Chief Formulator Wub'nik was the brain behind a hidden swamp territory operation—a laboratory complex built specifically for him and his work. While his supervisor, Overseer Aldric Vane, handled paperwork and government liaisons, Wub'nik created. His masterwork was the Gilded Remedy, a compound designed to neutralize fevers across entire villages.

He believed he was helping people. He believed the governments funding his work wanted to cure illness. He never left the lab to see how his creations were actually being used.

The Gilded Remedy became a nerve agent.

His colleagues—humans who had tolerated the "useful frog" as long as he produced results—decided they didn't need him anymore. They staged a coup. Wub'nik had suspected something was wrong from the way they'd been acting, and when they finally moved against him, he was ready. A toxic smoke screen bought him time to escape.

Krik'tal, his fellow grung and lab partner, wasn't so lucky. They killed him. Probably would have done the same to Wub'nik if he hadn't run.

Now Wub'nik is a common frog for the first time in his life. He's seen the damage his work has caused. He's seen what happens when you trust the wrong people with your creations.

His goals are clear: shut down the weaponization of his formulas. Reclaim or destroy the Gilded Remedy. The traitors are secondary—but if Aldric Vane happens to learn what Wub'nik's chemicals really do along the way, that wouldn't be unwelcome.

He's quiet now. Speaks only when it would be helpful. Overthinks every interaction because trust doesn't come easily anymore. But his mind is still sharp, and the same skills that created poisons can create something better.

If he can prove that was always the point.