The Scorpion and the Frog
once were doomed by their own natures and by an accident of the weather. Obad-hai said âthis is how it ought to be. They remained true to themselves even though it meant their undoing.â But Jubilex, a god of life and change, disagreed. âLet me make a creature that combines their strengths,â he said (though none but the gods could understand his churning chemistry as speech). âThen, it can survive anything.â
And so the Surgolid Scorpion-Frog was born. It could swim, and sting, and burrow into the sands of the Hydra Delta. The beast had the frogâs confidence and the scorpionâs killer instinct. With all these traits, it was feared by all creatures, until a little snake asked it âHow strong is your poison?â Laughing at the snake, the Surgolid replied âI can strike dead any mortal, or beast, or even a dragon! Your puny fangs are no match for my barbed tail.â But the snake persisted âI challenge you to a contest. You sting me, I bite you, and we shall see who perishes first. For you have eaten many of my hatchlings and my kin.â
The Scorpion-frog accepted, of course. It was in its nature to prove its might, even against an insignificant little serpent. So, climbing up to the monsterâs back, the snake got a good vantage point, and said âNow!â The tail came down like a thunderbolt, and instead of biting, the snake wriggled aside and let its rival sting its own neck. âOh! You bite hard!â the Surgolid said in amazement, and tried again. Three times it stung itself, before the venom brought it down. âIt was in your nature,â the snake said.
The Yuan-ti tell this story, claiming it represents an ancient ancestor who they call Yroa-tisil (âlittle green uncleâ). However, the myth is also shared by the gnomes and humans of the central lands, who have Pahranagati songs supposedly dating back to before Yuan-ti were known to exist. The one thing we know for sure is that there are still giant scorpion frogs menacing the edges of the river Hydra. They survived for thousands of years (itâs in their nature).















