Apothecary bee

Apothecary bee

(Creature)

Common

Tiny

Animal

Level

7

Adjective

Apothecary bee

Source: Howl of the Wild, pg(s). 125

Ⅱ

While apothecary bees are similar to larger honey bees, they pollinate medicinal herbs and magical flowers, and the honey they produce functions as naturally processed and sweetened potions.

Appearance

Worker apothecary bees resemble regular bees—black-and-yellow alternating stripes over the body, six legs, antennae, translucent wings, barbed sting—but are significantly larger measuring about one foot in length.

Abilities

Apothecary bees can create within themselves viscous and sweet potions whose effects are determined by the precise combination of nectar they ingest; though, this is usually a healing potion. It takes about two weeks to manufacture each potion.

An apothecary bee's complex eyes allow it to perceive the aura of magical potions, even through a standard container, and it can instinctively identify what the potions are and whether it can make them. This ability does not extend to non-magical liquids, such as alchemical elixirs. An apothecary bee can slurp up a potion from such a container.

Whether self-manufactured or ingested, an apothecary bee can store only one potion at a time. While carrying a potion, its abdomen noticeably swells and usually changes color to match the potion. It can use the stored potion itself and maximizes any healing properties it may contain for itself; or it can inject the potion into a willing creature.

Apothecary bees have darkvision. Like other bees, they have a poisonous stinger and become sluggish when exposed to heavy smoke.

Ecology and habitat

Once established, an apothecary beehive is self-sustaining. Apothecary bees store excess potions in waxy cells within their nest. The potion types that a hive makes change with the available flowers, which varies with the local climate and seasons.

Domestication

Many would-be apothecary beekeepers have experimented with domestication and influencing what potions the insects produce, though this is a dangerous and expensive pursuit, it can yield potentially high profits. Innovations in making apothecary bee gardens and harvesting techniques are valuable and closely guarded secrets, even methods that produce defective and cursed potions.

After creating a magical garden for the bees, an apothecary beehive will likely survive independently, though attempts to direct their behavior can still be made to influence the potions created.

Most mitflit beekeepers end up absorbed into the insects' social structure.

On Golarion

Apothecary bee gardens abandoned in ancient times can be found along the Sphinx River in Osirion.

Surki communities that came to the surface in the most recent generation dig from under the Sarkoris Scar have quickly started to create habitats and to use their magic sense to tend massive fields for large hives near Sarkoris. Surkis see such work as a "trade" between themselves and the bees. The surki Whose Antenna Is Askew comments how apothecary bees make tasty potions more efficiently than the best brewers they know.

Some followers of Calistria and Norgorber take an interest in apothecary bee techniques, and even find uses for any defective potions yielded.