A Toad-ally Intended Bland Villain
Hey, folks! We were out and about pitching left and right through the means of the World Wide Web, aka e-mail and online forms, after which we required a week-long vacation. But guess who's back! I won't share any of the deets regarding our search for a publisher just yet, but I'll entertain you with Big Toad's villain origin story. More like, the lack thereof and why we decided that's actually what we need!
Writing charismatic villains is one of the steadiest trend in the history of storytelling. However, it took a new turn several years ago with villain origin stories which all convey the same message that no one becomes evil without a reason. Such backstories justify the villain's horrific behavior and, ultimately, show that there was a greater purpose to the victim's (usually, the original story's protagonist's) suffering than simple injustice. Well, we're not on board. Frogs & Mushies is a story about building resilience, not romanticizing villainy. Hence, the game has the most mediocre antagonist out there, Big Toad.
Unlike frogs and other forest inhabitants, Big Toad has no personality or clothes, just a couple of lines, and barely a name. In all honesty, she can be replaced with anything of the same size and appetite for grasshoppers. Still, I went with the toad because as species it's very similar to frogs. It was done to show that different doesn't necessarily (if at all) mean bad, anyone can be a villain, no matter how closely related you are. In fact, you can even share the same trauma with an abusive creature without being one yourself. Here's what one of our Conspiracy Theorist frogs has to say about it:
During our childhood, we all are little tadpoles. While most grow up and become frogs, some grow into evil toads. Folks say it depends on whether you had a happy childhood. But wait... Why am I not a toad then?!
As much as we'd like to believe that there's a bigger meaning to one's suffering or a very logical explanation hidden somewhere, it's very often not the case. Sometimes people do bad things because they have enough power to do them with little to no repercussions. If you asked Big Toad why she bullies harmless frogs, she'd say: 'Because. I. Can.' It's just that unfair and you can't reason with it but you sure can resist. And this is your goal in Frogs & Mushies as a player, to grow a strong community that is ready to fight back and, with a help of high morale and convenient timing, succeed in doing so.