Tribe of the Wasps

         A jester was walking through the shadow woods, his boots softly thudding on the ground. As he traveled, he felt as though a wasp was following him, for every time he looked, he could see it hovering nearby, its wings buzzing as it loafed around. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows of a nearby blackwood, and grabbed the jester; he felt a sharp pain, and then found he was no longer able to move his body. The being carried him through a hollow in the tree, and brought him down through the tunnels that had been carved in the thick, winding roots that dug into the earth
         His heart was racing, and his mind was pounding, as he wondered what would happen to him. A strange light on the wall illuminated his captor, and he was able to catch a glimpse of what it looked like; it appeared to be a strange hybrid, a female human's torso, but with the abdomen, legs, wings and attenea of a wasp. It took him deeper into the root system, and he saw more of the strange hybrids. Eventually, he was brought to the very heart of the roots, and a healer forced a potion down his throat which restored his ability to move on his own, and with alarm his eyes darted around the room.
          Before him was another of the wasp-humans, but this one had strange markings, and from the dressings she wore he assumed she was the queen. She welcomed him, and explained what they were - a rare species which belonged to a little-heard of god by the name of Incratus, and more of their people were scattered across the land, in various tribes; some spider, some scorpion, and even other wasp tribes. The queen said that they had found themselves in need of a messenger, a bard, someone who could travel across the land, spreading the word of Incratus, and singing to the world the triumphs of his people.
          The jester, naturally, thought them all to be mad, for in the land of Asmyra it was commonly believed that there were only four gods, and Incratus was certainly not one of them. He tried to decline, but when he made a movement towards the door, two nearby guards held him down, and he was stung by the queen wasp. He felt his body change and melt, and soon, he was like them; half man, half wasp, and subject to do the queen's bidding. She commanded him to go, and spread the word of Incratus, spreading news of the various deeds of the Wasp tribe; and so he did, visiting village and city, forever singing to the skies and hills.