Queen Bee (animal)
Giant Beehives are a common sight throughout the Redwood forests west of the Pathos River. Many of their hives are large enough for a man to walk inside of, and their fiersome stingers match. The bees are primarily docile, only coming to violence when their hive, or lives, are threatened. If particularly agitated, the bees are known to swarm their aggressor, and many would be honey theives have lost their lives attempting to breach the hive.
We sit and watch the hive from a distance through the trees. The colossal structure is fastened on the upper side of a massive branch high upon the tree. Several bees fly idly past us, deeper into the forest, and others soon follow.
We prepare several bundles of tinder and leaves, if we're right, we'll be able to light the bundle aflame and smother the remaining bees with smoke, leaving them docile and much easier to handle.
There is of course the possibility we wake them first, agitating the queen before we make it even a foot inside. We'll need to move quietly with care if we hope to succeed here.