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"Were it that we had more time to prepare against such a potential foe. But we shall do our best to free your village of this oppression. I'm sorry we could not arrive before your demise Edric."
He waves his hand and the tip of his spear near the corpse. "May you walk among the animals and sing upon the breeze in your new life."
Bowing his head, Gentlestorm carefully considers their options. "We could bring dried leaves to create smoke. But I feel that'd be too obviously playing our hand for the Bee-man."
Alessandria catches his eyes particularly, "Might you have a way to pacify them when we meet should things turn for the worst, beyond simply incinerating them?"
"My way is not a way of peace. Flames burn, claws tear."
"Like, does anyone have any flayleaf? I know, like, smoking usually kills, but maybe here it can start saving?"[/]b Kilitsi suggests. [b]"What if we put the leaves in something so it wasn't obvious? Do we have paper we could use to, like, make a present. Though if the bees are reporting back, Vernon may already know we're here."
Edric directs you to the town's workshop. Divided into several rooms, this workshop provides space for carpentry, milling, and blacksmithing as needed. It’s also a storage space for tools, including artisan tools for woodworking and smithing, as well as a superb repair kit. Most residents have learned to handle bees unprotected, yet there are three swarmsuits here for dealing with difficult hives. In addition, there are five handheld smokers for subduing bees.
UNCOMMON
Price 20 gp
Usage attached to explorer’s clothing; Bulk L
These thick, overlapping layers of clothing are coupled with a matching hat, outfitted with mesh netting around its wide brim to keep you safe from insects. You gain resistance 3 to physical damage from swarms. Explorer’s clothing altered in this way has a Dexterity cap of +2, check penalty of –1, and Speed penalty of –5 feet regardless of your Strength.
UNCOMMON
Price 1 gp
Usage held in 1 hand
Activate[two-actions] (manipulate): This device resembles a teapot with a trigger. When filled with cloth fuel (worth 1 cp) and lit, it smolders and gradually fills with smoke for 10 minutes, during which time you can squeeze the trigger to spray smoke.
Spray Smoke [one-action] (manipulate);
Frequency once per minute;
Effect: You expel smoke into an adjacent 5-foot square. All creatures in that area are concealed, and other creatures are concealed to them. The smoke lasts for 1d4 rounds or until dispersed by strong wind.
Once you are ready, you head into Amberhill's town hall. It is a single room with a peaked ceiling and exposed rafters. Simple wooden benches fill much of the space, leading to a low stage with a wooden lectern. The hall’s rustic charm is marred not only by the foot-wide holes punched through the walls, but also by the hives that bees have started constructing along the walls and ceiling. While many seem mundane, several hives have cells large enough to hold a wine bottle, as if incubating truly massive bees.
About a minute after you enter the room, a humanoid figure composed of hundreds of buzzing bees strides into the building. The figure lifts up off of the ground and alights on one of the rafters. His body buzzes angrily before his deep, droning voice issues a demand. "LEAVE. YOU WILL NOT MEDDLE WITH THIS ACCORD, AND I HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH YOU. GO NOW, WHILE I STILL ALLOW IT."
The goose looks askance at the bee man, but waits for a more friendly companion to negotiate.
Kilitsi swaps out her armor for one of the swarmsuits, hoping it will provide a little more protection. She shrugs at the smoker, though. "If I'm like holding my ax, I can't even..." she says, indicating she won't be able to use both.
"We, like, just want to make sure other people can go too if they want to," she responds to the bee man. She's not very convincing, however.
Alessandria takes a smoker as well, charmed by the mechanical facsimile.
***
"How have they broken your accord? They speak of tyranny and ill use."
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Keeping his hands free of any tools and knowing he'd tear through a swarmkeepers suit if he chose his usual battleforms Gentlestorm takes a spare smoker but ties the device to his belt in the meantime.
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"We would know more, as one set of guardians to another. Balance must be maintained and we seek to restore the natural way of things. But we do not wish to fight you if we do not have to."
"SOME HAVE TRIED TO BREAK THE ACCORD. THEY WERE DEALT WITH," the Bee-Man buzzes. "THIS PLACE BELONGS TO ME NOW. THE ONE CALLED EDRIC GAVE IT TO ME IN THE DEAL THAT WE MADE, AND I WILL DO WITH IT AS I WILL."
Wispil cocks his head and tries to figure out the best way to deal with the bee.
"But, Vernon, things, like, change. Like, you used to be a normal person, right, and now you're a bee person. If they want to end the deal, then, like, it's time to stop! Like, you can go your way without any problem, and the village can go back to its old ways."
"By what right could you possible be given this land? It was not there's to barter, nor can one man give over others to servitude. Speak with us, and we will see with which coin you will depart today."
"IT IS NOT MY FAULT IF SOMEBODY BARGAINS AWAY MORE THAN THEY INTENDED. THE ARRANGEMENT WE MADE WAS VERY CLEAR. BUT, IF YOU WISH TO ENTER YOUR OWN BARGAIN WITH ME, THEN I WOULD HEAR YOUR TERMS."
Wispil is unable to glean any insights, but Gentle Storm notes that the Bee-Man seems to adhere closely to the letter of any agreement he makes. He also seems to be interested in any mentions of occult power.
"It's against the nature of the humans to act like bees. I'm sure you are trying to improve their behavior, but I have the feeling your terrible power is too much for them," Wispil offers. "They're really pea brains, and too much magic around them just makes them go haywire."
"Maybe instead of working for you, they could just plant some meadows, and if they step out of line you can sting them to death!"
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"As I'm sure you know well Vernon, mortal folk are wont to misunderstand such grand beings as yourself and just how serious these sorts of deals are. We four chosen by the Wildwood itself seek to help them understand. But not with tooth and claw, but with compassion and a guiding hand. If needs must where we must step in to make things right we shall, for the good of the wood as a whole."
He bows his head slightly showing a respectful reverence. "As one who dwells here we are only trying to settle things with as little bloodshed and violence as possible, so that we may all stand together when fang, claw, and stinger are needed. Let us not waste more precious lives, please."
"Yeah, or maybe they can read, like, occult treatises for you or something," Kilitsi adds.