Apothecary Bee

These giant bees feed on the nectar of medicinal herbs and magical flowers, naturally processing the liquid into syrupy-sweet potions. Depending on the precise diet of the apothecary bees, they can produce a wide variety of potions, storing any excess in the waxy cells lining their nest. Apothecary bee workers are about a foot long, with yellow and black stripes. While carrying a potion, the bee's abdomen visibly swells and often changes color to match the potion within.

The value of the apothecary bees' potions has led to numerous attempts at domestication, a dangerous, expensive dream with both high risks and high rewards. Once a magical garden has been established, apothecary beehives tend to become self-sustaining. Beekeepers can potentially guide their cultivation, but they're no longer necessary for the hive's survival. Some ancient, long-abandoned gardens still grow along the Sphinx River in Osirion, where many apothecary bees prowl for flowers that meet their standards. Upon their most recent dig to the surface, surki communities quickly began the process of "trading" with the bees, establishing habitats and using their natural magic sense to better tend the massive fields a large hive needs. Miflits, on the other hand, often end up absorbed into the bees' social structure.

The potions a hive produces vary from season to season, depending on what flowers are available. Beekeepers have made strides in creating gardens that yield specific potions and have even developed harvesting techniques that increase potion effectiveness. These techniques are valuable, closely guarded secrets, but even defective potions with cursed results have found use among the followers of Calistria and Norgorber.