Frogg

60 years

Froggs are soft-bodied creatures that have evolved a strong resemblance to the marshroom, the common fungus for which the Marshroom Kingdom is named. They reach an average adult height of four to five feet and have a thick, marshroom-like torso with thin arms and legs that often give the impression of walking on stilts.

A Frogg's torso is split into two main sections: the cap and the base. While both are hemispherical in shape, the cap is about twice the diameter and contains most of the Frogg's internal organs. All Froggs have a pattern on their cap that never has more than two colors; the most common is a green background with large red triangles like those of an ordinary marshroom. While nearly all cap patterns have a similar structure, the exact colors, shapes, and sizes can vary between individuals. These patterns are genetic and members of the same family will often show similar – if not identical – cap patterns.

The torso's smaller base is where the Frogg's face is located. They have large eyes that take up most of this space, while their ears and nose are difficult to see as they don't protrude from the face like a human's. Their mouth is also comparatively simple in structure and often impossible to see unless opened. Froggs have weak jaws and have difficulty chewing food that hasn't been pre-softened.

The limbs are much more spindly and wiry than the torso, brown in color and mere centimeters in diameter with joints halfway down. A Frogg's legs account for just under half of its height and are deceptively strong, able to carry the Frogg's hefty body on long runs or propel them to impressive heights with power and durability rivaling that of a human. Froggs have neither hands nor feet; their arms and legs end in rounded points instead. Their keen sense of balance allows them to walk on their stilt-like legs, while their arms have tiny pads at the ends like those of a gecko, which allow them to pick up and manipulate objects.

Froggs are hermaphroditic and reproduce externally with egg-like spores. These spores are released in clutches of three to five and develop into young Froggs over several months, after which their development closely follows the pacing of a human's.

A Frogg's Energy Channels are smaller than average, so magical skill is rare and the spells they can cast are comparatively weak. Few Froggs show potential in anything more complicated than a single element, and none have ever been able to cast something as powerful as a Trinity spell.

Froggs live in tightly-knit farming villages, where cooperation is key to survival due to their lack of natural defense mechanisms. The typical family is composed of a single parent and their offspring, and while each adult is expected to take care of their children, individual families will often meet to make trades or offer their help to each other.

Gender is not a concern in Frogg culture. Some will assign themselves pronouns for the benefit of their Terran-speaking acquaintances, and very few will argue the point due to the race's non-confrontational nature, but among their own species the concept is ignored. Inequality still crops up in other aspects, however: some Froggs with more complex cap patterns consider themselves above their peers.

Though a Frogg's cap pattern is consistent on the entire surface – all of the spots will always be the same shape and color – some will get tattoos to change theirs and stand out from the crowd. Similarly clothes are usually done without, but there are exceptions for style purposes.