Amphrodes

One of two humanoid races endemic to Everautumn, this frog-like people is the dominant species. From the crenelations of Sullenslag to the stench of Muckswallow and beyond, they are the realm's foremost defense.

Amphrodes hatch fully grown with advanced knowledge of the world around them, though each is born with his—a male-only race—strengths and weaknesses. Beyond that, it's experience, personality, and no small amount of luck that shapes them and sets one amphrode apart from another. While they do often entertain personal desires, their utmost, absolutely inviolable directive in life is to defend Everautumn. It is what they are born for, and in most cases, what they die for. By that right, they are bound to serve the current sovereign of the realm with immovable devotion.

A long-lived policy of open borders with all but Gleaminswell has afforded the race an appreciation of and acclimation to outsiders. So long as they wish the realm well and respect the laws, amphrodes welcome foreigners with open arms.

Appearance
From Everautumn, the novel:

Initially described as “a frog’s thinker swelled with a melon-peeping licker”, the amphrodes were an anthropomorphic people whose animal trait was most saliently represented in a swollen frog’s head with bulbous black eyes somewhat narrowed as though perpetually distrustful. Their broad, frowning mouths were parted just so the tip of a pink tongue could be spotted from the right angle.

A torso too large for its bottom, jovially described in elven lingo as “a pear on its noggin’”, with stumpy legs and a bloated paunch that seemed more an anatomical trait than the result of gluttony made for an odd figure. Pulpy fingertips and a stubby tail rounded out their greasy grey-fleshed physique.

And then there were the titular scales, obvious origination of the scalies moniker the twins had adopted. Almi had illustrated the amphibians as “all dressed in scale” which, while easily misinterpreted as one of her many peculiar isms, was actually quite accurate. Despite all but the approaching gate guard having no signs of military service, they each wore a full silk-thin suit of scale mail the same tint as Sullenslag’s glowing underbelly.

Affinities
Everautumn has imparted amphrodes with an innate resistance to fire—a strong one at that—and a life of eternal health. That said, there are defects. And while no amphrode will die of natural causes, eternal health does not forfend a death skewered by a gnarly guisarme.