The Beekeepers
March 22nd, 2008 by Mitch
With over 500,000 unique hits on the ILB server per day, and over 2,000,000 recorded unique hits on an update day (Tuesdays, Sundays and Fridays) It is only natural to assume the participants of the game were as diverse as they were numerous.
There are many different flavors of Beekeeper:
Axon Hunters AKA "Enhottenaters": This group makes up the majority, as most from the other groups fall under this category as well. Their job was to ensure that the thousands of payphones that would ring across the world each Tuesday were answered, answered correctly, and that any challenge or task issued was completed effectively and in a timly manner.
Theorists AKA "Speculators": This group was a thinking machine in the truest. While everyone thought about the connections, and pondered the meaning of ILB, this group put the pieces together, searched, researched, tested, informed, and criticized the data and each other to form theories of relation, theories of what happened, and what is to happen. Some worked in cohesive thinking machines like team "Mega-Speed" on Bungie.net, others just posted what they had as they had it as many did on IRC.
Puzzlers: This group was headed up by the thinkers. Those who sat down, and worked to solve puzzle after mind bending, pencil chewing, nerve racking, sleepless night educing puzzle. These guys were sitting all prepared on IRC, and at the helms of Unfiction, the Master threads on Bungie.net... they were ready for a challenge, a question, a picture. Within seconds of the new data hitting the fan, it was torn apart by the massive machine that consisted of every beekeeper able and not en route to an axon. the result was a fast paced coordinated effort and network of information, so that if one axon hunter standing by a payphone is asked a question in a live call, he may stall, punch in on his mobile device his problem, and within seconds have his answer fresh and ready for the op.
Crew Members: This group consisted of people who in one form or another, usually through a live phone call, made personal contact with the Puppet Masters/Voice Actor, and enlisted a name, rank and convincing proof of loyalty that was received and accepted. This is an elite group of people who were later called upon by name, and contacted personally.
Army of the Sleeping Princess: This group was a band of supporters for an entity who was making personal communication with the players in the form of a young girl. The sleeping princess as she called herself, was the most influential and human entity of the game, playing games, singing songs, and acting as she sounded, a young child. Brought into conflict with another character, the "queen" she called upon her friends for help. In return she got an army of devoted beekeepers willing to take risks and go to lengths to help secure this entity.