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BD - Chapter 219 - Bee Forewarned
🕑 Added 2025-01-06 20:05:00 +0000 UTCAfter deciding on the rewards, Belissar was about to dismiss everyone when he heard Chief Rohsuak’s voice in his head.
“I apologize for the late report, Tower Keeper, but would you like to hear about my talks with the sigmaka today?”
Belissar’s eyes widened a bit. He had forgotten about those.
“Ah, yes. Is…there a reason we’re using the Tower speak?”
He glanced over at Chief Rohsuak and she moved her eyes in Tarwantrad’s direction.
“Do you wish to inform our guest about the sigmaka and our dealings with them? I did not wish to speak in front of them until you had made your preference clear.”
Belissar crossed his arms. That was a good question. Did he want to tell Tarwantrad about the sigmaka? Or rather, he knew he didn’t mind Tarwantrad knowing, but did he want to tell the Circle and the Compact about the sigmaka?
“I…think it’s fine to let Tarwantrad know. I’m pretty sure she’ll warn us if we shouldn’t let the Compact know? Or is there another reason we should hide it?”
“It depends on if you prefer to prioritize cooperation or contingencies, Tower Keeper. If we inform our allies about our dealings, we could potentially arrange for broader agreements and avoid any misunderstandings. Likewise, letting them both know we are working with other parties may encourage them to cooperate further. But if we want to prepare for the case where either of them prove untrustworthy, an ally they weren’t aware of could become a powerful asset. Additionally, if they are aware of each other, they could potentially make agreements without our knowledge, though this is less likely in this case since you control the only door the Compact can travel through.”
Belissar groaned softly. Again, this was all very complicated. Chief Rohsuak’s expression softened.
“Well, if I had to offer my opinion, I would point out that part of our potential agreement with the sigmaka involves them sending challengers to the Tower. If that happens, there is a chance they might encounter Tarwantrad or another member of the Compact at some point should they visit at the same time. It would be simplest to inform them both of each other before that occurred, otherwise you may need to take measures to prevent such meetings.”
Belissar hummed again as he thought, until a second humming joined his own. He now noticed Niobee hovering in front of his face.
“King ok?”
Belissar glanced around and found all the bees hovering around him. Tarwantrad was looking at him with concern as well. He flushed as he realized him groaning while having a silent conversation with Chief Rohsuak had not gone unnoticed.
He glanced around at the bees and Tarwantrad and then took a deep breath.
“So, there’s another tribe of beastkin nearby called the sigmaka. We agreed to leave each other alone at first, but have recently been discussing an alliance.”
Honestly, he could still barely keep his mind around the complicated situation with the sigmaka and had no idea what the right decision was, or even what his preferred outcome was. But he decided to put that all aside. The God of Bees wanted him to share monster bee queens with Tarwantrad. The God of Flowers had sent Tarwantrad here and the God of Bees had urged him to let her through. If those two gods wanted them to work together, then Belissar would. And…he personally felt that if he could trust anyone outside of his Tower, it was Tarwantrad.
Tarwantrad smiled as he explained the situation.
“I see. Thank you for trusting me with this. Please, proceed as you will. Let me know if you want me to consult with the Circle or the Compact on this, I will not inform them until you are ready.”
Belissar gave her a smile and then gave Chief Rohsuak the go ahead to report today’s talks. The karnuq had a smile of her own on her face.
“I’m pleased to inform you that the sigmaka have agreed to our conditions. We will fight alongside one another against the Hunger and against the Tower Lords. If either of us are attacked by another party besides those two, we will consult with one another on reasonable assistance. In exchange, our Tower will open its doors to sigmaka challengers and inform them of the preferred methods to prove themselves in the sight of our patron god.”
Belissar let out a relieved sigh at that. Despite all the complications and negotiations and worries, the talks had worked out in the end. That was one more ally against the Tower Lords when they eventually returned.
Now he just had to figure out how challenges should work…
His eyes widened and he spun around to face Tarwantrad. He didn’t have to figure it out himself anymore! He had someone he could ask about this sort of thing now!
“Hey, Tarwantrad, how do you handle challengers?”
Tarwantrad blinked at his sudden attention, then began to rub her chin.
“Challengers? Well, most of us in the circle set up guest floors as temples to our patrons so that those who wish to honor or devote themselves to our gods may do so. That’s mostly just a matter of arranging the area as to best suit our patron. My dungeon, for example, is filled with gardens, meadows, and forests where disciples of the God of Flowers may surround themselves with flowers and work to cultivate them. I think Urubran has rooms of different temperatures where disciples of fire may immerse themselves in whatever flames they can handle. Nenavann has devised different environments to showcase water in all its various forms.”
Belissar tilted his head.
“I see, do they fight remnants there?”
Tarwantrad tilted her own head to match Belissar’s.
“Remnants?”
Belissar blinked a few times.
“The mini-shades that appear while challengers are in your tower?”
Tarwantrad blinked back a few times.
“Those? I suppose we get one of those every so often but my monsters and traps normally handle them?”
The two stared at each other blankly for a bit. Chief Rohsuak rubbed her own chin.
“It seems that the dungeons of the Circle operate differently than our towers or sacred dens. Remnants are a constant presence during any challenge.”
Tarwantrad’s eyes widened a bit as she turned to Chief Rohsuak.
“You mean to say dungeons in the mortal realms are spawning remnants of the Hunger…constantly?”
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
“I cannot say for the humans’ towers, but for the Sacred Dens I am aware of battling remnants was the primary method of challenging. We proved ourselves before the gods by battling against the Hunger in their name. We do so here as well, though the God of Bees always acknowledges more peaceful methods of worship.”
Tarwantrad crossed her arms.
“I think I may need to consult Nenavann, if you don’t mind me sharing this with him. This sounds far different from how I was taught, so I am not sure how useful my example would be to you. Perhaps it would be best for you to continue as you already know for now. Fortunately, you have the Oracle of Bees present, so you can also consult your patron directly on her preferences.”
Belissar couldn’t help but let out a light sigh. It looked like it was up to him to figure out after all. But then he shook his head and glanced at Velebee with a smile. Perhaps that wasn’t true. After all, who better to teach him how to honor the God of Bees then the god herself?
Tarwantrad looked at him with a serious expression.
“Belissar, how much of all of this do you want me to share with the Circle, or at least with Nenavann? I think it may be wise to consult with him at least on the question of why our dungeons are so different. As for the sigmaka, the Circle approves of friendly relations so it’s up to you. However, it sounds as if you’re preparing for an imminent attack by the Tower Lords?”
Belissar nodded.
“Well, not soon. It took a small scouting party months to get here so apparently any armies will take longer than that. But they are coming for us with ten thousand Tower Guards, so I’m trying to prepare however I can.”
Tarwantrad blinked.
“Tower Guards? And those are…?”
Chief Rohsuak’s face turned grim.
“Fully blessed champions of the gods.”
Tarwantrad’s eyes widened and began to tremble.
“The humans have…ten thousand fully blessed champions?”
Belissar shook his head.
“Sehfitis, ah, a human augur we captured who joined us, said the Tower Lord whose son attacked us has ten thousand.”
Tarwantrad went completely pale.
“B-Belissar, I need to tell the Circle about this. Nenavann at minimum. This…this is something you and I can’t deal with alone.”
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak glanced at each other, both of their eyes widening. For Tarwantrad, one of the mystical fair folk, to be this shaken? Chief Rohsuak gave Belissar a grim nod. He turned back towards Tarwantrad with a gulp.
“Yes, please.”
***
“Is that so?”
Tarwantrad gaped at Nenavann for a moment before scowling. They were currently in a small office within Nenavann’s dungeon, with a large window looking out over the sea.
“Is that so? Is that so? Nenavann, how can you act so calm?! The human dungeon masters have ten thousand champions! Each!”
Tarwantrad cut off her shouts, though, as Nenavann lifted a hand.
“You have the wrong impression, Tarwantrad. You are imagining ten thousand of our champions. Humans are different.”
Nenavann turned his hand until his palm faced up and then blue lights began to dance above it.
“We of the fair folk live and breathe magic. It flows through our veins and naturally follows our commands. We are promised great power and immortality from our very birth.”
He held out his other hand, leaving it empty.
“It is not so with humans. They are born with short lives and no magic. It takes them years of study and practice to achieve what even a child in the land of the fair does naturally, and by then their time is already ticking. Due to their lack of strength, far more humans will seek the gods’ blessings. An average warrior among our people can match what all but the most exceptional of human champions, while only the most devoted of our people will become champions at all. It is not ten thousand sword saints that come for Belissar.”
Tarwantrad collapsed into her seat.
“Oh, thank the gods…”
Nenavann dropped his hand and grimaced.
“That is not to say, though, that the situation is not extremely serious.”
He rose to his feet and turned to face the sea.
“…we had not expected the humans to have survived the Hunger at all. To hear that they can operate on such a scale…they are far more resilient than we gave them credit for. The threat to Belissar is grave indeed.”
Tarwantrad held herself.
“What are we going to do?”
Nenavann silently stared out the window for a long time.
Author’s Note:
Ugh, so many non-bees. Non-bees talking and non-bees coming and non-bees talking about non-bees coming. Hopefully the sigmaka will at least start learning about the greatness of bees. Hopefully…
Anyways!
Will the sigmaka learn about the greatness of bees? What will the Circle do about the incoming non-bees? Will all these non-bees help protect Belissar’s Tower? Tune in next time, to find out!
Comments
Beeees!
Bee bee bee where bee
Presten
Belissar needs to work on his active defense. While he doesn't have a choice but to let the hunger spawn in his tower, it promotes the wrong mentality. The towerbis just that. A tower. A defensive structure, with the inherent advantage of elevation against enemies without heavy siege equipment. Stone bees? The enemy should atleast lose all momentum by the time they enter the halls of a holy fortress like the Bee Tower. Only then should they bee allowed to anoint the ground of the tower in their own blood. All of this to say; every step of an external and internal invader should be contested. They should not be given time to consolidate their forces before beginning an attack inside the tower, that cedes initiative without cost. Posting Assassin bees at the very start is a good stop gap measure, but woefully inadequate for an army of 100 let alone 10,000. The first floors of the tower are the perfect place to make the defensive fortifications and kill zones of the western front in ww1 blush. I hope Belissar takes the time to meditate on the defensive nature of bee hives and how they defend themselves in relation to how he can better improve the defenses of Thee Bee tower.
phantom
A serious threat to Bellisar. We don't know how strong her tower is. Presumably it would be dangerous but not end of times. Those sword saints are about incomparable to the tower guards. No doubt even one would have broken through his defenses that period the scouting force came.
Kenneth Welever
Make the entrance to a fire temple through tunnels in the sides of the volcano so see if he can make magma chamber fire temple!!! Sort of a maze that you have to go through to gain greater blessings of the god of fire based on how deep you go and what rarity of fire related things you bring back to the entrance to give to the god of fire. And the deeper you go the hotter and more impressive the magma tunnels become. filled with crystals and metals! Put a forge at the entrance so a blacksmith can mine, refine, and craft the ores s/he brings out before presenting them.
Kenneth Welever
Honestly I think belisar should make a tower temple to bees, flowers, and fire. One room for the secondary gods and a three room temple for the god of bees.
Durphymcbob
Fair, but more allies never hurt and another set of eyes on the defenses for ideas ands plans wouldn't hurt.
AEgamer1
For Tower Guards depends on the strength of their link, with stronger link giving longer life. Most human Tower Guards are not immortal, possibly none are (somewhat tbd), though they do live longer than the average person. Not necessarily a hard restriction though, as the Conclave has rules restricting seeking immortality for non-Tower Lords
Tsorov
Icalos, I remember that at least dungeon masters are immortal/unaging as long as their towers exist. Is it the same for tower guards? Because we have seen that Chief Rosuhak is getting old, but I always had the impression that tower guards are also serving "forever". Does it have something to do with the strength of their blessings? Or is being connected to a tower/sacred den a strengthening link that makes them live longer?
Tsorov
I don't think the interaction with the Stigmaka will prepare the tower for humanoid attacks. First of all, the challengers will not fight the bee army, but the shades that spawn. Secondly, the most leathal traps of the tower (covering in burning honey, poisonous candles) are not something that the challangers will have to deal with. What it will do is give the Stigmaka new experience, more blessings, and maybe the Karnuq can even spar with them and in that way learn more ways to fight.
Fernando Oliveira
Thanks for the chapter. Loved it. So the sigmaka have decided on a mutual aid/defense treaty. Nice. Hopefully we get some trade between us. Aphids would be wonderful but unlikely until one of the royal line are blessed. After that anything is possible. Makes sense that tarwantrad was scared, 10,000 champions is a serious threat even if they're not "sword saints" nenavann seems to have a few ideas on how to prepare tho. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.
TheLostGolem
Why can't those non-bees just bee efficient at things
Black Esper
Thanks for the chapter. It seems the new week starts with silly NON-BEE politics. Well, even those are fun to watch sometimes 😉🐝
Durphymcbob
Thanks for the chapter! The Stigmaka are going to challange the tower! Sure belissar might have to disable the more leatel traps but he hasa coupel of different rooms for the stigmaka to fight in, and challange plus it would let him test his tower vs humaniods, in greater numbers, how many stigmaka fighters are their probably 100ish, and their are probably about 50- 75 karunq Hunters, as they had less numbers and no home. so getting them blessings should help a bit. Plus now blessar will have premission to send in the bee army or kurnuq to help them fight any invading shades! And the Elfs as a whole being strong at base than a human makes since, they are quality over quantity. but the humans will out number them, and their tactcs and training help them fight stronger single fighters. Bellisars tower is under threat, and the fey do know that if it falls it is their doom. Hopefully they have some books or something of building fortifications they can give him? Plus their are the fey who just wanted to attack belissar on sight for being a human, giving them some other huymans to fight might be a good idea.
The furry in your walls in your walls
Looks like the Hive of Hives is going to need to beecome a mighty fortress.
