Bullywug

Lords of Muck and Slime

Bullywug, sometimes called frogfolk or frog men, are a frog-like race of humanoids native to the marshy lands around the Cota Ocean. Their origins completely unknown to history. While some suggest that they must have been created during the Aggelomachy, like so many of the other humanoid hybrid species, there is no found records of this event in any Aggelomachy studies. Their first recorded appearance is during the Areian Age on the minor continent of Uluru. Many consider this as their origins point, though when and how they first rose from the muck is unknown, as is their means of spreading to the other continents around Cota.

They are an amphibious savage race of bog dwellers, living a primitive life. Whatever their origins maybe they live a life as an invasive species. Bullywug hunt without need, and kill for sport. Many of their kind seeming to revel in the unbridled killing. They care nothing for their ecosystem, stripping an entire area clean than moving on to the next to consume. All is theirs in their mind and will use it as they will.

Despite this greedy self-driven culture, bullywug work well as a team to advance their community. This is not for any sort of growth or furthering of the community, but rather an instinct of survival. They also appear as a somewhat lazy culture, seeing group action as spreading the work so each can do less, giving them a mentality of the more bullywugs in a community the better. Which only exacerbates the problem of destroying the environment through consumption of so many.

Their nature also give them the right, in their minds at least, to take whenever they need from other people. All is theirs by right after all, be it useful items like food, or objects like a fine painting that will only rot away in the swampy air.

Bullywug society is tribal in nature. Tribes range from 100 to as many as 800 individuals. Despite their brutal and mindlessly destructive nature, they cooperate rather well, and there is little infighting within a tribe. Leadership in bullywug society is blindly respected, with the chieftains (always male) having tyrannically control over their tribe. The only time this is overlooked is when the leader become to old and weak to hold his position. At which time it is expected that the next in line to murder that leader and replace him. Though this process varies between tribes, it is usually done publicly in a ritualist fashion.

Outside the chieftain, rank in a tribe is determined by possessions, with the bullywugs holding the most treasure and trinkets holding the higher ranks. This makes raiding all the more important in their society and why so many are eager to partake in them. A single good raid can boost a bullywug up the social ladder quickly. Items own by a bullywug are licked, rubbed on their body, even swallowed and excreted to place their distinct scent on it as a claim of ownership. An odor all bullywugs can detect, which prevents attempts at stealing items to gain status.

Females are seen as nothing more than egg bearers. Bullywug society only accepts that around a third of their population should be female, leading many female young to be killed to keep the numbers in line with this view. Those that do grow to adulthood usually have a poor life as little more than a breeding slave. Though well feed to keep healthy for egg bearing, they are often abused and many never learn to speak properly. This has led to most bullywugs found wondering alone to be escaped females looking for a better life.

These humanoids do not like fair fights. They prefer swarming in numbers much larger than their foes. They attack in ambushes rather than open battle, always in or near water where they have the advantage. When possible they will attempt to set up traps to weaken or destroy an enemy before attacking. They are also quick to retreat if a battle is perceived to be going poorly.

Bullywug's biggest rivals are the Lizardfolk that share their swamps. The two peoples are in a generational war with each other. The bullywug attack any race or people without discrimination but seem to have a reckless lust for killing the lizardfolk. The lizardfolk in return seem to have the same reaction to seeing bullywug, attacking without fear of numbers or death. Bullywug meat is a delicacy in many lizardfolk communities.

All that said, bullywugs to not completely lacking in intelligence or feelings. Captured bullywug, often an escaped female, or those taken away from their society at an early age seem capable of learning and putting aside some of their monstrous traits. Most of these experiments fail, but on occasion a bullywug has been known to be domesticated and what some might even call 'good' in alignment.

Bullywugs speak a guttural language of crocks, clicks and gestures known as Bullywug.

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Bullywug tribal groups of Aldern list:

Nistaba: Native to the Island of Uluru

Ranixal: Native to the Toe Islands