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Bristleback minimap icon Rigwarl, the Bristleback
Never one to turn his back on a fight, Rigwarl was known for battling the biggest, meanest scrappers he could get his hands on. Christened Bristleback by the drunken crowds, he waded into backroom brawls in every road tavern between Slom and Elze, until his exploits finally caught the eye of a barkeep in need of an enforcer. For a bit of brew, Bristleback was hired to collect tabs, keep the peace, and break the occasional leg or two (or five, in the case of one unfortunate web-hund).

After indulging in a night of merriment during which bodily harm was meted out in equal parts upon both delinquent patrons and his own liver, Bristleback finally met his match. "Your tusks offend me, sir," he was heard to drunkenly slur to one particularly large fellow from the northern wastes whose bill had come due. What followed was a fight for the ages. A dozen fighters jumped in. No stool was left unbroken, and in the end, the impossible happened: the tab went unpaid. Over the weeks that followed, Bristleback's wounds healed, and his quills grew back; but an enforcer's honor can be a prickly thing. He paid the tab from his own coin, vowing to track down this northerner and extract redemption. And then he did something he'd never done before: he actually trained, and in so doing made a startling discovery about himself. A smile peeled back from his teeth as he flexed his quills. Turning his back to a fight might be just the thing.
Bristleback

Bristleback Lore

Bristleback Artifact

Illus. JiHun Lee
I never went to some fancy military school to learn how to beat a man half to death... that's what bars were for.
Bristleback, Barfly

About
Associated With
Heroes Tusk minimap icon Tusk
Places Slom
Elze
Characters Pinzik
  • Rigwarl frequents taverns between Slom and Elze, suggesting he might be from the area.
  • Rigwarl may have fought an emerald miner, and then stole his equipment.[1]
  • Rigwarl's nemesis from the north is undoubtedly Ymir, the Tusk minimap icon Tusk. Despite their rivalry, Rigwarl is not opposed to teaming up with Ymir.[2]
  • Rigwarl has another nickname: The Bristled Bruiser.[3]
  • Rigwarl has a cockney accent.
  • Rigwarl knows Pinzik, an eccentric engineer who made the Piston Impaler for him.[4]
  • Rigwarl is not fond of knights.[5]
  • Rigwarl hates cats.[6]
  • Rigwarl hates Keens, regarding them as small and weak.[7][8][9]
  • Rigwarl likes the Oglodi for their toughness.[10][11][12]

Artifact Card Game Artifact[]

  • Viscous Nasal Goo Viscous Nasal Goo
    Artifact Card Game Spell Card
    Viscous Nasal Goo Artifact
    Illus. JiHun Lee
    It's not gonna score points with the ladies, but when it comes to winning a fight I'll take every advantage I can get.
    Bristleback, Dirty Fighter
  • Unknown icon Pick a Fight
    Artifact Card Game Spell Card
    Pick a Fight Artifact
    Illus. JiHun Lee
    It takes a lot to get me mad- ok that's a lie, I'm always mad. It takes a lot to make me wanna fight someone- yeah, that's not true either. I- oh to Hell with it, let's be honest I like punching people.
    Bristleback, Lover of Violence
  • Unknown icon Heroic Resolve
    Artifact Card Game Spell Card
    Heroic Resolve Artifact
    Illus. JiHun Lee
    The world is a like a 280 lbs belligerent walrus man... it's not just gonna try to beat you down, it's gonna try to beat you while you're down. So when that metaphorical, or in my case very literal, walrus man starts stalkin' towards ya... you only got one option: pick yourself up and punch that bastard in the face.
    Bristleback, 5 Pint Philosopher
  • Unknown icon Rising Anger
    Artifact Card Game Spell Card
    Rising Anger Artifact
    Illus. JiHun Lee
    Tusk's breath was a mix of stale beer and raw fish, but I wasn't about to back down... no... I was just getting started.
    Bristleback, No Quit In Him

Friendships and Rivalries[]

Allies meeting Bristleback

Enemies meeting Bristleback

Enemies killing Bristleback

Others

  • ▶️ Oracle minimap icon r Peering through the darkling mists of fate, I see pincushions and mucus. So much mucus.
  • ▶️ ▶️ Legion Commander minimap icon Don't you turn your back on me!

References[]

  1. Emerald Frenzy Amulet description.
  2. Bristleback response: ▶️ Tusk, let's partner up on this one.
  3. Tusk biography.
  4. Piston Impaler description.
  5. Bristleback response: ▶️ Never did like knights.
  6. Bristleback response: ▶️ Oh, I hate cats, or whatever that bloody thing was.
  7. Bristleback response: ▶️ I'll hit em. You stand there looking small and weak.
  8. Bristleback response: ▶️ The only good Keen is a dead Keen.
  9. Bristleback response: ▶️ I hate keens.
  10. Bristleback response: ▶️ The Oglodi always put up a good fight.
  11. Bristleback response: ▶️ The Oglodi, they don't die easy, I will give em that.
  12. Bristleback response: ▶️ You Oglodi fighters is tough, yeah, I admit it.
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