Hogg

Biodata

Background / History

Military Service and Clan Responsibilities

Hogg served on the border for three years in his youth, continuing the Baruch tradition of sending a member of each generation into the army. He returned home because the clan needed him and rarely discussed his military past with his children 8.

As patriarch, he managed the declining family’s assets through careful budgeting. Much of the ancestral estate had become unaffordable to maintain, leaving the family living in the front courtyard while older residences stood abandoned 6 10.

He also oversaw affairs in Wushan Town. Following the battles that devastated the town, he checked reconstruction progress daily and directed Hillman to organize cleanup and count casualties. Townspeople remembered his unusually low taxes and his willingness to pay the kingdom’s share himself during lean years 3 9 15.

Protecting and Educating His Sons

When a mage riding a Velocidragon entered Wushan Town, Hogg ordered Hiri to hide Wharton in the cellar and went out to find Linley. Afterward, he explained the differences between warriors and magi, magical-beast contracts, and the requirements for awakening the Baruch bloodline 3.

During the subsequent Saint-level battle, Linley suffered a head wound while shielding Wharton from falling debris. Hogg stopped the bleeding with cloth torn from his own shirt, stitched the wound, applied medicine, and watched over his son during recovery 4 5.

Despite the family’s limited funds, Hogg supported Linley’s decision to take the magic aptitude test in Fenlai City. He provided ten gold coins for registration and another five for travel. When Linley returned with admission to Ernst Institute, Hogg celebrated his achievement while reminding him to study diligently and protect his health 6 7 9.

Wharton’s Bloodline Test and Departure

On Wharton’s sixth birthday, Hogg conducted his bloodline test in the ancestral hall. The Dragonblood Needle turned dark red, nearly black, revealing an exceptionally high concentration. Hogg wept with joy at the prospect of the clan producing another Dragonblood Warrior after thirteen hundred years 11.

He gave Wharton a handwritten copy of the first two levels of the Dragonblood Secret Codex and arranged specialized training. When nutrition and medicinal costs exceeded the family’s means, he ordered inherited silverware sold rather than delay his son’s development. He regarded the years from six to twelve as crucial for establishing a warrior’s foundation 11.

Linley’s remittance of 9,900 gold coins relieved the financial crisis and allowed Hogg to arrange Wharton’s education at O’Brien Academy. Before the journey, Hogg supplied spending money and a short knife, entrusted him to Barker’s caravan, and paid extra for his protection 11 12 13.

Investigation and Death

For six years, Hogg secretly investigated Lina’s disappearance. He traveled to Fenlai City under the pretext of purchasing supplies or visiting friends, gradually tracing the evidence to Duke Paterson, King Clayde’s younger brother 16.

Disguised under a new identity, Hogg infiltrated Paterson’s mansion to obtain direct evidence. A hidden guard discovered him while he attempted to steal a crucial list. Three seventh-level warriors attacked him; although only a peak sixth-level warrior himself, he escaped through familiarity with the terrain and desperate fighting 16.

To avoid leading pursuers home, he took a long detour and changed disguises twice. He reached Wushan Town after nearly two days, having almost bled dry, and survived for another three days. During that time, he wrote to his sons, gave final instructions to Hillman and Hiri, arranged his funeral, and asked that Wharton not immediately be told of his death 16.

His final regret was that he had failed to protect Lina and would not live to see his sons stand independently. He entrusted the Baruch Clan’s future to them 16.

Aftermath

Wharton learned of Hogg’s death three months later while returning from the O’Brien Empire. Hogg’s memorial tablet stood in the ancestral hall, where Linley had placed the recovered clan saber, Slaughter, alongside a letter for his brother 15 16.

The brothers subsequently confronted Paterson, who had arranged for Hogg to be hunted down. After questioning him about their mother’s abduction, Wharton killed him. Their pursuit of the people responsible continued with Clayde and those behind him 17.

Appearance

• Wears a plain linen tunic and carries himself with a straight back 1.
• Has increasingly pronounced wrinkles at the corners of his eyes during the family’s financial crisis 11.
• Maintains a stern expression, though his concern and pride sometimes show through trembling hands, softened features, or tears 1 9 11.

Personality

Hogg is stern, disciplined, and deeply conscious of the Baruch legacy. He insists that his sons keep up with their lessons and training, avoid conceit, and uphold the family’s spirit regardless of their achievements. His pride in their potential is tempered by practical concern: he checks Wharton for training injuries and warns both boys against damaging their health through excessive effort 2 6 9 10.

He expresses affection more readily through actions than words. He risks his life to find Linley during a disaster, personally treats his injuries, and sacrifices family possessions for Wharton’s education. He also tries to shield his sons from painful comparisons, initially asking Wharton to keep his successful bloodline test from Linley 3 4 11.

His generosity extends beyond his household. Wushan’s residents remember him as a fair administrator who did not treat them harshly. His prolonged search for Lina shows the same determination and stubbornness that Hiri later recognizes in both sons 15 16.

Abilities & Skills

Warrior Training

Hogg’s last documented strength is peak sixth level 16.

• Escaped an attack by three seventh-level warriors, though the injuries proved fatal 16.
• Used terrain knowledge, disguise changes, and a circuitous retreat to avoid bringing pursuers to Wushan Town 16.
• Assessed Wharton’s muscle soreness and joint condition after strenuous training 10.

Medical Care

Hogg treats Linley’s serious head wound after the Saint-level battle 4.

• Stops bleeding, heats a needle over fire, and closes the wound with seven stitches 4 5.
• Applies medicine, changes bandaging, and monitors Linley’s recovery 4 5.
• Examines the healed wound and gives instructions about avoiding scratching and water 6.

Clan Knowledge and Instruction

Hogg preserves and passes on the Baruch Clan’s cultivation heritage 3 11.

• Explains bloodline concentration, testing, and the conditions for cultivating the Dragonblood Secret Codex 3 11.
• Administers Wharton’s Dragonblood Needle test 11.
• Provides the Codex’s introductory levels and directs the transition to specialized training 11.
• Knows the clan’s ancestral history, including both celebrated warriors and less prominent family members 11.

Equipment / Items

• Dragonblood Needle — A transparent, hair-thin testing needle kept in a wooden box behind the ancestral tablets; darkens according to bloodline concentration 11.
• Dragonblood Secret Codex — Keeps the precious original secured and gives Wharton a handwritten copy of its first two levels 11.
• Short knife — Gives Wharton a blade under thirty centimeters long for self-defense. Wharton continues carrying and maintaining it six years later 12 15.
• Final letters — Leaves written instructions for his sons before dying. Wharton preserves a letter addressed to both brothers so they can open it together 16.

Relationships

• Lina — Wife. His sustained investigation into her disappearance leads to his fatal confrontation with Paterson’s guards 16.
• Linley Baruch — Elder son. Hogg supports his magical education, celebrates his admission to Ernst Institute, and urges him to balance ambition with health 6 9 10.
• Wharton Baruch — Younger son. Hogg oversees his bloodline test, supplies his cultivation inheritance, and prioritizes his education over the preservation of family valuables 11 12.
• Hiri — Butler and trusted household confidant. Assists Hogg with childcare, finances, emergency treatment, and his final arrangements 4 11 16.
• Hillman — Trusted associate who trains the children, escorts Linley, delivers financial support, and receives Hogg’s final instructions 3 7 11 16.
• Barker — Caravan guard captain entrusted with Wharton’s journey and paid additional money to protect him 12 13.
• Duke Paterson — Target of Hogg’s investigation; arranged the pursuit that resulted in Hogg’s death 16 17.

Notable Quotes

“Treat him well. A contracted magical beast is a partner, not a tool.” 9

“The men of the Baruch Clan aren't afraid of hardship, but they shouldn't get hurt for no reason, either.” 10

“You brothers will both go further than I ever did.” 10