The Bee Dungeon

Mind-Maddening Monster Bee Queen

Vitality: Small

Strength: Minimal

Speed: Average

Magic: Above Average

Defense: Minimal

Resistance: Minor

Special: Above Average

Notable Skills: Brood Mother, Command Offspring, Mind-Maddening Sting, Hypnotic Shimmering, Mind Mana Manipulation

Spawner Upkeep: 40 (20 with Blessing of Bees)

Evolves From: Monster Bee Queen (Mind-attribute or neurotoxin variety)

Description: A monster bee already possessing Mind attribute mana or neurotoxins that has been further evolved by highly mana-dense honey containing more powerful concentrations of both. Every aspect of their being is now capable of assaulting the mind: their beating wings and shifting hairs can create confusing hypnotic effects, their venom is now a powerful mix of mind-altering chemicals, and their mana can assault the mind directly if they are able to utilize it directly. Any foe wishing to steal their honey will find themselves quickly losing their mind. Note that these mind-altering substances fill their honey and even wax as well, so great care should be taken when utilizing their products, if one is able to retrieve them in the first place.

This one is a queen who can raise a hive of mind-maddening bees. Her natural mana connection to her hive allows her to manipulate Mind mana, allowing for better coordination with her hive and with allies, or even to assault a foe's mind directly in a pinch.

As an evolved monster bee queen, the mind-maddening monster bee queen also has a superior ability to raise evolved bee types and can lay monster bee types in her evolution lineage in addition to mind-maddening monster bees.

Belissar fought to keep a smile off his face…as well as to race back to his Tower. He was currently attending a meeting of the signatories this morning and doing his best to pay attention…but when he heard another queen had evolved he couldn't help but sneak a glance at her description. A maddening bee that could now directly attack the mind, that certainly sounded powerful! He couldn't wait to see and congratulate the bee in person.

He was interrupted from his pleasant thoughts by Duchess Bereginna.

"It sounds, Circle Master Nenavann, as if you plan to acquire many more dungeons in the land of mortals. Do you seek to launch an invasion? Or are there yet more mortals you are aware of that you have not informed us of? And these changes would all but let the Circle deploy its monsters beyond their dungeons at will, to subjugate other intelligent beings at that! The Circle is allowed as much autonomy as it has precisely because YOU assured us such things would never happen!"

For a brief moment, Belissar wondered if the new mind-affecting bees might speed up these negotiations. Meanwhile, Nenavann nodded with a grim expression.

"I am aware of the potential consequences and implications. I do not propose these changes lightly. And that is why I am also proposing oversight over our affairs."

Duchess Bereginna rolled her eyes.

"By the wardens! You and Wardmaster Varilold have very clearly been in league with Queen Vanieskon from the start, so forgive me if I do not trust your own accomplice to restrain you! What's to stop you and the wardmaster from deciding that this very council is a threat and then deploying monster hordes to usurp us all? How much further do you intend to take this?"

Queen Vanieskon simply waved to Henilett with a bored look. Henilett landed on the table in front of the pixie queen and cleared her throat.

"Signatory Vanieskon objects to Representative Bereginna's accusations, and wishes to refer her to article seventeen subsection twenty-three of the Calwaskon Compact regarding suspected collusion between signatories with the intent of undermining the Compact and its other signatories if the representative would like to begin formal proceedings. As well as to remind her of article seventeen subsection twenty-three clause thirty-seven regarding the extraneous use of accusations of collusion in unrelated proceedings."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Duchess Bereginna scowled at Henilett but held in a scream by clenching her teeth as the pixie smirked at her.

"No movement to begin proceedings? In that case, Queen Vanieskon would like to propose an amendment to Circle Master Nenavann's suggested changes to the Circle's code. Each dungeon master of the Circle should be made subject to the authority of one of or a designated group of the signatories regarding an external deployments of their defenders."

Signatory Ornetrad frowned and crossed his arms.

"This feels a very dangerous line of thought we're going down. We're talking about weaponizing the powers of the dungeons and monopolizing them in the hands of individual signatories, both measures we explicitly agreed not to take. Measures that could end up dividing the Compact and setting us to compete with one another for power until we find ourselves completely at odds. Is this truly necessary?"

"It is."

All eyes turned to Queen Vanieskon as she spoke directly. Forgemaster Ughlarer narrowed his eyes.

"And why is that?"

She discarded her bored look to focus on each of the signatories in turn, ending by locking eyes with the Forgemaster.

"Because the humans and the beastkin have already weaponized their dungeons. We will not be able to contend with them if we decline to match them with ours."

Silence hung over the signatories. Forgemaster Ughlarer inhaled slowly, then took his time letting out a long sigh.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to open the Compact to the mortals. We are now being forced into deadly haste not by our own decision, but by the acts of mortals with no regard for either council or caution. Within a month, this Compact is already tearing at the seams. I wonder how much longer it will endure. I wonder if you intend for it to endure."

Queen Vanieskon shook her head.

"I always fulfill my bargains, Ughlarer, the Compact included."

The forgemaster scoffed.

"With all the flexible interpretation a pixie can muster, that is."

He then leaned back into his seat for a moment.

"You are right about one thing, I don't doubt for a moment that the humans will use every means at their disposal to bring about our doom, without any hesitation, and that, thanks to you, we can no longer protect ourselves if we do not do the same. We no longer have a choice. But Hunger take me if I let you use the opportunity to make it worse. If we are to approve these changes, then the Circle masters will answer to the signatories as a whole. You will not use a dungeon as your personal army, Vanieskon, none of us will, nor will I permit you to dictate what happens in the land of mortals on your own. If we are to do this, we do it as the Compact. We decide whether to invite new masters into the Circle, we decide when to deploy their armies, we decide what mortals require subjugation. And we will not neglect the safety of the land of the fair in your rush to expand your influence in the land of mortals."

The forgemaster turned around to stare at Wardmaster Varilold as she observed the discussion.

"Wardmaster, you've spoken much of what wards you intend to place out there, but tell me, how do you intend to update the land of the fair's own wards, your first and final obligation under the Compact, to compensate for all these new threats?"

Wardmaster Varilold nodded in acknowledgement.

"I can report on ongoing and future modifications to the wards at your convenience, signatory."

Forgemaster Ughlarer grunted.

"I should hope. And with all the new duties the wardens are accumulating, perhaps we should turn some of the Circle's resources to assist them. If they are capable of launching questionable adventures into the land of mortals, then they're capable of contributing more to the defense of our own home."

Duchess Bereginna nodded and then turned to glance between Queen Vaniekson…and Belissar.

"Wise council from signatory Ughlarer. I wonder what you think of this, signatory Belissar? Are you willing to do your part to protect the Compact and the land of the fair? Even if you must temper your ambitions in the mortal realm?"

"Yes."

Duchess Bereginna blinked as Belissar replied immediately.

"All I want is to protect my bees and make them happy. The Compact's helping me do that. Anything that makes the Compact safer makes my bees safer, so I'd be happy to help."

Belissar didn't have to think hard on that, that was his whole goal in dealing with the Compact in the first place. He was already planning to let his bees help out the wardens once they learned how to make wards themselves, even! Duchess Bereginna furrowed her brow for a second and glanced over at Queen Vanieskon. The pixie queen just raised an eyebrow, so the duchess turned back to Belissar.

"Well…it is good that you understand, then. Let's discuss what contributions we will require of the Circle going forward, then."

And so, the signatories of the Compact agreed to revise the code of the Circle in record time. From now on, the masters of the Circle would indeed be permitted to deploy their monsters beyond their dungeons, and to use them against intelligent beings, formerly their greatest taboos. These stipulations came with a great deal of caveats, of course, first and foremost of which was oversight by the signatories of the Compact and regular contributions of resources and, if requested, monster-power to the wardens. The agreement also set forth an official procedure by which the signatories would evaluate and admit or reject any new dungeon masters that wished to join the Circle...or who ended up under its authority one way or another.

As for Belissar, he was just happy the Circle might be able to help more against the Tower Lords or the spiderkin, if he was interpreting the agreement correctly. The caveats about oversight by the signatories were also largely waived in his case, as most of the areas of concern were already covered by his existing agreements with the fair folk, so as far as Belissar was concerned it was all beneficial. He already intended to help the wardens out as well since they were working to protect his Tower, so he had no problem with promising them some resources.

But Belissar was not aware that the biggest decision of all was that the Compact would now extend its influence to the land of mortals as a collective group and so turn its joint attention in that direction, with the assumption rather than the question of whether it would now take action out there. A decision that put a smile on the pixie queen's face…