Merfolk

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## Physical Characteristics

Merfolk are an aquatic race that possess vaguely humanoid torsos, facial features and the lower bodies of fish. Completely hairless, their skin is made up of smooth, hard scales that can vary greatly in color and pattern and their webbed fingers are often clawed. Merfolk have sharp, jagged teeth, with some individuals possessing more than one row. Their bodies tend to be slender and rather long, varying in lengths from between 6 and 9 feet. Along with their gills, merfolk have simple lungs that allow them to breathe air outside of water for short periods of time. Through a spell that is common and widely-used among them, merfolk are able to transform their appearances and assume legs while out of water, allowing them to move somewhat freely on land. The spell ends when they are re-immersed in salt water.

## Culture

The merfolk (who know themselves as Talep) are thought to be an ancient race. They live in colonies scattered throughout the waters that surround the continent of Lionsdale, but their largest settlement is known as Tamrá and is located off the shore of an archipelago known as the Lithka Isles. Once a year all Talep who are able, make a journey to Tamrá for a festival--the most important in their culture--that honors their goddess, Ishali-á-Omi. Talep consider themselves a peaceful and enlightened people, and many stories describe them as pacifistic in nature, readily lending their knowledge and aid to land-dwellers who find themselves stranded at sea. But while merfolk are known for such acts of altruism, they are not pushovers by any means and have been known to fight fiercely when their populations or territories come under threat. While the Talep recognize, respect and cooperate with land-dweller rulers, they have made no formal alliances with any Lionsdale kingdoms or city-states and prefer to keep out of politics concerning such. Talep do, however, have a long-standing alliance with the continent's Druidic Circle; a friendship that is centuries old. Merfolk are ruled by a monarch whom they call the Taram-re. However, the Taram-re does not hold absolute power; a council of nine elders, all chosen by the Talep people by way of popular vote, advises the ruler and acts as a balance to the power and influence that he wields.

## Abilities

One would be hard-pressed to find a better, faster swimmer than a Talep; their powerful bodies carry them through water at incredible speeds, and they are able to swim extraordinary distances before experiencing any sort of fatigue. Sensorily, Talep possess superb eyesight and a keen sense of smell. Many of this race are adept at magic, particularly Blue magic, which they have a natural ease and inclination for. Beyond their innate arcane abilities, Talep are fierce and adept warriors, skilled with polearm, spear and javelin-esque weaponry. Talep are one of the few species completely immune to the song of the siren.

## Weaknesses

Young Talep are particularly vulnerable to toxins in their environment. Talep are born with thin, porous skin that allows them to breathe prior to the development of their gills and lungs (a process that takes up to six months) and will draw in anything within the medium through which they swim. A rare, congenital defect sometimes sees that a Talep's skin remains in this fleshy state. Often, these individuals require specialized care and cannot venture onto dry land at all. Talep are an ectothermic species, which means they possess no control over their own body temperatures and rely completely on their surroundings for warmth, metabolism and cool down. As such, while they are able to move to land, Talep tend to avoid seasons of extreme heat or cold and will migrate to warmer waters during cooler times of the year. Talep are able to remain on land for three full days before they risk lung failure and suffocation. They require high levels of salinity in order to maintain homeostasis (body regulation); prolonged exposure to freshwater sources will render a Talep sick and, if the individual is unable to return to a saltwater source, can lead to death.

## Other

The language spoken by the Talep (Talepian) isn't easily learned or understood by outsiders. It is described by those who hear it as akin to sound of rushing water: fast, garbled and indistinguishable. However, most Talep who are even somewhat educated are able to speak enough of the common language to make communication with land-dwellers possible.

Talep possess a hostile relationship with a closely-related species; Sirens. Though Sirens maintain a smaller geographic range and live closer to shores while Talep live farther out in open waters, the two species are still sometimes mistaken for one another. Territory disputes are common between these two races.