Seelie denizens of peat bogs, the ballybog is a shy herbivore that feeds on decaying vegetation and small animals. Due to its small humanoid shape and alarming appearance of a perpetual scowl, ballybogs are traditionally shunned and often killed on sight as bad luck. The Collegium has been unable to verify this, as the definition and provenance of “luck” is currently a matter of intense scholarly debate, but what is beyond dispute is that the ballybog is in a decline, possibly a terminal one. A last survey of the peatlands which form their last refuge identified only 101 individuals, of which only 14 were the rare sessile females. Debate is currently underway in the Collegium about the possibility if establishing a preserve, while others hold that the ballybog must perish because it is the natural order. In the meantime, the collegisters have been unable to agree on whether to take action on ballybog slaughter, with some holding that it should be banned until the debate is settled, some preferring to merely discourage it, and others agitating for an outright ban.

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