The Waxkeeper

Once a promising scholar of natural philosophy, the gnome who would become the Waxkeeper made a fateful pact with an ancient queen bee during a desperate expedition into a cursed woodland—he offered his voice and his conventional ambitions in exchange for the power to restore what humanity had thoughtlessly destroyed. The hive that now dwells upon his shoulders is no mere creature but a living repository of this primordial contract, its golden inhabitants serving as both his closest companions and the source of his formidable magic, their collective consciousness whispering counsel only he can hear. For three centuries, he has wandered the withering edges of the world, following the phantom sting-songs that only he perceives, arriving at forests moments before the last bee takes flight, and through patient work with honeycomb and enchantment, he coaxes new life back into abandoned hives. His peculiar appearance—the wax-crusted coat, the wooden talismans carved from trees that no longer exist, the living crown of bees in his beard—serves as a walking monument to each woodland he has saved, each charm representing a forest returned from the brink. Though his defensive magic could level armies, the Waxkeeper has learned that true strength lies in gentleness and persistence, finding far greater satisfaction in offering travelers his golden honey and lecturing them about the delicate balance they so carelessly disturb. Some whisper that he is no longer entirely gnome, that the boundary between keeper and kept has blurred over the ages, but he simply smiles and adjusts a wooden charm, listening to the contented hum of ten thousand wings against his chest.

Strength

10, modifier +0

Dexterity

14, modifier +2

Constitution

15, modifier +2

Intelligence

18, modifier +4

Wisdom

16, modifier +3

Charisma

20, modifier +5

Beeswax Great Wall

As an action, the Waxkeeper can summon a barrier of beeswax that provides 30 temporary hit points to himself or an ally within 30 ft. The wall lasts for 1 minute or until destroyed.

Royal Swarm

When surrounded, the Waxkeeper can use his action to summon a rotating shield of spectral bees, granting him and allies within 10 ft. +2 AC for 1 minute.

Honeyed Offering

As a bonus action, the Waxkeeper can offer a spoonful of enchanted honey, restoring 2d6 hit points to a target within 5 ft. and granting them advantage on their next saving throw.

Enchanted Honeycomb Plating

As a reaction, the Waxkeeper can cover himself in honeycomb plating, gaining +5 AC until the start of his next turn.

Bee's Embrace

The Waxkeeper is surrounded by a protective swarm of bees, granting him advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

Strength

+0

Dexterity

+2

Intelligence

+8

Wisdom

+7

Charisma

+9

Poison

Necrotic