[Species] Merpeople

Life expectancy: ca. 400 years

Appearance:
Mermaids look similar to humans. From the hips upward, they are human, except the webbing between their fingers and the branchiae on their cheeks or neck. Sometimes parts of their torso or face is covered in little scales. Their skin is softer than the of a human, very smooth and sensitive when dry. Its colour can range from rosy white to darkbrown.
From the hips downwards, they have a long, scaly tail instead of legs. Their tails are covered in scales which can have many diffrent colours. They are taller than humans, about 2m to 2,50m long. (From head to the tipof their tale)
Under water mermaids breathe through their branchiae, but they also have lungs to survive outside of water.
Mermaids can have eyes in all colours of the rainbow, though blue and green are the most common. They also can have eyes with multiple colours or eyes with diffrent colours. The same applies for their hair. Their blood is purple.
To survive outside the water, mermaids can use magic to grow legs. They can close their branchiae, but remain to have webbings between fingers and toes. Although they usually become a bit smaller when they take on a human form, about 1.90m to 2,30m, they often appear to have very long legs, sometimes to long to be natural for a human, which can give their true nature away.

Language:
Mermaids have their own language, that is spoken by all merpeople. It consists of hissing and splutter sounds as well as body language and gesture. It is very hard to learn for creatures without branchiaes.
Many mermaids learn the old speech as language of magic. Since they often live only amongst other aquatic creatures, not many mermaids speek the common tounge and only learn it once they leave their home.

Information:
Mermaids live in the ocean. Underwater they live just like humans in cities or villages. Their buildings are often incorporated into rocks or reefs and seem to be grown into their surroundings.
Mermaids can use magic to turn into humans. There are potions, runes, gemstones and other artifacts to turn a mermaid into a human. But regardless the method, no magic can keep a mermaid on land for longer than 3 days. Than they have to return into their natural form for at least a few hours. When they are outside of water, they have to drink alot to prevent dehydration.
To survive, mermaids need saltwater and they can only survive in saltwater. It is okay for them to take a bath in a freshwater lake or trink freshwater, but they can’t survive longer than a few hours in freshwater and have to drink and return to saltwater to survive and stay on land.

Mermaids belong to the element of water. They were created by Ondine, the goddess of water, about 40’000 years ago. Their calender writes the year 29’873 after Benthes.
Benthesikyme mac Lir was a legendary merking. The calender of mermaids begins with the present of the Triton to Benthes. Ondine gave the trident named Triton to the king and gave him the powers to control the water. Legend says that all waterbender descend from Benthesikyme.
Mermaids live primarily in the sea surrounding the kingdoms of water, where the lagrest and most powerfull kingdom of the mermaids is located, with its capital Tana, which is populated by all kinds of aquatic creatures. But they live in all oceans arround the world.

Mermaids live in diffrent kingdoms in the ocean. They are usually ruled by a king or a queen, often by a royal couple which rules together. Usually the crown will go to the oldest child of the former ruler, sometimes only oldest daughter.
Mermaids are more matriarchic, though men are not oppressed or seen as less valuable. But it is usually the wife and mother that is the head of the family and the husband takes the last name of his wife.
A pregnancy lasts 13 month. Mermaids come of age when they are 42 years old.

Skills:

Strength +2
Speed +2

Mental ability +3
Physical ability +2
Singing +2

Special ability:

Name: Transformation of the mermaid
Type: Race ability
Description: Mermaids can turn their fishtail into legs and walk on land. Their branchiae close and it is difficult to distinguish them from real humans.
Requirement: Mermaids
Energy cost: 10 when transforming from a mermaid into a human

Name: Breath of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: Mermaids can breath under water through their branchiae.
Requirement: Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

Name: Force of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: The natural habitat of mermaids is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a mermaid increases 4 points. (Only in salt water)
Requirement: Merpeople

Code:

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Transformation of the mermaid
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Mermaids can turn their fishtail into legs and walk on land. Their branchiae close and it is difficult to distinguish them from real humans.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Mermaids
[b][color=#0066ff]Energy cost:[/color][/b] 10 when transforming from a mermaid into a human

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Breath of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Mermaids can breath under water through their branchiae.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Force of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] The natural habitat of mermaids is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a mermaid increases 4 points. (Only in salt water)
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Merpeople

Life expectancy: ca. 320 years

Appearance:
Nicca are smaller than mermaids, about 1,20m to 1,80m. Altough they also have a human like torso, they look much more like aquatic creatures. Their whole body is covered in scales, which are often colourful and patterned similar to colourful fishes. Their noses are flat and instead of hair they have bristle or seagrass like growth on their head and body. Their blood is green.
Niccas are very adjusted to their surrounding. They don’t always resemble fish, but also seahorses, rays, morays or other sea animals.
They can live in saltwater as well as freshwater. Those who live in lakes or rivers are the usually the smallest.
Like mermaids, nicca can breath under water through their branchiae, but they also have lungs to survive outside of water.
To survive on land, niccas can use magic to grow legs. They keep their fishlike appearance and have scales and fines outside the water as well.

Language:
Nicca speak the language of all merpeople.  It consists of hissing and splutter sounds as well as body language and gesture. It is very hard to learn for creatures without branchiaes.
There are diffrent dialects and accents depending on the region and especially differ from fresh- and saltwater niccas.
Many niccas learn the old speech as language of magic. Since they often live only amongst other aquatic creatures, not many niccas speek the common tounge and only learn it once they leave their home.

Information:
Niccas can live in salt and fresh water. They are very adjusted to their environment and their appearance depend on their surrounding. There are diffrent subspecies that live independent of each other and their are big diffrences, especially between freshwater and saltwater niccas and one is advised not to compare them to each other or thinking they are the same, since this is seen as an insult.
Saltwater niccas can only live in saltwater, freshwater niccas can only live in freshwater. They can take a bath in the other, but not longer than a few hours and they need their water to survive.
There are some kind of niccas that live at the mouth or lower course of a river and can live in both waters.
Niccas can use magic to turn into humans. There are potions, runes, gemstones and other artifacts to turn a nicca into a human. But regardless the method, no magic can keep a nicca on land for longer than 3 days. Than they have to return into their natural form for at least a few hours. When they are outside of water, they have to drink alot to prevent dehydration.

Niccas belong to the element of water. They were created by Ondine, the goddess of water, about 70’000 years ago.
Niccas live primarily in the sea surrounding the kingdoms of water, where the lagrest and most powerfull kingdom of the mermaids is located, with its capital Tana, which is populated by all kinds of aquatic creatures. They also live in the lakes and rivers of the kingdoms water and can be found in the waters in and around all four regions of the earth.

Niccas are matriarchally organised. They usually live in small groups, lead by the oldest woman. They live in small villages or sometimes travel around as nomads. Multiple smaller groups come together to form a tribe. The leaders of all groups come together to a council which is lead by the oldest of them. Mulitple tribes come together to form a clan. A clan consists of all tribes in one area, a river or a lake for example or sometimes multiple smaller lakes and rivers. It is ruled by all the tribe (council) leaders. Though there are sometimes conflicts between single tribes, niccas are usually very peaceful. All tribes of an area form a community, though this is not ruled by a common council or ruler but more defined by similar culture and traditions.
Since niccas don’t have their own kingdoms and often live across multiple human or mermaid kingdoms they depend on other races. In the sea they often live in or nearby cities of mermaids and Aquarii. On land they normally live in lakes and rivers tolerated or ignored by the ruler of that area.
Because niccas are very peaceful, they usually live in harmony with the other species, though there are some conflicts especially with one tribe living in multiple kingdoms.

A pregnancy lasts 15 month. Children come of age when they are 27 years old.

Skills:

Dexterity +2
Speed +2

Mental ability +3
Physical ability +2
Singing +2

Special ability:

Name: Transformation of the nicca
Type: Race ability
Description: Niccas can turn their fishtail into legs and walk on land. But they still look very different from normal humans.
Requirement: Nicca
Energy cost: 10 when transforming from a nicca into a human

Name: Breath of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: Nicca can breath under water through their branchiae.
Requirement: Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

Name: Force of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: The natural habitat of niccas is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a nicca increases 4 points. (Only in salt water / fresh water, depending on the habitat of the nicca)
Requirement: Merpeople

Code:

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Transformation of the nicca
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Niccas can turn their fishtail into legs and walk on land. But they still look very different from normal humans.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Nicca
[b][color=#0066ff]Energy cost:[/color][/b] 10 when transforming from a nicca into a human

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Breath of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Nicca can breath under water through their branchiae.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Force of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] The natural habitat of niccas is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a nicca increases 4 points. (Only in salt water / fresh water, depending on the habitat of the nicca)
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Merpeople

Life expectancy: ca. 150 years

Appearance:  
Out of all merpeople, aquarii look the most like humans. They have legs and humanlike skin. They are relatively small, only about 1,20 to 1,40. Sometimes some parts of their bodies are covered with scales, placoid scales or even shells. They have webbings between fingers and toes and branchiae on their neck. Their hair can have every colour of the rainbow, rarer white or silver and they sometimes have multicoloured hair, same applies for their eyes.
They have blue blood.
Aquarii live underwater, but they have also lungs and can go on land, without changes.

Language:
Aquarii speak the language of all merpeople.  It consists of hissing and splutter sounds as well as body language and gesture. It is very hard to learn for creatures without branchiaes.
There are diffrent dialects and accents depending on the region.
In regions where they have contact to humans or other races, most aquarii will speak the common tounge, in other regions deep in the ocean, not many of them will.
Since magic is not very wide spread under the aquarii only a few scholars speak the old speech.

Information:
Aquarii are a proud and militant people. They can live in salt as well as fresh water and can survive in both kinds of water. Furthermore, they can survive on land without any problems, though they have to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.
Most Aquarii live on the ground of the ocean or a big lake, though they often live near the shore and some settlements even are half in the water and half on land, for example on and around small islands or alongside deep rivers.

Aquarii belong to the element of water. They were created by Ondine about 35’000 years ago.
Aquarii live primarily in the waters in and around the kingdoms of water, but can be found in the waters in and around all four regions.
Some auqarii live deep down in the ocean and have little to no contact to landpeople. Other live near or ar shores and have close relationsship with humans and other land species. They trade fish, shark or whale meat, lobster or crabs as well as corals, pearls or seashells.  

Aquarii are more patriarcally organised. They are usually reigned by a king that is followed by his oldest son. They are very militant and strength and fighting has a big improtance in their culture. They often fight each other or agains mermaids, rarer against landpeople.
A pregnancy lasts 10 month. An aquarius comes of age when he is 21 years old.

Skills:

Strength +2
Dexterity +2
Stamina +2

Weapons +3
Defence +2

Special ability:

Name: Breath of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: Aquarii can breath under water through their branchiae.
Requirement: Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

Name: Force of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: The natural habitat of aquarii is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of an aquarii increases 4 points.
Requirement: Merpeople

Code:

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Breath of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Aquarii can breath under water through their branchiae.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Mermaids, niccas, aquarii

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Force of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] The natural habitat of aquarii is under water. Even if they adapted to life on land, they are still at home in the water and only there in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of an aquarii increases 4 points.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Merpeople

Life expectancy: ca. 120 years

Appearance:
Selkies spend most of their time in the form of a seal. They look just like the animals and can’t be distinguished from normal seals. Though they can doff their fur and take the form of a human. In that form they can’t be distinguished from normal humans. Their hair has the colour of their fur, mostly black, brown or grey, sometimes blond. Their eyes can be brown, blue, green, black or grey. Unlike other merpeople, selkies don’t have scales, branchiae or webbings. Like normal seals, they only have lungs but can stay under water for a long time and dive very deep, even in their human form.

Language:
Since selkies don’t have branchiae, they don’t speak the language of the other merpeople. They usually speak the common tounge, though among themselves they communicate through sealish, barking noises.

Information:
Selkies primarily live in the cold kingdoms of the north. They live secluded and only among themselves and spend most of their time as seals.
Their fur is their most valuable possesion and if it is lost or stolen, they can not return to the water have to stay on land as humans until they have it back.
They can stay on land as humans as long as they want to and don’t need to be in water frequently to survive. (Though they have to drink water just like any normal human.)

Selkies belong to the element of water. The first selkies were created by Ondine about 30’000 years ago. Though they primarily live in the kingdoms of earth, colonies of selkies can be found in the kingdoms of earth as well as air.

Selkies live in groups, so called colonies. They are very peaceful and live together in harmony. They usually live in simple huts or caves at shores or beaches.
Larger colonie are usually lead by the oldest or most trusted / most admired indivdual. This can be a men or a women. Smaller colonies sometimes don’t have a leader and just make important decisions by coming together and discussion, agreeing or voting.
Most selkies live as fishers and their live revolves entirely around the sea.
A pregnancy lasts between 12 and 15 month. The mother has to be in her seal form to have the child. If she is giving birth while in her human form, there is a very high risk for mother and child to die. If the child survives, it has no fur and can’t turn into a seal. But it has the ability to take other furs and use them to turn into a seal. Such children are called „the furless“ or „beachwalker“ and are seen as misfortune.
Usually selkies spend their first years as seals, without ever taking of their fur, to prevent loosing it. There are often rituals or celebration when a child first turns into a human at a certain birthday, usually between the age of fife and ten.
A Selkie comes of age when they are 20 years old.

Skills:

Dexterity +2
Speed +2

Mental ability +3
Physical ability +2
Talent +2

Special ability:

Name: The fur of the selkie
Type: Race ability
Description: When a selkie wears her sealskin, she becomes a seal, which cannot be distinguished from normal seals. When they take their fur off, they become human and are not distinguishable from normal humans.  
Requirement: Selkie

Name: Force of the water
Type: Race ability
Description: Even though selkies can survive on land without problems and are adjusted to life on land just like normal humans, their true form is the of a seal and their home is in the water. Only there are they in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a selkie increases 4 points.
Requirement: Merpeople

Code:

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] The fur of the selkie
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] When a selkie wears her sealskin, she becomes a seal, which cannot be distinguished from normal seals. When they take their fur off, they become human and are not distinguishable from normal humans.  
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Selkie

[b][color=#0066ff]Name:[/color][/b] Force of the water
[b][color=#0066ff]Type:[/color][/b] Race ability
[b][color=#0066ff]Description:[/color][/b] Even though selkies can survive on land without problems and are adjusted to life on land just like normal humans, their true form is the of a seal and their home is in the water. Only there are they in full possession of their strength. If they are in water strength and speed of a selkie increases 4 points.
[b][color=#0066ff]Requirement:[/color][/b] Merpeople