Oarfish-Folk

## Common Knowledge

Scholars often debate the meaning of a cryptically-marked relic from the ocean’s depths. Its pictures and writings elude all but the farthest traveled Aquatics, who speak of a distant and devoted people in the deepest corner of the sea.

## Residence

Most Oarfish-Folk reside on the seafloor of the Mistral Sea, far northwest from the island of Fyaeyoa (where Malderi and Belegost are). Beyond this, Oarfish-Folk are restricted to living  3,300 feet below sea level.

#### Tholos

Tholos is an isolated cultural and religious metropolis, based around the idea that surviving a millennia-old, draconian (the literal use of the word, not “of dragons”) rite of passage guarantees equality of character. The Tholosian government also acts as the city’s official church of Kastis Krisi.

## Biology

Oarfish-Folk grow between 5’5” and 7’4”, have lean, scaleless bodies with weaker muscle density than might be expected of a species their size, and are biologically accustomed to extreme pressure and cold temperatures. While underwater, the slippery Oarfish-Folk skin ranges in color from deep blue to black with neon streaks, but when outside of water these colors pale rapidly and gain a sickly pallor. Oarfish-Folk are hairless, but have thin, neon-colored dorsal fins protruding at their longest from the crown of the head and becoming shorter as they continue down the back.

An important note to make about the average Oarfish-Folk’s musculature is that it restricts which depths of water they can comfortably live. Without proper training or other protection, Oarfish-Folk travelling at depths less than 3,300 feet below sea level can be seriously injured by oceanic currents. Even with training or protection, the chance of survival in the currents is remarkably low. This principle does not apply to wind above the surface.

Oarfish-Folk are born from large eggs, laid by the mother. They reach physical maturity at 8 years old, mental maturity at 14, then age very little. An Oarfish-Folk only begins to age beyond their prime during the last five years of their life, quickly aging to appear elderly by the end of the fifth year. Maximum lifespan for an Oarfish-Folk varies between 50 and 65 years, but those with blessings have been said to live to as old as 103 years.

Oarfish-Folk are omnivorous. Their diet consists of fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, corals, sponges, seaweed, kelp, and concentrated phytoplankton, but many abstain from eating oarfish specifically for cultural or religious reasons.

## Religion

Oarfish-Folk generally worship a pantheon of five deities to varying degrees. This pantheon includes: the Great Circle Kastis Krisi, guardian of all Oarfish-Folk and goddess of life and authority; Asylo the Five Eyed Man, god of currents, medicine, and protection; Kinisi, the goddess of hunting, travel, rebellion, and justice; Thymos, an ambiguous deity of emotion, magic, creativity, and fate; and the conjoined deities Synkrousi with dominion over death, nature, plague, war, peace, logic, and mental stability. There are also a number of mythical figures which, while not deities in their own right, are venerated in similar ways.

### Deities

Kastis Krisi, the “Great Circle” and “Mother of All”, created the Oarfish-Folk race in mythic history, not long after She had completed creating the universe. Her worship is the largest and most organized, and sometimes may become synonymous with a culture’s ruling body. As a result, many of Kastis Krisi’ formal churches have a history of implementing oppressive and harmful changes in accordance with Her Will, then recanting after generations of outcry and resentment. Many of Her temples are used as courthouses or centers of government.

Asylo, the “Five Eyed Man”, watches and steers the world’s currents, protecting his worshippers and their livelihoods from harm. Asylo also offers protection from disease, directing the currents of plague elsewhere. Despite Asylo’s central nature to many Oarfish-Folk, very little is known about him. Asylo is worshipped by farmers, soldiers, hunters, criminals, doctors, animi, and druids, and His centers of worship often act as hospitals.

Kinisi, the “First Huntress” and “Forebearer of the Dead”, is said to stalk the wilds of the sea on her eternal hunt. In myths, Kinisi is categorized as a tragic figure struggling to overcome influences outside her control, or anyone else’s for that matter. She also bears an inconceivably powerful weapon: a great spear called Penthos, supposedly forged from an indestructible material found outside of Creation itself. Kinisi is typically worshipped by hunters, travellers, law enforcement, soldiers, and those who feel they have been personally or systemically wronged. Most of Her shrines are erected far from civilization.

Thymos, “The Formless Will” or simply “Fate”, is a nearly featureless deity worshipped in two major capacities. The first worships Thymos as an abstract concept. From this framework, Thymos refers to a single force underpinning the universe, and the source of magic, emotion, creativity, and fate. The second, comparatively recent form of Thymos’ worship depicts them as a mysterious, genderless, and passionate deity with dominion over what others believe they embody. Thymos is typically worshipped by casters of all schools, but especially wizards, as well as craftspeople, sex workers, and laborers.

Sykrousi, or the “Stained Twins”, are a pair of deities in perpetual conflict. Synkrousi, pronounced “Sing-croo-si”, may refer to both deities or specifically the conjoined goddess, but Synkrousi, pronounced “Sing-crow-si” refers specifically to the goddess. The conjoined goddess Synkrousi embodies the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. Her three-fingered grasp sows death, plague, and war across the world, both to cull the Creation of her hated enemy Kastis Krisi and to harden its people to face the world on their own. The conjoined god, referred to as simply “The Peacemaker” and often depicted as faceless, holds dominion over logic and reason, and uses that faculty to appease her conjoined sister and prevent death from consuming the world. The Peacemaker is also known for his arbitration of conflicts, near-limitless patience, and an unshakable mental calm. The interaction between the conjoined twin deities created doubt, conflict, and choice from the ordered Creation of Kastis Krisi. The goddess Synkrousi is worshipped by druids, animi, soldiers, criminals, and priests, and her faithful worship at natural grottos untouched by civilization. Law enforcement, lawyers, scholars, animi, and psions worship the Peacemaker in private, but some psychiatric wards and centers for the study of the mind claim divine inspiration from the Peacemaker.

### Mythical Figures

The Cloaked Child - a child lost as an egg at the bottom of a bottomless pit, who upon hatching could speak and performed many feats. The Cloaked Child supposedly bested Kinisi in the midst of a great banquet, leading to a brief war among the gods.

Elpida - a methodical scholar and powerful warrior who was driven to create an unknown evil by the horrors of war. Ultimately killed for his transgressions by his sister Orama at the behest of Kastis Krisi. Depending on the version of the myth, Elpida’s crime may vary from an alchemical weapon to creating homunculi for war.

Orama - a priestess of Kastis Krisi and a powerful warrior driven by her tribe and Kastis Krisi to search for her brother Elpida and ultimately kill him in retribution for his crimes. Her fight with her brother supposedly lasted a full day, and she took no pleasure in it.

## Culture

Oarfish-Folk are typically strongly focused on tradition, and may feel superior to other Aquatic races. Most Oarfish-Folk also have little knowledge of the surface and its creatures, as their biology makes visiting the surface difficult.

### Names

Oarfish-Folk tend to have at least three names: a name given at birth; a family or tribe name; and a name given by their community. Some cultures may include additional names, such as a name assigned by the community posthumously or names granted after participating in a ceremony.

Most Oarfish-Folk names are similar to out-of-game Greek names, or are derived from Greek words. Common family names include Thymin, Krisin, Kinisin, and Epizontes.