Editing Cephalyx (section)

==Hive Tiers==
The lowest castes of a hive oversee fundamental infrastructure and maintenance in the Hive Infrastructure Tier. Examples include food production, waste elimination, construction and overseeing reproduction centers. Typically, these tasks are handled by young cephalyx or elders that have failed to augment themselves or have suffered brain damage due to failed augmentation procedures. They are led by the lowest status leadership tiers, who need to demonstrate superlative performance both in themselves and their charges to hope to advance. Still, no cephalyx engages in menial labor - all physical tasks are handled by drudges, the creation of which is one of the first things a young cephalyx must learn.

Part of this Tier is also the highly specialized Preservers, who function as the living archives of the species. Their mental powers are specialized to the tasks of brain probing without hurting their subjects, an impossibility for more powerful cephalyx, whose telepathic probes can strip an indvidual of knowledge but lead to irreversible damage.

The next Tier is Priority Operations. This caste mainly practices cephalomek. Higher castes within this Tier are engaged in research. Subjects include refining drudge and monstrosity creation, brain manipulation and enhancement and field operations as Mind Benders, Agitators and Dominators. These activities are mainly project-based and individual cephalyx can shift between different projects depending on interests and aptitude. The highest level of this Tier are the Cognifexes, who run autonomous advanced research projects.

The Leadership Tier are composed of Overlords, Akulons, Silexus and Exulons. Overlords are the lowest level, typically organized into trios that complete tasks while involved in intense competition. The Akulons are the mid-level management, directing multiple Overlord teams. Silexus govern resource allocation and serve as the link to the Exulons. They are not present in every hive and are appointed by the Exulons.

The Exulons are the supreme rulers of a cephalyx hive. Years of competition, augmentation and development have given these access to unsurpassed longevity procedures and resistance to disease and decay. An Exulon can mentally dominate any of his subordinates and must be able to resist domination by multiple junior rivals to keep their positions. They require the mental energy of sentient minds to function at optimal capacity and have a great hunger for this. Exulons are not well suited for cooperation amongst themselves - most hives can only maintain an equilibrium under the direction of a small group of Exolons. To rise to this level, and Akulon or Silexus must be able to resist domination by other Exulons and grudgingly be allowed its position, which is typically achieved in secret as existing Exulons do not look kindly on new rivals upsetting the equilibrium. Meetings between Exulons are intense affairs, akin to invisible battles in which the strongest mind or coalition of minds make the losers back down.