Description
The Flood Bringer Frog has been poetically described as a hopping mountain of stormbound flesh. Gigantic clouds swirl around her body, carried out and away by the gale of her breath, and her cacophonous song reverberates across the sky louder and stronger than any peal of thunder. The intensity of this storm coverage makes simply bearing witness to the Flood Bringer a dangerous task, let alone trying to approach her closely enough to study. Those who have managed to look upon her clearly say her throat pouch has been pierced by a single massive weepshard. They say that is what gives her song its strange, ethereal quality, like a distant crack of thunder reverberating through a tuning glass. Her coloration shifts depending on the stress and state of the marshlands she travels; healthier biomes lend her a vivid green, while murkier biomes produce a muddied brown. The Flood Bringer often shares a name across cultures with onomatopoeia for frog croaking sounds, although one name generating traction amongst the sentient amphibians who count amongst her most numerous followers worship her as Croaca.
The Church
Shrines to the Flood Bringer Frog are rugged and solitary, mostly constructed from stone and placed near riverbanks, swamps, and marshlands. Worship of the Flood Bringer has proven controversial in some communities; while many people celebrate the frog during times of plenty, most communities fear the damage that could occur if the Flood Bringer turned too much of her attention their way. As a result, worship of the Flood Bringer is often performed in old fisheries, boat houses, and other nondescript buildings. Some cities, particularly those with easily-flooded waterways, have chosen to venerate the frog more publically, with formal gatherings in public buildings and plans to build dedicated churches. These communities hope that by accepting the occasional flood as a part of life and paying the Flood Bringer her due, they can be spared from the worst natural disasters by her blessing. More rural communities, however, tend to see the Flood Bringer as a cause or at the very least a harbinger of disaster, whose notice can only cause undue strife. These communities tend to view the frog as something closer to a doomsday cult, and speaking of her can earn looks of discomfort.
Followers
Farmers, fishermen, wetland wardens, druids of multiple circles, fortune-tellers, healers, and communities that thrive in the flooding season. Some amphibian species have embraced her as an ancestral deity. In the months since her first appearance, distinct sects have formed with their own disputes and rivalries. Some claim the Flood Bringer is a sign from older deities who have not sung their song on the planet for centuries, while others claim she is an entirely new force. The Celestial Aspirant Neb has named her a patron minor deity of the flooding season for the Basin.
Holidays
The first celebrations held in the Flood Bringer’s name were held during the first storm of the monsoon season, and some communities continue to celebrate her during any strong storm. On these days the Flood Bringer’s worshippers will gather in community centers, singing and playing instruments, particularly the drums, throughout the storm. Despite the perception of their faith as apocalyptic and ill-fated, the Flood Bringer’s followers use these vigils as a way to prepare for the storm and the changes it brings. Their festivities keep them active and engaged for when they’re needed to assist in rescue and evacuation efforts or emergency repairs to vital infrastructure, and this readiness is an important part of her faith.
Relationships
The Frog and her followers embrace cheerfulness and joy in the face of disaster, and keep a playful rivalry with the Cheetah and the Heron. However, there can be friction between her and the more dour deities, especially those whose concerns include undeath and mourning.
Divine Allies
Frogs, toads, and amphibians of all kinds have been seen infused with divine and primal energy in the wake of the Flood Bringer's arrival to a setting, with many sentient amphibian communities considering her as an ancestral deity. A divine herald, claiming to embody the song and message of the Flood Bringer, has been spotted on the outskirts of the Flood Bringer's residence, a huge being that resembles an amphibian, but entirely made of storm clouds and churning rain, or at least, such a heavy coat obscures any physical form that could be within its churning depths. This walking storm is known as Dunn due to the constant drone produced from the ever-flowing water within. The water and pools produced from its presence are said to carry a divine message from its patron.
Realm
The Flood Bringer travels with storm and water. It was first seen on the eastern coast of Garund after a particularly devastating hurricane formed out in the ocean. Some claim that the storm began to gather after a bolt of lightning struck a lone tree in a deep marsh, but nobody can account for where that tree would have been or how they would know it had happened. More recently, she’s been spotted all across the continent, with jubilant followers and wary unbelievers alike watching for her whenever heavy rains begin to fall. Her last known sighting was along the large river of Celestial Aspirant Neb's territory.
Empowered Followers
Many who call a song into the face of rain with wonder in their hearts have been granted some minor divine power, from minor blessings to the powers of clerics and champions. Champions of the Frog are often drawn to the cause of liberation, but her faith is highly individualistic, and her champions may choose to follow any philosophy that they believe can inspire change across the world.
Dues Ex Machina
The frog is free and sudden with her boons and curses. These intercessions often coincide with a personal metamorphosis or stagnation, and those touched often find themselves changed beings with new perspectives and outlooks on life.