Hive

The hives are… well, they’re sort of bees. Actually, they’re intelligent colonies of magical honeybees. So not really just bees. The bees of the hives are smarter than the average honeybee (as well as a bit larger and furrier), but they’re still more or less animals. Each colony as a whole, however, is an individual with a personality and intelligence.
It's perhaps not fair to call them villagers, but they do all seem to be located in one part of the county, and it's not either the Wolfwoods or the Quartz Caves.
The structure of the hive usually includes not only the ordinary components of a honeybee colony, but one to a few dozen “helpers” made of propolis and spells and a bee encased in their abdomens. Additionally, many hives have a Speaker, which may be a helper or may be a bee enhanced by some other magical means, and who arranges communications with visitors through various methods.

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

The habitations of the hives vary dramatically. Royal hives almost always live in a small building of mudbrick, stone, or occasionally wood. These buildings are highly ornamented and built generously to ensure that the hive has plenty of room to expand. Some are based around complexes of clay cylinders, raising the possibility that the hives were domesticated at some point in their history.
The humble hives, on the other hand, live in a variety of homes, depending on the preferences and beliefs of the hive. Many of them are fond of skeps (round-topped woven hives), but others live in hollow trees or tree sections, clay containers, wooden boxes, etc. Their homes tend to be much smaller and less elaborate.
Since they are not domesticated, hives do not have frames for inspection, harvesting, splitting, etc. There’s no beekeeper that needs access, after all. Some hives that trade in honey may have specialized access points to allow helpers to harvest it.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The hives eat pollen and nectar, like most Apis. Landowning or “royal” hives will primarily feed off the fruits of their own land, unless hired to pollinate another property. Landless or “humble” hives will forage the neighborhood regardless of property lines.
The hives are also fond of the occasional sweet treat, and offerings of sugary goodies can go a long way with a royal hive.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

There are two main settlements of royal hives--”village” might be too strong a term. The first is the space between the two branches of the river, clear down to the southern lake. This is sometimes called the Hivelands, the Lower Hives, or the Land Between the Two Rivers. The hives here grow a variety of crops, primarily beans, with the aid of their helpers.
The second major hive settlement is in the northern part of the county, where the ground is hilly. These are the Beewoods or the Upper Hives, and the hives here use their land mostly for apple orchards. Hive-grown apples are held to be particularly fine.
In addition, there are humble hives scattered throughout the county. Especially well-known is the multi-hive commune in the Quartz Caves, called the Cells.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Obviously, honey and beeswax (though not every hive trades in honey). It’s said that one hive in particular provides the wisps with magical wax that sustains them, though if this is true it’s a very well-kept secret.
Additionally, however, the royal hives produce many crops, especially beans and apples but others as well. Since their helpers are constructed, and the bees live off the pollen and nectar, this trade is pretty pure profit for them and as a result many royal hives are fantastically wealthy. Some of them also do magic for money, including the selling of amulets that may or may not work (they are very into amulets generally).
Humble hives don’t do much trade, per se, but they forage and pollinate the neighborhood for free (much to the disdain of the royal hives, who prefer to sell pollination services). Sometimes their helpers will take up basket-weaving as a means of generating a small income for hive repairs, etc.

Common Myths and Legends

Royal hives worship the sun, and regard themselves as the divine children of the sun. They hold a few select animals in high regard as well, believing them to be demigods created by the sun to serve its bee children. Other creatures, whether human, fairy, or otherwise, are largely irrelevant. It’s unclear whether they see a meaningful distinction between fairies/humans and wildlife, in fact. Or inanimate objects. A mild animism is not entirely incompatible with bee orthodoxy.
Humble hives are generally heretics, and their beliefs are diverse and idiosyncratic. Many of them combine elements of the traditional sun-worship with other religions (especially Christianity, which isn’t surprising given its cultural dominance in the region). They argue ceaselessly amongst themselves and each one is happy to instruct outsiders in their particular Way.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

In general the hives are uninterested in domesticating animals. They hold cats and snakes in extremely high regard (orchards in the Beewoods are notoriously snake-infested), but would never dream of trying to keep them. Most animals are welcome on bee territory as long as they don’t threaten the hives or the harvest (so mice are deeply, deeply hated). Some other bee species are tolerated, but others are ruthlessly suppressed.
It’s hard to overstate how profoundly indifferent hives--particularly royal hives--are to anything that isn’t a bee.