Note: I haven't had much luck coming up with a catchy name, so for now I've named the bloodline after their village, Honeyhearth.
Culture: Esrolian
Type: Standard prosperous bloodline. One of a half dozen in the X
clan. Dominate one village, have some representatives in other clan
villages.
Bonus physical skills: -
Bonus mental skills: Know honey bees.
Magic: typical, but many of the Honeyhearthings are also members of
the Salaka Sweet-tongue Hero cult.
Notable figures:
-Ansala Eight-Step--bloodline matriarch, known for her patience and
indirect way of talking. At first meeting she may seem to be
rambling and close to senile, but experience will prove that her mind
is a sharp as always, and if her methods are indirect they are far
from random.
-The Buzzer. A now ancient Nandan initiate and Salaka Sweet-Tongue
devotee. He was a succesful heroquester in his youth, and can
communicate with bees. As he's fond of pointing out, bees are too
stupid to have much communication with, but still he has discovered a
number of dangers to the clan over the years by talking to the bees.
-Irinni Grey-Sage. The Honeyhearthing always try to support a
Lankhor My lawspeaker, who is also the clan arbiter of "bee law"
covering customs about the bees. Irinni is somewhat reluctant in
this role, and she carries out extensive correspondance with LM
temples in a desperate attempt to stave off boredom. When provided
with an interesting situation she likes to take "time to investigate
it thoroughly" while prolonging the stimulus.
- Harst Copper-Shield. An Elmal devotee and god-talker. Renowned
locally for the four difficult tasks he had to complete to win the
hand of his wife, who died only a few years later after giving them
two children. He has stayed with the Honeyhearthings, and is very
protective of his children who are now approaching initiation.
Background:
Salaka Sweet-Tongue, the bloodline founder met the Bee Queen in the
first age, and after a week long riddle competition they finally
agreed that their children should work together thereafter. The
bloodline is famous for their honey, which is one of the major
exports of the X clan. Everyone in the blood line grows up knowing
about bees, and many join Salaka's hero cult and become at least part
time bee tenders.
The bloodline is known for their generous and persuasive ways. They are also known to be quite without mercy when they feel that they have been wronged. This has been a nasty (but brief) surprise for many strangers over the centuries, as they took the bloodlines sweet face to mean that they are push-overs.
About two-hundred years ago Rastovos Long-Ears discovered three new ways to make mead, including one using only the royal jelly. This led to a new specialization within the bloodline, and finally Rastovos three daughters started a new bloodline. The two bloodlines have mostly friendly relations, but have occasional disputes when the mead-makers want more honey or royal jelly than the bee-keepers think is right.
Geography:
The Bloodline is centred at Honey-Hearth, where Salaka and the Bee-
Queen made their bargain long ago. The buildings are mostly quite
old, and are lower roofed than is normally seen. The village is
notable for the incredible profusion of flowers grown everwhere--
around houses, between crops, even in the thatch of some of the
houses--and for the constant buzz of bees in warmer weather.
Visitors are often disconcerted by the number of bees flitting around
within the buildings, and few choose to tarry long for fear of
crossing the bees and their human allies. The bloodline grows a
wider variety of grains than do most, accepting smaller over all
yields and more odd grains for the greater variety of honey it lets
them make.
A number of Honeyhearthing women live elsewhere in the clan's territory, where they tend the local bee hives. They are generally welcome anywhere in the clan, as the bees are believed to be key to their crop magic.
Although few sons of the Honeyhearthing join the Salaka hero cult, they grow up knowing the bees no less than their sisters do. Therefore they often become bee-tenders in other clans after marriage. They may never produce as much or as good honey as the Honeyhearthings do, but still they have a way with bees. The brideprice they bring with them to purchase a place in a new clan often includes a number of hives and young queens.
Magic:
On the anniversary of Salaka's deal with the bee queen, the entire X-
ing clan makes sacrifices to Ernalda Bee-Queen. In addition, the
Honeyhearthings renew their pledges of allegiance with the bees.
(refusal to do so is grounds for being outlawed).
Salaka Sweet-Tongue hero cult:
The cult is open to any member of the Honeyhearthings, male or
female. However most members are female, as few of the men who marry
into the bloodline have the necessary love for and comfort with
bees. (The initiation ceromony includes a portion where bees almost
entirely cover the candidate). Salaka receives sacrifices of honey
and or flowers on Ernaldan holy days, and a great celebration on the
anniversary of her deal with the Bee-Queen.
Physical skills: make bee-hive, tend bee-hive. Mental skills: Flower knowledge, Salaka mythology Magic: initiates gain the feat: calm bee. Relationships: to local bees.
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As always, comments are welcome.
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