Toadalaka

Lore

Toadalaka A shapeshifter appearing as a toad or frog.

Toadalaka is a shapeshifter appearing in the form of a toad or frog. This is a very rare monster, and there are very few legends about it. Generally, people become Toadalaks after committing many evil deeds; the gods transform them into toads that live in swamps where humans never venture.

One legend tells how, once, a traveler during his journey through forested lands stopped and pondered. He was very surprised and thought that it was no coincidence he had ended up in these forest swamps. Suddenly, the adventurer saw a fat, ugly toad nearby. The toad, without taking its eyes off him, was approaching with slow, short hops.

"Who are you?" the traveler asked the toad.

"I am a human," came the voice of the toad. "Exactly one hundred years ago, by the will of the gods, I was turned into a toad and banished to these swamps where there are no people and where no one can pray for me and absolve me of the sins I've committed."

"Tell me, what are your sins?" asked the adventurer.

"My sins began," said the toad, "when I met Satan, whose promises sounded so sweet that I couldn't resist them. In return, I committed various evil and unkind deeds.

"Little by little, I committed all sorts of sins, and the Heavenly Court decided to deprive me of the opportunity for repentance. So Satan made me a drunkard. I drank heavily, and a drunk doesn't think about sins or what awaits him. Thus, I died without having time to repent for my sins. After death, the gods placed my soul into a toad—a creature that elicits disgust from everyone—and sent me to a swamp where there is no one to pray for my soul and bring me forgiveness."

Then the holy traveler understood why he had ended up in these swamps and began to pray for the sinner's soul.

After some time, he saw that the toad fell, sprawled at his feet. It was dead, and the sinner's soul was freed.