Merfolk

**Merfolk** are a race of humanoids on Mogar that live underwater. They have a deep-seated grudge against humans due to their blood having high affinity with water magic.

* Khalia
* Rem
* Zhen
* Mal

## Appearance

Merfolk have faces with no nose or ears, fins coming out of their spines and hips, and sky blue scales covering them from head to toe that turn pale white in the abdomen area and the palms, making them all look like the same age. They are capable of breathing underwater and on dry land through gills on their necks and hear from two small holes on either side of their head. They have no lips, leaving the row of pearly teeth in their mouth partially exposed at all times. Their hands have webbed fingers that end in small claws that, due to their bright colors, are clearly venomous. Female merfolk have breast-like bumps on their chest and slenderer builds compared to males.

The moment they become dry, they turn into a form that closely resembles humans, with only their oddly colored hair to give away their real nature. Their scales disappear and they turn into albinos with soft white skin, red eyes, and different brightly colored hair.

## Abilities

The merfolk are a proud race, but their magic is lacking, hence the reason they aren't considered one of the main races and don't have a seat in the Awakened Council. Aside from water and light, they cannot use any other element while underwater. Air eithers create bubbles or electrocutes themselves, fire and earth don't work, and darkness attacks even water so it disappears after a couple of centimeters.

When in contact with a merfolk, they can share the oxygen their gills filter from the water using a spell that channels a stream of miniscule air bubbles that move along their skin. While underwater, merfolk's voices come from their skin, the words reverberating through their whole body like a sounding board. Physical contact allows the vibrations to reach the ears of anyone in contact. Moving at high speeds require using magic to "kick" the water behind them while creating a stream in front of them to keep their eyes from being squashed by pressure, sand particles, or a random fish.

## History

After the War of the Races, the merfolk lost their spot on the surface. Unlike elves, humans were afraid of their appearance and were unwilling to trade with them. Their only source of materials such as crystals or metals became sinking cargo ships, until dimensional amulets and Gates were created. After that, their need to come to the surface to train and the lack of resources forced them to hide underwater and emerge only in safe zones protected by the few beast allies they managed to make.

After the fall of the human race, the merfolk began acting as scouts for the beast city of Reghia, following the migration movements of the monsters, and provide their allies with plenty of food and natural treasures from the deep. In exchange, they trade magic and minerals with them, giving their people a place to stay. Being masters of water and earth magic they create artificial underground flows to make Reghia completely self-sufficient and to travel safely there from their city, even creating a thermal bath to keep humans clean.

The Lost City of Kolga is one of the reasons why merfolk have so little resources for their magical research. They use all they get from the sea and their allies to keep it from spreading.

## Merfolk Cities

### Zhen

**Zhen** is a merfolk city that serves as one of the closest outposts to the Lost City of Kolga. It has no lights or monuments; the buildings are all made of stone from the seabed, giving them a plain appearance. The city is built so deep in the ocean that there is no light, making everything look cold, silent, and grey. Merfolk have no need for stairs or doors, so each would build their house vertically, one room per floor, and just move through the openings in the wall, ceilings, and floor.

#### Memorial Ceremony

In Zhen's central plaza stands a monument that looks like a huge seashell. It is used to conduct a memorial to honor a merfolk - the crowd holds hands, forming an upward spiral formation whose extremities lie at the monument on the seabed and at a height comparable to that of one of the tallest buildings. The person at the top of the spiral hums and the vibration spreads down along the living spire, growing in intensity with each person it passes through. When it reaches the seashell statue, the humming propagates to the rest of the city. The people of Zhen celebrating the merfolk's short life while also mourning their loss. The formation allows those who knew them to share their feelings beyond what words can express, giving them a substance that even a human can understand.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 1211
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1142
3. ↑ Chapter 1140
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chapter 1141
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 1212
6. ↑ Chapter 1220