Grung

Grung are aggressive froglike humanoids that have a penchant for slavery and an intense territorial feeling. Native to Ishnor, these multicolored amphibians are considered a pain in the side of anyone who wanders deep enough into the jungle.

Basic Information

Anatomy

At 2^1/2 to 3^1/2 feet tall, these tiny humanoids are amphibious to the point that they must bathe in water daily to stay moist. Inside of Ishnor or near the coast, this isn't a problem. However, any Grung that heads into the mountains may as well be signing a death warrant.
The most unique thing about Grung is their Poisonous Skin. Making contact with one of these creatures has a chance to instantly sicken their victim (Game Rules: Poisoned Modifier of DIS on attack rolls and ability checks). Due to their toxicity, they're known to rub their weapons on their body to poison their ammunition. Anyone engaging them had best be careful.
Grung are humanoid in the fact they stand upright and have opposable thumbs, as they evolved significantly to behave more like "normal" sentients than average. This does come with the tradeoff of they have lost their prehensile tongue, so their mouth is mostly just a large row of sharp teeth. Generally, the lack of a long tongue is the defining feature between a Grung and other, often more friendly sentient amphibians in Ishnor.

Genetics and Reproduction

Grungs reproduce by laying eggs, which hatch into grey tadpoles which metamorphose into amphibious humanoids over three months, and into adults over another six to months by which time their skin has adopted the bright colors which would identify their castes. Grungs reproduce quickly: with reports of some chieftans having as many as two hundred young, only counting by their sons.

Growth Rate & Stages

Although tadpoles are all the same color initially, they are still raised in ground pools already separated by their destined caste. After three months, they're removed from their pools and grow rapidly, being taught with peers only of their own caste but almost always by a Blue Grung.

Ecology and Habitats

Grung live in the Ishnor Jungle, dwelling within or near larger trees. They prefer shade and like to be in areas where they can be inundated in water at all times if needed. Usually, they would build a town around the bases of the largest of trees, trying to mostly blend it into the environment. Due to the secretions of their skin, waters near a Grung camp are considered poisoned and known to cause severe nausea.
Grung are carnivorous. Mostly known to eat rats and smaller mammals, there are credible stories of them eating travelers or other grung tribes. While they do not eat it, Grung tend a sweet tasting, red colored grass called Sugarweed. Typically they will feed it to the rodents they've caught and care for in a semi-domesticated state. They have also been known to spearfish.
As for predators, most animals of the jungle typically avoid them. However, most snakes (and by proxy snake people) are unaffacted by their poisons, so they quite easily prey on the tribes, especially their eggs which are considered a delicacy. In addition, Tabaxi and Gnomish safariists have discovered while a dead grung's poisons will wear out, the secretions of their skin keep and make excellent dyes for clothing.

Behaviour

Grung society is a rigid caste system based entirely by color.

• Green: Warriors, hunters, and general laborers.
• Blue: Artisans, domestic and childcare workers.
• Purple: Supervisors of the green and blue grungs. They make sure that the lower castes are happy.
• Red: Scholars and magic users. Also known as grung wildlings, they are superior to purple, green and blue castes, and respected even by higher castes.Red grungs are known to fulfill the roles of tribal shamans and priests.
• Orange: Elite warriors, with authority over all lesser grungs. The orange grungs are charged with protecting the grungs' most important or sacred sites.
• Gold: Also elite warriors, with the highest leadership positions. Every tribe leader is a gold grung.

Although tadpoles are all the same color initially, they are still raised in ground pools already separated by their destined caste. Some mobility is possible between the castes, such as in cases of valuable contributions and great deeds, in which case ritual magic and herbal compounds are used to change the individual grung's color.
Grung are aggressive and territorial. They often attack any intruders, be they adventurers or members of another tribe. Border wars are quite common among clashing grung tribes, and often started intentionally by outside parties to thin their groups. A single tribe usually claims area within one mile around the settlement. The territory is rigorously patrolled and, if an intruder is encountered, the grungs never engage in negotiations. When they travel or are otherwise away from home, they rest high in the trees by building nests—called tunulungas—which are fashioned from their own saliva and oils.
Grung tribes also make extensive use of slavery, and are always looking for new creatures to enslave. They hold their slaves in crude pits covered in wooden bars, and keep them at bay by poisoning their food in order to inflict lethargy on them. Over extended periods of time, the effects of such poisoning can only be removed by magic. Slavery, along with their aggression to travelers, means Venrir considers any Grung settlement to be outlaws and the head of a Golden Grung is accepted as bounty completion in any major city.
Leaders are always the strongest fighters of the gold caste in the tribe, and as females tend to be larger than males, most tribes are matriarchal and led by female war chiefs, however some are led by a male king or chief. One way of reaching a position of power is via dueling to the death for the title. Each tribe also has a shaman, usually female.

Language

Grungs speak their own frog-like language, called "grung," and most do not learn additional languages.Grung make use of chirrs, croaks (transcribed as "roook"), and ribbits or chirps (e.g., "erp"). It further made distinctions based on the length of croaks (e.g., "roook" versus "rooooook").

Scientific Name

Dendrobates Sententia

Lifespan

Up to 50 years

Average Height

Grungs stand between 2 ½ and 3 ½ feet tall.

Average Weight

Grungs average about 30 pounds.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Black with a mix of Green, Blue, Purple, Red, Orange, & Gold between each caste. Markings vary between each Grung like a fingerprint.

Geographic Distribution

• Ishnor Jungle