#hogmen

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OVERVIEW

Hogmen were a species of gaian which is now considered extinct. Their remains have been discovered in northern Noalen, southern Noalen, and northern Lorrowey. Beyond some scant remains, there are no historical records of the Lorrowish hogmen, as none of the surrounding peoples at the time practiced written history. All of their history was passed down orally, so all that remains of this race of hogmen are inconsistent fables.

The hogmen of Noalen, however, were well-documented by early Evangelites and other peoples. They were officially considered extinct by the end of the 4th Age. Their extinction was largely driven by genocide, but also other factors such as failure to assimilate and adapt to their changing environment.

The World Athenaeum acknowledges that there are likely small populations of hogmen still hiding out in the remote wilderness of Noalen. However, their populations are believed to be so insignificant and their chance of recovery so unlikely that they are officially considered “extinct”.

HISTORY

Historical documents consistently describe hogmen in an unfavorable way. Texts across many different cultures describe them as “violent”, “ravenous”, “cannibalistic”, and “unhygienic”. Their appetite seemed to be their most notorious trait. Many texts state that the hogmen were prone to overindulging in everything they consumed, and that they would consume nearly anything. They were particularly fond of drugs and alcohol, and would even eat corpses which had begun to rot without any apparent consequence.

In a journal entry, one Evangelite soldier claims he witnessed hogmen combing a battlefield after a skirmish and cannibalizing their own dead kin. Researchers initially doubted this claim, as Evangeline Kingdom had an agenda against the hogmen at the time, until more texts were discovered from foreign sources that made similar claims. Hogmen apparently had no qualms about eating their own kind or other peoples.

Small tribes of hogmen were dotted throughout Noalen, mainly around the Everwatch Forest, Blue Valley, and Southriver Wood regions. Though these tribes were relatively small, they supposedly caused catastrophic amounts of damage to whoever they raided, utilizing a mix of magic and brute strength to plunder enemy villages. They were a thorn in the side of every other civilization in the region, widely loathed by all, according to historical texts. In fact, it was this shared hatred of the hogmen that contributed to the formation of Evangeline Kingdom.

Evangeline Kingdom’s early rulers were struggling with diplomacy for some time, failing to foster long-lasting alliances with foreign tribes. Finally, Evangeline managed to draw interest by proposing a manifesto: to rid Noalen of the notorious “hog menace”. Several smaller tribes quickly jumped on board and joined Evangeline in their quest. After uniting many tribes in the region, Evangeline Kingdom experienced a rapid boom of wealth and population, and they began a series of military campaigns. Among these campaigns was a genocidal quest against hogmen.

Though it seemed straightforward, this quest ended up being long and arduous, and it was several centuries before Evangeline Kingdom could call it a success. However, the hogmen eventually were slain down to a few tiny populations, which were believed to have fled deep into the Shrieking Mountains. Though they have completely disappeared from Evangelite territory since, there are still occasional reports from eye-witnesses in Folkvar Kingdom who claim to have seen a live hogmen in the mountains. None of these claims have been confirmed by the World Athenaeum so far.

While it’s agreed that the hogmen of Noalen were mostly wiped out by genocide, it’s unclear what exactly led to the extinction of Lorrowish hogmen. Researchers theorize that they were simply out-muscled by the region’s other peoples over time. This seems likely, as their remains were most highly concentrated between a large ogre civilization and an even larger minotaur civilization—both species which boast much greater size and strength than the hogmen.

BIOLOGY

Hogmen were bipedal gaian peoples who most closely resembled minotaurs. They did not stand quite as tall as minotaurs and they were not as strong, though their strength is still described as “formidable” by many old texts. They were also said to be “deceptively quick on their feet”, despite their blubbery bodies and cloven hooves. They had beastly, pig-like heads that made it difficult or impossible for them to communicate in Universa. They were said to communicate with grunts and squeals “not unlike a beast”. A stark sexual dimorphism was noted, with females being largely hairless from the waist up while males’ entire heads were covered in bristly fur, as well as most of their chests.

They were described as “fast-breeding”, with females giving birth to litters of 2-3 offspring per each pregnancy. Their fertility cycles seemed nearly identical to humans. Infant mortality was said to be extremely high, however, and several pieces of Evangelite artwork depicts female hogmen eating their own young. Researchers have yet to determine if this artwork was based on fact or propaganda, but do concede that hogmen likely did eat their “excess” young as a way to cope with overpopulation, given their confirmed cannibalistic habits.

No major differences were noted between the hogmen of southern Noalen and northern Noalen. Only minor complexion and fur variations were mentioned, with records stating that southern hogmen were “tan of flesh” and “dark-haired”, while northern hogmen were “pink of flesh” with “chestnut-colored hair”. Descriptions of Lorrowish hogmen are wildly inconsistent between cultures, but researchers believe they likely had dark hair and complexions, judging by their arid environment. Their skeletal structures suggest no other differences from Noalen varieties.

Because hogmen were not known to ally with other peoples, they were quite hard for outsiders to study. Little is known about the intimate details of their lifestyles and biology. Researchers estimate that their natural lifespans were on the shorter side, around 50-60 years, but their remains suggest that most of them did not even reach that age before succumbing to violence, diabetes, heart attacks, or infection. Their general mortality seemed to be quite high across all ages, even before Evangeline’s conquest against them.

CULTURE

Because they were so aggressive and hard to study, very little is known about the hogmens’ cultures. Evangeline Kingdom also went out of its way to destroy all hogmen artifacts and ruins they encountered, much to the dismay of Athenaeum historians. These historians have no choice but to base their theories on ancient text documents and artwork, both of which are not always reliable, so there is much contention over what is true and what is overblown regarding this species.

According to hearsay, nomadic hogmen lived in collapsible tents made primarily of animal skins. They also wore crude animal skin clothes. Stationary hogmen tribes lived in small houses of sticks or stones, or sometimes in caves. They seemed primitive at first glance, but did utilize basic tools and rudimentary magic for both utility and self-defense. Photomancy, curative spells, and pyromancy were commonplace. They were not known to use written language. Diary entries from various Evangelite soldiers mention destroying wood and bone carvings made by hogmen, suggesting they did create some form of artwork.

Surprisingly little is known about the hogmens’ way of life beyond their tendency towards violence and cannibalism—and researchers believe those traits are likely overstated due to the long period of anti-hogman rhetoric pushed by Evangeline Kingdom. The true nature of this species remains a mystery.

TRIVIA

-Hogmen were featured heavily in the story “The Abominable Skaadia”

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