Selkie

"No one will ever believe I've seen the Selkies unless I show them this," he said, and so he leaned over and picked up the skin and slung it over his shoulder. And as he walked, he whistled, and then he suddenly stopped. "My, what a fine penny I'll earn by selling this."

And just as he said this, he heard footsteps close behind him, and fearing a thief, he quickly turned to look. Now there was no thief behind him. No indeed. It was an exquisitely beautiful young woman standing there, but she was weeping so hard, it nearly caused the fisherman's heart to break.

"Beautiful lady," he said, "why do you weep?"She sniffed and looked into his eyes. "Kind sir," she said, choking back tears, "you have my sealskin. Kindly give it back, for I belong to the Selkies, and I cannot live under the sea without my skin."

Selkies usually live in small rookeries along the shoreline, or on secluded islands just off the coast. As their distant ancestors were originally denizens of the Elemental Plane of Water, selkies are instinctively drawn to the sea. While some may venture inland for a time, in time all Selkies hear the call of the ocean once again.
While selkies prefer living alone, they are known to cooperate with other races. Many ship captains are happy to hire on a selkie navigator, and when an illness comes to a port town, a selkie druid or cleric may come to help clear the illness.
Other tribes may see themselves as the rightful owners of a portion of the sea or shoreline, and lead raids on merchant ships passing through their waters. Some become very isolated, acting as the guardians of tears between the prime material plane and the elemental plane of water, and suffer no intrusion from either side.

Selkie adventurers are typically motivated by curiosity to venture out to new places. They love to lose themselves in the cultures of land-dwellers, passing from town to town in a whirlwind. Some may even fall into a brief, whirlwind romance. Many don't stay in one place for long, though, either continuing their pilgrimage or returning to their tribes, thirst sated. A selkie looking to make coin amongst others may act as sailors or dockhands. Those that don't may get by on their voices, singing ancient songs of their people or whatever local tune catches their fancy. In selkie colonies, history is passed down through ancient songs, meaning most selkies grow to be talented singers through practice.
Others may leave their rookeries on matters of business instead of pleasure. Returning a shipwrecked sailor to his home, or pursuing a threat that has emerged from beneath the waves may be the catalyst for a selkie's adventuring life.

Selkie

Ability Score Increase +2 Cha

Size Medium

Speed Walking: 25, Swim: 30ft

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Age. Selkies reach maturity at around 15, and typically live to be 100 years old.
Alignment. Selkies typically trend towards neutral alignments, either as individual travelers or members of larger communities.
Size. Selkies stand between five and six and a half feet tall, and tend to have stockier builds with an insulating layer of fat. Your size is medium.
Powerful Lungs. You may hold your breath for up to 15 minutes.
Insulated Pelt. You have resistance to cold damage and the effects of cold weather travel.
Vocal Tradition. You have proficiency in the Performance skill, and proficiency with one instrument of your choice.
Shapeshifter. As an action, you can change your shape into the form of a seal which has the statistics of a dolphin. This functions as the Druid's Wildshape ability. If you are reduced to 0 hit points while a seal you revert to your human form and cannot use this trait again until you complete a long rest. When you are in this form, your seal skin falls to the ground. If you are not within 10 feet of your skin you cannot use this ability to change into your seal form. If someone else takes possession of your skin while you are in your human form, you are considered Charmed by that person as if with a Charm Person spell, though you maintain the understanding that the skin belongs to you. If at any point you come within ten feet of the skin the effects of the Charm Person end. If you move more than ten feet away from the skin and it is still in possession of the same person you fall under the effects of Charm Person again. If your skin is destroyed, you can regenerate a new one during the next long rest.
Superior Darkvision. Accustomed to the depths of the oceans, Selkie eyes have superior vision in dim and dark conditions. You can see in dim light within 120ft of you as if it were bright light and darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Languages. Common, Aquan, Selkie

Civilization and Culture

History

According to Selkie legends, their ancestors originally came from the Elemental Plane of Water, where they were tasked with guarding portals into the Prime Material plane. However, one of these guards was seduced by a priest of Dark Waters, and let him and his minions through a breach into the oceans beyond the plane. As punishment, the race was banished.
This legend is the cornerstone for the philosophy of the Selkie; there is nothing more important than keeping your promises. To a Selkie, a promise is sacred, and to be an oath-breaker is to be an outcast. This can sometimes be used against the seal folk. Traditional Selkies can often be manipulated into making bad agreements, and will refuse to break their promises. However, if the other party violates their part of the agreement, all obligations are broken on the Selkie.

Genetic Descendants

• Elephant Selkie
• Harbor Selkie
• Ringed Selkie