Boggan

Boggans value hard work and hospitality above all things. They also take great delight in simple earthly pleasures such as good food and drink, a warm fire, and a comfortable chair for sitting and reading. They have well-established reputations for their hard work and integrity. It is said that a boggan is as honest as the callouses on his hands. They are also known to be busybodies. If you need to know what’s going on at court, ask a boggan; he will almost always be up to date on the current gossip and intrigue.

Born of dreams of charity, service, and vengeance, boggans embody all these things. Their tales originate in early stories of earthly angels who worked miracles on behalf of the poor and virtuous. Darker stories feature malicious spirits that exacted outrageous prices for services rendered. Yet others speak of small house faeries who helped families with household chores and tended to farm animals.

Boggans usually fall into one of two camps: those who prefer the comfort and security of their own homes and those who humbly integrate themselves into other households. Those who prefer their own homes are rarely without guests. They keep the larder full, the drink cabinet well stocked, and the guest bedrooms fresh and clean.

They are not overly picky about who they invite as guests, and anyone in need of shelter is welcome at a boggan’s home. Boggans themselves are the consummate houseguests and boarders, and most Kithain consider themselves fortunate to have a boggan move in with them. Of course, boggans only show up where welcome and would not dream of living where they are not wanted; they work extra hard to make sure their presence is appreciated. They dutifully take care of any cleaning and repairs and do anything possible to make sure their host is happy and well taken care of. Even Unseelie boggans make welcome guests in this regard, though their presence may also come with a price.

Boggans have turned gossip into an art form. They have an innate knack of deciphering relationships and picking up “overheard” tidbits of information. Seelie boggans rarely use this information in any nefarious capacity, and claim they are only curious. The secrets they “happen to overhear” are just rewards for their hard work. Unseelie, on the other hand, horde their secrets to use for blackmail and even more nefarious purposes.

Boggan
Name	Boggan
Pronounced	BAHG-gun
Dream of...	Helpfulness, Industry
Affinity	Actor
Birthrights	Craftwork, Social Dynamics
Frailties	Call of the Needy

Kith Notes

Appearance

Boggans tend to be short and plump with large noses, and are distinctly earthy in appearance. They often have thick, bushy hair with matching eyebrows that hover over small, bright eyes. They have large, calloused hands with long, nimble fingers. Their skin is usually tanned, and darkens and wrinkles with age. Despite their somewhat stout appearance, they move with a spritely gait. Whether tightening a screw or tamping a pipe, their hands are constantly in motion. If left with nothing in their hands they fidget and instinctively seek out something that needs to be fixed.

Lifestyles

Comfort is of utmost importance to boggans; a well-stocked pantry, comfortable furniture, and an assortment of favorite drinks are essentials to a boggan home. Boggans are famous for their talents in the kitchen and they often find work as chefs or brewers. In these modern times they can also be found working as graphic designers, landscapers, fashion designers, house cleaners, carpenters, and jewelers — anything that involves working with the hands.

Seemings

Childlings

Boggans in this stage of life exhibit a powerful curiosity about everything in the world. They take delight in meeting new people, learning new things, and exploring new places. They want to know everything about everything and everyone. They explore the world with wonder in their eyes and will talk to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen and put up with the incessant questions. While most boggans are notorious homebodies, childlings are commonly found out and about in the world, often poking their noses into places they shouldn’t.

Wilders

All boggans are perfectionists but wilders take this to the extreme. Every task must be completed to perfection and they must always do more than anyone else, a goal made somewhat easier by their Birthright. However, if two boggans wilders get into a competition they may need someone to step in and tear them apart because they can become fiercely competitive. Normally mild-mannered boggans can even become violent if provoked while in a competitive frenzy.

Grumps

Boggans who have entered the grump stage of life have seen it and heard it all, but they still maintain a desire to know more. They usually lose their competitive edge and prefer to settle in one place, often a freehold or other place where they believe they can be of the most service. Gathering and compiling information is of the utmost importance to them and they often keep a great store of knowledge about the local Kithain. They usually maintain vast libraries of stories and journals they have collected during their lives, all neatly organized and carefully indexed.

Revelry

Helping people with tedious and odious tasks is the boggans trademark, especially if they can do it without the person knowing. The chore can be just about anything: cleaning the house, repairing a broken faucet, mending clothing, or weeding a garden, but it should be something that requires at least a little bit of time and elbow grease (of course it takes the boggan a lot less time than it would take anyone else). The boggan cannot accept payment or thanks for work and preferably the person helped shouldn’t even be aware that the boggan was there.

Unleashing

Cantrips cast by boggans are often accompanied by pleasant scents of hearth and home and the field: baked bread, mulled cider, fresh-mowed grass, tobacco, and wood smoke.

Kith Mechanics

Affinity

Actor

Birthrights

Craftwork

Boggans enjoy nothing more than good, honest work. Their reputation for being consummate craftspeople is well earned. While unobserved, boggans can accomplish any task involving physical labor or craftsmanship in one third of the time. Other boggans can be present, but they cannot be observed by anyone else.

Boggans can never botch a Craft roll.

Social Dynamics

Boggans are keen observers of social interactions, and their inherently unobtrusive nature allows them to witness things that might otherwise remain hidden. A successful Perception + Empathy (or Subterfuge) roll allows a boggan to puzzle out a group’s social dynamics. The difficulty can range from 5 (for a small dinner party) to 9 (for a ducal freehold). This might result in lower difficulties on future Social rolls or additional pieces of information that the player would find useful.

Frailty

Call of the Needy

Boggans are inherently helpful, and cannot resist offering aid when it is needed. When they encounter someone who is legitimately in need of help, the player must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) to resist helping them in some way. This does not apply to a sworn enemy.

References

• Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition, pp. 88-89