Apothecary bee
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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.1
Appearance
Apothecary bee workers are about 1 foot long with yellow and black stripes.1
Abilities
Apothecary bees produce syrupy-sweet potions whose effects are determined by the precise combination of nectar they ingest twice a week, which is usually a healing potion. An apothecary bee's complex eyes allow it to perceive the aura of magical potions, even through mundane containers, and can instinctively identify what they are and whether they 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 a container but can store only one potion at a time. While carrying a potion, their abdomen noticeably swells and usually changes color as the potion. They can use the stored potion and maximize any healing properties for itself, or inject it into a willing creature.1
Apothecary bees have darkvision. Like other bees, they have a poisonous stinger and become sluggish when exposed to heavy smoke.1
Ecology and habitat
Once establish a Apothecary beehives is self sustaining. Apothecary bees store excess potions in waxy cells within their nest. The potions a hive makes changes with the available flowers, varying with the seasons.1
Society
Many would be Apothecary beekeepers have experimented with domestication and influencing what potions the insects produce, which is a dangerous and expensive pursuit with high payoff. Innovations in making Apothecary bee gardens and harvesting techniques are valuable closely guarded secrets, even if they produce defective and cursed potions.
After creating the magical garden and attempts to direct their behavior, an apothecary beehive will survive independently.1
Most mitflits end up absorb into the insects' social structure.1
On Golarion
Apothecary bee gardens abandoned in ancient time can be found along the Sphinx River in Osirion.
Surki communities the came to the surface the most recent generation dig from under the Sarkoris Scar2 have quickly started to create habitats and using their magic sense tend massive fields for large hives near Sarkoris as part of a "trade".13
Followers of Calistria and Norgorber take interest with Apothecary bee techniques even if they yield defective potions.1
Whose Antenna Is Askew comments how Apothecary bee's make tasty potions more efficiently then best they brewers know.1
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 “Apothecary Bee” in Howl of the Wild, 125. Paizo Inc., 2024 .
- ↑ “Surki Ancestry” in Howl of the Wild, 46. Paizo Inc., 2024 .
- ↑ Not in direct text but the most recent dig likely is referencing the one in Sarkoris mentioned earlier in the Howl of the Wild p.46