The barren deserts of Barathos don't hold much support for life, with very little water and barely any food, only the most resilient of creatures tend to survive there.
To this end, insects are extremely prevalent across the land, as their ability to survive off minimal resources gives them a great advantage over their mammalian counterparts.

The Hive King is a creature so aptly named because of its extreme similarities to hive queens of many insect species. The key difference here though, is that rather than the workers of the colony defending the hive, the Hive King defends it single-handedly, and to devastating effect.
The workers are therefore left to produce offspring to continue the hive, while the king acts as a sort of sleeping guardian.

Once awoken, the Hive King will viciously attack any intruders of the hive until they cease to be alive, utilising its tough outer shell and sharp pincers to overpower its opponent.
Workers that notice the Hive King's offense may sometimes come to its aid, adding even more trouble to whichever poor creature made the mistake of venturing within.