Bogwatch

Hex 22.18. Bogwatch is a Bulwark outpost on the borderlands. The tower keeps watch over Quagmash and helps prevent ORCHES and BANDITS from raiding in the Used T'Be Forest.

Although Bogwatch is run by the same Bulwarks famed for defending the Great Slog, being placed on Bogwatch duty is often considered a demotion or punishment. The sticky, swampy air and remote nature of the tower makes life a bit uncomfortable, not to mention the frequent skirmishes with ORCHES and other bog critters.

what's going on

• Bogwatch is woefully understaffed and unmotivated.
• The ORCHES attack frequently but have yet to coordinate their attacks into a real threat.
• Bogwatch tower is slowly sinking and the basement is almost entirely flooded with mud, muck and quag-slime.
• A strange gloom billows from the Quagmash at night, obscuring Bogwatch and the surrounding area, making travel at night more perilous.

sights and sounds

1. Two muddy, miserable Bulwarks mix a pitiful stew of muddy water and turnip tops.
2. A garishly painted jester juggles nervously for a group of Big Fame Hunters.

COMMANDER TRUNGAL

The wizened bogril leader of Bogwatch, and good friend of Captimus Creeb. Trungal is very pale for a bogril, which she attributes to living near the cloudy, dreary Quagmash. Trungal does her best to manage the crumbling tower, but is getting old and worries that without a successor, her efforts will be in vain.

• Traits: Highly principled, tired of the grind, puts on a brave face.
• Motivation: Find a successor to lead the Bulwarks into a new age.

PALADIN PONDERWOLD

A gruff boggart paladin who keeps to himself and his pet chicken Claudia. Ponderwold is being punished with Bogwatch duty for causing a ruckus in Krogland, after he accused the staff of stealing his other pet chicken, Naudia.

• Traits: Irritable, preoccupied, animal lover.
• Motivation: Find his pet chicken, Naudia, lost somewhere in Krogland.

3. Two ORCHES survey the tower from a distance and, when noticed, stumble into each other before running away.
4. A pushy merchant sells repellent and warns of a big SKEETER called Horsefly.
5. A beardy, old DWEORG adventurer saddles up a BOGRILLIAN TORTOISE and whistles for their wug bodyguard, "Hurry up, slug! Daylight's a waistin'!"
6. A GUARD falls asleep in a chair and drops their spear, before jolting to attention again.

rumors

• Bogwatch is sinking so fast it might collapse in less than a year.
• Bogwatch is full of Bulwarks who can't cut it elsewhere.
• Torch the Orch is too big to be a regular ORCH. Usually big ORCHES are considered Quagmash royalty, but only the ORCHES of Orchmire would know for sure.
• The Quagmash ORCHES are gathering power for an offensive against Bogwatch.

outbound rumors

• The Witchbreath coming from the Quagmash might be related to the mysterious GLOOM.
• The Witchbreath is most concentrated in Gatormaze.

TORCH THE ORCH

An orphan ORCH that Commander Trungal found on an expedition into the Quagmash. The little ORCH, who is actually quite large, was found abandoned in Tarmurk, and has lived at Bogwatch ever since training to be a Bulwark paladin. Torch never learned to speak orch and talks in a high-pitched drawl punctuated by oinks. He got his name by accompanying expeditions (holding onto his trusty torch) through the gloomy Quagmash. He refers to Commander Trungal as Mama Trungal.

• Traits: Naive, explorer in training, huge for a child.
• Motivation: Learn where he came from and become a Bulwark to make Mama Trungal proud.

PALADIN MAMSY

The daughter Jinchin the guildmonger in Capstan (p199). Mamsy loathes her corrupt mother and has chosen to join the Bulwarks to make a name for herself in the Bogwatch as a lawful official.

• Traits: Driven, believes in the Bulwarks' mission, loves a good pun.
• Motivation: Become a Bulwark of the highest order and prove to the world that her family isn't all bad.

quests

SINKING IN SOLITUDE

The rumors are true, Bogwatch Tower is sinking. Within the year it will likely collapse, leaving the Used T'Be Forest defenseless against the BANDITS and ORCHES in Quagmash. Commander Trungal asks that you find a way to stabilize it.

• Unbeknownst to the Bulwarks, the tower is sinking because the sarpathi built a tunnel that runs beneath its foundations making the earth considerably unstable. The tunnel leads from the Quagmash all the way to the Drippy Downs.
• The secret entrance to the tunnel is hidden 1 Hex away, along a path riddled with sinkholes.
• Not only does the building need to be structurally reinforced, but a horde of SARPATHI REAVERS (15×L2- G, 1×L5-C) must be driven back or blocked off.

THE ORCH PRINCE

Torch the Orch has always loved Commander Trungal as a mother, but would love to learn where he came from. Found in Tarmurk covered in oily mud, Torch is the only ORCH in Bogwatch and wants to learn his past. Find the ORCHES of the Quagmash and learn Torch's heritage.

• Torch was born to the Bright Orch tribe (p168). He was a big baby—so big that word of his size spread throughout the tribes. Big Orch of Orch Sty feared a challenger to his size, so he ordered Torch be taken and thrown into Tarmurk.
• Torch's parents, named Ponch and Molla, were so angry they stormed Orch Sty only to be put to death by Big Orch personally.
• If Big Orch finds out Torch lives, he sends six ORCHES (L6-B) to finish the job.

THE ANIMAL THIEF

Paladin Ponderwold believes a cruel, disgruntled Krog & Sons Inc. employee in Krogland is kidnapping pets, but doesn't have proof or a motive. Find evidence and capture the animal thief.

• The Krogland culprit is a Villy Hargar, Krog's chef (p347). Hargar delights in cooking rare creatures and critters for his boss, who has developed quite eclectic tastes.
• Naudia managed to escape Villy Hargar, and is living under one of the rides at Krogland. Not only is she wary of Hargar, but there's a WEREWOLF on the loose at the theme park!

BRIDGE TROLLING

Groups of unruly TROLL youths have been vandalizing the bridges leading from the Used T'Be Forest to the Drippy Downs. Bogwatch is under a lot of pressure by the Toll Tellers in Dunk to stop the vandals. Investigate the bridge vandalizations that read: “Down with the Toll Tellers!”

• Shrugga the Stomper, who runs the Drippy Drop Bridge near Dunk (p36), thinks the vandals operate out of Trollridge.
• The vandals, tired of the Toll Tellers rules, want to pursue more in life than just bridge trolling. Vandalizing bridges is their way of getting the attention of their elders. They agree to stop if the PCs get Grendy Frumbly elected for mayor.