Froddks

"Swamp Goblins" of the Darvenmoor on Woodlake

Froddks are refugees from the Feywilds, banished by the elves for their backhanded dealings (and really, for the unwarranted prejudice the elves showed them, for hundreds of years). The Froddks are a proud people, and they like a good gamble, a good drink, and a good story or two in the evenings. True, they can be swindlers, but not nearly as often as the elves were given to think. Now they are exiles, without a true home, tinkering and moving from camp to camp in areas around Lake Tegg and Wood Lake. They are disliked by villagers in that area, heavily mistrusted and often driven out of town. They are an extremely self-reliant race, gradually dwindling out of existence.
Froddks enjoy parelying, and "hanging out," learning more about the world, maybe "selling something" to those with coin.
When drunk, they can get extremely cantankerous and rude!!! Their favorite brew is a "Green Wine," a potent beverage they brew themselves, from Caskkergrapes, burying the mash in barrels of birchwood for a season, then digging it up ready to drink!
Froddks are not afraid of combat, but they will shrewdly avoid anything overly dangerous, only entering an armed conflict when they're sure of victory. The are known to take prisoners, and rarely they will be quite cruel to captives.
They speak a little Sylvan, a little Common, and Froddkish.

Economy and Trade in the Darvenmoor

The Darvenmoor has very little trade within itself, the items produced, found, or caught by the Froddks are brought to trade in Bluff’s End, or possibly north in Current. Villages will also trade with each other. Froddks love coin but will rarely acquire it. Mostly they barter, or use the pearlescence scraped from the inside of clam shells, spread on small stones. A strange currency, but widely accepted among the Froddks.
Froddks will also trade with Waygo the wise, with any gem or interesting rock they can find. Waygo often pays in coin when he pays, although he rarely accepts their offerings.
All of the swamp’s creatures live more or less symbiotically with the surroundings. The possible exceptions are the Froddks, who use up resources (very slowly) in an area and move. This happens over the course of a hundred years or more however. Much of the time, they are caretakers of the swamp, going out to slay the mightier beasts if they can, to preserve the balance of the moor (or to save their own settlements).
Froddks settled in this area hundreds of years ago after being exiled from the Fey lands by an near-army of pixies. They left in disgust and bitterness, vowing revenge but never quite getting around to it. Their people wandered north until they came to a place not unlike the Sticky Fen from whence they came. The Long Time Ago as they call it has all but faded into stories that border on legend.
Froddk traders coming back from Bluff’s End:
Lots of Dried Fish, Two new daggers, som sturdy hempenn sacks from the north, a sack of beets and carrots; a shovel; clothing that’s been mended
... with Humans... Humans have arrived within the last few hundred years, and settled south of the lake (and north). Froddks think humans are funny creatures, and they actually enjoy spending time with them, and hanging out in their little town, or visiting their houses here and there. Mutual friendships have been formed--a few. But there is trade, and humans accept Froddks as part of their lives, if sometimes still suspiciously. Humans have enriched the lives of the Froddks, and the humans never bother them in the moor, so it works out. Froddks will sometimes toy with humans and play tricks on them, and humans rarely even realize it.


Village Settlements
Froddks have settlements here and there in the Darvenmoor, and sometimes other places around Wood Lake. They stay to their villages almost exclusively, hunting in the area and knowing it inside and out. Some will travel to Current when the need (very, very rarely) arises, and others will venture (even more rarely) south to Bluff's End for trading purposes. It is a strange sight to the locals when a contingent of Froddk traders arrives in town with smoked meats, wood- and weapon-crafts, and plant medicines and substances.
Example of Froddk Village: The Village of Drudkin
Consists of a mumble-jumble of mud huts, with a fire circle in the center, with a slow peat fire burning, several sitting around it.
A mumble-jumble of mud huts, with a fire circle in the center, with a slow peat fire burning, several sitting around it.
They reach for their swords and stand when they see the heroes approach… Make a low buzzing sound
Others come out of the huts to see what’s going on; swords drawn
Sound of Froddk children in the huts, and playing in the village square
Will parley and possibly invite heroes to share a fire

In the huts are

animals and humans and froddks hanging from the ceiling, with crude butchering equipment and a butcher board; tall tables and a few sack-chairs; animal-tallow candles and frog-skulls, fish bones 10 burgundy agates--two carved in the shape of clawed hands
• a piece of smooth tumbled jade
• a fossil rock with a mouse skeleton, its face rubbed in charcoal
• various leaves and willow twigs and rotten things, and
• On one table is a note and a map, large piece of papyrus with bright red ink:


Vignette: A Froddkish Welcome: The Froddks’ welcoming behavior to the heroes will be at odds with the townspeople’s suspicion and reticence. A shared meal of roasted Blackspot Toad? They betray no surprise at the heroes’ presence; they are worldly, in that sense. They wander with a kind of curiosity and straightforwardness, although they are often smirking beneath their cowls. They go to town knowing what they want, not afraid of any of these humans. sometimes they want to talk with someone about “bigger business.” [This bigger business is often about smuggling, or thieving, or robbing, or even murder, although those words are never used.] Froddks are always on the lookout for a way to use someone.

Froddk Veteran (Froddk Appearance) A three-foot tall goblin-like humanoid, with loose, leathery brown-grey skin on a round face--and a bit of a snaggle-tooth--looks up at you with a shrewd eye. I casually carries a small, round shield that has seen some wear. With a little swagger and a short sword at its belt, this creature has a self-assured posture, and a knowing smile. You get a sense that its been around the block a few times
The Story of Dhor the Half-Orc vs. the Froddkish Fighter

• Dhor is a rogue and beguiler ready to cut his teeth with his sword, "Dalfaquir" as called by the Friddks, recently found... 
• Dhor Wishes to obtain lessons and training from someone... must prove himnself early
• Dhor’s reputation (and his desire to learn) may proceed him.
• A Froddk (Shuppa-Froam, apprentice to the Weaponmaster) approaches Dhor while he still sleeps
• The Froddk Sits at the fire having a skewer of mudmaw tail; Dhor wakes to the sight
• “That’s a mighty fine sword, bigfoot. Show me what you can do with it.”  Draws his own scimitar, an old rusty thing. Fights against Dhor, at first lethally, then non-lethally.
• Will he defeat our hero Dhor?  If so, the Swordmaster will demand a payment of 500 gp for each week’s training (Three = one moon).
• After the fight, Shuppa sits with Dhor and tell him about the history of Dalfaquir
• The Master will come back in 9 days; Shuppa will think on it and see if you’re worthy of his teaching

A Froddk Grand or Fraternity of Sorts, Waygo the Wise Employs them in His Defense: The Wumps...
"The Wumps": Have A map of the area, clear boundary where people can go or not...
(YOU GUYS here, and US GIEZ, me and MUDY here: arrow pointing) (saying YOU CRAZY LADIES! YOU’RE SO CRAZY! I THANK YOU CRAZY FOR YOUR CRAIZII TO-DO, but STAY OFF THE WAYGO LAND GO-WAY from the WAYGO! SEE!!!?? SEE HEAR LADIEZ!! SEE? EKS. BIG EKS. STAY GO-WAY from WAYGO. Eattemallyawant, Killembutcher, but STAY OFF MY LAND. FRUMWAGO)
Waygo the WIse: A Mysterious Hermit of the Moor, a Cunning Man they saY...

Why would you really want to find him anyway? What’s the deal with him? He’s better left alone.
Froddk traders coming back from Bluff’s End:
Lots of Dried Fish, Two new daggers, som sturdy hempenn sacks from the north, a sack of beets and carrots; a shovel; clothing that’s been mended
Other NPC'sShuppa-Froam, apprentice swordsmaster, has arrived early that morning, on news of “a sword”
The Froddk Master Sword (person)
Noddke the Froddk Ranger, usually who you meet first when you encounter the Froddks... Will approach after the danger has been strategically analyzed
Nordrikk: Froddk in Bluff’s End who can give them inside information and show them around the moor, and to Druddkin should they prove friendly

Froddk's can be player characters, with these specifications: