Frolm greet each other by saying “may the water flow evenly with you,” which is a reference to their moist environment. It’s usually considered a rude gesture if a frolm points both of their palms at a person. It is equivalent to flipping someone off in our culture. It is rude to not give someone a cup of water if they ask for it.
Accepting a Host’s Offer
The frolm value things like reciprocity and gratitude. It is customary to respond to an offer by touching the tips of one’s fingers to one’s lips and then extending the hand outward—the gesture means “I receive with honor.”
When accepting food or drink, a guest must always take the first sip or bite before speaking, as saying anything before partaking is viewed as an insult to the host’s preparation.
If the host offers water infused with medicinal plants, it is considered a high honor and should be accepted even if one doesn’t need it. Refusing it is considered disrespectful to the host’s knowledge of the forest’s healing properties
Things Considered Rude to Accept
More than one meal in a single visit unless it is explicitly offered multiple times (food is seen as a communal resource). When a guest overeats without contributing, it is seen as having a “hollow belly spirit,” which means greed.
A host’s personal sleeping mat—even if offered- is considered a sacred space, and taking it shows you think yourself as being better than the host.
A blade carved from the bone of a revered ancestor. These items are only meant to be passed within the family itself, and accepting one as an outsider implies that you intend to claim their legacy
Things that are Considered Rude to Turn Down
A dis of swamp fruits or mushrooms, especially if they are brightly colored. These are often collected with a lot of effort, and refusing them gives the impression of distrust in the host’s foraging skills
A chance to partake in an evening chorus (A rhythmic croaking and chanting ritual usually done before the coming of night). Refusing this is as bad as refusing to share your “soul sound” with the tribe.
A token of kinship, such as a woven vine bracelet or a painted stone. To refuse these gifts is seen as rejecting friendship.
Things it is Rude to Ask For
It is rude to ask for a host’s secret hunting or foraging spots. Knowledge of where to find food is generally passed down through families, and asking directly is seen as attempting to take shortcuts instead of earning it.
Pure rainwater. The frolm believe that water collected naturally in sacred pools is viewed as a gift from the ancestors, and asking for it outright implies you think you are more deserving than others.
Things It Is Rude Not to Ask For
Permission to enter another Frolm’s home. Even if the door is open, stepping inside uninvited is considered an act of claiming the space as your own.
A second helping when it comes to specially prepared dishes. If a meal is cooked with rare ingredients, the cook expects guests to request more in order to show appreciation. When a frolm doesn’t ask for more, it is taken as a sign the meal was unworthy.
A story from the elders. It is expected that younger frolm or even outsiders will ask elders to share some wisdom from their experiences. If this is not done, it suggests that you do not respect their knowledge.
Other Niceties and stuff
When having a random visitor, frolm make sure they have water and maple-syrup-covered grasshoppers on hand.
Frolm typically greet one another by putting their arms to the side and giving a slight bow. They are a friendly race, and people outside the frolm race know that the slight bow is a sign of respect.
They often use the word “welcome” when someone enters their habitat. The bow began in the First Age before the Great Battle of the First Age, so it has been passed on for thousands of years. They invented it for themselves, but it has caught on with species outside of the frolm, where some people use it to show respect when greeting someone.
When it comes to leaders, the ones who are under the leader give a full bow, while most of the time it is only a half bow among their peers.
To show disrespect, a frolm will stick out its tongue, which is long like a frog’s. They will point it directly at the one they are trying to insult. Fights sometimes break out when this sign is given to another frolm or even those outside of the frolm race.
When greeting each other, frolm will usually say “my name is ___, and may peace fill your land.” They usually only use this greeting among themselves, but once in a while they will use it for another species if the person is respected among other frolm.
The elder frolm in the various territories throughout the Great Frolm Forest often wear a hood to show their authority and to let frolm know whom to go to if they have any complaints or requests.
Frolm usually greet each other on a first-name basis, and their names are first given at birth, but can change if they grow into a personality that the word doesn’t fit.
Frolm will often wave if they are greeting someone from a distance. As for greeting someone they already know, they leave out the “My name is __” part, but will call the person by name and say “May peace fill your land.”
Frolm generally don’t talk with their hands because they believe this interferes with communication and is nothing but a distraction to what is really being said. They are one of the few races that do this. It’s not considered vulgar, but it can annoy the person they are talking to.
Frolm show equal respect to others but might bow a little lower when greeting a leader. They generally have a lot of respect for their leaders and are not as rebellious as humans. This helps with their strength because they aren’t divided among themselves.
Frolm are open about talking about things such as religion and politics. Most of them are on the same page so these discussions don’t generally turn into arguments. Frolm wonder why humans are so divided on this issue.
Also See:
The 13 Sacred Laws of the Frolm
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