Bullywugs of the Avanti Swamps

The turgid primordial waters of the Avanti swamp are where Caruh and Caruah, the Bullywug gods that represent Slime and Silt, first mixed. There they mixed and, from their union, laid the eggs of the first Bullywugs, without knowledge of the Allmother or her dark consort.

But Caruah grew stagnant in the swamps and Caruh relished in his home. Caruah forsook the swamps and instead took her fertility to the rivers and surrounding lands letting Caruh rot as he would. Caruh took the bullywugs and claimed them as his and only his children. He taught them the ways of the swamp. While at first he was satisfied with their playful ways, he soon grew annoyed at his creations and, in a pique of bubbling anger, cast most to different corners of the swamp and whispered distressing rumors throught the slime about the others. Those that he was most dipleased with he devoured in his endless maw.

The clans that grew from that day continue to war and know that they are the chosen among those that survived. Victory over another tribe is made complete through cannibalism, whether literal or symbolic.

(claps excitedly in the corner) Bullywugs love back mythology!

Some bullywugs were protected by Caruah. (1) They were called mud lords. (1)

A bullywug named Engrilo (1) is a favored soul of Caruah. (1) In a sign of great fealty, he slew his entire brood clutch (1) and ate the entirety of their remains (1) becoming quite corpulent. (1) Caruah crafted special armor for his servant, large enough to fit his form. (1) Engrilo travels the swamps and the outlying lands converting other bullywugs to his cause (1) riding a swamp lizard as his trusty paladin mount (1)

A clan of Bullywugs lives close to a major outflow of Dragonwick's river*; decades of existence in the toxic sludge from the city sewers has made them prone to mutation and given their skin a coating of highly poisonous slime. They consider this a mark of personal favor from Caruh, and refer to themselves as "Caruh's own spawn". They have a deep disdain for the mud lords and Engrilo.



*A river/stream that we should definitely name at some point, given its historical importance

*A river that should have three names most likely.

Depending on what god they follow, Bullywugs follow Babylonian naming traditions (Caruh, Slime) or the Italian naming traditions of Dragonwick (Caruah, Silt). The area (the Avanti Swamps) follows the latter.

Engrilo is a Paladin of Decadence. While the name sounds lofty, it is an order dedicated to the moral corruption of bullywugs.

I might just be racist, but "moral corruption of bullywugs" makes me giggle. I keep imagining some type of morality play centered around a 'faire frogg maiden' in a blond wig. "Oh no sir, I must not follow your silty ways! Good bullywugs must always give thanks to Caruh before killing and eating their enemies' unborn eggs!"

The swamp bullywugs of Caruh practice shamanistic voodoo magic.

Just as all beings spewed forth from the mud, so do all ultimately sink back to be swallowed in its murky depths. The slime connects all living beings.

I think that there is a moral limit to how far down the path of evil that a Bullywug will go. Engrilo perpetuates a cycle of true violence. He accepts no followers that have not cannibalized at least one clutchmate.

In addition to the Bullywugs and the Bog elves, the Avanti Swamps could be fleshed out with some more locations and baddies.

-Gnolls or lizardmen?
-YarnaVarna the Ettin.
-A swamp witch
-Dwarven or gnomish mines. I lean toward gnomes. Mining copper or something more magical?