Overview
Giant cuddly frogs are enormous, intelligent magical amphibians from Erenmyr in Xalmyrra. They carry bonded riders over long distances, understand speech, and communicate through croaks, body language, and thought-like impressions.
Individual frogs choose riders and remain active companions. Glin, Gin, Spin, and Splin become astragons, winged celestial forms capable of flight, starfield barriers, and large-scale battlefield magic.
Traits and Behavior
Giant cuddly frogs have immense round bodies, smooth emerald or golden-green skin, gold speckles, wide expressive eyes, deep croaks, and long tongues. They can tower over boats, carry riders for long distances, and draw crowds when they enter settled places. Their tongues are dexterous enough to snatch fish, bugs, food, or people, and some frogs bleed blue essence-like blood when badly injured.
They live primarily in the swamps and forests around Erenmyr. Splin is native to Xalmyrra. Gin and Spin travel from the Xalmyrra region with Renneth and Maric during the Shanari voyage. Their size makes them difficult to move through settlements and onto ships. They are self-sufficient travelers that feed from rivers, ponds, bugs, fish, and whatever they can reach with their tongues.
The frogs respond to emotional cues and can act on a rider's intended destination. Deylin can think of where he wants to go and Glin carries him there; Renneth halts Gin with a thought; and after Spin becomes an astragon, her bond with Maric carries impressions. The bond also gives riders the frogs' names.
Magic and Abilities
Giant cuddly frogs carry riders over long distances with powerful leaps across swamps, roads, forests, ships, and open terrain. Their leaps can cover ground quickly enough for council missions, emergency travel, and wartime movement.
Each frog has its own magical affinity. Glin uses cosmic magic and starfield barriers, and Thalena later teaches him temporal magic. Spin uses water magic, including water propulsion for Renneth and Maric's boat. Gin uses fire magic and later breathes fire in astragon form. Splin uses resonance-like soundwaves that can disrupt darkness-induced trance, and in astragon form she uses starfield barriers and sonic shockwaves.
Astragon transformation changes their bodies and range of action. Glin becomes a winged celestial steed for Thalena and can later return to frog form. Gin and Spin evolve on their own after remaining behind in Shanari. Splin later fights and travels as an astragon, uses wings, starfield barriers, and starlit scales, and keeps behaving like Kaelion's companion.
History
In Thalena's hidden Xalmyrran past, Thalena trains in Erenmyr alongside Glin, Splin, Spin, and Gin and avoids changes to history. Glin becomes Deylin's companion, Splin later bonds with Kaelion, and Gin and Spin leave the swamps with Renneth and Maric after taking an immediate liking to them.
During the War of Scars, Thalena rides Glin in astragon form as Arcanis. Glin carries her into the sky before her strike against Jorhan and then moves to protect Aurion and Kaelion during her fight. Afterward, the frog bonds continue through later cycles: Kaelion travels with Splin, Deylin remains bonded to Glin, Renneth and Maric bring Gin and Spin north from Xalmyrra, and Brynor receives a young male frog descended from Glin and Splin.
After Varnhallow collapses, the frogs carry riders, shield armies, and rescue allies across Valrindor and Thalassai. Splin carries Kaelion and Zayren through the storm into Xalmyrra and repeatedly pulls Zayren out of a darkness-like trance with soundwaves and her tongue. During the Attack on Kaldaryn, Splin and Astheron shield Drendyll's skyship with starfield barriers as Kaelion is evacuated, and Splin loses a wing under enemy fire. During the Shaper Attack on Rimvold, Glin shields Virel's army. Gin arrives as a fire-breathing astragon. During the Battle for Cyndarel, Splin retrieves Garrik with Astrid, carries Virel and Astheron back toward Kaldaryn, and Gin carries Maric, Aelius, Vianna, and Kren through the retreat. Glin later reaches Pyrenis with Aldar and Aelius and returns to frog form near the devastated volcanic lakes.