Grung

First Names: Aztec/Nahuatl — Exotic, vibrant names with sharp, complex sounds.
Examples: “Xochitl,” “Tlacael,” “Cualli.”

Surnames: Clan names or descriptive traits, reflecting their nature and status.
Examples: “Venomstrike,” “Muckspawn,” “Toxblood.”

The Grung are small, amphibious humanoids with vibrant, colorful skin. Agile and stealthy, they excel in climbing, jumping, and blending into their surroundings. Grung live in territorial, caste-based communities, where each skin color signifies a different social rank. Known for their cunning and use of natural poisons, they often leverage their environment to their advantage.

Adulthood at 1 year; lifespan 50 years, elderly around 40.

Chult region

Small, lithe, and frog-like, with sleek, moist bodies that are well-suited for climbing and jumping. They have long limbs, webbed hands, and feet that aid in their agility and mobility.

Vibrant hues ranging from green, blue, red, and orange to more rare colors like yellow and purple. Each color typically represents a different caste within their society, signifying their role and status.

Around 2 to 3 feet tall.

Light, typically weighing between 25 to 35 pounds.

Grung have large, round eyes that provide excellent vision, especially in low light. Their skin secretes a toxic, sticky substance that can be harmful to touch, giving them a natural defense mechanism. They also have short, sharp teeth and agile, webbed fingers and toes.

Skin color is the most notable variation, as it denotes their caste. Some Grung may have more pronounced features, like longer limbs or larger eyes, depending on their role (e.g., scouts versus warriors).

In the city, Grung adapt their traditional tribal attire into more urban-appropriate wear. They often wear simple but functional garments made from woven plant fibers, leather, and repurposed urban materials like cloth scraps and metal trinkets. Many Grung decorate themselves with beads, feathers, and small charms that carry tribal significance, combining their heritage with elements scavenged from their urban environment. Higher-ranking Grung might wear more ornate sashes, necklaces, or armbands, reflecting their status while still retaining a primal, naturalistic aesthetic.

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Strengths:
• Amphibious: Can breathe both air and water.
• Agile Climbers: +2 Dexterity
• Superior Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks in natural terrain or shaded areas.
• Keen Senses: +1 Wisdom (Perception).

• Water Dependency: Grung must submerge in water for at least one hour every day to maintain their health. If they fail to do so, they begin to suffer from Desiccation:
• After 24 Hours Without Water: The Grung gains one level of Exhaustion, suffering from disadvantage on ability checks.
• Every 12 Additional Hours: The Grung gains another level of Exhaustion. This continues until they are submerged in water for at least one hour, which removes all effects of Desiccation, or until they reach six levels of Exhaustion, at which point they perish.

Grung

Grung live in strict, caste-based societies where skin color denotes social rank. They have a strong sense of hierarchy, and each color caste performs specific roles within their community. Green Grung typically make up the lower ranks, serving as laborers and scouts, while blue, red, and other higher-ranking colors take on roles as warriors, hunters, or even leaders. Rituals and displays of dominance are common as a way to establish or challenge hierarchy.

Grung value the collective strength of their tribe above all else. They see themselves as superior beings, meant to dominate the territory they inhabit. Some Grung communities worship deities that symbolize water, poison, or natural elements of their environment, but their faith always serves to reinforce their structured, dominant social order.

Grung tribes are ruled by a strict caste system, with the highest-ranking members (typically gold or orange Grung) holding the most authority. The tribe is usually led by a chief, who commands the loyalty of those beneath them through fear, respect, or displays of power. Leadership can be challenged, but only by those of sufficient rank within the hierarchy.

Each Grung caste has its specific duties. Lower-caste Grung work as scouts, foragers, and laborers, while higher-caste members take on roles such as warriors, hunters, and leaders. Grung society is highly specialized, and they rely on the strengths of each caste to maintain order and efficiency.

Grung do not have a traditional economy based on trade or currency. They rely on resource gathering and territorial control to sustain their communities. Everything they collect, whether food, water, or materials, is used to reinforce their position within their territory. Grung tribes may occasionally barter or trade with outsiders, but only if it serves their immediate needs or expands their dominance.

• Grung are known for their highly structured, caste-based societies, where skin color determines social status and role. They are fiercely territorial and use their natural agility and poisons to defend their lands.
• While Grung can be cunning and strategic, they are also known to be ruthless and uncompromising, often using their toxins to gain an upper hand in conflicts. Their ability to work in tight-knit groups makes them formidable opponents.