Soul Merger

Monsterpedia

Giant Bee

Monster Level - I

Soul Type - Composite

Intelligence - Instinctual

Strength - Moderate

Magic - Very weak

Rarity - Uncommon

Giant bees are insects about two and a half feet long. They act similarly to their normal sized companions when left alone, but any interaction with a human brings their monster side to the fore. After that they become violent, attempting to swarm and attack the victim and any humans nearby.

These insects live in large paper hives, that form in labyrinths with little regard for layout. As such hives may end up blocking vital corridors, or concealing important features. The average hive has a 'queen' that is around three feet long, and ten to thirty 'workers'. Of course this is purely symbolic. As monsters they're formed by the labyrinth and so a queen isn't actually required. This also is why there are no larva in the hive.

They attack by both stinging and biting since their increased size lets their jaws offer more threat to humans. Metal armor is effective to block the sting, but they are quite adept at finding chinks in armor. Worst of all, when they attack they leak pheromones that send the rest of the hive into a frenzy. And as a final warning, while some kill themselves with barbed stings, others do not have that 'weakness.'

The best method of dealing with these creatures is smoke. A heavy smoke sends the bees into a daze, making them easy prey. Assuming of course you can find them in the smoke.

Giant bees have no value on their own, but their nests are full of honey! This seems to be magically induced as there's no way they gather enough flower nectar to make the amounts found in their hives.

Merge

Common Name : Thriae (Okay, it's not common only we tower nerds use it)

Benefits : Expanded vision, insect affinity

Weaknesses : Bad Aim

Merging with a giant bee leads to what some researchers call 'the biggest small change.' Most alterations are purely general merge related, but they do get two antennae, and glittering compound eyes. These come with a 'false pupil,' which makes it seem like they're always looking directly at you. This isn't true, but it might as well be.

Thriae don't need to focus on items like we humans do. Instead they have total vision over the area their eyes can see. While it takes some adjustment it's incredibly valuable for keeping watch over a large area. Sadly it comes with a severe downside. They can't judge how to hit things with thrown or shot objects anymore. Ranged weapons that aren't purely line of sight confound and annoy people with this merge. Which limits their roles as guards.

Most use the other ability of their merge. They have limited pheromone production that seems to instinctively target insects. As such they can convince flies to leave them alone, ants to find a different trail, and bees that they're part of the hive. This makes it a first rate choice for beekeepers, and other people who work with natural insect groups.

The changes don't seem to just affect the eyes, but also the part of the brain that interprets visual data. That's why thriae lose our human ability to accurately aim thrown or shot items, but maintain an understanding of distance and can accurately pinpoint things in reach.