The troglodyte is a feral, savage cave dweller. They are among the most populous denizens of the upper reaches of the endless caverns of the underworld, equally at home raiding the settlements of those who dwell above or below ground, yet for all their race’s fecundity and sprawl, as a whole they represent only a minor threat. At times, great leaders can draw legions of troglodytes to their command to create vast and deadly armies, but left to their own devices, troglodyte tribes are content to keep each other under control with numerous feuds, cannibalistic raids, and bitter civil wars.
The troglodyte is one of the oldest of intelligent races, and ruins found in some remote caverns testify to the fact that their empire was once among the largest in the world. At the dawn of time, the troglodyte civilization was generations ahead of other humanoid races—while those races hid in caves and worshiped fire, the troglodytes raised vast cities of stone ziggurats and twisting canals, kept other races as slaves, and worshiped ancient and inhuman gods and demons. Yet as the other races evolved and grew increasingly civilized, they outstripped their onetime troglodyte oppressors. Today, the roles have changed—now it is the troglodyte that hides in caves and lives the life of a feral savage.
Religion is strong among troglodyte tribes, and their shamans and priests are universally the highest regarded members of a clan. A troglodyte chieftain is not always a cleric or druid, but those who do not have divine power are usually mere mouthpieces and puppet lords that answer to the beck and call of the local seer or shaman. Troglodytes generally worship one of the countless demon lords, particularly those of a reptilian or primeval shape and form or those whose Abyssal domains most closely resemble the tangled caverns troglodytes prefer. Troglodyte druids are usually neutral evil if they dwell with their own kind (and are universally feared and respected for the eerie command they have over beasts).
A typical troglodyte stands about 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.
They don't tolerate weakness among their own kind. They actually kill and eat the weak.
They are very into armor and weapons (even though they don’t use them), and will fight each other over even a regular longsword.
They worship Laogzed, a demon lord toad/lizard who sends them dreams.
For a troglodyte, the plumper you are, the more content with life you will be.
The savage, degenerate troglodytes squat in the shallow depths of the Underdark in a constant state of war against their neighbors and one another. They mark the borders of their territories with cracked bones and skulls, or with pictographs painted in blood or dung. Perhaps the most loathsome of all humanoids, troglodytes eat anything they can stomach. They dwell in filth. The walls of their cavern homes are smeared with grime, oily secretions, and the debris of their foul feasting.
Simpleminded Brutes. Troglodytes have a simple, communal culture devoted almost entirely to procuring food. Too simple to plan more than a few days into the future, troglodytes rely on constant raids and hunting to survive. They take sadistic pleasure in hunting intelligent creatures weaker than themselves and show no mercy toward those they capture and drag qack to their lairs to be devoured. The largest and toughest troglodytes lead the hunt and become the leaders of their tribes. However, if a leader shows any weakness or hesitation, other troglodytes attack and eat it in a frenzy. Troglodytes make little and build less, scavenging their possessions from their prey. They understand the value of metal weapons and armor, and fight among one another for the right to have such items. A troglodyte tribe might be torn apart by battles over a single longsword.
Devotees ofLaogzed. Some troglodytes venerate Laogzed, a demonic, monstrously fat toad-lizard that slumbers in the Abyss. Laogzed offers the troglodytes nothing in return except aspiration, for it is the dream of his troglodyte worshipers to become as fat, well-fed, and wearily content as he seems to be.
Religion
The worship of dark deities, particularly the demon lord Zevgavizeb,[8] is a very important part of troglodyte societies, and its clerics and shamans are generally the apex of their social orders. Troglodyte druids generally break off and form their own small bands that are feared by the general populace. They excel at their control of the beasts of the Darklands.[4]
Habitat and society
Troglodytes are most commonly found in small, tribal societies in the the tunnels of Nar-Voth. They spend most of their time raiding other troglodyte tribes, but are also happy to raid the hated surface world, other races of Nar-Voth, or even venture down to attack the inhabitants of Sekamina. Despite their numbers, they remain only a minor threat, as they are generally incapable of mounting any kind of coordinated or organized attack, and are just as happy killing and looting each other. Every so often a powerful or particularly intelligent troglodyte warlord will emerge and unite a number of tribes to pose a significant threat to their neighbors, but these warbands never last for very long and almost always collapse into infighting.[1][4]
Occasionally, powerful non-troglodytes creatures (such as hezrou demons) will take control of a tribe.[6][7]
Because of their high birth rate, troglodytes exist in larger numbers than any other race in Nar-Voth
Known to themselves as xulgath,[2] that term is more accurately used to distinguish the feral troglodytes discussed here from their proud cousins, the xulgaths, living in Deep Tolguth.[3]
Troglodytes speak Draconic, one of the most ancient of the languages of Golarion.[4] // Languages Troglodyte