Shek'zeer (swarm)

The Shek'zeer are a swarm of mantid both loyal to and named for their empress: Shek'zeer. They primarily operate near the Clutches of Shek'zeer in the Dread Wastes, near the Heart of Fear, gathering their forces in hopes of overrunning the Serpent's Spine.

If any word were to describe the Shek'zeer swarm, it would be lazy. Their local Vess-Guard's strength is derived from genetic augmentations, rather skill or experience. Their manipulators do not form actual bonds with their kunchong, but rather imprison them, before binding them with sonic whispers. Perhaps most damningly of all, their swarmlings are rapidly matured and saturated with sha energy via Dread Amber Shards that are shaped into foci, rather than maturing properly. These newly hatched swarmborn are unfit for the swarm, driven not by the instinct to kill or feed, but rather by the terror that has been imbued in them. As one might imagine, the Klaxxi are outraged by these "shortcuts."

Even so, however, the Shek'zeer mantid are still a threat. Their Amber Blades, which they carry with pride, are some of the finest in the empire; and their fliers have exceptional agility and endurance, though it is unknown if this is due to training or more genetic modifications. As a defensive measure, they hid pheromone mines around the entrance to the imperial palace, foreseeing the potential of an invading army. They have an unrivaled knowledge of distilling kypari sap, which they use to make a delicious, nutrient-filled elixir. Furthermore, they were seemingly able to disable one of the Klaxxi's sonic relays, near the palace. Their greatest achievement, had they succeeded, however, would have been the corruption of Malik the Unscathed, a paragon of the Klaxxi. Thankfully, the wakener intervened before this could occur.

• <Kunchong Matriarch>