The Oreic Frogfolk of the Eastern Ranges

Only in the last few thousand years have the oreic (ɔː-r-ɪk) frogfolk existed as a distinguishable species to their swamp-dwelling kin. This branching proved to be instrumental in the survival of the frogfolk species as a whole after the events of the collapse and subsequent freezing of the lands surrounding them.

Description

  Frogfolk have a below average intelligence when compared with other races. However, where they lack the ingenuity of other races, they make up for by being highly adaptable to environmental changes. The height range for females of the species varies between 5.5ft-6.5ft and the males usually range between 5ft-6ft. Females are more slender in stature and males more stocky. The sexual dimorphism between the genders can be seen to describe the roles that each have taken to. Males are built for heavier combat, colony defence and cave exploration whereas the females bodies are built for bursts of speed and agility.   One of the most notable features of the oreic frogfolk is that of their skin. Usually black or dark grey with streaks of bright colouration across their entire body. Their habitat within the mountain ranges is laced with metal ore and over time they have developed the colouring to better camouflage themselves. Common colourings include a cobalt blue, copper green and an iron orange/red. Rarer colourings such as silver and gold still also occur. An oddity is in how the selection is achieved across the entire populace as the colouring closely resembles the distribution of ores in the region (Iron being most common, followed by cobalt and copper with silver and gold being the most rare).

Distribution & Habitat

  Although not many of the frogfolk have managed to survive the collapse event, a number of healthy ecosystems still persist amongst the cave systems of the eastern ranges. Although the temperature drop culled many, the survivors did so by changing their behaviour to include the hunting of mountain goats, sheep and pronghorns.   The vast cave systems of the eastern ranges connect the underground world to the surface in hundreds of places. They provide shelter from the elements and can easily trap the warmth of campfires. With many routes in and out of the cave system, the frogfolk are also provided with a variety of hunting grounds, underground spawning pools and mushroom clusters. However, this also comes with the ongoing threat of their more ravenous kin breaching through to their locations.

Behaviour

  The females have taken to exploring the outside of the caves to gather what is possible. Their agility proves a great boon when needing to escape from external threats or the starved predators of the region. Over time, males adapted to navigating cave systems and their stocky stature proved essential when fending off threats from lower systems. Although frogfolk by nature are not violent, they have quickly learned that their previously passive existence would be no match for the world they now find themselves in. Utilising any downtime that they have to craft rudimentary tools and spears to better defend their position should a threat make it up the mountain or through the tight tunnels that surround them.    

Reproduction & Life Cycle

  The females of the species lay hundreds of eggs at a time in cave pools and small reservoirs within the tunnel systems as a part of their mating rituals. The females will then select the male that they wish to have fertilize their eggs. The vibrance of the ore-like patterning present on the skin, coupled with the males ability to protect their offspring are usually the deciding factors. Once the pollies hatch, they are cared for by both parents until they mature and develop legs. At this point they are then transferred to the flooded tunnels within the network to finish the metamorphosis process where their legs grow, their bright ore-like colouring comes in and their tails shorten to stumps.

This is a submission for my second Summer Camp - I hope you enjoy the world I am building!