Below
the Geato Marsh Plateau and before the Great Southern Forest is a strip of land
called the Kristogalog. Dominated by Krishtog trees which soar into the sky
hundreds of feet this marshy land is home to the race of frog people who share
their name with the trees dominating their home.
The
Krishtog are a lithe race who appear smaller than they actually are. Looking
like bipedal frogs, their skin varies, from yellows to greens with occasional
reds and extremely rare poison-skinned blues.
Their faces, lacking the muscles of many other races, usually appear to be
smiling, which puts most of the other peoples of Desylinn at ease. Light on
their feet, their strong legs allow them to hop through the thick branches of
the trees they call home with ease; evading larger predators such as the
catoblepas and hydra while confusing
smaller ones like the zoogs, who don’t share the frog-peoples agility.
The
Krishtog do not live in permanent settlements, with the exception of the
Elders, who look after the giant breeding trees, and the very young who also
live in the trees. Most Krishtog live as semi solitary nomads, hunting and
gathering food on their own or in small hunting packs. These hunting packs vary
in size, but usually do not grow more than about ten individuals, and rarely
last longer than a rainy season. Hunting packs are usually made up of siblings -those from the
same hatch of a breeding tree- or cousins -those from different generations of
breeding trees. At night the hunting packs will retire with the catch, which
will often include fruits and greens as well as wild prey and feast around
small fires where they sing their songs.
The
musical aptitude of the Krishtog is well known throughout Deyslinn. Their language
is sung and lends itself to songwriting with relative ease. The Krishtog’s
mastery of pitch and rhythm make even the least talented among them potential
bards. Most of the frog-people who are
found outside of the Krishtog have gained notoriety for their music. They sing
their songs in taverns, amphitheaters and the dens of the rich and powerful.
The songs of the Krishtog usually detail great hunts, the migrations of beasts,
or the rare heroic tale in which several Krishtog will give voice to individual
characters. It is these songs that are the most popular with those outside of
Deyslinn because of the beautiful harmonies and complex rhythms. The
frog-people rarely employ other instruments other than their voices, though
they will occasionally accompany themselves with bow shaped lyres that the most
passionate singers carry. Called the Mishtomatigato (Tellers of Tales), their only distinguishing features are the lyre’s they
carry. They are typically self-appointed and only garner respect from other
Krishtog when their virtuosity with both voice and lyre is significant, causing
others to fall silent and listen instead of joining in.
The
breeding trees of the Krishtogalog are beginning and the end of the
frog-peoples. The largest of the Krishtog trees often hold ample pools of water
that are continuously replenished from the roots and the frequent rainfall. It
is in these pools where the Krishtog lay their eggs. Spending the first several
months of their youth as tadpoles, the life of a baby Krishtog is harsh. The
tiny taddlings feed on their brothers and sisters
as well a vast array of insects and smaller fish, who also feed on the
taddlings. When arms and legs begin to appear the babies cease feeding on their
siblings and begin to periodically emerge from the water.
Upon
their emergence from the water they are greeted by the Elders. The oldest of
the Krishtog, are tasked with raising the young and guarding the Breeding
trees. From the Elder’s the young are taught the musical language of the race,
and the songs the Krishtog are known for. They are also taught the
arts of bow making, weaving, hunting and gathering, trap making and tanning.
Other small crafts are taught by various Wisest including the art of making and
playing the lyre, as well as jewelry crafting. The Elder’s nurture those
Krishtog who survive the breeding pools, only allowing them to leave the trees
once they have passed a series of tests displaying their ability to hunt and
survive on their own.
The
most important weapon of the Krishtog is unarguably the bow. Every frog-person
is proficient with the bow, having made their own to suit their personal
preference. Some favor short compact bows, others favor long bows for better
range. Every style and design one could think of exists in the Krishtog and no
two bows are ever the same. Some may employ spears, flint knives, or even short
copper swords for those that have come into contact with races outside of the
Krishtog, the bow however is a constant.
The
single city in the region is Qynjb. Built at the base of a dead Krishtog tree,
and overflowing over and inside, the branches. The city was originally an
outpost of the Music Guild from Hub, who sought a permanent base in the
Krishtog to help recruit both those frog-people with musical talent, and
non-musical talent. A vast majority of the Krishtogs outside the region are
members of the guild, even those who don’t sing. While still firmly controlled
by the Music Guild, there is a small Merchant’s Guild presence in the city as
well, leading to occasional street fights between the two factions. There’s
also a Red Clan presence in the city, the Dwarves reaching out to their
neighbors in the east, maintaining the only reliable road through region. The
majority of the population is migratory, as the Krishtog only come to trade
their trinkets, meat and occasionally lyres and bows. And
many of the other races are passing through on their way to the Great Southern
Forest to the south, or in caravans back north either to the Geato or Hub. The
majorities of the permanent population are those banished from their societies,
or are in hiding. The handful of “settled” Krishtog that do live in the city
are Elders who still feel the need to guard the tree, despite it being dry, or the
small handful of youth who’ve settled for an unfulfilling but easy life.
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