The Boon Frog

Frogs are plentiful in the swamplands of Alven. However, some of them are very dangerous animals and are not to be trifled with. One of the most dangerous species of frogs is the Boon Frog.

This very pretty and colourful amphibian hides a disturbing secret: it drains the blood of its victims and at the same time, send a powerful hallucinogenic into their bloodstream to make them pliant.

Even creatures the size of men can feel the effect of the Boon Frog's poison and can become overcome or disorientated by the drug they inject.

Geography

The Boon Frog is to be found mainly in the immense swamp covering the south shores of Loch Morgunt. The extensive swamplands around the loch provide the ideal habitat for the frog. The frogs rarely come near human settlements but love the damp and rotting vegetation of the flooded forest.

Anatomy and Morphology

The Boon Frog is the biggest of the Alven frogs. Its size is roughly the height, width, and length of a man's foot. The frog is itself very colourful, and sports splashes of bright yellow, green, and blues. As is often the case, poisonous animals like to warn predators that they are comestible.


Happily, the frog's size and bright colours make it easy to see and usually, it can be avoided if you are careful where you tread. This type of frog is mainly nocturnal and the yellows and blues are slightly phosphorescent under the moonlight, which makes them also easy to see even in the dark.

Because of its size, the Boon Frog can jump very high and far. It will be able to jump 4 or 5 meters forward and as high in the air. This makes it a formidable enemy of its favourite prey, The Water Rat.

Perception

The Boon Frog is also a very vocal animal as most frogs are. You can hear their loud distinctive rivets as soon as the sun goes down during the Light Months of the year when they are active. During the Dark Months, when it is cold, the frogs dig themselves into a nice bit of mud and hibernate.

The Boon Frog is also very sensitive to vibrations in the water. As soon as the frog feels the slightest ripple or change in the current, it knows either a predator or prey is there. It can also 'smell' the heat from a living organism and its blood.

Reproduction, Hunting, and Diet

The Boon Frog follows the cycle of 'normal' frogs. It will hibernate, and at the start of the warm months, the males will call to the females. Later on, the females will spawn in shallow waters, the tadpoles will then emerge and go through their metamorphosis to become froglets.
During Fogamm, the frogs will prepare for their hibernation and are particularly active, looking for fresh blood. Water rats and minks are their favorite preys, but they will also gobble up insects, snails, and slugs: anything they can latch on.

The Boon Frog hunts by laying in wait half-submerged in the water. When its prey comes within 3 meters or so of its position, it can jump fast and high to latch its fang onto its victim.

The way the Boon Frog catches its prey is very specific to the species: it uses the fangs at the end of its long prehensile forked tong to keep a strong grip on the skin of the creature it has snagged.
Straight away, the frog sends the powerful poisons it secretes into the bloodstream of its victim. The substance will act very fast on the prey's nervous system. A small creature will find itself paralyzed in a matter of seconds. This allows the frog to suck as much blood as it can from its victim before retreating to a safe distance.

When a larger creature is attacked by the frog, the poison might not cause total paralysis but will affect the subject by either paralyzing a side or one of its limbs or slowing it down.

When men are infected by the frog's poison, they become slow to react and are often disorientated. Someone who has been bitten by the frog could easily lose their way in the swamp and drown.

Folklore

The Boon Frog got its name from an old clan legend.
In the swamp settlement of Bleckmulh, there was a man from Clan Ravensen by the name of Fulwod Swampson who fell in love with Cleerlek Langtill, the youngest and prettiest of the chieftains' daughters. Cleerlek had many suitors and was not easily won over by the warrior from the swamplands.

Cleerlek was also a very accomplished warrior, and would not link herself to anyone unworthy of her expectations. Cleerlek then asks all of her suitors a request or boon to judge their bravery and character. She swore she would partner the warrior who would bring her something at the same time dangerous and beautiful.

Fulwode thought about the matter and brought her back a leather armor made of the pelts of the dangerous frogs, and it is with this that he won the heart of the warrior maiden.