Naiads

Basic Information

Anatomy

All Naiads, no matter their depth of origin, share spiny fins that run along their forearms, calves, and backs. As one goes deeper into the ocean, Naiads also start to gain bioluminescence in patterns all over their skin, a trait that is used for communication in the depths of the sea.

Biological Traits

Naiads do exhibit varying colors and levels of luminescence based on their depth of origin. The Hadal Naiads that live at the very bottom of the seas and trenches are an intense ultramarine color that varies in either direction of the spectrum, either becoming an emerald green or a deep indigo. Their bioluminescent patterns run all across their body, strongly lighting the darkness in which they are found.

Twilight Naiads exhibit colors that are more purple than those of the Hadal naiads, regularly tending towards blue instead of red. Their luminescent patterns are less pronounced and widespread, though they do still exist for the purpose of communication. 

The fins of Sunlight Naiads often take on a greenish-blue, teal or turqoise color. Luminescence usually only occurs on the hands and faces, but can appear in other places on the body based on ancestry.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Living several thousand leagues under the sea has caused the Naiad species to gain incredibly sensitive eyesight, vision that can work reliably even in the sheer darkness of the aphotic zone. Unfortunately, this sensitivity makes it difficult for many Naiads to exit the water and face sunlight without any form of eye protection, lest they damage their vision.

Civilization and Culture

Common Myths and Legends

The most famous Naiad myth is the one that surrounds their origin. The tale tells of a sinking ship's drowning crew, who, by a twist of fate or the favor of some Constellation, elementally shattered a sapphire and gained the traits seen in Naiads today.

Elemental Alignment
Water

Origin/Ancestry

Sunlight, Twilight, Hadal

Lifespan

120