Grung

'The key with the grung is to expect anything, and I mean anything. Nine times out of ten, they'll try to poison you, rob you blind, or shackle you to grow food for them. But the one time out of ten? That's when you really need to worry.' - Bandel Evenflaw, frontiersman

Grung are one of the least-known races of Ratha, rarely leaving their jungle homes. They are a diminutive peoples, resembling frogs on two legs, living in tribal societies in the damp jungles of Ratha. They dry out rapidly away from water, growing unwell unless submerged for some portion of the day, and their skin has toxic effects to any that touch it with bare skin. While the grung are typically left well alone in their deep jungle hideaways, the few travelers who stumble across them are often attacked, subdued with the toxin, and robbed or enslaved - grung are viciously territorial, and often benefit from the labour of the larger races. Of course, grung are also known for defying expectations...

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Grung need to be close to water, rapidly falling ill without it, and prefer their homes warm and damp, usually living in jungles.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Grung are strictly carnivorous, living on insects, small lizards, and small mammals.

Biological Cycle

Grung lay large clusters of frogspawn (or grungspawn), which hatch into tadpoles and then mature into adult grung after around 1 year. Due to the lack of care from their parents, most of the tadpoles are predated before reaching metamorphasis.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Grung faces are almost identical to those of frogs.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Grung have single names, in their native language.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Grung speak Grung, a language that most sounds like the croaking of frogs.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Grung culture is a tribal hunter-gatherer civilization, led by magic-using shamans. They may enslave those who stumble across their hidden enclaves for labour.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Grung are generally hostile to those they encounter, though are met with curiosity rather than hostility by other races, who likely don't know of their existence.

Lifespan

Up to 50 years

Average Height

2ft

Average Weight

Very light

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Grung come in a wide variety of bright colours, ranging from reds and yellows, to greens, to even purples, and usually have complex patterns on their skin.