All across the Sableheart and the Northern Reaches of Lerona Mere farmsteads, Havens and roadways are dealing with an irritating plague of troublesome Greenweald creatures known as Boghoffens. Meddlesome and violent, Boghoffens delight in falling upon wayward travellers and shepherds and arraying their corpses in attempts to communicate upcoming arcane tragedy. The arrival of Boghoffens in the past has been a grim warning for small isolated settlements but the sudden appearance of hundreds of the creatures across the Sableheart and, most worryingly, outside the Weald is unheard of. The peculiar creatures have an affinity for children, refusing them harm and often engaging in play. Stories abound of Boghoffens teaching children crude dances and songs, or whispering to them the secrets of the woods, much to the chagrin and concern of their parents. The plague of the creatures across the region has had many strange effects which can be read within.
Boghoffens appear as a crude mixture of insect, plant and fae features, favouring the use of crude tools and sharp objects to inflict violence. Troublesome alone, they are downright deadly in a mob. Many Houndspriests have found it easier to simply burn out their warrens rather than attempt to dispatch the creature with blade and sorcery. For many, this surge of the irritating creatures has immediate logistical headaches as attempting to dispatch solutions across such a wide area will cause problems for both the Baronies and Lerona Mere.
But for many there is a greater concern in the shadows. Why now and why so many? The strange rhymes of the Boghoffen and their grisly trophies are said to be the harbingers of something larger and more dangerous. In that way is it better to dispatch the messengers now? Or heed them as harbinger? Or ignore old tales for what they are, old tales?
The Jester has Escaped the Court
In all truth, there is never a point where the Sableheart has ever been free of Boghoffens, such is the nature of their all pervading irritation. But haven’s across the territory are all reporting similar occurrences in a manner most concerning. Even Wolstad has had its own assault as a gaggle of Boghoffens set a distillery alight, with explosive results. At its worst, Havens deep in the Sableheart are reporting becoming besieged at night as the foul smelling creatures cast sharpened stones, crude spears and worse at anyone wandering the streets. During the day the adults engage in pantomime parleys by sending children out into the trees to meet with their erstwhile invaders. The children always return unharmed with cryptic messages and those most adept at their diplomacy sometimes return with sceptres woven from willow wood and tipped with flowers, but still the sieges continue.
The lack of an established Houndspriest Chapter makes a cohesive response difficult as the itinerant monster-hunters simply attempt to right the problem whenever they happen to be present, resulting in a slapdash response. Mercenary groups in Wolstad and Eisen sharpen their blades and ready themselves for the imminent Boghoffen season that will surely be announced, but their captains baulk at the idea. Troublesome Boghoffens are the doom of any well meaning quartermaster as they spoil supplies, split ropes and are messy to dispatch even successfully with their various bodily oozes. It is likely that attempting to hunt Boghoffens will cost mercenaries money, rather than secure a profit.
As dispatches from the Sableheart as far as the Eisen river make the slow journey to the Barons residence in Krezenberg there are other whispers in the roots. The rhymes the children are taught weave a haunting song and the leylines crackle and hiss. Be it malign magical winds that have pushed the Boghoffens to action, or perhaps there is a hidden hand, the Weald is responding. Those who call themselves Wealdsage find very little funny about the antics within the Sableheart. While the people call out for Houndspriests, perhaps it is only the Sages who are listening.
Game Information
There will be decisions to be made in regards to the Boghoffen plague for the Baron of Resinderholz, The Champion of the Weald and the Deed Holder of the Eisen Orchard.
Predations of Boghoffens across the Sableheart are extensive and dramatic. This surprise attack poses very little military danger in reality, but economically it is a concern. A number of investments over the Sableheart and Wolstad have been damaged as the petulant creatures start fires, assault workers and festoon facades with faeces and worse. Characters with investments in Sableheart of Wolstad can tell stories of coming face to face with the creatures, often violently, witnessing them leading children in crude but haunting dances and coming across the foul trophies the creatures carve from corpses of those they catch alone.
The exception to this is Leylines. Any leylines in the Sableheart will find they have produced as if they were a tier higher this past season and will include an additional roleplay prompt within their character pack as the magic of the Weald seeps through this arcane points of power.
Any Wealdsage whose investment is based in Sableheart will receive an additional briefing in their character pack as the arcane nature of the Weald and its denizens offer parley.
Out of Towners
For the people of the Northern Madre Campo this is an alarming situation. The creatures of the Weald are nearly always limited to the Weald itself, the cursed children of an equally maligned parent, rarely escaping from beyond its skirts. But not only are the Boghoffens running ramshod all over the North Eastern reaches of the territory, but they are doing so before a populace thoroughly unprepared for their arrival.
The Madre Campo is a place of wide fields, winding vineyards and old farmhouse mansions - turned villages. It is home to The Concordian capital settlement of Passage and is nearly as far from any war as it is possible to get. Outside of personal grievance and political requirements the people do not arm themselves or brawl outside of the tavern. The children have the run of the fields outside of their lessons and can travel many miles over the course of the day between hidden cubbies and ageing aqueducts. As much as anywhere in The Concord it is a place of bucolic whimsy.
Which is why the violent arrival of hundreds of green-skinned marauders has caused such damage.
While in the Weald the creatures are engaged in some sort of strange territorial reestablishment, pushing the bounds of the Sableheart for all its worth, in Lerona Mere they are little more than crude raiders. The Boghoffens plunder storehouses for grain and wine, bedrooms for jewellery and tool sheds for weapons. They attack wagons moving along the roads and are found gorged on grapes and seeds in the fields. Children are abducted and subjected to strange plays before being returned at sunset, festooned with trinkets and strange warpaint.
But the people of Lerona Mere are nothing if not aggressive. The farmers of the Madre Campo lack any preconceived notions about ‘diplomacy with the Weald’ or ‘the vaunted role of Houndspriest’. Lerona Mere knows that for a few locks you can hire a group of tough lads from the pub who will be more than happy to beat the snot out of a few little green men. So what if it smells bad? From drunken tavern louts to bravo companies, there looks like there may very well be work in the Madre Campo for mercenaries in the coming season.
But among the leaders of the Madre Campo there is another concern. Surely the management and containment of the Weald is not their duty? This spilling over of the ‘Little Artebazzani’, as the Boghoffens have become known, into Lerona Mere is a failing of the Baronies? It is surely not Lerona Mere’s duty to carry the cost of this burden.
Maybe this is a problem of the Greenwealds making, and so maybe the Greenweald should pay for it.
Game Information
There will be decisions regarding the Boghoffen plague in the Madre Campo for the Senator of Lerona Mere, the Champion of the Revolution, Baron of Resinderholz and the Spymaster of the Tyrants Curse.
The Boghoffens in the Madre Campo territory of Lerona Mere have a more vindictive and greedy tone than those in the Sableheart. Plenty of goods are stolen and life in the quiet northern farmlands has quickly gotten bloody and dangerous. Numerous investments based in Madre Campo have been damaged. Characters with investments in the Madre Campo can tell stories of helping put out fires on neighbouring (or their own) land, having goods and tools stolen by ‘Little Artebazzani’ or being a part of an angry mob that put the scattered brutes to the sword.
Immediate payment for mercenaries has seen growth as these established farming communities reach out for support. Lerona Mere mercenary units that took the ‘Independent Action’ downtime this past season (or are new characters this season) may roleplay that the money and resources was gained hunting boghoffens in the Madre Campo. Fighting Boghoffens is not particularly difficult, the creatures are not much more powerful than a human, but they are cruel, flighty and smell terrible. They have a tendency of bleeding a foul ichor all over everyone who engages them and are not remotely enjoyable to fight.
Getting Into Fights at Recess
What is on the minds of everyone is the Boghoffen’s strange interactions with children. It is unclear if the strange creatures see young people as kindred spirits, harmless friends or targets of manipulation. Regardless of the why, they have a tendency to teach children rhymes, dances and songs that carry strange fae messages or taunts.
So far there have been no reports (from the Sableheart or Madre Campo) of children being harmed by Boghoffens, save for when they have been unknowingly caught up in fires or other indiscriminate mischief. But it is hard to feel comfortable with the creatures interacting with young folk when Boghoffens are known for being able to kill lone wanderers with their bare hands and have a tendency of disembowelment and mutilation. Most of the time children run off with Boghoffens without their parents knowledge or under strict supervision (such as in the besieged settlements in the Sableheart).
It is the jokes, poems and songs of the Boghoffens that are of most interest. It is likely that hidden somewhere in these gifts are clues about the Boghoffens themselves, their nature and the cause for their sudden explosion in population. But as any parent can tell you, getting clear information under a child below the age of ten is not the simplest of propositions.
Game Information
Boghoffen’s affinity for children and young folk is a peculiar element of the recent spate of attacks.
Any player with an investment based in the Madre Campo, Wolstad or the Sableheart who is a guardian of a player 15 or younger who will be attending the Winter Summit can email [email protected] to alert the Story Team. Doing so will provide that character with immunity to Boghoffen-related damages over this past season and will provide an additional role play brief for them to share with the young player including stories of shenanigans with Boghoffens, Boghoffen songs and crude Boghoffen Jokes.
Given that Passage falls well within the area of The Madre Campo affected by the Boghoffen Plague, all guardians should consider and be prepared for Boghoffens to appear and interact with their charges.