Thunder Hogs

Summary

The Thunder Hogs are a gang that has seized control of New Smoke, replacing the town's militia as the primary security force. They operate from an extensive network of underground tunnels and facilities beneath the settlement, where they hold the Mayor of New Smoke captive in the Foundry. The organization consists of a couple dozen members of mixed gender composition who serve as guards and enforcers in the underground prison system.

The gang's primary mission is recovering The Casket from the wasteland outside New Smoke. Communications intercepted through a Silver Ear Cuff reveal widespread demoralization among rank-and-file members, who have been forced to work day and night searching for the casket. Before resorting to interrogating the Mayor for its location, they had been "blindly digging in the desert" in the wasteland. The gang is led by a Thunderhog Leader who promises grandiose rewards once their mission is complete, though member loyalty to this mission appears questionable at best.

The party refers to them colloquially as "the Baddies" and is actively working to infiltrate their territory and rescue the mayor while avoiding detection.

Appearance

Thunder Hogs members wear casual, worn clothing. One guard encountered in Session 10 is specifically described as wearing dirty jeans with holes in them. They carry key rings hanging from their belts and are armed. Their standard equipment includes networked communication devices in the form of silver ear cuffs, which at least some personnel wear for coordination purposes. At least one member, a Thunderhog Medic, wears a full hood.

Members display slapstick physical mannerisms during confrontations, particularly when attempting to apprehend Safia, with both guards bending over with their arms out in an awkward attempt to grab the transformed druid.

History

Session 10

The Thunder Hogs serve as the primary antagonistic force throughout the session. Two Thunder Hog members patrolled the Underground Tunnels Beneath New Smoke, discovering the party in the Barrel Chamber. One of these guards was the same individual who had been stationed outside earlier and encountered Sucks in an old man disguise, though the guard did not recognize Sucks in his current appearance.

During the session's events, Thunder Hogs members [captured both Sucks and Vasso](timestamp://f8e3f354-a6be-4cc8-800d-e9a7bae59794/45:30), confiscating their weapons—Sucks' dagger and bow, and Vasso's sword and shield. However, they missed non-obvious items including Vasso's circlet and gold sneakers. When Sucks attempted to play dead to avoid capture, the Thunder Hogs were unimpressed. One guard remarked: "Have you ever been thrown in prison before? I, I, there's usually not this much back and forth." They dismissed Sucks' increasingly desperate attempts to talk his way out of imprisonment, including claims about having a rich father and needing medical attention because his grandfather ate gold. The guard's response was blunt: "I don't care who your dad is, kid."

When Sucks attempted to backstab one of the guards, the attack failed and the Thunder Hog punched Sucks in the jaw for 5 damage. Another guard caught Vasso's arm and wrenched it behind his back during the scuffle. The guards dragged their prisoners through corridors that transitioned from natural stone to solid gray poured material before throwing them into a metal-doored cell. One guard even offered false reassurance, saying "Oh you Know what? I totally understand. And you'll be safe here" before slamming the metal door shut.

While standing guard outside the cell, the Thunder Hogs complained about their assignment. One stated: "Man, I don't know if this is worth it. This has been a lot of trouble." The other agreed: "Fucking hate this place. So many fucking kids in here."

Their security duties deteriorated further when Safia managed to grab keys from a Thunder Hog's belt while in rat form. The guard looked down and exclaimed "what the fuck?" before slapping Safia to the ground. Both Thunder Hogs then chased through the tunnels but became distracted when Monster appeared as an adorable cat. They stopped their pursuit, saying "aww, what are you the. What is going on here tonight?" and called to the cat: "oh, come here, come here."

One Thunder Hog managed to catch Safia mid-air during a jump attack, prompting his companion to offer praise: "nice, man. Good catch." When Safia transformed from rat to human while in the guard's grip, he shifted his hold to grab her by the front of her shirt, his eyes wide in confusion as he struggled to understand what was happening.

One Thunder Hogs member had previously witnessed Sucks pretending to have "crazy diarrhea" as a distraction, and was later heard discussing the incident: "Like, man, that guy. Crazy diarrhea."

Cat observed of the Thunder Hogs' performance: "I have to say, those thunder hogs are really bad at like" their security duties, given how easily Safia managed to steal the keys and how poorly constructed their prison proved to be.

The gang's name itself has an amusing origin story. When asked if the gang had a name, Shawn explained: "I auto generated names for like gangs and it gave me one really stupid one that was like the Thunder Hogs or something like that." Shawn then decided: "I think they probably are called the Thunder Hogs."

Session 11

The Thunderhogs' presence is discovered when the party infiltrates the underground facility and Safia acquires one of their communication devices.

Through intercepted communications, the party learns that the gang has been conducting an exhaustive search for The Casket. The intercepted conversations reveal significant frustration among the members:

"They're just like, what? Why? He's calling another meeting. It's like, we've been working day and night. How have we not found anything yet?"

The guards express their desire to complete the mission simply to leave:

"The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to work. The sooner we get back to work, the sooner we can finish this and the sooner we can leave this dump."

The Thunderhog Leader attempts to maintain morale by promising rewards once the casket is recovered, telling the gang that they will achieve "everything we've ever dreamed of" and pursue "higher, more grandiose, lofty goals," leaving New Smoke behind. The leader urges patience, saying "Just one more day. That's all it's gonna take. One more day."

Based on what they hear, the party speculates that the Thunderhogs may not be particularly loyal to whoever is forcing them on this mission, suggesting exploitable divisions within the organization. One member mentions, "I haven't really accepted anybody since we got here," indicating internal tensions or a recent change in the gang's composition or mission.

Key Attributes

Numerical strength: A couple dozen members of mixed gender composition
Territory Control: Operates throughout the underground tunnels and facilities beneath New Smoke and maintains authority over the settlement
Current mission: Recovery of The Casket from the wasteland outside New Smoke
Prison Operations: Guards metal-doored cells in the underground prison system
Equipment: Ear Cuff Communication Devices for coordination, key rings (worn on belts), weapons sufficient to disarm and confiscate the party's gear
Specialty roles: At least one medic (who wears a full hood)
Combat Capability: Able to physically overpower prisoners (punching for 5 damage, restraining captives)
Equipment Management: Confiscate obvious weapons but miss concealed or non-obvious items
Patrol Patterns: Members enter the supply shed near the Foundry but are not always seen coming back out, suggesting multiple tunnel exits
Voice Recognition: Their voices echo through the tunnel passages, making their movements trackable
Security Competence: Demonstrably poor at guard duties, easily distracted and outmaneuvered
Morale: Low; members are demoralized, frustrated, and working under compulsion, openly complaining about their assignment and the conditions in New Smoke, particularly expressing annoyance at the number of children present in the foundry complex
Loyalty: Questionable; guards express resentment toward their current mission and leadership's demands
Leadership promises: Access to grandiose goals and the ability to leave New Smoke once the casket is recovered
Party Assessment: The players humorously compare them to a "barbershop cartel" and suggest they might be susceptible to cute distractions like barbershop quartet members
Current Objectives: Holding the Mayor of New Smoke captive, pursuing Safia who stole their keys, imprisoning Sucks and Vasso