The passive and peace loving merfolk are the backbone of every underwater civilization, they were the first humanoids to live on the waterfloor and shape the world to their needs.
Outline
Aliases Everyone’s home
Type Artisan
Merchant
Influence Minor
The Wehiké Principality
Bases Bara Kohinten
South Domus
Tanktia Ragini
The Wehiké Principality
Rotak Hinhia
Leadership Whiarki Māsənrē
Gerontocracy
Allies Wehiké Principality
Triton Order of Flyan
Geas Committee by Merrows
Kuo-toa Choir
Enemies Keystones of Sahuagin
History
The Common Ancestor
Merfolk are the ancestor of most humanoids that live underwater, making them the de facto spiritual leader of most cultures. Even savager merrow or honourable triton will bow before the merfolk as they consider any of them to be like a grandfather and should be respected in a similar manner.
Merfolk don’t have such a kinship with Sahuagin as their lineage was separated by a gold dragon that hoarded them away, poisoning them with propaganda. Now the Sahuagin hunt down the merfolk with bloodlust only being thwarted by tritons that guard the area.
Merfolk Features
Physical Description
These aquatic humanoids have an upper body that still resembles a human, but their lower body is like a fish. They can vary in the largest amount of colours ranging from a bright koi orange, a wide blue betta tail or a flamboyant Purple Blenny.
For those willing to play a Merfolk, consider using the Sea elf race.
Age
Merfolk reach maturity after the age of 17 and stop ageing until they reach around 480 years when their body will start to slow. The oldest known merfolk was a blue lobe-finned lady that reached 710 years to this day.
Alignment
Merfolk aren’t as ambitious as other races and don’t mind staying in the same place for several years only to make food. Their society runs on standard practices with no need for laws since everybody does their thing. Making most merfolk unaligned or good. A merfolk with a sense of wanderlust will soon make new friends and adapt to their way of thinking.
Size
Their bodies are small and slender only reaching just above 5 feet when standing on land. Their large tail is mostly large frills and doesn’t add up to their length.
Community
Slow fish brains
Their lifespan is long and their habits slow to change. They will often stay in the same place enjoying the wonders of life such as seasons, life cycles and pets. That doesn’t mean no inventions come from this place. Merfolk think long about things and don’t rush their ideas, they theorise the implications of choice before making it. Only after considering a choice to be just by everyone of the settlement will they make the project.
Their cities are filled with large architecture as it is one of the easier things for them to get interested in.
Culture
Harmony in people and waves
Enjoying the beauty of nature and life means adding to it when the situation arises. Merfolk love playing music on their Glass Armonicas¹ to any ship that travels over their borders, which can lead to problems when the sailors expect siren songs. Merfolk love trading with sailors for valuables they made such as pearls and crops for any land based items, their fascination is still around glass, ceramic or anything that was made by fire.
With most races understanding the kindness of merfolk, tritons will seek shelter in their settlements for any orphans they find during their crusades. They will gift the orphans with food, knowledge and after adult age will send them off on adventurers to help others as much as they were helped.
Glass Armonicas is a collection of spinning glass bowls that make a resonating sound when touched lightly. It is mostly used in a stationary setup, but can be adapted into a small mechanism the size of a hurdy gurdy. The rotation is created by a pulse starfish that pushes water out of its points in a propulsion that used to be for escaping predators.
