Bog Dweller
Bog dwellers are the minions of a Blood Witch, and seeing as blood witches are often referred to as “bog witches” because of their habitat, the bog dwellers inherited the name.
Physical Capabilities
Bog dwellers are created as workers, slaves and soldiers by a bog witch. Regardless of parent species, the bog dwellers seem to take on a similar shape, only varying somewhat in height and mass. They are wiry, strong and durable with great stamina and speed. Bog dwellers can work for hours on end without food or water, but will require rest in the form of sustenance and sleep in time. They only sleep for a few hours a day, during the bright daylight hours, preferring instead to come out to hunt during the night.
A bog dweller is a good bit stronger than most kykr, and with their long, lanky shape, and clawed hands, they have a reach that can surprise even the most seasoned warrior. They can deliver powerful blows, raking through most forms of light armor such as gambesons and other thick clothing.
They have short lifespans, only living for about five years before their bodies have degenerated to the point of non-function. It is clear that bog dwellers are an adaptation, or modification, of other species and that this modification is less than perfect. Perhaps bog witches do not care about their minions beyond their function, and with the capability to easily replenish their numbers, they don’t see the need to perfect the art and make long-lasting drones.
Bog dwellers are capable of great speed over short distances and can traverse long stretches without tiring. With their long arms and large hands, they run on all fours to increase speed and balance. While they prefer to hunt near their lairs, it’s not unusual for them to travel for hours to find a secluded farm or glade to attack. Bog dwellers eat anything made of meat, be it fish, cattle or wild game. While they consume kykr, they are far more likely to capture kykr to bring to the bog witch for transformation into a new bog dweller.
Geographic Distribution
Bog dwellers can be found anywhere there are bog witches, but while the bog witch prefers to stay in or near her lair, the dwellers can travel for many miles around to find prey, food, or to attack a threatening target. Like the witches, bog dwellers have been spotted most around the swamps south of Nabak and in the marshy forests of the Hilly Heaths. They’re likely to be found elsewhere, but exploration of Celenia is only in its infancy, and large swatches of the continent are still unmapped and unexplored.
Degeneration
Bog dwellers appear to be a botch job. They function well for their purpose, but it is clear that the bog witches either lack the skill or the desire to create a perfect, or at the very least, enduring creature. Bog dwellers could perhaps live far longer lives if the process of making one wasn’t so sloppy. In just a year, a bog dweller’s organs, muscles and brain will deteriorate, as if aging at a rapid pace. Their muscles and joints atrophy to a point where movement is difficult, and they become less and less able to absorb nutrients from food. After only 3-5 years, they cannot function well enough to survive and are either eaten by their peers or recycled by the bog witch. In spite of this high turnover, a bog witch will still have a large contingent of dwellers around her, making sure to replenish the numbers when needed.
Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull
Is it weird that I feel kind of sorry for the bog dwellers? It's a shame that they're made in such a shoddy fashion. I don't think I'd want to come across one in the bog, though. They sound rather horrifying.
Tobias Linder
Not really. They may be monsters that will do everything to capture and/or eat you, but they're still victims here.