land defined by steep, rocky ridges and sparse, thorny vegetation. The land is treacherous for outsiders—its terrain hides countless burrows, cliffs, and natural ambush points.

Here lie their fortified lairs and hive-strongholds, the greatest of which is Skor-Dhum, an ancient fortress carved into the very rock of the hills. Skor-Dhum is said to be a labyrinth of twisting tunnels, venom-filled traps, and vast chambers where the Broodmothers gather beneath the gaze of the Great Mother herself.

Few non-Scorvians have ever set foot in Scorpion Hills and lived to tell the tale. For most, the land itself is warning enough.

Relations

The Scorvians are intensely isolationist, caring little for the affairs of other races. They neither trade nor seek alliances, for they consider their Queendom self-sufficient under the will of the Great Mother.

A unique exception to their seclusion is the Oasis of Truce, located at the fringes of the Scorpion Hills. Each year, on the first days of spring, emissaries from Desertborne Human and Sand Elves tribes and the Scorvian Queendom meet there to renew their non-hostile understanding. No weapons are drawn, and no blood is spilled under the shade of the oasis’ palm trees. While fragile, this tradition has endured for generations, ensuring at least a minimal bond of respect between the Scorvians and their neighbors.

To most others— orcs, dwarves, and lizardfolk—the Scorvians remain implacable predators, guardians of a deadly land that tolerates no intrusion. For their part, the Queendom views outsiders as reckless children trampling upon sacred ground.

Reputation

To the peoples of the desert, the Scorvian Queendom is a name whispered with awe and fear. Caravans detour far from the Scorpion Hills, and tribes teach their young to respect the Queendom’s domain. Tales speak of glowing eyes in the night, of stingers that strike from the shadows, and of Skor-Dhum’s labyrinth where intruders vanish forever.

To their enemies, they are merciless hunters. To those rare few who respect them, they are guardians of the desert’s most ancient and sacred balance.