Boggans
A child is like a piece of uncarved wood — each has a story to tell and limitless magic within. It is up to the carver to set that magic free. —Myra Whittlestick, boggan busybody
Contents |
History
Industrious, earthy and true, boggans are the glue that keep Kithain society together. Ever ready to lend a helping hand and sympathetic ear, boggans are wise enough to realize that even the mightiest heroes need a place to sleep, nite to eat and the occasional parcel of goods to set them on their way. THey are more than happy to oblige them.
Boggans claim they were the result of mortals wishing they has extra hands to help around the house, or just a helper who worked quickly and didn't complain to much. Tireless workers who hold by a store of common sense and household wisdom, boggans see themselves as the force that makes the larger achievements of the Kithain possible, taking as much pride in a simple well-kept cottage as a sidhe lord might have over an entire chimerical manor. It's all a questionof scale, and boggans have suited their own more to their stature. As the hearth-keepers and tavern owners of the Kithain, their reputation for gossip almost rivals that of their craftswork.
Preferring comfort over fashion, boggan choose clothes that are often subdued when compared to those of other kith (although a boggan with a hand for sewing can rival the finest sidhe designers.) In their fae forms, boggans tend to be short, with large, callused hands, twinkling eyes and large noses. They tend toward plumpness, with bushy hair and eyebrows. Most also have a second pair of eyebrows on their foreheads.
Background
Boggans are born of charity and vengeance. Early tales speak of earthly angels who worked miracles on behalf of the poor but virtuous. Equally well-known are stories of mischievous and downright malicious spirits who would exact unreasonable prices for their services. Other legends tell of spiteful creatures who seek to undo the hard work of others. From all of these were boggans born.
Boggans' first appearances in folk tales were often as model workers — thorough, tireless and cheerful in their work. They did not mind others taking the credit for their work, and sought to avoid any praise for what they did. But so too did these tales show the dangers of scorning the ways of these helpful fae. Their customs were not always understood by mortals, but if any of their rules of etiquette were broken, woe to the mortal who would take the fruits of their labor!
Boggans originated from these early tales of hard-working, simple folk, but as mortal society evolved, so did boggans. In the modern age of overtime and "flex hours," boggans have come to symbolize the worker who is more concerned with doing good work than earning his first million. Modern boggans are graphic designers, interior decorators, landscape artists, car detailers and fashion designers as well as cooks, jewelers and woodworkers. They make electric guitars and hand-forged swords, microbrewed beers and futons. And as always, boggans value good, simple work far more than intricate or ornate designs.
Attitude
A boggan's life is focused on helping those he deems worthy. Each boggan has his own definition of what "worthy" means, and "help" is likewise subject to individual interpretation. Still, the vast majority of boggans are good-natured, and seek to make the world a better place one day at a time. They value the beauty in ordinary things, and prefer simple joys above the pleasures of excess.
Boggans make stalwart friends and companions who will give all they can to a true friend or a worthy cause. Most boggans blush and brush off words of praise or offers of payment, for they know that true appreciation cannot be expressed in words or material goods. If wronged, however, a boggan can quickly change from a selfless worker to a vengeful spirit.
Their appreciation for the practical and simple things in life often causes boggans to view other changelings as flighty and somewhat shallow. Most seek to find the good in all people, and often help to hiring out the best in those they meet.
Appearance
Most hoggans have a distinctly earthy mien, and are reluctant to draw attention to themselves. Though not vain, they respect craftsmanship, and often wear simple but finely wrought jewelry and clothing. Usually short and on the plump side, boggans are recognizable by their particularly bushy eyebrows.
In their faerie guises, most boggans have an old yet sprightly appearance, with even childlings showing faint laugh lines around their eyes and mouths that deepen with age. Understandably, many boggans have a certain weariness about them, but it is generally of a pleasant sort. Grumps tend to age quickly, with their bright eyes belying the wrinkles creasing their brows.
- Craftwork
While it is well-known that boggans are among the most skillful craftspeople in the mortal and immortal worlds, few outside the kith understand the particular rituals and superstitions that have built up around their work. Some say that boggans are capable of completing tasks even more quickly than they do, and that they often spend half the time on a project simply daydreaming. This, some claim, is the reason they work unobserved — so no one will know how much time they spend lazing about. In fact, many boggans do "daydream" before beginning a project, to refine the image of the finished product in their minds. But this is a necessary step, and those boggans who do not "dream" their projects sufficiently before beginning often spend their time redoing work that did not come out right the first time.
Others claim that while working, boggans glow with an unearthly light made of pure Glamour, and that any who look on it will be forever blinded. Some whisper that boggans transform into hideous lizard- or insectlike creatures while creating. While it is certainly possible that some boggans may have their own reasons for keeping out of sight while working, most will tell you that they have their own trade secrets that allow them to do such distinctive work, and that is the only reason they choose to work alone.
- Call of the Needy
Boggans hate to see others in pain. While some Unseelie boggans are annoying and even infuriating to their foes, they rarely cause more than embarrassment or discomfort, which is bad enough to many of their victims. Boggans truly want to make the world a better place, and will never willingly harm someone who may be shown the error of his ways. Of course, sometimes the subject of their attentions would rather be whacked soundly upside the head than disgraced or embarrassed, but boggans only do what they feel is necessary.
It is said that boggans of a philosophical bent refer to this as the "what goes around, comes around" principle. If you refuse to help someone who is in need, what will happen when you're the one who needs help? Being a highly superstitious lot, most boggans would rather not tempt fate, even a little.
Even those who follow the Unseelie Court will help out a soul in need, though their idea of "help" sometimes leaves the subject wishing she had never asked. Boggarts will often berate those they help for having gotten themselves in a fix to begin with, and insist that "if it weren't for me happening by just now, you'd have been a goner for sure!"
Organization
In many areas, boggans have periodic informal gatherings to swap gossip or tips on crafting. Sometimes this takes the form of a potluck dinner, where each boggan brings a dish and a piece of "news" — the more savory the better for both. Many such gatherings have adopted a policy that each person washes only her own dishes, after several such dinners broke out in fisticuffs over who was to wash what. Some argued that the host of the party should rest and let the others "take care of the clean-up," while often the host would claim it as his right and duty to tidy the place up while the guests had dessert.
Letter-writing is another common means for boggans to stay in touch with each other. Some areas have newsletters or telephone circles used to pass the word about a particularly good sale at Home Depot or an especially juicy bit of gossip. Other, more technically minded boggans now communicate over the Internet, using IRC, newsgroups and Web sites to pass news to their compatriots the world over.
- Social Dynamics
It should come as no surprise that boggans are among the most infamous meddlers and busybodies in all of Kithain society. They always seem to know who fancies who, and who is nursing a secret grudge. In fact, this is in some ways an extension of boggan craftsmanship, as understanding the way people function in a group is made up of equal parts observation and "common sense." With a keen eye and an attention to the nuances of a situation, many boggans can unravel the whys behind a relationship with as much skill as understanding the technique in weaving a tapestry.
Just as a good woodworker will look at the grain of a piece of wood to see what patterns naturally suggest themselves, so boggans are able to second-guess the way a given individual will react in a particular situation. It is just a matter of seeing what is already there beneath the surface.
Most boggans despise the social hierarchy of "owing" others. To take what should be simple, uncomplicated friendships and mar them by keeping a scorecard of what one person owes another is contrary to the true nature of friendship. Partly because they work so hard to steer clear of these entanglements themselves, boggans are particularly aware of this behavior in others. Although their unwillingness to join in the social game of tit-for-tat often makes them outsiders, they are usually respected for their ability to see through the webs of intrigue that make up changeling courts.
Although most believe that in the beginning all boggans were loyal to the Seelie Court, this has not been the case for many generations. When a boggan has been wronged, his vengeance is often terrible to behold. Boggans drift between the Unseelie and Seelie Courts more frequently than most other kith, perhaps because at heart nearly every boggan wants to think the best of people. Even Unseelie boggans usually seek to show their victims the error of their ways.
Seelie Boggans
With their love of the simple things in life and the joy of helping others, most boggans are naturally drawn toward the Seelie Court. Even the majority of those who are wronged and seek asylum with the Unseelie Court eventually return. Although they are generally a shy lot, some boggans have achieved positions of respect within the Seelie Court, often as advisors to nobles. Their no-nonsense, common sense approach, combined with their keen social insights, often earns such boggans the respect of their peers.
Unseelie Boggans
Known as boggarts, Unseelie boggans are often those who have been betrayed or hurt as a result of their attempts to help others. They will avenge any slight—real or imagined—with a fervor that causes even redcaps to quake in their boots. Some set out to test how truly virtuous a person is, often undoing the work of others or constantly plaguing a victim with annoying cantrips to see what the limits of his patience are. Anyone who withstands this onslaught of mischief with a sunny disposition intact will be respected and often feared by the boggart and her companions henceforth.
While many Seelie boggans try to deny the Unseelie part of their natures, nearly all boggans spend at least part of their lives ruled by their Unseelie Legacy. It is unfortunate, but few mortals or Kithain who devote their lives to helping others avoid being taken advantage of at one point or another. When this happens to a Seelie boggan, she will often fly into a rage, seeking vengeance on not only the one who wronged her, but anyone else who would abuse the kindness of others. Such is their desire to punish, these Unseelie boggans often see wrongs where there are none, and tonnent innocents instead.
Culture
- Beliefs
Like all changelings, boggans have their own traditions and beliefs that are handed down through the years.
Reward Kindness in Kind, Injury Likewise
For all their attachment to home and hearth, boggans are fiercely independent. The notion of "owing" someone is unthinkable — why not settle things quickly and fairly? To have past business hanging over one's head is to be tied down. It is for this reason that boggans like to settle all scores, for good or for ill, as soon as possible.
Simple is Best when Time is the Test
While many other kith are interested in the "fine arts," boggans are more practical in their tastes. A finely crafted candlestick or a lovingly embroidered apron are more highly prized than the most elegant piece of museum sculpture. Others may strive toward lofty ideals of art and expression, but boggans will always value the beauty in well-made, ordinary things above all else.
Every piece of work should have a little of the creator in it, and a boggan's own Glamour always colors the work she does. Those with keen eyes can easily tell the difference between the work of two boggans. As a result, all projects are given a boggan's full attention. One wouldn't want to be judged for a single piece of shoddy work, so everything must be equally well done.
Referrenced
- Changelings Players Guide pg. 61
