Hablog

"Hablog"

- Reg, protect Riko.

Hablog (called Habo-san by Riko and the other children) is a well-known Black Whistle Delver and was the person who delivered Lyza's White Whistle and final notes to the surface.

Appearance
He is a tall and bulky man. He has rather rough, curvy facial features and a beard that connects with his hair. He wears a hat with a lamp on it, similar to mine workers, a large brown coat and a dark brownish vest below it.

Personality
Hablog is a very bright and kind person with a rather high level of curiosity, as is seen when he first meets Reg.

1st layer Arc
Hablog is one of the Delvers sent after Riko and Reg when they had fled the orphanage and had delved into the Abyss alone. He caught up quickly, partly because he wants to give respects to the "Supreme Treasure of the Netherworld", Reg, about whom he knows because Nat and Shiggy told him. Instead of taking them back to Orth, he offers to escort them to the Seeker Camp; they decline. He then gives Riko a warning about Ozen, some medicine, and other supplies, and let them go.

Since then, while he has not interacted directly with Riko nor Reg, he has been shown on the surface telling stories to Nat and Shiggy about the Abyss and its inhabitants, foreshadowing the dangers that Reg and Riko would face.

Curse Fleet Arc
In the Plummet Pub, Hablog overhears the conversation of Cravagli and Tepaste wondering if they are talking about the big joint delving project that is coming up.

After having greeted patrons of the pub, Hablog returns to the table Jiruo is sitting at. He then asks Jiruo if he ever heard of the Shrine Maiden or the "Nest" to which Jiruo replies he only knows this from children's games as "the abyssal shrine maiden" and the "faraway nest" are mentioned in Hariyomari's Song. Upon hearing that, Hablog seems to have a kind of epiphany and asks what Jiruo remember at all from this song.

The scene skips forward 14 days later in surface time, to the lowest point of the Inverted Forest, the destination of the joint delving project with the Forward Expedition Party having arrived: Hablog as Delve General Leader of the project, Simred as Forward Expedition Party Leader and Gyarike as Lead Strategist.

They find themselves before a large, open hole in the shape of a pentagon somewhere in the forest. Simred asks rhetorically that his couldn't have been caused by natural causes, Hablog notes nobody ever having tried for this place before and even the scholars to be excited, and Gyarike states that whoever opened this hole must have known of Artifacts existing in that opened section.

As Hablog shines his headlamp into it, he remarks the many Storage Vessels, which would be classed as Second Grade Artifacts. He further notes that something of this scale will surely make it into Delver history and they will need a lot of man power with it at least taking several weeks to recover everything, along with the time it takes to dig routes for the Blue Whistles. Gyarike factors this as at least three months in surface time.

Hablog questions Simred about the situation of the lookouts and Simred tells him they have one of the Seeker Camp's big Telescopes set on this location. Hablog further notes he can see no Special Grade Relics as far as he can tell and Gyarike notes that whoever made this hole most likely took them if any had been there at all.

Gyarike notices fresh vestiges calling it a parting gift and directs the groups attention to something that isn't quite visible for the readers but causes shock to the group. This obscured object for the reader causes Hablog to instruct Simred to tell the Seeker Camp to activate a high Glowstone signal for better visibility and they will need a determination of whether or not this area is prohibited, as well as informing Ozen they will need her help as soon as she returns.

Hablog then also remembers the dialogue he overheard from Cravagli. Astonished as to what he may have found, Hablog speculates he may be trying to bring the fairy tale of the Hariyomari's Song to life.

Augmented Speed
Hablog is in possession of some means to move extremely quickly, as shown when he is chasing down Riko and Reg by moving at speeds well beyond that of a normal human, especially one of his size and build.

Delving Expertise
Hablog is a very well-known Black Whistle Delver and aims to become a White Whistle Delver. As such he has demonstrated high tracking skills, as well as a high amount of physical ability, when he tracked down Reg and Riko on the 1st layer and quickly caught up to them.

Knowledge
Hablog has vast knowledge about the Abyss and also on all current White Whistle Delvers.

Leadership
Hablog is capable of managing large expeditions as he's the General Leader of the big delving mission that took place on the 2nd Layer. He's also recognized by Cravagli as one capable of bringing foes together for a single purpose during these expeditions.

Trivia

 * Hablog served as Forward Expedition Party Leader during the joint delving project.