Zoog

Zoog is a Grung Druid.

He was first encountered by Nelenet's Expedition Guild at Fort Zruldralbar, and later encountered over a hundred years later at his cabin within the Weald's Wake.

## Description

Short even for a Grung, Zoog stands little over two foot tall, although his lack of imposing physique is somewhat offset by the crocodilian hide - maw to tail - that he uses as a cloak of sorts. Wielding a willow wood staff dotted with glazed blueberries the disarming appearance of the grung hides what appears to be a very powerful druid. This was demonstrated most clearly when he vanished into a small bush, seemingly casting *Transport via Plants.* This suspicion is further supported by his longevity, having long since ago exceeded the typical lifespan of most grungs.

Following a party's explorations into the Weald's Wake to find a source of Somnellow Bush, Zoog's Cabin was spotted from afar after smoke was seen drifting above the treetops, prompting the party to investigate further. Filled with herbs, solvents and other reagants, Zoog's Cabin was found to be laden with the harvest of his surroundings - whether by nature of the species cultivated in field, tree and pond, or those gathered from further afield. Initially unbeknownst to the party, the barn had been converted into a holding pen for a captured lycanthrope called Vegrof, for whom Zoog carried a deep-rooted resent. When questioned, he reported to the party that the lycans had been raiding his cabin for supplies, and so he sought to create a poison that would kill only those afflicted with such a curse in response.

In 133WD, an adventuring party returned to Zoog's Cabin on their way to the Angel of Blarakkerihaugr. Finding that Zoog had made significant process with his efforts, they were subsequently horrified to learn of the details of his process, which included keeping a passing merchant called Darovar captive to act as his control subject, knowing that the poison, while it would not kill him, would cause his legs to seize up and lose function, as well as releasing his concoction into the water supplies and wells utilised by lycanthropes in the area. Through firm encouragement, the group, divided in their opinions on how to manage the grung, guided him towards the authorities at Lotusbloom Bastion to oversee his ongoing efforts.

## Personality

While a fiercely capable herbalist and alchemist, Zoog possesses a limited level of social understanding, equated by some members of the adventuring parties that have crossed paths with him to that of a child. Impetuous in response to perceived offenses and slights, the punishments he dolls out are deeply disproportionate to the potential offences caused. This has proven to be a dangerous reality, given that he wields significant primal power but fails to acknowledge its perilous potential for damage.

Nonetheless, Zoog offered those that arrived at his cabin no hostilities, instead bidding them to make themselves welcome and answering their questions about himself, his cabin, captive and interests truthfully. This has been exploited in the past, using his interests to distract him. While initially he was a little hesitant to share the recipe for his ongoing efforts to make a poison capable of killing only lycanthropes, after getting to know Timbermitt more, he promptly provided him with a small sample, and later confirmed its contents:

* *Brimstone*
* *Drelpurge Leaf*
* *Monkshood*
* *Powdered Canine Jaw*
* *Spirit of Salt*
* *Werewolf Blood*
* *Wolf Fur*

Zoog speaks Common in a nasally cadence with a slight lisp.