BULGOUS: EASTERN LANDS OF SESAMAR
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| Bulgous, Eastern Lands |
The area between Old Pokon and the Goblin Lands holds bugbears. These foul, taller version of goblins live partly above and below ground in this area. Their shanty, flee-ridden dwellings are foul. It's not like they believe in sanitation; so, the smell is atrocious -- so say the dwarf raiding parties that have gone there.
Bulgous is a gross tent city. It is said feces are thrown from tent entrances. Feces splash neighboring tents, line trails, and persist in most places frequented by these beasts.
Bugbears do frequently attack Tolan and sometimes team up with goblins in doing so.
While bugbears are stealthy, being downwind from one can easily give away their position.
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Bulgous isn't a city you stumble upon; it's an assault on the senses. The reeking stench of garbage and decay hangs heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the bugbear residents' disregard for hygiene. These hulking monstrosities, twisted parodies of humanoids with grotesquely warped skeletons, lumber through the filth-encrusted streets. Their very presence is a threat -- a breeding ground for disease that can fell even the hardiest traveler.
The architecture of Bulgous reflects its inhabitants. Ram-shackled hovels, constructed from scavenged scraps and rotting wood, huddle together, casting long, grotesque shadows. The air is thick with guttural snarls and the clangs of clashing metal, a grim persistence that speaks to the bugbears' violent and backward nature. Bulgous is not a city; it's a festering wound on the land, a place where the darkness seems to hold sway.
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The names "bugbear" and "bulgous" have different origins. One comes from lings and the other from the dwarves.
The lings speak of these grotesque creatures in tales. They tell children's stories of hideous, smelly creatures lurking in the night, scooping up those whom have wandered too far from their homes. Lings often use the expression bug to mean an ill-tempered spirit. Some tales surmise the bugbear (or large ill-tempered spirit) came into being as a result of telling these stories. This is why many lings today refuse to talk of or listen to stories related to bugbear out of fear the words would call forth such creatures.
Bulgous was a name given to the bugbears by the dwarves. It was an insult based on the fat, lazy, smelly nature of bugbears. The bugbears know it but wear it as a badge of foul honor. It is often used by dwarves to denigrate a person who is sloppy, poorly mannered, or ignorant.
