Rogue Zwe'sect

Zwe'sect are a race of small humanoidish bee people that live in the realms down under. Quite similar to normal bees, Zwe start out their life hiveminded. A zwe'sect society really just comes down to just one person, known as the Zwe'queen. Zwe'sect typically have no personality besides that of their queen. They follow orders and die for the hive. The queen is capable of seeing, listening, and talking through an individual zwe'sect at any given moment.
Zwe'sect are extremely varied from hive to hive, the Zwe'queen dictating what their spawn uniformly look like and are good at. While not as prolific as regular bees, to the queen they can be thrown away easily if needed. A hive's zwe'sect are essentially all clones of one another, and that leads to different underground zwe hives that serve different functions. Some sell their hives as hirable mercenaries, others as honey farmers. Some zwe hives seek to conquer anything nearby, and others seek to live in peace and grow. An individual zwe'sect can tell a lot about a hives overall function.
What is odd however is when a zwe'sect goes rogue. Somehow breaking free of the hivemind, a now sentient zwe'sect is lost in an unfamiliar world and has no connection to their hivemates. These zwe are usually killed and eaten quickly by their former sisters. For those that escape with their lives however, they find themselves with an emptiness in their head that is maddening. Fewer still survive this process, especially in the dark recesses of the Realms down Under. Taken as slaves by drow, killed by the various monsters that exist, finding a sentient zwe is a rare thing indeed.
Nevertheless, so many zwe'sect are spawned by zwe'queens that it still happens with some infrequent regularity. For those that survive the trials, or perhaps were lucky enough to gain sentience in an aboveground zwe hive, they integrate into societies rather nicely. Hard workers and potential adventurers, people are often quite happy to take a rogue in. Their unique abilities and cute bee ascetics make them very popular members of any adventuring party. Their curious pheremones are very special too, and some attribute this ability as nature's method for making new queens. Each rogue zwe has their own feelings on who gets to attune to their pheremone, those that have say it is wonderful and addictive, almost like a drug.
What causes a zwe'sect to go rogue is still unknown, though smoke seems to be one of the most common methods of awakening. Vulnerable to smoke, zwe'queens take great pains to avoid fire within their hives. Walking around with a torch near one has gotten many a traveller killed.

Anatomy

Zwe'sect are varied little buggers with four 3 digit arms, two legs, and a thorax stinger. They have small fast beating wings that, despite what science says, are capable of some measure of flight. Their patterns are almost always yellow and black, but there have been some known exceptions. They average around 3 feet tall, and typically weigh 50-80lbs. Rogue zwe'sect are almost always female.

Rogue Zwe'sect

Type Humanoid/(Insectkith)

Ability Score Modifier +2 to any score (x2, no stacking), and -2 to any score

Size small

Speed 20ft, 30ft. fly (see text);

Language Rogue Zwe'sect start with one regional language, Buzzbuzz, and Undercommon. Zwe'sect with high Intelligence scores are capable of learning Aklo, Draconic, Dwarven, and Sylvan.

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Racial Traits

[3 RP] Limited Flight (Ex): Zwe'sect have a fly speed of 30ft. with average maneuverability. A Zwe'sect has trouble maintaining their flight if they are over 30ft. above the ground (at the end of their turn). Zwe'sect need to make a Fly check equal to 15+1 for each 5ft. they are above the ground. Failing this check fatigues the Zwe'sect, and they immediately fall 10ft. unless they succeed a DC 10 fly check. Regardless whether they fall the 10ft, they are flatfooted until the beginning of their next turn. If they fail while fatigued, they become exhausted and begin falling to the ground. They can make a DC 10 fly check to negate the falling damage. A Zwe'sect that is exhausted in any way or has heavy encumbrance cannot fly.

[-1 RP] Slow: Zwe'sect are slower than most races at 20ft.

[-1 RP] Vulnerable to Smoke: Smoke from fires or other effects (such as that created by a pyrotechnics spell) causes a Zwe'sect to become nauseated if it fails a DC 14 Fortitude save. Particularly heavy smoke may have an increased DC based on DM discretion. This condition persists as long as the Zwe'sect remains in the smoke, plus 1d4 rounds.

[2 RP] Darkvision: Zwe'sect are capable of seeing 60ft. in complete darkness.

[1 RP] Swarming (Ex): Members of this race are used to living and fighting communally with other members of their race. Up to two creatures that have this ability can share the same square at the same time. If two creatures that have this ability that are occupying the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.

[1 RP] Toxic (Ex): A number of times per day equal to her Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day), a Zwe'sect can envenom a weapon that she wields with her toxic stinger. Applying venom in this way is a swift action. Zwe'sect Venom: Injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the Zwe'sect's Hit Dice + the Zwe'sect's Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.

[1 RP] Stinger (Ex): A Zwe'sect that maintains a grapple can sting their foe for 1d6+Str modifier piercing damage. This attack applies the ability Toxic as a poison.

[2 RP] Limited Multi-Arms (Ex): A Zwe'sect has four total arms. While capable of wielding a weapon in each arm, she is unable to attack with all of them due to the advanced coordination it takes. Otherwise, these arms are capable of anything else, such as wielding wands and holding potions. Because of their multiple arms, they receive a +2 to maintain grapples. If a Zwe'sect has two weapons and a shield in her arms, she cannot apply her shield bonus if she attacked with her two weapons.

[3 RP] Zwe Pheremone: Rogue Zwe develope a unique pheremone that can instill vigor and strength into those she considers her allies. By spending 1 hour with another creature, a rogue Zwe'sect can attune that creature to the scent of her phermone. Once per day, a rogue Zwe'sect can spread her phermone in a 20ft. radius centered on her. Any that are attuned to her phermone gain a +1 morale bonus to attacks, damage rolls, saves, and skills. They also gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC. These effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Zwe'sect's class level. For every 6 levels, these bonuses increase by 1 (maximum +4 at level 18). A creature can never be unattuned from a Zwe's unique pheremone. A Zwe'sect is always considered attuned to their own pheremone.

Scientific Name
Apis Hominem
Origin/Ancestry
Insectoid (Bees)
Lifespan
30-60
Typical Habitat
Forests areas above ground, cavernous hives within the Realms down Under
Average Physique
Yellow, black, and fuzzy. Extremely varied between hives. Small sized.