Blackwater (Race)

For the town, see Blackwater (Town).

### Biology

The unique biology of the Blackwater people is something of a scientific debate. The question of how to classify them is something that is consistently debated on within scientific communities. The issue arises that they have so many differences between themselves and other human species that it is hard to decide whether they are human or not. While they can breed with other humans, it seems as though the child will only ever adopt characteristics from one of their parents, and they also seem to suffer serious illness later in life due to mismatched genetics.

Furthermore, certain behavioural tendencies as well as analysis of the brains of deceased peoples has come to conclude that the Blackwater brain works fundamentally differently to those of other sentient species. The question of whether to even call them sentient/sapient has been debated, although it is now considered that they are sentient and sapient.

#### Vision and Eyes

The Blackwater people are known for their unique eye color. Unlike other mammals, they have only one true eye color, however the amount of pigmentation can range from minimal to oversaturated, creating unique scenarios of different eye colors. Melanin of the skin has no affect on the eyes of Blackwater people, instead their eyes are pigmented by the pigment Betalain. This pigment is only present in the adrenal glands of adults, so adolescent children have brown eyes. The presence of Betalain produces the amber eyes of the Blackwater people, and depending on how much is present, the strength of the amber color in the iris can range from nearly non-existent, leaving the person with the brown eyes common mostly in children, to bright golden eyes, which can give a striking appearance in contrast to the blues and greens of other human’s eyes. There is also a genetic condition known as Cyanism. This condition causes the body to produce the pigment Betacyanin instead of Betaxanthin. This can cause the iris color to discolor from the amber-gold color to a red-violet color. This is present in only a small percentage of of the population (<5%) and is often associated with other conditions such as albinism. Another condition called super-satietatem causes too much of the Betalain pigment to be produced. This can be natural but is often a sign of a tumor around the pituitary gland. This can cause the eyes to appear a deep orange color. A small percentage of the population cannot break down the pigment Betalain, and will also appear to have orange colored eyes. This condition is even rarer, only in <3% of the population.

The Blackwater people mainly differ from other humans in their sight. They, unlike other humans, are nocturnal. Their vision has adapted to allow for more visibility at night, but it has also caused a strange shift in their cones. While normal humans have blue green and red cones, the Blackwater people have evolved to have Cyan, Yellow, and a shifted Red cone. This evolution makes them see completely different colors than other races and species, who all commonly see the same blue, green, and red cones with that same color spectrum. While most colors are shared (just in different regions on the spectrum), there is a certain point on the Blackwater visible color spectrum that produces a color that cannot be seen by any other human beings. Where other humans would see a greenish-yellow color, the blackwater people see a color that cannot be described. It is also known that the Blackwater visual spectrum is extended on the red end and smaller on the purple end.

#### Diseases and Immunities

Due to the Blackwater origin within a swampy environment as well as being at sea, they have developed certain characteristics that make them immune to some human diseases. For one, the Blackwater race produce their own Quinine. This is the chemical that is used for the curing and prevention of Malaria. This has likely been evolved due to their origins within the swampy marshes west of Shaloma. Furthermore, they produce their own Vitamin C. This helps prevent things like scurvy, however it does have the sideffect of causing some allergic reactions upon the consumption of foods high in Vitamin C.

It has also been shown that there is an increased production of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, which is linked to muscle contraction as well as certain memory functions. It is likely the body produces this as a natural insecticide, which reduces the likelihood of mosquitos. However, it is shown that in older persons the production of Acetylcholine can cause serious damage to the memory systems. Symptoms of this are early onset dementia as well as strokes. This is especially common when the person is on a high salt diet or in the heat consistently. The use of Nicotine has been used to help with these effects, although too much can often worsen the symptoms.

There are also a few specific diseases that the Blackwater peoples suffer from. The most well known of these diseases goes by the name 'Swamp Madness'. It is a condition that affects the spinal fluid of Blackwater peoples and can attack the brain and nervous system. It causes the spinal fluid to attack the brain, which can cause sudden death, strokes, paralysis, and comas in acute cases. In weaker cases the spinal fluid will affect certain regions of the brain. This mainly causes a loss in critical thinking, bursts of violence, and hallucinations. The disease is caused by a viral infection found in certain swamp environments. There is no known cure and even if the disease doesn't kill you, it makes you more susceptible to other infections. It affects mostly those who are mentally or physically stressed. It has been carried around the world on Blackwater ships but no major outbreaks have been reported meaning it most likely only affects the Blackwater race.

#### Behaviour

The behaviour of the Blackwater has been a strange topic. Biologically, their brains act differently from other races due to a variety of chemical and neurological changes. Octopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brains of Blackwater people. This neurotransmitter, most commonly found in invertebrates, is used for the activation of the nervous system and muscles. It is used in the place of Epinephrine. Due to chemical similarities, the consumption of unrippened vanilla beans (Creosol) and olive oil (Tyrosol) can activity and stimulate the brain and muscles. Vanilla beans are used in some drinks as a stimulant and can have effects similar to caffeine in other humans.

The Blackwater brain also has an increased amount of dopamine receptors in parts of the brain linked with cooperation. In psychological problems related to trust and cooperation, Blackwater participants almost always choose the option linked with cooperation. There seems to be an assumption of mutual comradery between people innately engrained into the psyche of the Blackwater people. However, these areas of the brain are not as active when cooperating with a non-Blackwater person. It seems to be more difficult for a Blackwater person to form cooperative connections with non-Blackwater people. The recognition of a Blackwater person is linked mainly to their distinct eye color, however this can cause trust issues between Blackwater people with different eye colors. As such, it is also theorized that certain ketone (minty) pheremones can help stimulate cooperative behaviour, pheremones which Blackwater people produce in sweat glands.

One of the more notable features of Blackwater behaviour is their mapping qualities. They can make almost near perfect maps and memorize locations. This is likely due to increased activity in the parts of the brain important for spatial awareness and memory. This has likely resulted in a tradeoff with the language processing parts of the brain, making Blackwater language particularly difficult for other races to understand unless they are raised with it. Much of Blackwater communication is physical, such as hugging, handshaking and handholding, and shoulder patting among some of the forms of physical communication.