The Meadery: Leftovers From my First Game
Introduction
Way back in 2021, I started running my first TTRPG campaign. I was looking through my notes from that game recently and found a faction that I still think is pretty alright. Use it how you will.
Güra’s Meadery
Broad History & Overview
The Meadery and its staff are the spiritual successors of Güra, a philosopher-turned-beekeeper. Güra was a prodigious mazer; jars of his mead today are prized for their almost-magical curative properties, although almost all of them are gone in this day and age. He traveled across the continent, bringing mead and bees to people, to teach them the value of community and cooperation with their fellow people.
Güra was assassinated at the age of 27 while traveling in the capital. Bees covered his body for two weeks. When they finally dispersed, there was nothing left except for a puddle of honey and small chunks of beeswax.
Today, the Meadery is run and advised by Gorion, whose youthful spirit is eager to spread the word of Güra across the world. He expects perfection and mobility in a hive that is content to languish in its own squalor. His rule has been characterized by an increasing militaristic edge to the Meadery and all adherents now carry a dagger shaped like a stinger on the inside of their thigh. Gorion is frequently found wandering around the city in his plate armor, which is decorated to look like vibrant leaves and flowers. His miracles (which are growing rarer these days) are accompanied by the buzzing of ten thousand bees beneath his skin. In dark corners of the city, there are whispers that he is more hornet than man.
The Meadery
The inside smells like freshly-cut grass. The walls of the narthex are hexagonal and painted yellow, with mosaics of flowers weaving through the wall. In the nave, large flower beds and boxes containing hives of bees are suspended from the ceiling via an elaborate system of pulleys and rope. Large stained glass art depicts floating bees and important moments in Güra's life. Casks of mead line the walls and members of the Meadery work tirelessly to produce more alcohol and perform their daily rituals.