Shark fae

Shark fae belong to a group of races referred to as half shifters, because of their natural ability to shapeshift between being bipedal and a shark tail.

Basic Information

Anatomy

All shark fae have gills at the crook of the neck and curved along the collarbones.

Biological Traits

Hair:

Black, grey and white are the most common colours. Blond and Brown exist, but are more rare. The hair is straight and kind of wispy. It's quite common for shark fae to not have hair at all.

Eyes:

The eyes are generally prominently round and proportionally big compared to the face. They have a large iris that takes up most of the eye, and large, round pupils. The iris is usually very dark blue, brown or grey, often making the eye look entirely black. What little whites show is usually white or silver.

Ears:

Rather long and pointy, looks a bit like triangular fins.

Other physical attributes:

Sharp teeth. Some may have a small dorsal fin, just below the shoulder blades. It sticks out 10cm at most. In half form the tail is moved sideways instead of up and down.

Most common magical abilities:

• Elemental: metal, water

• Physical: echolocation

• Shadow: cloning, manipulation

Ecology and Habitats

Shark fae have evolved to be able to live both on land and under water. They are able to breathe in both salt and fresh water.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Origins: sixth planet, Elu.
Commonly found on: Palir, Emandur and Elu.
Uncommonly found on: Arpa and Noverem.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Shark fae have exceptionally good dark vision.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

An athletic body build and a streamlined tail with sharply angled fins are generally seen as the most beautiful.
Scars are maybe not seen as beautiful, but viewed as symbols of strength and honor.

Gender Ideals

Shark fae make no difference between genders.

Relationship Ideals

Shark fae are generally monogamous, but have a rather loose concept of marriage.

Common Dress Code

A traditional shark fae folk dress is usually a short sleeved, knee length robe or wrap dress made from fish leather. It is made very form fitting to make movement under water as easy as possible. Accessories and decorations vary from region to region.
Pants were not really a thing until other races brought them to Elu. Many shark fae still only wear dresses or skirts, to make it easier to shape shift.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

First shift: The first time a baby shifts between forms is a time for celebration for the baby's close family. The first shift is seen as a sign of good health in the baby.
Coming of age: It's a common tradition to give a child a coming of age present in form or a hunting spear. In older days, the newly turned adult would then go out on their first solo hunt, but nowadays the spear is mostly just a symbol of when a child becomes an adult.

History

When other races started coming to Elu, it was first believed that nagas were the main inhabitants, until it was revealed that most of Elu's civilization is built under water.
Shark fae have been more nomadic than merfae or naga and haven't had much permanent homes until fairly recently. They lived in smaller family groups, and were often very hostile towards other groups, and towards merfae and naga. A handful of these groups would long ago even hunt and eat merfae.
In more recent times, shark fae have started to settle down, but still remain a minority.

Common Myths and Legends

There are many myths and legends about different sea monsters, living in the depths of the oceans. Some are based in truths, some not. They also have an abundance of cryptids.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Shark fae's relation to Naga have always been a neutral one. They haven't had a lot of interaction with each other.
Shark fae's relationto Merfae on the other hand, have been shaky. While they have never had outright wars or fighting, they are still weary of each other, and shark fae are sometimes exposed to opression from merfae.

Average Height

Women: 150-175cm in humanoid form
Men: 160-185cm in humanoid form

Average Length

In half form they are about 1/3 of their bipedal height longer than their bipedal height.

Average Physique

Body shapes are very diverse, but on the slimmer side is most common. Women tend to be rather flat chested.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Grey or brownish grey are the most common. Different patterns and markings in black, white or a darker/lighter shade than the rest of the body are very common.