Bees, a Preferred Stock

Bees are universally held in high acclaim. They are mysterious, intelligent, and holy; their wax is used to make church candles; and their honey is one of the few sweeteners available in the Western medieval diet. Many people, from rich to poor, desire bees and subsequently know a lot about them. Bees must be informed of all goings-on of the household or they will depart. They easily take offense at rude words or loud arguments, and many people claim they have heard bees hum hymns on Christmas and other holy holidays. Bees mimic the natural order of man, with the king leading the hive, the knights protecting the hive, and the many workers happily providing the food.

Because of their small size (–15), magic bees can be extremely potent (Magic Might 25, if taken as a result of the Virtue: Magical Animal Companion). The drawback is that magical bees are Intelligent, not Cunning, and cannot be tamed or trained, but must reside in a state of friendship or mutual benefit. Capturing a live hive and putting it in an apiary might work for mundane bees, but magical bees will surely depart if the proscribed conditions aren't met. Friendly bees will let a magus draw off some of their honey (which might be raw vis) and even provide a companion or two, but they cannot be coerced into this behavior. Because of their Magic Might, bees need a high Magic aura to prosper.

A magical bee would make an interesting companion-level character, or even a magus-level character in a lowpowered saga.

realms have Magic Resistance as well, so a spell failing to Penetrate may only mean that the beast is supernatural, not specifically magic (i.e., possesses Magic Might). Remember that Intellego Vim spells are realm-specific. A spell designed to tell if a creature is magic will not reveal whether the creature is a faerie.

The Chorus of the Distressed Hare

CrIm 9

Pen: 0, 2/day

R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind

This effect, instilled in any small device, produces terrified rabbit shrieks upon com-

mand. Such noise is very effective in drawing curious predators, especially those that eat rabbits. Because the device maintains concentration on the spell it can be commanded to stop, which lets it be set and used in two different locations in a day. The created species of sound need not penetrate a magical creature's Magic Resistance to be heard.

(Base 1, +1 Concentration +1 clear sounds; +1 frequency, +5 maintains concentration)

Required Lab Total: 1 season (18), 2 seasons (14), 3 & 4 seasons (12)