The ribbitee line! As always headcanons are below
- the most common version of a ribbitee is found near rivers and large bodies of water like swamps; almost all adapting the large lotuses that grow in its habitat as defensive weapons from predators and hunters alike, as their thin and absorbent skin can be easily damaged from the smallest of attacks. There have been accounts of ribbitees using the size of a lotus as an indicator of power and hierarchy; the ribbitee with the largest one typically acts as an “alpha” for a group while the one with the smallest lotus is placed at the bottom. Regardless, ribbitees take great pride in their lotuses, regularly soaking them to keep them fresh and even going to far as to decorate them and flaunt them. Ribbitees are incredibly social creatures that frequently get together and mingle, such get togethers can last an entire day and are incredibly beneficial for keeping allies in an environment they’re extremely vulnerable in. Ribbitees can jump almost ten ft in the air and posses long sticky tongues used for hunting insect monsters, though depending on the size and species they could easily go after larger prey like chipsqueeks.
- Croakitees are much more toad like in appearance than their more amphibian cousins; with tough, hard to pierce skin and rock like bumps along its back, arms and legs that aid in defense and camouflage. As its environment provides little to no moisture croakitees get together in large pods and create steam caves by releasing heat from their bodies, the steam collects at the top of the cave and drips back down which gives much needed reprieve from the sweltering heat of the kelve lava caves. Because of this phenomenon, croakitees have developed a symbiotic relationship with flower lions/lilys; croakitees create moisture that keep them from drying out and the flower monsters attract potential predators that croakitees can hunt, like munchsqueeks.
- Timidees get their name from their reclusive and seemingly shy nature, staying out of the way of most other monsters and people, with their most distinct feature being the dried lotus mask they brandish to hide their faces. Although true that timidees keep to themselves, they have a penchant for getting into mischief and seem to enjoy messing with others if that means they can get away with it. However, at the first sign of trouble, they book it out to avoid any attention on themselves (but more so to avoid consequences for their actions). Timidees are the fastest of the ribbitee species and use it to their full advantage, using it to escape stressful situations but also to preform their acts of mischief as fast as possible as to not get caught. Timidees keep their faces hidden, not just for privacy, but to keep the distinct marking on its forehead hidden so that theyre not easily recognized by any disgruntled past victims. Timidees like to protect themselves with the lotus stem they dried along side their mask, making for a flexible but strong weapon that it can use to defend itself, though most prefer to use it to vault away from danger.
- Amphibitees look the most distinct from the typical ribbitee, having adapted features like tusks and whiskers to navigate the freezing waters of lake yumina, as well as an extra layer of blubber to keep themselves warm. Their icy coloration allows them to blend into the snowy environment it lives in, as well as acting as camouflage for hunting on the icy plains or in the frigid waters. Amphibitees are sought out by monster hunters for their rubbery skin that can be made into snow proof garments and their fat that makes for a rich source or nutrients in an environment lacking in proper vegetation
- Ribbitee hunters are a particularly brutish and dangerous type of ribbitee; they have learned to utilize tree bark and semi dried leaves into a rough sort of armor to protect their fragile skin, as well as gaining the ability to wield and use weapons they scavange off of unsuspecting travelers. Despite this, to put it bluntly, ribbitee hunters are not that smart; although they are formidable fighters and have figured out rudimentary armor skills, they lack strategic minds, are easily distracted and tend to let whatever emotion their feeling at the time fully sway them in their decision making, their tendency from going 0 to 100 in the blink if an eye makes them dangerous to travelers and monsters alike.
