Chorister Bees
"Bees the size of dogs, each marked with a blazing sigil. They don't buzz, but sing in plainsong. They may be benign – as long as you don't carry any Chorister nectar."[2]
Chorister Bees are gigantic bees that roam the Reach.
Laws of Aviation[edit | edit source]
"Your records will be simple. Cause of Death: Bee. It's not so uncommon in the Reach."[3]
Chorister Bees are enormous, dog-sized bees found in the Reach.[4] They gather in swarms,[5] build massive hives,[6] and have hair made of chitin and stingers the size of firepokers.[7][8] They also possess souls.[9] Each bee's body is inscribed with a sigil of the Correspondence that reads: A Mistake, Forged into a Triumph.[4][10] Rather than buzzing, Choristers sing in plainsong,[4] which they generate using their uniquely articulated wings.[1] This drone is extremely loud,[11] and the song's tone depends on the bee's mood.[12] Upon their deaths, they emit a "death-hymn" which may contain secrets for those who can bear to listen.[13]
Chorister Nectar[edit | edit source]
"Inside, the box is unhappily sticky. The cause is a resinous block of nectar that sits in the box's centre like nougat at the heart of a piece of chocolate. Produced by the gargantuan flowers of the Reach, this nectar is zealously sought by the giant, hymnal Chorister Bees who haunt its skies."[14]
Chorister Bees harvest nectar and pollinate the flowers of the Reach.[15] Notably, they are attracted to the massive orchid of Titania,[16] and often destroy the port's structures (and settlers) in massive feeding frenzies.[17][18] The nectar produced by the Reach's flowers is called Chorister Nectar[19] and is a popular commodity in the Sunless Skies timeline.[20] Choristers attack locomotives transporting this substance,[4] as well as those trying to steal from their hives.[21] Locomotives that hunt Choristers for their nectar are called hive-harrowers, and are necessarily well-plated.[22]
Chorister Nectar is a good sweetener or inebriant, but its main purpose is as a lubricant for the vocal cords.[20] Singers use this nectar to expand their vocal range[20] or attempt unorthodox forms of song,[23] but it also works well for shouting or chanting.[24] The attendants at Magdalene's also use Chorister Nectar to help imitate voices that are not their own for their patrons' therapies.[25]
The Winged Voices[edit | edit source]
"The well's own devils emerge from their ice-caves, their yellow eyes on the Infernal Philatelist. He takes the bee from the cage and you watch as his jaw does something complicated, opening wider and wider and wider. The curious bee crawls inside, pushing unidentifiable organs aside to make room. Then the devil's mouth returns to less distressing dimensions, and the Philatelist sings with the bee's sweet, wordless voice."[26]
Chorister Bees are used by the choir-devils of the Well of the Wolf,[27] who sing in remembrance of the well's captive.[28] To join the choir, a devil must first open their jaw wide like a snake, and allow a Chorister Bee into their body. The bee will then nestle deep within the devil's chest cavity,[27][29] and the devil will trade its speaking voice for the bee's plainsong.[30]
Chorister Bees are the creation of the King of Carols,[31] a powerful Grand Devil and the prisoner within the Well of the Wolf. Long ago, he protested against the Judgements by refusing to sing for them, and as punishment, they strung him up above the well as a warning against rebellion. In a final act of defiance, the King managed to bestow all but one of his many voices upon his Chorister Bees;[31][32] for this, he was imprisoned within the well for eternity.[33][34] The Choristers still sing of the King's tragic fate to this day, in remembrance of their creator.[35]
Historical and Cultural Inspirations[edit | edit source]
Plainsong, also called plainchant, was the exclusive form of Western Christian liturgical music up until the ninth century CE. The term describes unaccompanied monophonic (single-line) chants with a free, non-metric rhythm. In modern times, Gregorian chant has become a relatively well-known variety of plainsong, due to renewed historical interest and promotion of the genre as study or meditation music.
Just imagine bees singing that.
References[edit | edit source]
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