Abeil

Abeils (sometimes pluralized as "abeil" ), also commonly known as bee people, were humanoid bee-like creatures that lived in large hive-cities. They were divided into three castes: the laboring vassals, the fighting soldiers, and the ruling queens.

Description
Abeils exhibited a mix of the features of bees and elves. Bristly fur colored in alternating bands of black and yellow covered their bodies. Their heads were elflike, though their eyes were black and faceted, and they sported antennae. They had four-digited hands, translucent bee-like wings, and stingers.

Vassals and queens had relatively slender limbs, while those of the larger soldiers were much more muscular.

Abilities
All abeils could emit a sleep-inducing droning sound by beating its wings. This sound had no effect on other abeils. Soldiers could even beat their wings vigorously enough to deal damage.

Every caste had its own kind of poison that could be injected through stinging their target. Vassals and soldiers could weaken anyone they stung for a period generally lasting from a few days up to two tendays, with the soldiers' poison being twice as effective, though the recovery period could be sped up through extensive rest and the use of spells such as restoration. The poison of a queen, though less effective in the short term, was permanent without the use of restorative spells.

Abeil queens could cast divine spells as if they were 16 level druids.

Combat
Abeils generally fought while airborne, eschewing any armor that might weigh them down, and attacked from a distance if possible. If forced into melee range, they tended to swarm powerful opponents to sting them with their debilitating poison.

Vassals rarely fought unless ordered to. Those armed for battle generally wielded light flails.

Soldiers were, as the name implies, the caste most often drawn into battle. They wielded bows and ranseurs.

Queens only fought if threatened directly. Rather than wielding weapons, they made use of their divine spells.

Society
Abeils lived in hive-cities, with the majority of the population consisting of vassals, and about a third of soldiers. They were very expansionistic, splitting off and founding new hive-cities whenever growing too populous.

Vassals performed the hive-city's labor at the behest of their queen, including tasks such as gathering pollen, producing goods, and maintaining the city's structures. A small number of more individualistic vassals made up a group called the vassal court, which served as the queen's council.

Soldiers patrolled the hive-city and its environs. They were suspicious of any outsiders, and considered nearby civilizations threats to their city.

The queen ruled the hive-city with absolute power. She was the one to rear the juvenile queens, feeding them royal jelly to convert them into fully-fledged queens when the time came to found a new settlement.

History
When a party consisting of Fox-at-Twilight, Liet Sagrin, Gargan Vathkelke Kaugathal, Davoren Hellsheart, and Billfora Brightbrows ventured into the former Netherese enclave of Negarath in the, they found an abeil hive-city constructed in its ruins.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Depths of Madness