Hive, the
Realm of Apshai
Location: Outlands / the Hive
No berk, not that Hive. We’re not talking about the slummy no-go part of the Cage, this is the realm of Apshai, the Egyptian power of insects in the Outlands. Now this spot ain’t your average realm where angels strum heavenly harps; it’s like stepping into many berks’ worst nightmare.
First, you’ve got this towering spire, so tall it’s like it’s trying to give the sky a poke. And it ain’t just tall; it’s crawling with ants, big as barmy fiends, scuttling up and down like they own the place. This tower, it’s the calling card of the Hive, a sinister beacon in a desert land that’s more alive than dead.
But the real dark of the Hive? That’s under your boots, cutter. It’s a maze of tunnels down there, each a squirming, writhing mass of bugs. And we ain’t talking garden-variety creepy-crawlies. These are the stuff of nightmares—hordes of beetles, centipedes, and critters that’d make even a tanar’ri’s skin crawl. They’re all over, a living carpet of chitin and mandibles, in a frenzy of feeding and breeding.
There’s the chant that these tunnels are like portals, leading to every prime where the Egyptian powers are known. But no sod’s ever come back to say if this rumour’s true. And to be honest, not that many have tried.
The vibe in the Hive? It’s enough to curdle your blood. The air’s thick with the buzz and skitter of a billion bugs. The walls are slick with… well, you don’t wanna know. And every so often, you catch a glimpse of something in the shadows, watching you with far too many eyes.
And let’s not forget about Apshai. This ain’t just a bug’s nest; it’s the domain of a god whose mind is as alien as the realm he lords over. The bugs, they’re more than just critters; they’re parts of Apshai himself, his eyes, ears, and maybe even bits of his brain. Step into the Hive, and you’re in a world where the rules are written by a god as bizarre as they come. It’s a place of both dread and awe, a stark reminder that even a god of bugs can conjure up a realm of unfathomable strangeness and terror. Even when they’re not trying to scare you.
Canonical Source: On Hallowed Ground [2e] p86-76 (brief power and realm description)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt