Bufe
Savage cynoform creatures in the tunnels under Viron.
Ancient Athenian vase
(note that these beasts are surrounded by whorls)
Etymology
From the Vietnam War era acronym BUFE: (Big Ugly F***ing Elephant) for a souvenir brought back from Southeast Asia; The tunnels under Viron are reminiscent of the dangerous and psychologically terrifying tunnel warfare during that war. They are also a “souvenir” brought back from those tunnels by Mint’s group to be sacrificed.
Commentary
The bufes represent the fifty-headed dog, Cerberus, which guards the entry to Tartaros (later Hades).
The bufe’s are called “gods” by the chem soldiers in that they are “dogs” spelled backwards. Hammerstone also justifies this terminology in that the bufes eat the what is left of the sacrifices to the gods (that is, these are real receivers of humanity’s sacrifices). This word-reversal also infers the demonic Greek divinity that Wolfe has created for the Whorl.