Merfolk
Merfolk (mermaid f. and merman m.), called sapiaquali-oths in the language of their alghollthu creators, are amphibious humanoids encountered in the temperate waters and coastlines. A merfolk's torso resembles that of a human or elf, while their lower bodies are dominated by a fish-like tail and fins. They are highly xenophobic, and commonly attack members of other races that encroach upon their territory; the only other intelligent creatures merfolk consider allies are the alghollthus, and on some rare occasions the gillmen.
Appearance
From the waist up, a merfolk's body resembles that of a human, though their features and build are usually more elven in appearance; members of others races sometimes experience feelings of desire due to the attractiveness of a merfolk's upper body. A merfolk's lower body, however, is comprised of a scaled tail and fins similar to that of a giant fish. Female merfolk are generally smaller in size than their male counterparts, but members of the race tend to weigh an average of over 200 pounds and measure between six and eight feet in length. The hair and scales of merfolk can come in a wide range of colors and hues. Despite the potential variety in the race's appearance, merfolk in shared habitats tend to boast similar pigmentation.Ecology
Merfolk are naturally adapted to life underwater, but they are amphibious creatures; merfolk can breathe both in and out of the water. They are even capable of traversing short distances across land, though these journeys are rare, and merfolk tend stay relatively close to their aquatic homes.History
The sapiaquali-oths were the result of the alghollthus' first attempt to create humanoids. However, they were quickly forgotten and left alone by their creators, who moved on to other experiments and began interfering in terrestrial societies. The merfolk have forgotten about their origin, but are instinctively xenophobic and prevent intruders from entering certain deep places of the oceans for reasons they do not fully understand—these are actually remnants of the instincts imprinted by the alghollthus in the distant past.Society
The merfolk race is highly xenophobic; they generally shelter themselves in hidden communities, fiercely protecting the territory they hold from outsiders. Merfolk are especially distrusting of surface races, and go to great lengths to conceal their presence from those that live primarily on land. As a result, most merfolk settlements remain unknown to those on the surface, and encounters between merfolk and surface dwellers are uncommon. It is partially due to the infrequent sightings of merfolk that their presence is sometimes considered an ill omen by sailors. Merfolk xenophobia extends below the waves as well. Though merfolk will keep aquatic animals for the purposes of companionship, they generally isolate themselves from other aquatic races. The sole exception to this distrust are the fish-like aberrations known as alghollthus; many merfolk serve alghollthu masters, sometimes willingly.
Comments