Rusalje (rǔsaljɛ)
Of all the ethnicities of the Great Ring, the Rusalje are the newest to appear. Less than a decade ago, the invading armies of the Empire of Vlast drove hundreds of desparate Pozoj Zmei to cast themselves into the Dvorsko Jezero, the sacred lake on the island of Otok. Moved by their plight, the goddess Sestra embraced the refugees and transformed them into the Zmajica, a new species that could thrive in her underwater realm.
At first, the newly transformed Zmajica clung to their old ways, attempting to be the same people they were on the land. This failed in the face of their new reality, and soon they were forced to acknowledge that they could no longer hold onto their identities as Pozoj. Instead, they renamed themselves the Rusalje after legendary creatures of the ocean, and have been slowly adapting to their new way of life.
Physical Appearance
From the waist up, the Rusalje resemble a Zmei, with scales and a dragon-like head. However, their scales are more likely to be blue or silver, rather than the green and yellows found among the Pozoj. Their hands are webbed, and their legs and feet have been replaced by a long and sinuous tail. Their bodies have stretched as well, and they average a little over eight feet long. Their eyes are little changed from the Zmei, although they no longer need to blink.
Common Dress & Style
At first, the Rusalje attempted to adapt thier clothing to underwater use, but soon found it was too cumbersome and that they did not need it for protection from the weather or temperature of the waters. Practical clothing has been reduced to a belt or shoulder harness that tools can be hooked to. Jewelry is still cherished as decoration, and the Rusalje like to wear tight neckaces, bracelets, and rings. They have also begun to experiment with piercing to decorate their tailfins, although they are careful not to compromise their ability to swim.
Religion & Folklore
Sestra is the patron and primary god of the Rusalje, and has begun to manifest as a Zmajica herself. The Rusalje are not yet familiar with the other gods of the deep lake - since the Dvorsko Jezero extends into The Dream, it is much larger and stranger than the land dwellers ever expected. One of the Rusalje, a scholar named Morskačud, has suggested that the lake is an ecletic gathering of lake gods, similar to the Meren Kirkko, and that it may be possible to reach all the lakes in the world by learning to navigate the deeper passages. This has inspired some of the younger Rusalje to begin exploring and they have returned with news of other gods and spirits from far places.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Main Article: Jezik
The Rusalje speak a dialect of Jezik, although it is rapidly diverging from the land version of the language. Their altered physiology has changed the pronunciation of some sounds, and the underwater environment has encouraged other changes in how the words are spoken. Also, they are frequently encountering new concepts and objects that demand vocabulary, and have abandoned many words that have no purpose in their new life. It is likely that they will soon have a new language that is descended from Jezik, rather than a dialect of Jezik.
Foods & Cuisine
Most of the cooking techniques of the Pozoj were not transferrable beneath the waves, as they depended on fire. At first, the Rusalje simply ate everything in whatever state they found it, without any preparation or presentation. As they became more familiar with living underwater and the food sources that were available, they began to experiment with novel methods of food preparation. Wrapping fish in various plants was the first steps, and they have several dishes that involve layers of vegetation tightly wound around fresh fish. More recently, they have begun to experiment with ways of infusing their food with different flavors, using modified shells to contain different concentrations of ingredients and allowing them to marinate. While Rusalje cuisine is still very new, some of them dream that it will expand to be as rich and detailed as anything found on land.
Comments
Author's Notes
All images generated by the author via https://perchance.org/ai-text-to-image-generator