House Boggs

House Boggs (of The North)
General Information
Coat of arms	A pale Blood-Bloom flower on peacock green, wrapped by a thin dripping Ghostkin Moss wreath, with three Ghostskin slime drops falling.
Words	"Flavour the Iron"
Titles	Lords of Blood-Bloom Bason First Defender of Moat Cailin Magnal of Boggs & Fevers (formerly) Chief of the Bog-Devils (Only used by the Ironborn) Owner of The Shadowcat's Growl Inn & Tradepost
Seat	The Boggseat
Region	The Neck
Organizational Information
Heir	Shayen Boggs
Religion	Old Gods of the Forest
Military strength	204 militarily trained men and women. Of the 204, 53 are capable male Basoni blowpipers, 58 are capable female Basoni blowpipers, 22 are capable male Basoni spearers, 7 are capable female Basoni spearers, 39 are capable male Basoni archers and 25 are capable female Basoni archers. The Fliyoger family can use force-fed domesticated Ibises that explode against enemies. The explosion releases in high-velocity small iron pellets and flammable gas in every direction within a radius. The Swamm family are excellent divers who use reed straws to sneak up on enemies by the water in quick amphibious fashion. The Muskegg family are responsible for arboreal warfare and are experienced trappers.
Chronological Information
Ancestral weapon	Basoni Blowpipe (at close range can be used as a Cudgel), Basoni Iron Spear, Basoni Bow & Arrows, Exploding Ibises, Arboreal traps, and Aquatic traps

House Boggs of Blood-Bloom Bason is a minor Crannogmen house from The North, though the crannog of Blood-Bloom Bason moves - it is usually situated downstream from Moat Cailin. The Boggsmen are vassals to House Reed of Greywater Watch.

They are known to the Ironborn as the "Bog-Devils".

The Boggs' Banner consists of a pale red Blood-Bloom flower being circled by a silvery-white Ghostskin moss wreath on a light green backdrop with 3 Ghostskin mucilage drips falling.

(Despite a similar House name and similar impoverished situation, the Crannogmen of House Boggs of Blood-Bloom Bason bare no known relation to the Crackclawmen of House Boggs of Crackclawpoint in the Crownlands. However, both do claim descent from the First Men. They rarely interact and refuse to intermarry one another.)

 Timeline

The Dawn Age 

The First Men Invade

12.000 BC - A human ethnic group from Essos, the First Men, invades Westeros by crossing the Arm of Dorne, bearing weapons of bronze. In a futile attempt to end the invasion, the children use the hammer of the waters to shatter the land bridge, creating the Broken Arm and the island chain known as the Stepstones.

The First Men are more numerous, larger, stronger, and more technologically advanced than the children, who try to resist the invaders using their magic and obsidian weapons. It proves unsuccessful, however, and the First Men gradually push deeper and deeper into Westeros, establishing hundreds of petty kingdoms.

The Children of Forest, try their magic again on the area that will come to be known as The Neck. It fails. According to local tradition, Moat Cailin was used by the Children of the Forest to defend against years of onslaught afterward.

According to folklore, Shimos, a beautiful member of the Children of Forest, was distraught after seeing a particularly bloody battle take place at Moat Cailin, between the First Men and the Children of the Forest. Shimos decided to establish a small floating refuge village on the banks of a bog just Southwest of Moat Cailin for all the pacifists, objectors, injured and simple runaways of the battle at Moat Cailin.

One of these was a young 4 year old boy called Brogg Boggs, legendary founder of the Boggs family line. Brogg Boggs was supposedly chosen due to his ability to walk on water without sinking, climb trees without raising his hands, and breathe underwater without a reed straw.

Signing of the Pact

10.000 BC - After years of warfare, the First Men and children of the forest come to a standstill and finally agree to a peaceful coexistence, signing the Pact on the Isle of Faces. This pact gives the First Men dominion over the open lands and lets the children keep control over the forested areas. In time, the First Men adopt the worship of the old gods of the forest. The First Men who came to The Neck lived in especially close proximity to the Children of the Forest and physically diverged greatly from the other First Men groups.

The Age of Heroes

ca. 10.000 BC - An era during the history of Westeros, which would be named so later for the great men and women who live in the years of peace and prosperity following the forging of the Pact. The Pact endures for nearly four thousand years, and in that time, the children of the forest and the First Men grow closer. In time, the First Men set aside many of their cultural differences to embrace the ways and customs of the children of the forest. With the exception of the Drowned God of the Iron Islands and the Lady of the Waves and Lord of the Skies of the Three Sisters, the gods of the Children become those of the First Men.

Many of the noble houses of Westeros today trace their lineage back to the Age of Heroes. This was the time when grand historical figures are said to have lived, such as Brandon the Builder, founder of House Stark; or Garth the Gardener, founder of House Gardener of the Reach. Also during this era the Storm Kings of House Durrandon arise in the stormlands—a line with figures such as the founding Durran, supposed builder of Storm's End—and the Grey King rules the Ironborn of the Iron Islands.

Choking of The Neck

ca. 8.000 BC through 3.000 BC - The various petty kings of the Neck would set apart their differences in times of war and strife and defend their lands against outside forces - sometimes against armies doubly in number.

Marsh King - "First Among Equals" - was the title of the ruler of the Crannogmen in the Neck for thousands of years. It is said that the Old Gods would speak to and even touch him. Songs claim the Marsh Kings rode lizard-lions and wielded frog spears. Marsh Kings held Moat Cailin against the Southron, Ironborn and Northmen invaders, sometimes with the assistances of the Barrow Kings, Red Kings, Driftwood Kings, Merling Kings, River Kings, Mountain Kings Kings of the Rock, or Kings of Winter. The Marsh King's success against the Southron invaders allowed for First Men culture and tradition, such as the belief in the Old Gods to continue long after they were supplanted in other parts of Westeros.

It is unknown if any of the current Crannogmen houses has a connection with the Marsh Kings of lore. However, some maesters speculate either House Marsh or House Reed to have a connection. Alternatively, it might not have been a hereditary title at all. Even current information on the Neck is sparse, comparatively speaking.

The Crannogmen and the Sistermen of the Three Sisters established a notably close economic, defensive and cultural relationship during this time. This relationship - more times than not - was a crucial point toward the Crannogmen's successful defense.

At some point in time, some Crannogmen houses did eventually move out of The Neck and migrated Eastward into Flint's Finger, Cape Kraken, and the Flint Cliffs. It is currently unknown why these houses abandoned the Crannog lifestyle during this time.

Even though the North remain secure, the Children of the Forest begin their slow withdrawal from the lands of men, retreating deeper into their forests ... and eventually into myth.

The Worthless War

2.000 BC - Rickard Stark, the King in the North, after marrying the Marsh King's daughter, betrayed and slew the Marsh King and all of his male and non-male heirs at Rickard's wedding, thereby annexing The Neck to the realm of Winterfell. The events of single action would lead to longest war in Westerosi history. 

The Sistermen in their effort to aide the Crannogmen raided and pillaged the Eastern coastline and rivers of The North, including White Knife, Broken Branch, Last River and Weeping Water. The Northmen under Rickard Stark and newly acquired vassal Belthasar Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, invaded the The Sisters. Men, women and children were flayed, boiled, and even eaten during the Rape of The Three Sisters. Belthasar even built and dined underneath a Pink Pavilion made from flayed Sistermen skins.

In response to the invasion by the Northmen, the Sistermen turned to Mathos II Arryn, the Andal King of Mountain and Vale, for assistance in ousting the Northmen. In return, the previously independent Sistermen bent the knee to the Arryns of the Eyrie. The Rape of the Three Sisters became the first act in a thousand year-long conflict between the Starks and Arryns over the islands, known as the War Across the Water, or the Worthless War. This Thousand year old conflict would see the Three Sisters eventually hold fealty to House Arryn of the Mountain and Vale after changing hands numerous times.

The Neck's houses meanwhile rebelled for hundreds of years afterward but saw little success in the battlefield against the Starks and their allies. A legend states that during one of the rebellions, one thousand hungry dire wolves were released into The Neck against the Crannogmen, killing many.

Attempts by the Valemen to free the rebel Crannogmen were in vain as House Reed took up arms in defense of the Starks. Lord Reed of Greywater Watch's successful defense of The Neck earned his house a fearsome reputation by both his enemies as well as his allies. Lord Rickard Stark in recognition made House Reed a major family and noble house.

Eventually, the rebellious Crannogmen houses - including House Boggs - slowly lost some of their fighting spirit, however some houses still whisper of revenge against the Northmen and yearn for absolute autonomy.

The Neck has ever since been ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, who would unflinchingly serve as staunch loyal vassals to the Starks of Winterfell.

Current Situation

House Boggs are vassals to House Reed, which had been themselves loyal vassals to the Starks. Moat Cailin is the closest major chokepoint and the Boggsmen are both familiar with defending Moat Cailin's three decrepit towers as well as sieging them. Like most of the other Crannogmen, absolute primogeniture is followed, making The Neck one of the only places in Westeros outside of the Principality of Dorne, where Cognatic succession is followed.

The crannogs on which they live move and regularly demand maintenance. On Blood-Bloom Bason, the Swamm family holds the distinguished responsibility of caring for its underwater repairs.

Notable Traditions

The Boggsmen of Blood-Bloom Bason are rather unique among the Crannogmen, as they follow a number of strange traditions not seen elsewhere in Westeros. One example of this is that they do not consume any flesh and adhere to a strict vegetarian diet in adulthood, even when faced with starvation. Nor do they wear clothing made from skins or bones. Children are permitted to catch and eat swamp insects, like the Fuladzer beetle larvae and swamp termites. This dietary "Code of Honor" is said to have been inherited by the mystical founder of House Boggs, whose name (Shimobobongoloka’aryadagimsahs) is often shortened to “Shimos”.

They consume Ghostskin Moss mucilage, an extremely sweet substance and Blood-Bloom flower petals, which are thick and ooze out a red liquid that taste very metallic. These two ingredients are often consumed in many dishes. Other important culinary ingredients include bark, twigs, smokeberries, sea grapes, red algae, green algae, yellow algae, fire moss, sky lichen, Grey toadstools, many types of truffles, bat nuts, edible roots and honey.

Language

The Boggsmen maintain many words of Old Tongue origin and are said to be one of the most connected to the Children of the Forest in The Neck. On occasion, Lord Loyam Boggs is affectionately called "The Magnal", a local derivative of the Old Tongue word "Magnar" which means "Lord". Some First Men mysterious runic symbols are engraved in the oldest and most central part of the Blood-Bloom Bason crannog - an area that interestingly enough never needs maintenance.

Geopolitics

Due to the common belief that the Boggsmen are the blood descendants of the First Men mixing with the Children of Forest, especially with the mysterious Shimos character of folklore. Other Crannogmen minor houses label them as the “Children of Shimos”, both as badge of respect as well as an implied insult. Due to the Boggsmen’s cultural aversion to war and death they regularly disobeyed House Reed historically when called upon for wars outside of The Neck. However, they readily defend The Neck when called upon for defensive wars. Over the years, House Reed has slowly learned to accept this fact about the Boggsmen and commonly uses them merely for defense purposes.

Geography of Blood-Bloom Bason

"Location" of Blood-Bloom Bason

House Boggs' lands lie South of Barrowlordsmen House of Wells of Wet Rock Dunn, vassals to House Dustin, Lord of Barrowton and strongest House in The Barrowlands. House Brownbarrow of Deep Cave Camp and House Waterman of Saltslough are also nearby Barrowlord Houses that are familiar with the Boggs of Blood-Bloom Bason. The Headwater of the Fever River roughly separates the Crannogmen and the Barrowlords, however there is some cultural exchanges happening closer one gets Moat Cailin.

North East of the Boggsmen lands lies Moat Cailin, personally owned by House Stark of Winterfell. Opposite the Causeway, lies the lands of House Wicke and House Peak - the only two Houses in the Neck East of the Causeway.

Directly South of the Boggs' domain lies the marshes and creaks belonging to House Fenn of Silverreed. While in the West, House Cray straddles the Coastline of Saltspear up until the Fever River begins.

Lay out of Blood-Bloom Bason's Crannog

Blood-Bloom Bason is a large reed raft-like square-shaped crannog with a large opening in the center, called The Boggol. A medium-sized Wierdwood tree grows by The Boggol, and is called The Floating Weirdwood tree of Blood-Bloom Bason. Families of up to 10 individuals live in each circular thatched hut that dot the floating squared crannog. There are 15 families, including the Boggs.

On the left, lies the Birdery and the huts belonging to the Fliyogers as well as the Armoury, Barracks and Battle Arena.

In the lower half, lies the floating gardens of reeds, cattails, swamp dewberries, swamp smokeberries as well as the huts belonging to the foragers and farmers of Sedgefoot, Morcheek, Froghorn, Pocuss, Yellowtoe, Flatfoot, and Sump families.

The death penalty is carried out by wrapping the criminal in Ghostskin Moss rope and dragging the body in The Boggol until it finally decays. Both Ghostskin Moss and and Blood-Bloom flowers grow readily on decaying bodies and is farmed, consumed and sometimes sold to travelers who are either adventurous or are unaware of its origins.

The Boggsmen

The Boggsmen are short-statured even when compared to other Crannogmen, either due to their relatively poor vegetarian diet or due to their claimed Children of Forest connection. Many Boggsmen have webbed toes and webbed fingers, the Swamm family is known for having exceptionally well-suited feet and hands made for swimming. The Muskegg family have relatively long limbs for their body (though still somewhat shorter than your average Riverlander, Ironborn or Northmen).

The Boggsmen are infamous for their usage and mastery over a the Basoni Blowpipe - a tool that has for the most fallen in disuse since the Andal invasion. Clubs, archery and spear are also used in terms of warfare. Similarly, to rest of the Crannogmen though, guerrilla tactics are used instead of open-field battles.

The Ulnark family develop spring traps using dried Ghostskin moss rope and other plant fibers.

House Boggs' Family

The Boggs family claim descent from the 10 year old First Man - Brogg Boggs and Shimos, the much older and pacifist member of the Children of the Forest. Brogg Boggs is said to have won Shimos' love and rulership over the Blood-Bloom Bason due his ability to climb trees without raising his arms, crawl over quicksand without sinking and breathe under water without a reed straw.

House Bogg has been loyal bannermen to House Reed for centuries and have only historically informally broken oath when House Reed traveled outside of The Neck.

Recent Lords and Ladies of Blood-Bloom Bason include:

• Fulam "The Drunk" Boggs†, was always drunk, burnt House Bogg's library and history books. Memories of Fulam's own father has been forgotten. Lord Fulam would invite ne'er-do-wellers, braggarts and pirates and have open orgies with women, boys and children and even birds. After losing a bet to House Wells, Lord Fulam sold his lands by the Headwaters of the River Fever off to House Wells. It was Lord Fulam who developed the idea to create the Shadowcat's Growl Innkeep along the Causeway but is reported to never have made a profit from it. In his drunken stupor one evening, he killed his true born son and raped both of his daughters in an orgy fest that had gotten out of hand.
  • Huelim "The Defender" Boggs†, former heir to Blood-Bloom Bason, was killed protecting his two sisters from his drunken father and his debaucherous friends.
  • Snera "The She-Scrounger" Boggs†, after being raped by her drunken father Fulam and two of his friends. Snera lead the women on the Crannog in open rebellion the next morning against the dishonourable male Boggsmen, slaying many and eating her father and his two friends. She chose to never give birth to a son again.
  • Sienna "The Blood-Bloom Flower" Boggs†, sister to Snera, ran away to the Barrowlands with the Bogg's last remaining male heir - the child born from incest. Sienna would eventually be abducted, tortured and killed by House Waterman. It is unknown why House Waterman acted this way.
    • Loyam "The Wet Son" Boggs†, after kidnapped and tortured at a young age by House Waterman, escaped captivity by swimming for 8 days along the Saltspear and River Fever. He eventually reached Lammergeyer Motte of House Condon. There Loyam learned personally how to fight and govern by the Lord of House Condon - who took an interest in him and returned him to Blood-Bloom Bason with an army. Loyam and his Condonmen allies fought against Lady Snera "The She-Scrounger" Boggs and won. After Loyam took the throne from his aunt he began changing the laws implemented by Snera. Loyam is known as an efficient but ruthless Lord. He would die peacefully in his sleep. He married a Condon.
      • Bojern Boggs†, former Lord to Blood-Bloom Bason and son of Loyam, fathered many bastards, died fighting the Lord of House Condon, after being caught sleeping with Lord Condon's wife, Stacia Flint. Did not produce an heir. Married a Fenn, who left him to become a prostitute in King's Landing.
      • Jamaron "The Kind" Boggs†, former Lord of Blood-Bloom Bason, made peace with House Condon. Married a Wicke. Lord Jamaron was kind and generous.
        • Brunard "The Scholar" Boggs†, former Heir to Blood-Bloom Bason, contracted Highborn's Disease and withered away. Served as sellsword for awhile and wrote books of his travels.
        • Lokam "Thick-Blood" Boggs†, former Lord of Blood-Bloom Bason, contracted greyscale at old age. Committed suicide after producing four male heirs. Was the first to make a profit at the Shadowcat's Growl Innkeep.
          • Lautaron "The Slippery Newt" Boggs†, former Lord of Blood-Bloom Bason. Married a member of House Marsh, before mysteriously disappearing - possibly sold into slavery.
          • Brunarn "The Fat Flower" Boggs†, former heir to Blood-Bloom Bason, eaten by a bask of Lizard-Lions while in bed with his newly-wed wife, Lautaron's widow.
          • Drayenna "The Crippled Flower" Boggs, after being bitten by a poisonous Fofi spider and suffers from life-long quadriplegia.
          • Loyam "Blood-Bloom Boar" Boggs, current Lord of Blood-Bloom Bason and is married to Lautaron's and Burnarn's widow, originally from House Marsh.
            • Shayen Boggs, first born daughter of Loyam Boggs and current heir to Blood-Bloom Bason.
            • Klairin Boggs, younger sister to Shayen Boggs.
          • Drojern "The Young" Boggs†, younger brother of Lautaron Boggs. Disappeared along with Lautaron.

The Smallfolk families of Blood-Bloom Bason

There are multiple theories on why the Blood-Bloom Basoni smallfolk have "House names" despite not being Noble.

• Due to the nature of Blood-Bloom Bason's village setup and close proximity to each other.
• Due to inheritance from a clanship-like system, which seems to have been more common among the First Men in historical times.

• Due to the Boggs' mysterious Children of Forest cultural inheritance.
• Due to the village acting as a refuge for people fleeing war (including Noble Houses that went extinct and forgotten elsewhere)
• Due to prolonged coping with the common mistreatment of the Crannogmen smallfolk outside of The Neck by other Westerosi populations
• Due to each family's specific role and trade or industry in the community.

Whatever the reason, the result is that each smallfolk family of Blood-Bloom Bason has a house name.

The Economy of Blood-Bloom Bason

House names in Blood-Bloom Bason influence the economic roles that each individual member does to support the larger community of Blood-Bloom Bason.

• The Muskeggs family excel in Ironwood Tappery. The Ironwood sap is extracted and processed to create a brown syrup. Though Ironwood sap is not as sweet as Maple (which can be found South of the Neck), but the syrup can be fermented to produce mead and bread knock-offs. The Muskeggs also claim domain over arboreal warfare and setting up traps.

• The Morcheek, Sedgefoot, Pocuss and Froghorn families all forage and trade in Greycap toadstools, Blood-Bloom flowers petals, Ghostskin moss wreaths, Homa mushrooms, Wild Honey, Wild Dewberries, Wild Smokeberries, edible leaves, bark and roots.

• The Swamm family are known for their Swamp Pearl Diving skills and are the ones chiefly responsible in ensuring that the crannog stays afloat through constant maintenance and averting underwater obstacles that may harm the crannog. Swamp pearls are sold off to lower class jewelry crafters. Amphibious sabotages

• The Fliyoger family are chiefly responsible for the rearing and training of Raven chicks, Ibis chicks and Homi chicks. Raven chicks are sold off to Maesters passing through the King's Road. Ravens are not used in Blood-Bloom Bason, since the crannog moves and there are no maesters in The Neck. Ibis chicks are domesticated and cared for, and on special occasions, a few eggs are taken and eaten raw by those being celebrated. Homi chicks, are small birds that once trained, can communicate simple messages through whistles. Homi birds are used to find Homa mushrooms, Bog Ores, Peat fields, Greycap Toadstools, wild Ghostskin Moss wreaths, Blood-Bloom flower fields, Wild Honey as well as inform a Fliyoger of impending dangers.

• The Diggs and Bloom families are responsible for maintaining The Bloomery, a series of small clay-brick furnaces that allow for the processing of Iron Bog Ore into porous Iron, a low quality but cheap form of Iron that is sold to Merchants and Blacksmiths interested in saving a few pennies.

• The Morass family is responsible for the hygiene, food store management, communal cooking, herb-craft and medicine making for the entire village.

• The Sump, Flatfoot and Yellowtoe family are responsible for the floating farms of domesticated dewberries, river corn, reeds and other aquatic agricultural plants on Blood-Bloom Bason. This family also sometimes travels to the abandoned ruins Port of Fever, on the banks of the River Fever. There the Sump, Flatfoot and Yellowtoe members farm Yellow, Red and Green Algae, Sea Grapes and mine for sea salt in the naturally occurring salt pans.

• The Ulnark family is responsible for handicrafts such as the production of weapons - predominately the Basoni Blowpipe, bows and spears, reed rafts, trap-making, and plant-fiber cloth making. The Ulnarks also deliver and are responsible for selling goods at the market in The Shadowcat's Growl.