Though unsettling in appearance—at least to most surface races—locathahs are friendly and inquisitive. Unlike many aquatic denizens, locathahs have no inherent distrust of surfacers. In fact, most locathahs enjoy conversing with surface races and often hail passing ships to exchange goods or simply pass along news. Crews who sail in locathah territory know the piscine people as traders of both goods and information, trustworthy so long as they are dealt with fairly.
Locathahs also enjoy the company of aquatic animals, and they can often be found living alongside dolphins, giant eels, whales, and other such creatures. Many locathahs train as eel riders, and a band of locathahs atop giant eel mounts racing through the water is an impressive sight.
Locathahs are slender humanoids who have feathery fins running along the backs of their arms and legs, along the crown of their skulls, and down their spines.
They generally have protruding fishlike faces with large, round eyes. Locathahs exhibit a startling racial variety that runs in tribal lines based on the features of the tribe’s matriarch; in some tribes, locathahs might have fins that are rigid rather than feathery or inset eyes protected by a bony ridge.
Most locathahs are a dark salmon or ochre color, but their scales and fins can be almost any shade, from black to aquamarine, azure blue, teal, deep russet, vivid coral, or pale silver.
Locathahs emanate a strong fishy smell that is detectable underwater but more pronounced in the air. Most surfacers find this odor unpleasant, but locathahs consider their smell to be an integral quality of their race. Locathahs take great offense to jokes or insults regarding their natural scent. Locathahs rely on this smell to communicate subtly with one another, and they can even read basic emotions from other locathahs through their odor.
Simple aquatic creatures shunned by landwalkers and undersea folk alike, locathahs live in tight-knit communities scattered throughout the world’s seas, lakes. and waterways. Locathahs possess scaly ochre skin tinged with green and yellow. Ridged, rust-colored skin covers their chests and stomachs, and a mottled wash of green, brown, and orange colors their fins like aging kelp. Locathahs exude a strong fishy odor when above water that, in addition to their already unnerving appearance, repulses most land-dwellers. Despite this animosity, locathahs go to great lengths to befriend surface folk, offering safe passage through the waters, pointing out dangerous reefs, and hinting at sunken treasures in return for durable ceramics and metal tools and weapons, as well as tubers, which they view as a delicacy.
These creatures dislike combat and flee when disarmed or outnumbered. Locathahs hold community in the highest regard, never leaving a friend behind and often going to great lengths to retrieve a fallen companion. Among their own kind and races friendly toward them, locathahs are social creatures who live a very human-like, albeit simple, lifestyle. Locathahs work in stone, coral, and bone to produce the crude implements they use. Some take coral work to obsessive levels, with certain clans taking generations to grow their preferred medium in its desired form before carving it. They feed on crustaceans, undersea plants, and shellfish, and rarely on large fish that are caught during ritualized hunts.
Locathah matriarchs serve their undersea tribes not only as chieftains, but also as the primary egg layers of the community. Each adult member of the tribe is responsible for raising a single young locathah as his or her own. Locathahs tame moray eels, keeping them near their lairs as humans keep dogs. Some locathah soldiers and hunting groups use giant moray eels as mounts, chasing down their quarry and attacking with narrow-tipped spears. More powerful aquatic races use locathahs as slaves, abducting breeding matriarchs to produce a constant wave of new workers.
5e Racial Stats
- Ability Score Racial Traits: Aside from merfolk, locathah are one of the most common and adaptable races below the waves. The locathah gain +2 to one ability score of their choice, and +1 to one other ability score of their choice.
- Type: Locathah are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
- Size: Locathah are medium.
- Speed: Locathah have a base speed of 30ft.
- Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Aquan, Nein, and Sahuagin.
Adaptable (1) (Ex)
Along with being one of the fastest of the aquatic humanoids, locathah have adapted to a range of environments and living situations. You gain training in any one skill, tool kit, or language of your choice.
Amphibious (2) (Ex)
You can breathe air and water.
Cold Blooded (x) (Ex)
Locathah are cold-blooded, they cannot be detected by thermal vision; however, they are especially susceptible to the environment around them, they suffer Disadvantage on any Environmental cold or heat effects, and are Vulnerable to damage caused by Environmental cold or heat effects. Resistance to either Cold or Fire, cancels out the Environmental vulnerability of that environment. Natural resistance to one of these environments negates that environment's penalties.
Darkvision (x) (Ex)
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dweller of the Depths (2) (Ex)
Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage; additionally, you are immune to Environmental pressure effects caused by a deep, underwater environment.
Natural Armor (x) (Ex)
You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Natural Swimmer (x) (Ex)
A locathah gains a swim speed of 40 feet.
Weapon Training (1) (Ex)
You gain proficiency with tridents, nets, and heavy crossbows; alternatively, some cultures of locathah favor other weaponry, you can forgo these weapon proficiencies to instead gain proficiency with any two-non industrial weapons of your choice.
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