The War’todes, or Warrior-People of War’t, of CAERULEUM are divided into four races:
- froggish Giggens,
- tree frog-esque Peepers,
- bullfroggish Glugs,
- and Goliath froggish Bigglugs.
Peepers are ostracized and picked on by other War’tode races. They are eaten as a delicacy by Bigglugs and are even sold roasted on a spit in SOGWITH VILLAGE. They resent the Big Boss. One of their number, Dartfire Flamejump, is a bandit king believed responsible for the theft of the Staff of Summoning, traditionally used to bring forth the frog god War’t.
The War’tode Civil War
The disappearance of the stars caused a great shaking in the faith of the races of the Blue World of CAERULEUM. The frog-people of the SEA GIANT’S FOOTPRINT became divided over what these portents meant after the Staff of Summoning was “lost” in the confusion. After a brief War’tode Civil War, the Big Boss remains in the War’tode capitol, GIGHOLE KEEP. The KERP is guarded by a bamboo palisade wall and the AUBREY FOREST of carnivorous plants. It is accessible only via the tongue drawbridge to the TEMPLE OF WAR’T, which is actually carved out of the volcano Kroakatoa, or via SOGWITH VILLAGE to the south. The Big Boss claims that War’t has not abandoned them; after all they still inhabit his footprint. Rather War’t has temporarily gone to deal with the usurpers.
The Big Big Boss
The Big Boss’ rival, Gilderwart, and his loyal forces were driven over the cenote called the MAW OF WAR’T or the WAR’TMAW, at the base of the east waterfalls. Most of them washed up on the shores of their underground camp after a harrowing ride through underground rivers. They immediately took over the adjacent TEMPLE OF WANJO, capturing anyone they didn’t have to kill. The remaining clerics of Wanjo sealed off the TEMPLE from the TIDELANDS as they fled. One survivor found himself enthralled by Gilderwart, who now styled himself as the Big Big Boss. Gilderwart utilizes a Crown of Dominion to keep his troops and the wizard “Murkplop” in line. Murkplop was found in a War’tode costume, spying on the encampment. As a punishment, he has been led to believe he himself is a War’tode and has transmogrified all of the statues and decorations in the TEMPLE OF WANJO to reflect “his truth.”
He was also responsible for combining a frogman egg and a dragon egg (from the same clutch that spawned the young blue dragon in an adjacent cavern) to create Zaptongue. A few of Gilderwart’s men were able to resist his thrall when he created Zaptongue because the “Abomination” is technically a cross between an amphibian and reptilian species and all War’todes have a racial hatred for “scalies” of any sort. Scalies are their chief rivals in the SEA GIANT’S FOOTPRINT but the primitive reptilians keep to the swamps, bamboo forests and caverns.
Gilderwart claims the Big Boss has lost the favor of War’t . “The great one has left his abode in the heavens and shattered the world in displeasure. As he abandoned the heavens, so he abandoned the Big Boss!” He believes that with enough tributes, he can earn the favor of an appearance of the frog god War’t without the Staff of Summoning.
The Volcano God
Those War’tode who do not serve War’t worship Kroakatoa. Clerics of Kroakatoa believe the volcano is a god and that War’t is a false god made up to impress other races who view volcano worship as primitive. Their chief cleric, Snizzle, believes Kroakatoa is fed up and that he spews his blessings into the heavens to rain upon the earth. They feel that anything which falls is a gift from their god and automatically becomes their possessions.
Adventure Inc. 