Citheronian

The Citheronians are a carnivorous species from Hive Regalis.

Biology
They resemble Matryoshka dolls, however the appearance belies their vicious tendencies, as the top of their heads, when exposed revealed a five-split mouth. A single Citheronian was shown to eviscerate a company of trained mercenaries. The true form of a Citheronian is actually serpentine worm with near invulnerable skin. A healthy Citheronian can consume the equivalent of its body weight in a day. Though certain members have been known to grow to monstrous proportions, several dozens of meters tall.

Some members of the Citheronians have the potential to become queens, though this is extremely rare, and those individuals that display signs of wanderlust are indicate to be potential queens that must be eliminated for the greater good.

It is unknown how long their lifespan is, but the current queen of the Citheronians is said to be nearly a million years old.

History
Thirty thousand years ago, the Citheronians were not a united races, by a species fraught with infighting between queens and their respective colonies. The Scorchers played a part in uniting the Citheronians, presumably through subterfuge in order to end the ceaseless fighting, ensuring only one queen exists to rule the species.

Culture
It was noted that the Citheronians were a fairly primitive race. Though this was mostly to describe their social development and not their technological development, as the Imperium Ascendant, admitted that the species were one of the few races in the galaxy that could stand against the ancient might of the Scorchers.

Their technological capabilities are shone to be just as advanced in celestial engineering. For like the Scorchers who harness the core of several worlds to build a planet, the Citheronians have built and vast hive around their world to harness its energy.

Due to their aggressive appetites, the Alliance placed their world on a watch list. Socially, they appear to be built on a hive structure. Citheronians go on pilgrimages outside their world for two years. After the two years are done, all Citheronians are to report back to the homeworld. Strangely those that return back are never heard from again. Members that return from outside of the hive are confined under the care of "aunts" until they have been determined to be clean of taint.

According to one of their members, the Citheronians are highly distrustful of non-conformity, though have a sense of morality against genocide and deception. They are a race that appreciate the beauty of symmetry and balance.

Members that defy tradition are usually punished to be consigned to be members of the lowest caste.

Appearances

 * 2000 AD Issue 2162: Proteus Vex: Another Dawn: Part One by Michael Carroll (2019)
 * 2000 AD Issue 2164: Proteus Vex: Another Dawn: Part Three by Michael Carroll (2020)
 * 2000 AD Issue 2165: Proteus Vex: Another Dawn: Part Four by Michael Carroll (2020)
 * 2000 AD Issue 2169: Proteus Vex: Another Dawn: Part Five by Michael Carroll (2020)
 * 2000 AD Issue 2212: Proteus Vex: Shadow Chancellor: Part One by Michael Carroll (2020)
 * 2000 AD Issue #2223: Proteus Vex: The Shadow Chancellor Part 11 (2021)
 * 2000 AD Issue #2312: Proteus Vex: Crawlspace Part One (2022)