Hogarth Character Bio

From the travel journal of Hieronyma, Anthropologist of the Order:

Day 22

Finally, after more than three weeks of caravanning, Rothbern, our forward scout, has signaled to me that he sees smoke from the fires of Deg Itan. I am glad. I tire of the cold and need a hot meal.

After searching fruitlessly in the desert for the elusive "Oasis," I thought Deg Itan would be a welcome change of clime. I take it back. It was a terrible idea. This place is as bitterly cold as the desert is swelteringly hot. At least finding water here is easy; too bad using the bathroom without getting frostbite on your backside is not. Hopefully, getting a glimpse into the lives of the reclusive Northmun of Deg Itan will be worth it.

I have heard much about the Northmun: that they are brutish, stubborn, fearless, and only appreciate humor if it involves bodily functions. But after spending so much time in this icy wilderness, I feel I must respect a culture that can withstand its fury.

Rothbern has informed us that we will not reach Deg Itan by nightfall, but we will surely reach there by tomorrow. Only one more night in the snow!

Day 23

Rothbern neglected to tell us the day's hike would be up the side of a mountain. I should have guessed as much. Warrior cultures like the Northmun tend to value strategic advantage over silly concerns like convenient access to resources.

But what they lacked in civic planning ability, they more than made up for in hospitality. Chieftain Beotharn arranged a glorious feast of mountain bison for us in his communal longhouse. I finally had the hot meal I so desperately wanted around the crackling, friendly fire at the longhouse's center.

I did not expect them to be an egalitarian society, but there seemed to be little difference between men and women here. Their dress is similar--pelts and plate armor--and half of Beotharn's thanes were women.

They also seem to like to party, and we were happy to oblige them. After a few pints of mead, there was a bit of a food fight, but what's a little bison in your hair in the name of camaraderie?

The only one who seemed to be wary of us was Hogarth, Beotharn's highest-ranking thane. He was also much more disgusting than the rest of the group. Hogarth ate an entire bison's leg with his mouth open, leaving a ring of meaty destruction around him. When he finished, he belched loudly, and his compatriots laughed and made a toast.

I wonder why someone who seems like such a buffoon would be the thanes' leader, but I reserve judgement.

After the feast, the hall was cleaned and the fire tamed. They brought in bedding for us; we would be using the longhouse as our dormitory. I was glad to not have to wander back out into the snow, but then realized that for all their civility, they had not mastered indoor plumbing. Once more a cold wind to the breech, I guess.

Day 24

Tragedy has struck our party. In the night, a mysterious monster attacked the longhouse, emboldened by the scraps of last night's feast. I was there, but I do not remember much except the creature's eyes glinting in the glow of the dying fire. Rothbern, I'm afraid, was eaten. Someone raised the alarm, and instantly Hogarth was there leading the thanes. They chased the creature into the mountains.

One thane did not return.

That night, we feasted again, but in the cold, mountain night. A great bonfire was lighted in honor of our dead.

Beotharn asked Hogarth to say a few words. It was clear the loss pained him, but he said nothing. At last, he raised the fallen thane's axe and unleashed the loudest, most pained roar I have ever heard. His thanes followed suit, yelling into the dark. The message was clear: they would have their revenge.

Hogarth, believing the longhouse too dangerous, split our party between his fellow thanes. Much to my dismay, the expedition's cook and I were to spend the night with Hogarth.

His small hut was not what I expected. Oddly, he had some talent for art; there were several carvings of wolves, bears, and other woodland creatures around his small home. And, in a place of honor, the lost thane's axe hung above the door.

Hogarth said very little, but he turned down our bedding, offered us a hot mead, and said "SLEEP WELL!" to us loudly but kindly as we went to bed.

Day 25

Our last night with the Northmun was one of both horror and victory. In the night, Hogarth awoke, startled by a noise neither of us could hear. He gathered his armor and his axe, shouting at us "HERE STAY!"

I'm not one to shy away from danger, so I set out after him. What I saw chilled me more than the ice and snow of Deg Itan. It was three meters tall and lithe like a snake. Smoke rose from its scaled body as it wormed through the village on all fours. It had massive claws and teeth and glowering eyes.

But like a flash of lightning, it vanished into the night. Hogarth ordered his thanes after it, staying behind to guard us and his chieftain. He gathered everyone into the longhouse and we waited.

We heard noises outside; the beast was back! Without hesitating, Hogarth sprang after the monster, shouting his attacks as he ran. For the first time, I saw Hogarth in his element. As he swung his axe, a toothy smile grew on his face. The beast clawed him again and again. It dawned on me that the man did not feel fear--or pain.

We barricaded the longhouse door behind him, but I kept my eye to the crack in the door. Hogarth was gaining ground, but then the beast reared up, grabbing his leg with one of its gigantic claws.

Hogarth instinctively threw his shield, bashing the creature's underbelly. To my surprise, the beast froze in place and fell forward, taking Hogarth with it. Its arm shattered as it met the ground, freeing Hogarth. He quickly severed its head from its body. The beast thawed and a fountain of blood showered from its neck. Hogarth danced in its rain.

There was another great feast that night when the thanes returned. At the end of the feast, Beotharn stood up and motioned for us all to be silent. He asked Hogarth to come forward. The Chieftain then named him the "Frozen Shield of Deg Itan" in honor of his great deed. Hogarth started blubbering in a most embarrassing way. More mead was poured and many raucous toasts were made in Hogarth's honor.

I realized then why he was their leader. He may get more of his dinner and mead on his beard than in his mouth, and he may not get even the simplest of jokes, but his prowess in battle was matched only by the care he had for his people.

Tomorrow we continue our trek north out of the mountains of Deg Itan and across the glacier to the Peaks of Arctos. There, we will meet with the ursine Grizzly people, which will be another great chance for anthropological study. Unfortunately, it will be another few weeks in the ice and snow.

But if the Grizzlies are half as welcoming as the Northmun, the journey will be worth it. I never thought I'd say it, but I will be sad to leave the heroic Hogarth and Deg Itan.