A I: Boghogs

Written by Neons-Mindrealm

Boghogs
Bulky Gluttons of Alterna I: The Lands of Paradise

Origins:

Due to their similarity in anatomy, it is believed that the Boghogs were once just simple Hill Boars, which, during the evolution of the Lands, were forced to adapt to the toxic environment of the Living Decay. And through a mutational evolution, turned into these massive, bulking gluttons to be able to survive the drastic changes of their new home environment.

Current Habitat:

With a quite high fat to muscle ratio, Boghogs have great difficulties navigating any terrain that is somewhat hard or dry.
Unlike their ancestors, Boghogs require a more wet and soft surface to be able to efficiently move their bulking forms around, and not constantly scrape their low-hanging stomachs on the ground.
They are almost entirely found roaming the poisonous swamp of the Living Decay, with some rare sights of a few stragglers also crossing over to the Singing Sea or Desert of Bones on the edges of the region.
Although, if a Boghog does happen to get lost in either of these two regions, they will most likely end up dead not long after, if they don't manage to find their way back into the swamp soon.

Average Size / Height:

On average, Boghogs reach a body length of around 5 meters, with a height of approximately 2.2 to 2.6.
Their bodies are extremely bulky, with a high fat to muscle ratio, and a head that's about 1/5 of their entire size.

Diet:

Boghogs are extremely gluttonous omnivores, which devour near anything and anyone they come across.
They are often seen just slowly dragging themselves across the ground of the Living Decay with a wide opened maw, to scoop up anything in their path and simply swallow it whole.
Despite their constant feeding, though, the metabolism of a Boghog is actually quite slow and could in theory survive on much less. But through the constant exposure to the multiple toxic substances both in the air and food they consume, it is believed that Boghogs simply find themselves unable to stop feeding.
So if one comes across such a beast, it is highly advised to avoid getting into their paths at all times.

Physical Appearance:

The body of a Boghog is extremely similar to that of a giant, overfed pig. With four rather short but strong and thick, wide hoofed legs, a short dangling tail, and a massive, ground-dragging gut that makes up most of their entire body.
Their skin appears mostly as a pale grayish green and is as tough as multilayered leather armor. Whilst also being covered all over in big pulsating warts, filled to the brim with a highly potent hallucinogenic gas, or occasionally even overgrown by multiple forms of fungi.
Appearing to be more like an extension to their huge bulking forms possess Boghogs also a pig like head that's roughly 1/5 of their entire size and consists mostly of a wide maw. Which, besides two medium-sized tusks on the side of their maw, does not appear to possess any fangs or teeth, but is able to stretch open almost 1 and a half times their body height to easily swallow even larger objects or prey whole.
The other sensory organs on a Boghogs head appear to be quite small in comparison. With two perfectly round black circles as eyes, two rounded up pointy ears, and two rather small looking slit-like nostrils on the center front of their wide maw.

Behavior and Social Structure:

In the Living Decay, Boghogs appear as mostly solitary creatures which simply roam the swamp with a constant desire to feed, and an almost always wide opened maw to scoop up anything in their path.
Whilst being extremely slow, they do tend to drag their massive bodies near restlessly across the marsh environment, leaving behind a prominent track of flattened and pushed aside mud.
Whenever they come across another creature or even an adventurer, they don't seem to care much about them, and would either ignore them entirely, or simply treat them as any other piece of food if they don't manage to move out of their way in time.
The only time when a Boghog does not move around and scoop up food is when they feel too exhausted or tired to do so, in which case they would simply stop right in their tracks and rest on the spot.
A direct timeframe for when they rest does not exist.

Role in the Food Chain:

As the largest and possibly also the toughest creatures native to the Living Decay, Boghogs don't appear to truly have any natural predators.
The only creatures which do occasionally attempt to hunt them are packs of desperate Skulker, who may appear to be able to pierce through their hard leathery skin, but are also easily fended off by just a quick release of the potent gas stored within the Boghogs warts.
Looking at a Boghog as a predator, they may be capable of easily swallowing most creatures of the Living Decay whole by simple walking into them, although they do not actively appear to actually hunt them. Due to their extremely slow and inflexible movements.
Most of the time a Boghog consumes an entire creature whole, it was either because the consumed creature was simply sleeping as the Boghog approached, or by accident as the creature was fleeing from another predator.

Special Abilities and unique Physical Traits:

The most unique trait of a Boghog is undeniably its highly mutated but also developed yet slow digestive system. As besides its natural function of extracting nutrients from anything they consume, before turning it into a most toxic sludge, it also possesses the unique ability to sometimes reform or fuse the Arcanic Cores of certain items they happen to consume and turn them into something entirely new.
This unique ability is believed to be a byproduct of when a Boghog uses its natural form of primal Channeling, where it converts part of the toxic materials it ingests into the highly potent hallucinogenic gas, stored within their many protruding warts as a method of self-defense.
Boghogs are also able to burst open and regrow these warts at will whenever they feel threatened, and quickly release the gas stored within to fend off anything that tries to attack them.
Amongst some daring adventurers, it even became common to gamble on the chance of obtaining rare enchanted items by feeding a Boghog their weapons and armor, before then threatening it and forcing it to use its primal Channeling, hoping it will turn their gear into a valuable treasure.

Additional Insights:

Whilst the meat of a Boghog may not appear to be edible, most of the unique fungi occasionally growing on their backs are.
Although, many alchemists highly advise against the consumption of said shrooms, as they come with a wide variety of different side effects. Ranging from mild hallucinations all the way up to severe muscle spasms and maniacal behavior.
However, to some individuals, especially those found in the shady alleys of the Human Town's Swamp District, these mushrooms often sell for a high price as a quite popular illicit substance.

Genetic Descendants

• A I: Wartorcs