Lap-Hog
Dwarven Name: Groth’milkin (“Little Cave Snorter”)
Lap-Hogs are a specially bred, miniature subspecies of the Cave-Hog, a tusked boar-like creature domesticated by the Dwarves of Largitas. Where their larger kin are used for meat, hide, and tunneling work, Lap-Hogs are bred for companionship, warmth, and surprisingly effective home defense.
Beloved across the Dwarven Holds, Lap-Hogs are often considered part pet, part hearth-spirit, and part fuzzy furnace. They are especially popular among elderly Dwarves, single tunnel-dwellers, and members of the Beastmaster’s Guild who "swear it's just for research."
“A Lap-Hog will warm your toes, guard your beard, and judge your life choices—all at once.”
Basic Information
Anatomy
Physical Characteristics
- Size: Comparable to a large dog, averaging 40–50 cm at the shoulder
- Weight: 25–40 kg (mostly muscle and stubbornness)
- Appearance: Short, bristly fur in earthen tones; flat-faced with wide, intelligent eyes; often has decorative harnesses, ear-bells, or beard-braids
- Tusklets: Still present, but small and usually capped or blunted
- Scent: Faintly smells of smoked mushrooms and iron—comforting to most Dwarves
Biological Traits
Notable Breeds
- Ashsnuffler: Soot-black fur, bred for warmth and stealth. Popular with tunnel scouts.
- Snub-Nosed Flameback: Reddish streaks on the spine, preferred by nobles and chefs alike.
- Brewbelly: Slightly rounder, often kept by tavernkeepers. Can smell spilled ale from two tunnels away.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Feeding & Care
Lap-Hogs are omnivores but prefer:
- Tunnelgrains
- Root-stew leftovers
- Mushmash scraps
- Dwarven flatbread (but only if it’s buttered)
Behaviour
Temperament & Behavior
Lap-Hogs are deeply affectionate and territorial. Once bonded with a Dwarf (usually through shared snacks and snoring proximity), they will guard them with a zeal rivaling trained hounds. They are highly trainable, stubbornly clever, and prone to napping in warm hearth-ash.
They squeal when excited, chuff when annoyed, and have a low, comforting grunt when asleep. Their snoring is considered soothing by many Dwarves and is often compared to “a forge softly breathing.”
Additional Information
Domestication
Cultural Role
- Companionship: Lap-Hogs are often given to widows, veterans, or lonely miners as emotional support companions.
- Gifts of Status: In certain Holds, gifting a Lap-Hog is a high honor, often tied to oaths of kinship or deep gratitude.
- Hearth-Hogs: Some are trained to curl around children to keep them warm, earning them the nickname “Living Blankets.”
- Burial Tradition: In rare cases, Lap-Hogs have been known to lie atop or beside the skull-boxes of their Dwarves for days, refusing food, until they pass. This behavior is seen as deeply sacred.
They need regular hoof-care, mild brushing, and at least one belly rub per day—or they’ll sulk dramatically, often in the doorway.
Trivia & Oddities
- Some Lap-Hogs are trained to fetch tools, sniff out rot, or press forge bellows by standing on weighted levers.
- There are rumors of Lap-Hogs being used as couriers, delivering secret messages tied beneath their belly fur.
- Their meat is never eaten, considered taboo—a symbol of the sacred bond between Lap-Hog and Hearth.
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