Roderick Robertson
Ages: All
Habitat: Fresh-water rivers, swamps
Distribution: Scattered communities throughout Glorantha
Descendents of the Great Spirit-Frog Badros, the Badraie (sing. Badrai) are large (nearly human-sized) frogs. However, their posture is bent, so they stand approximately 3 feet tall. Badraie live normally in swamps and river environments, but lost a war in God-Time to the Newtlings, so are relatively rare.
Badraie go through several phases of life. Badraie eggs are the size of grapefruits, laid in water in a protective covering of sticky-slimy gel. All the females of a community will lay their eggs in the same general location. When the younglings hatch, they are tadpoles; legless bodies with a relatively powerful tail. Within two years they develop arms and legs, and the tail is absorbed back into the body. From two years to about five they are children, taught the necessary skills to live in the swamp. From five years until they die they are fully-grown adults. While Badraie will protect tadpoles, they are not distressed if up to 90% of tadpoles die, as this is natural. Tadpoles have no names, and are not fully “people” yet. Spawn-Nannies are Badraie who care for the eggs and swarms of tadpoles. A typical Spawn-nanny will spend several years with a single batch of eggs until the tadpoles grow limbs. Depending on the size of the spawn, it may have several nannies. Once a badraie has developed its arms and legs it is given a name, and inducted into the community.
The badraie religion most resembles animism, communing with the spirits of marsh and stream. Their technology level is low – they manufacture few products, using natural materials to fashion weapons and tools. They are master weavers of reeds and rushes.
Badraie are naturally amphibious, able to breath both air and water water. They require large amounts of water for both health and religious purposes – A Badraie will literally dry up if it remains out of water too long (about the same time that a human takes to die of thirst).
Badraie are hunter-gatherers, though a few rare herbs are planted and tended by Badraie. There is no gender bias in Badraie society. Either sex may take up any occupation. Females are gravid normally only a few weeks once every two years, lay their eggs, and carry on with their lives.
Weapons and Armor: Bows and spears made of strengthened reeds are the only true weapons made by the Badraie. Bronze weapons are extremely rare, and highly prized. Iron is less prized, as it rusts in the normal Badraie environment. Armor is rare, and normally consists of woven reeds. Leather or Metal armor is not worn – leather rots too easily, and metal is too heavy for swimming. Lo-Metal and Sa-metal are obvious exceptions, but are so rare a s to be non-existent in most Badraie communities.
Innate Abilities: Swim, Hide, Croaking Chorus, Loud, Swallow anything ¼ their size or less
Typical Occupations: Gardener, Hunter, Shaman, Spawn-Nanny
Badraie Religion
The badraie treat all Otherworld creatures as Spirits, no matter the Otherworld the creature comes from.The oldest adult in the community leads the normal religious ceremonies. All badraie communities celebrate Laying Time (The week when all females lay their eggs and the Spawn Nannies are blessed, , some time in Late Sea Season) Birthing Time (When the tadpoles hatch from the eggs, sometime in late Dark Season) and The Day of the Great Frog, when Badros is celebrated (The first Day of Sacred Time).
To become a shaman, the Badrai must spend several years apprenticed to a shaman, then take a “Death Journey”, leaving the comfort of their natural habitat and spending 2 days completely dry (and slowly dying of dehydration), during which time they are tested by Brulep the Contrary. If they survive the ordeal, they will awaken their fetch and be a full shaman. Due to the wet climate of most Badraie homes, it may take several weeks for a prospective shaman to find a place where there is no water.