Toede (species)

The **Toede** (/ˈtoə̯.də/ [ˈʈoə̯.ɖə], animate plural of /ˈtoə̯.tu/ "person"; LF: **Toide** /ˈtoi̯.de/) are a sentient amphibian race living in shady forests and caves in Nacafi's southern woodlands and the Loshui Upland.

## Appearance and Physiology

The Toede are about 1,20 m tall amphibians with a thick, leathery brown skin covered in glands that excrete a mixture of oil and mucus. The oil contains poisonous Toidotoxins. Their eyes have vertical, bar-shaped pupils. Toede have an unilobular vocal sac (*mweesee*) which can be inflated and used for croaking, a form of long-distance communication that is different of their pulmonic speech.

Toede have very good sight and a short reaction time, being able to catch fast moving insects and birds in mid-air with their tongue. They hear with their eardrums (tympanic membranes) that are located on the side of the head behind their eyes. Toede can sense vibrations moving through air and those moving through the ground.

## Behaviour

### Diet and Foraging

Toede are omnivores who will try to catch and eat anything that moves, mostly birds, rodents and insects. They're also able to ambush larger prey by leaping on them (often in groups) until they become sedated by their toxins. As a third way of hunting they build traps like pits or deadfall traps. Because of their ability to jump, the Toede will often dig pits deep enough to catch antelopes, deer and even humans. Another type of trap is built by coating tree trunks in sticky mucus which attracts insects and small birds.

Toede use fire to prepare food, but it is a taboo to roast over an open flame or consume burnt meat. The Toede therefore cook food in cauldrons or sautée it in large pans. One scientific reason may be that the Toede are very susceptible to cancerous polyaromatic hydrocarbons that are produced when food gets burnt.

Depending on the size of the meal, a Toede can go without further food for a week.

### Social Behaviour

Toede live in organized societies that are usually bound to the shore of a freshwater lake. Such city states are governed by a female monarch who reigns for the duration of their fertility and is then replaced with a different female chosen by the Toede upperclass.

### Defense

Not only are Toede naturally protected by their strong Toidotoxins, they're also good fighters with their muscular bodies and long tongues. They're especially good at ambushes and guerilla warfare. Toede are able to knock out or strangle humans and large animals by shooting their tongue at them. They're also capable of quickly leaving a fight by leaping away or climbing up trees.

Toede are much weaker on the open grasslands, where they rely on weaponry to dominate enemy forces. They're also much slower than humans when it comes to running distances or changing directions.

The thick leathery skin makes them virtually fireproof, but they are sensible to salt or water-soluble poisons.

### Technology

Toede are skilled at creating traps and tools. They also make fires to cook food and use furnaces to smelt ferric oxide obtained from iron-oxidizing bacteria in freshwater bodies.

## Language

The Toede speak the homonymous Toede Language, a language isolate that cannot be replicated by humans. The term "Toede language" therefore most often refers to a version adapted to human speech, called Human Toede. Toede uses ejectives and a rich inventory of diphthongs.

## Religion and Folklore

Toede believe that the world was created by an intelligent entity called the Great Potter, who formed Delthoria from a wet lump of clay. He attempted to create sentient beings out of primordial materials in a massive kiln. Many failed attempts were thrown out of his forge in the form of molten rock, planets and stars, but some sculptures became plants, animals, humans and other species. When he created the first Toede, he was so satisfied that he produced 36 of them, all female, and then, awestruck, shrunk himself into a humble smaller version of them, the first male Toede, and produced offspring with all 36 of his creations.

Before creating Delthoria, the Great Potter attempted to create a habitable world out of the pure fire of his kiln. It was too hot and nothing could grow on it, so he placed it in the sky. Next, he tried to create a world out of his favourite metal, copper, but noticed that the only green substance able to grow on it was lifeless verdigris. He then placed the green copper sphere in the sky and used clay for his third and successful attempt.

### The Sacred Mountain

Many Toede believe that the Wörräi volcano (Toede for *great fire*) in the Loshui Upland is a holy site that connects to the Great Potter's subterranean kiln. It is forbidden to build on the volcano's mountainside, but pilgrimage to its caldera is common. Volcanic artifacts like lumps of sulfur are valued goods.

### The Tar

It is a common belief among Toede that the evil force in the world manifests itself as a sticky tar-like substance. It is said to be the slag from the sacred kiln.

## Distribution

Toede populations live in the Southern Shobela Forest, the marshes of Duistu and the Loshui Uplands, especially around the Bitter Lakes and in carst caves.

## Relationship with Humans

Toede are, like Centaurs, protected by law in Nacafi, and worshipped by religious groups. Many humans believe that Toede have the ability to control fire at will, predict the weather, cause rain to fall, foresee the gender of unborn children and read minds. However, poachers hunt Toede for their protective skin and their psychoactive oil. There have been many violent clashes between humans and Toede in the past, with humans accusing the Toede of "eating children" and "burning down houses". Some Toede tribes however accuse hostile humans of hunting and skinning and/or boiling their tribesmen.

In exchange for ritual goods obtained by humans, Toede sell their oils. Humans also profit from the Toede's traps which reduce the number of mosquitos and other pests like mice.

Nacafi's military has shown interest in Toede technology, especially their alchemical advancements. Their ability to fight and camouflage is highly appraised by Nacafi's generals, and potential Toede are trained as soldiers in the army in the Loshui Uplands. Toede militia have fought alongside the Southern Army in the Civil War and the Nacafi-Ujozan War.

## Relationship with other Amphibians

Toede are distant relatives of the Froge, and of some extinct sentient amphibian populations around Lake Combal.