Vorseth

## Settlements

**Dustpass** - An abandoned settlement that had once been bustling with life and filled with Vorseth of both sexes passing through. The Vorseth used the area to dig for gold, but soon found the caverns filled with the precious mineral being drained out mysteriously. Once the caverns had been completely dried out and lost all of their precious minerals, the Vorseth abandoned the settlement, and is now a ghost town in the **Kriqora Sea**.

**Autumnband** - A strictly female settlement that appears to be in a permanent state between summer and autumn. The waters are constantly warm with a cool breeze blowing over the surface, with the feeling of being in it’s own bubble when entering from another section of the ocean. Located within the **Enas Ocean** against the edge of the continent of **Orifora**.

**Sprintmount** - A quick moving settlement where Vorseth come to find mates during the spring. Everything within the settlement appears to be moving at a strangely fast pace, with some of the quickest swimming Vorseth being from this settlement. Those living within the settlement welcome all **Oril** into their home, allowing them to participate in races for rewards. Located in the **Strubera Strait**.

**Flatmouth** - A settlement filled with pure white sands that is highly sought after by alchemists and Eprean collectors. The settlement is completely flat, with homes being built up around it through empty logs and sandstone. Vorseth fathers often bring their children to this settlement to mingle and teach them how to camouflage within the oceans. Located within the Enas Ocean.

**Greyhollow** - One of the strangest settlements within Eprea. It appears to always be raining within it, despite the settlement being entirely underwater. The settlement is filled with male Vorseth with no females in sight, and if prodded on why the settlement is this way, the Vorseth themselves are unsure. It is theorized that the electrical impulses from the race cause it. Located within the **Agitas Ocean**.

**Dewholde** - The only Vorseth settlement that is partially on land. Moss grows quickly against the shores of the settlement, and is revered as the thickest and softest moss on Eprea. The moss is commonly used in **alchemy** and for medical reasons. The other half of the settlement that is underwater is full of thick reeds and seagrass, making it a popular spot for Vorseth to gather and find a mate. Located in the Agitas Ocean and creeping onto the shores of northern Orifora.

**Pondfell** - A female-only settlement filled with underwater hot springs and ponds. It is a settlement open to all subraces of the Oril, and is meant to be a place for the underwater creatures to enjoy the warmth and relaxation of springs like those on the land. Located near Dustpass in the Kriqora Sea.

**Moongrace** - No matter the time of day, it always seems to be blessed by the moon, and is always covered by the blanket of night. **Alene** is said to frequently visit the mysterious area, sitting upon the stones that surround the settlement and interacting with the Vorseth that inhabit it. Moongrace is one of the training grounds for more nocturnal Oril to practice at, no matter the race. Located towards the **Wrilune Sea**, but still within the warmer waters of the Enas Ocean.

**Juena’s Dorsal** - The highest point of the ocean, given its name due to the dorsal fin shape of the settlement. Female Vorseth gather within the settlement to give birth, allowing the father to take the children and raise them in their own settlements after. Located in the Enas Ocean, towards the shallower waters of **Eulazus**.

## History

The Vorseth came to be in the Year 200, alongside the **Tekat** and **Jorfea**. The stingrays and sea horses of the oceans caught the Celestial **Juena’s** eye due to the natural electrical impulses and signals that the creatures were able to pick up. Juena, seeking to use these electrical currents to her advantage, sought out the Vorseth herself.

Underneath the watchful eye of the **Celestial**, the Vorseth were subjected to a trial of silence. The trial was put under place without the Vorseth’s knowledge, and simply involved Juena using currents and disturbances within the water to see how the creatures would react. Once she noticed the Vorseth beginning to pick out where she had placed the disturbances, she allowed herself to be known to the creatures. The Vorseth fled at the sight of the Celestial at first, but were soon drawn back out when she had patiently waited outside of their burrows for them to return.

Juena, believing the creatures to be much more intelligent than they appeared, took a handful of them with her back to her shrine. Within it, she harvested their electrical abilities and began to turn them into beings with a natural affinity for electrical magic. The Vorseth, although small in population, mutated into the people that they are today by the direct hand the Celestial played in their abilities.

Some of the Vorseth had been separated out by the Celestial to be protectors of the **oceans**, making use of their electrical magic to infuse their weapons or spells with deadly attacks. The Vorseth who showed more skittish or docile personality types, which were the majority, stayed behind as scholars and researchers, due to the Vorseth’s natural curiosity.

## Physical Appearance

Vorseth heights range anywhere between 2 feet (60.96 cm) to 16.5 feet (502.92 cm).

Vorseth appearances are far and wide, with their colors ranging from extremely vibrant to extremely dull. Due to there not being much limitation in color, their color patterns are primarily used as a way to differentiate them. Bright blue and pure white Vorseth are considered the rarest of all of the color variants.

As for features, leafy Vorseth are considered to be naturally beautiful in their society, with the leafy variety commonly being considered a status close to royalty, due to their strong resemblance to water dragons. Some Epreans believe that leafy Vorseth are direct descendents of the **dragons** themselves. Rarely, some Vorseth are able to exhibit camouflage, with the colors of their skin and scales changing to match their environment.

All Vorseth sport webbed fingers and toes to allow the more mutated Vorseth easier travel in the water. Some Vorseth also sport long stingers that extend from their back, which holds a strong venom. The venom typically just paralyzes, but if it hits in the wrong spot, it can sometimes stop bodily functions and kill the victim.

Vorseth, like other types of **Oril**, typically do not wear clothes. Many of them have thick plating across their bodies that act as clothing, but some will decorate their fins and bodies with jewelry and tattoos. When they do wear clothes, they are typically translucent clothes that are purely just meant to emphasize the movements of the Vorseth, seen as a beauty item rather than necessary.

Stingray based Vorseth typically have flat faces, while the seahorse based ones have elongated faces and snouts.

### Life Span

Vorseth lifespans are 100 to 150 years, with their average death around 120. They age like a Manna.

## Culture

Being a much less accepting society of those outside of them, the Vorseth tend to stick closely with their own kind.

The sting ray based Vorseth create packs, traveling with each other along the currents and exploring the **oceans**. Meanwhile, the sea horse based Vorseth settle down within coral reefs or kelp forests, creating families and sticking with them. Vorseth typically prefer staying within warmer environments, sticking close to reefs, kelp forests, or the shallow waters of beaches. Some Vorseth even go slightly inside of rivers, hunting river fish within them as a source of food. While they favor warmer climates and gentler waters, adult Vorseth are able to handle cooler temperatures and will sometimes wander into cooler waters to find food. The Vorseth are most commonly seen by Epreans around the afternoon, due to them enjoying the warmth of the sun as they explore and hunt. Vorseth who descended from sea horses are often found within kelp forests or tall sea grasses. Typically, the sea horse Vorseth will paint their bodies and blend in more with their surroundings, being much harder to be spotted by the common Eprean.

Vorseth are naturally docile and curious, making them good scholars and researchers. It is common for a Vorseth to breach beaches where Epreans are relaxing, questioning and asking them about their lives. Since the Vorseth are well known for being friendly and gentle, many Epreans are happy to join in conversation with them. Any known accounts of a Vorseth attacking another race is when the Vorseth themself has been disturbed or attacked first. However, it is common knowledge among the Epreans to be careful when approaching a Vorseth, due to the race being naturally skittish. Sometimes a spooked Vorseth can accidentally strike, and if the Vorseth wields a barb, can give the Eprean a nasty cut. In these cases, the Eprean typically has to soak their cut in hot water to break down the toxins within it.

Stingray Vorseth are close relatives with the **Xevea**, sharing many of the same features and behaviors. However, the Vorseth have a natural fear of their close relatives, due to a history of sharks and dolphins feeding on them. Typically if a Vorseth comes across a Xevea, the Vorseth will flee or bury itself within the sands to stay out of sight.

The stingray Vorseth will wrap the ends of their tails with a cloth when they are traveling, due to the deadly barb that is capped on the end of it. The only time a Vorseth has their tail unwrapped is when they are shedding their barb, which typically happens every three to four months. The venom of a Vorseth is harsh enough to jellify blood, making it a commonly sought after product for **alchemist’s** creating poisons for blades. Once the venom has entered the bloodstream, it causes immense pain and throbbing until it has been broken down. The venom is typically fatal if it hits the stomach of the attacker. Some Vorseth will also use this to their advantage, selling vials of their poisons to those on the lands or other **Oril**.

Their tails are one of their first defense mechanisms when they are young, with the Vorseth lashing their tail as a part of their threat. Their tails lack nerves and have the ability to regenerate, so the Vorseth are willing to use them as a defense against anything, including predators.

### Food

Vorseth are ambush hunters, with them being able to bury themselves inside of sands and watch closely for when their prey swims over them. Once they have, the Vorseth immediately launches out of the water, snatching the prey and making quick work of it.

Most Vorseth have extremely strong arms and jaws, able to wrap their bodies around strong shelled prey and crack them open with ease. Some will even pop the prey directly into their mouth, using their teeth to crack the shells instead.

The Vorseth diet consists of **mollusks**, **crustaceans**, plankton, and fish. Their favorite dish to create is a **volcanic boiled clam**, which they create by finding a volcanic fissure and boiling a bowl of clams over the top of it. When the Vorseth are not hunting, they also enjoy foraging along the ocean floor to search for clams and a variety of **foliage**.

### Worship

Vorseth are one of the few races who do not worship any of the **Celestials**. Vorseth simply believes in just living in the moment and not relying on anyone, exploring the oceans and doing as they please. Because of this, their settlements tend to be fairly natural with no shrines or statues within them.

Their settlement's beauty comes from the underwater **foliage** and natural designs within them. Their settlement’s also typically are separated by the sexes, due to the Vorseth preferring to stay apart unless they’re mating. The settlement’s with only female Vorseth within them are typically positioned near tropical waters, due to them preferring warmer and more shallow waters, while males are closer to cooler regions.

### Romance

Courtship for the Vorseth typically occurs during the spring months.

During courtship, Vorseth will follow each other and swim closely, their hands or fins brushing against one another as they move. The Vorseth use this as a time to get to know one another, and an act of romance is done through gifting the other Vorseth something that they mentioned they loved - whether that be food, jewelry, or something else.

Vorseth do not get married, due to them typically only coming together to breed. Despite this, many Vorseth will meet back up in the same spot with the same Vorseth from the previous year in order to have more children.

### Childcare

Many Vorseth struggle to have children, so many couples have to continue trying over many months before finally succeeding. The Vorseth typically have children of one to six.

Within Vorseth culture, the male is typically the one to take care of the children. Vorseth are able to have children with any **race** on Eprea, with the only exception being the **Jorfea**.

### Death

Death is an easy process for the majority of Vorseth, due to their high infant death rate that their species was used to prior to mutation.

When a Vorseth has passed on, their bodies are often buried deep within the sands or wrapped in layers of kelp and seagrass. Burial grounds for Vorseth are typically in shallower areas, where the currents aren’t strong enough to dig them back up.

### Language

The term Vorseth carries no specific meaning to it. The Vorseth do however speak their own, unnamed language, which consists of a variety of bubbling and popping sounds. Some will even communicate through physical touch, using their fins to draw a variety of patterns as a silent communication.