Chrysopsaro

“***You are charged with the violation of Alien Immigration law 342A, Section C: Bringing in over three dozen alien immigrants from an undocumented extraplanar realm or dimension.***

***Have you not learned the lessons of the Vemnu or the Brillax and the calamities that ensued? How do you plead?” The stern nommo judge peered down from his pulpit expecting an answer.***

“***First, your honor,” a rather eccentrically dressed sea elf responded, “may I describe a bit where they come from? It may help explain why they are here.”***

“***We will allow it.” The judge said, speaking for the court.***

“***Money has long been the desire of mortals.” The Delatari explorer began. “Even before the first gold coins clanked around in protected purses, this blood of commerce was deeply coveted. In the mists of creation, the sea of mortals was mirrored in the astral worlds. A man’s vices were reflected in the Hells; his virtues in the Heavens. Man’s love of wealth and buying, however, manifested in a more clandestine form. Thus was the origin of Mnol, the Demiplane of Commerce.”***

“***This Mnol, as you say, is it not a drylander’s realm? How come you by these coinfishes?” The large judge interrupted.***

***Undaunted, the flippered elf continued. “Yes, your honor, I am getting to that.” Collecting his confidence, he took a deep breath and continued. “Known more commonly to its visitors as the Mystic Marketplace, it was long a secluded realm accessible to the privileged few. Only the wealthiest astral beings knew of its existence.***

***Anything and everything can be found for sale here. Cities are divided up by what is sold. In the city of Ring, for example, rings of all varieties are sold. With patience, travel, and enough money one could virtually buy their heart’s desire in Mnol.***

***And that is what brought me there.”***

***The judge seemed to be growing impatient as he wriggled behind his podium, though he remained silent.***

“***That is what brought me there…” the adventurer repeated, “but what brought me to the Sea of Debts was what happened after. You see, I quickly ran out of funds buying my heart’s desires and accrued quite a bit of debt. Many threats came upon me, and one that came up more often than not was that I were to ‘go sleep with the fishes.’ Now, of course, I took this as a rather ironic euphemism for murder, considering that I am aquatic and not prone to demise by drowning, but they meant something far more literal as I soon found out.”***

***The judge, growing tired of the elf’s long-winded account, blurted out a stern warning “This better be going somewhere, Mr. Stau, we won’t have you wasting the court’s time with nonsense.”***

“***I assure you, your honor, I am staying on point,” The sea elf known as Stau confided. “Not long after losing my shirt, I was accosted by two rather burly creatures, who bound me with lead chains and tossed me into a rather impossibly deep hole. I fell for what seemed like an unnaturally long time at an equally unnaturally slow speed and landed with a splash in rather disgusting sewer water. It was there I met the first coinfish, or chrysopsaro as they prefer to be called. He led me underneath the sewers to an entirely new sea. Though upside down and a bit polluted, it was a wonder to behold. And there I stayed and worked off my debts. They were all rather curious of where I came from, and I told quite a few of the Cerulean Seas. They were beside themselves with inquisitiveness. I even made quite some coin just selling sagery of our world. It was one of the few commodities I had left.”***

“***So you admit, Mr. Stau, that you sold passage to our world to hundreds of gold-eating aliens simply to save your own hide?” The judge gazed down accusingly.***

***A bit shaken, the plane-addled elf went on. “No…your honor…it is simply the nature of the Sea of Debts. As much as the surface of Mnol is about the brighter sides of money− trade, riches, fame, and laws to protect it all, the upside-down sea is the murky-side of it all− debt, poverty, thievery and manipulating the laws that keep the wealthy rich and the poor impoverished. I had unwittingly stumbled on a realm trapped in an aquatic prison. The world of money, to them, was the drylanders world. But I showed them hope. I told tales of a purely aquatic, and largely free world, one that, for them, represented unlimited potential. But I never told them how to get here, only that it existed. Their greed led them here, not me. I am innocent.”***

−From the trial of Stau the Planeswalker, regarding the sudden appearance of the Chrysopsaros.

**PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:** Chrysopsaro (also known as coinfish, or simply “krysops”) superficially resemble goldfish, although few from the Cerulean Seas region would make that connection as goldfish are both freshwater creatures and originate from the Celadon Shores region. Regardless, the chrysopsaro’s round bodies and flowing fins are a dead- ringer for these decorative carp-offshoots.

Some notable differences, however, easily distinguish this race from normal animal to extraplanar entity.

First of all, the chrysopsaro has rather significant arms extending from where the fish’s pectoral fins would normally be. These scaly appendages are remarkably humanoid, often quite muscular, and terminate in stubby, five-fingered hands. Next, this race is on the stocky-side of Medium-sized, averaging about 4-feet long. Another distinguishing feature of the chrysopsaro is their three, emerald green eyes− two in their normal position and one, slightly smaller than their other two in the center of its head. Lastly, their scales appear to be made up of gold coins. Though merely gold- plated porous bronze replicas, this is no less bizarre and noteworthy.

Females are a bit larger and rounder than males, though have few external features that mark any other differences. Chrysopsaro often dress in a traditional vest with a narrow midriff, known to them as a herkin, which are often made of expensive aquatic silks with gold trim. Krysops are also fond of jewelry, especially gold rings and bracelets.

**ECOLOGY & SOCIETY:** Biologically, the chrysopsaro is a complete alien. First, they have no organs; they are basically a coin-scaled husk filled with glittery sand, pearlesque spheres, and metallic tubes that work as a skeleton. An injured chrysopsaro actually bleeds sand and sheds coins. Chrysopsaros have no sense of taste, and do not eat food. Instead, they ingest chunks of metal (including gold coins), sea shells, pearls, and small rocks (including gemstones). In some unknowable way, these objects act as nourishment and are eventually absorbed by the chrysopsaro’s body. In a sitting, they eat as much material as the cost of a typical meal for a humanoid of the same size. Of course, they can eat more if they desire.

Despite their lack of taste, chrysopsaros can still smell things and can sniff out precious metals. They can generally tell what sort of metal is nearby and in what quantity. Their two normal eyes are very close to a merfolk’s in acuity, though many suffer from nearsightedness. This is compensated by the third eye which is highly sensitive, has low-light vision, and provides the chrysopsaro with its detect coins racial trait.

Reproduction for the chrysopsaro follows no known biological precedent, and is somehow initiated when the male and female collect their assets and treasure together in the same room. The female then gorges herself on some of the treasure, and an egg that looks remarkably like a 1-foot diameter golden orb is laid about 6 months later. About 3 months afterwards, a tiny-sized chrysopsaro baby hatches.

Growth is dependent on how much gold the child eats. The child reaches adult size when it consumes at least one thousand gold pieces in gold. Emotionally and mentally, chrysopsaros mature similarly to seafolk. Krysops also have a lifespan similar to seafolk, though they remain vibrant and healthy most of their lives. Towards the end of their lifespan, they begin to shed coin scales. It is subtle at first, starting with only a few coins a day. Chrysopsaros have even been known to hide this disorder for months.

Eventually, the condition worsens and the coinfish succumbs to death from old age.

To a chrysopsaro, money is life. They live for the clatter of coins, the thrill of the deal, and the pride of being wealthy. Each chrysopsaro goes about his own quest in his own way. Unlike their drylander cousins, the numistians, chrysopsaro tend towards “seedier” means to obtain money. Gambling and roguery are common livelihoods. Others seek riches through treasure hunting or pirating. Some chrysopsaros may even hone one particular skill to perfection and use it to make their livelihood, usually providing some form of entertainment.

Whatever the means, chrysopsaros are all about money. They have little time for romance, find entertainment to be more of a commodity than a pleasure, and generally shun any emotional endeavors that will not give them some sort of gain. Still, they know the intricacies of charm, the flair of personality, and the power of good humor—as all are needed to be successful in the world of commerce. Cold- hearted as their true nature may be, a krysop’s demeanor is full of friendliness and flattery.

Unfortunately, loyalty, honor, and amity may easily go to the highest bidder.

**RELATIONS TO OTHER RACES:** Chrysopsaro study the art of negotiation from birth and know how to work well with most races without conflict. When conflict arises, usually out of greed, they do not hesitate to defend their belongings. While it is well-known that a chrysopsaro seems to exist solely to collect treasure, nearly all aquatic races still deal with them, especially when a deal needs to be made, or a particularly rare item might need to be procured.

Only one aquatic race is known to avoid the chrysopsaros at all costs, and that is the crystolix of Isinblare. Perhaps the parsimonious nature of these two races precludes their cooperation with one another. Some speculate, however, that the feud goes back further and that the icy crystolix may have special ties to the Sea of Debts or the Demiplane of Commerce.

**ALIGNMENT & RELIGION:** Due to the pervasive influence of the Demiplane of Commerce, the overwhelming majority of chrysopsaros are lawful, though those of evil and neutral alignments are mixed evenly, with a smattering of good aligned individuals making up the minority. A chaotically aligned coinfish is typically a ruthless pirate that even his fellow kinsmen would scarcely deal with.

Though most chrysopsaros are non- religious, this will not stop some particularly charlatanical individuals from taking up the mantle of evangelist. To these sometimes nefarious preachers, the religion itself matters less than the money it can raise.

**ADVENTURERS:** Despite being a rather clumsy and lawful race, krysops seem to prefer the lot of the rogue. What they lack in dexterity, they make up for in cleverness and charm.

While not the traditionally nimble thief, they are quite successful scoundrels and swindlers. Their lawfulness is mitigated with the many loopholes one can find in complex regulations, and the fact that law may not exist in certain realms. A coinfish always knows how to bend a rule without breaking it.

Of course, brute force does appeal to some krysops. Fighters often take up the role of goon, using intimidation or force to collect debts. Still other coinfish turn to the arcane arts, searching for a “get rich quick” spell, either directly, or by putting on a spectacular show. Clerics and paladins are rare, usually the result of an evangelist that eventually started believing in his cause, rather than just the money it raises.

**MALE NAMES:** Auran, Argent, Cash, Cupro, Curren, Darragh, Deynar, Golden, Merko, Odwulf, Orro, Otho, Prospero, Quarto, Rich, Theomund, Udolf, Wellington, Welth, Yen

**FEMALE NAMES:** Ada, Aurana, Argenta, Casha, Dolla, Darlelle, Edris, Goldie, Merka, Neda, Odella, Pay, Penny, Prospera, Salla, Silves, Tresha, Thriva, Udela, Victa

## Chrysopsaro Racial Traits

* **+2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity:** While both clever and charming, the chrysopsaro also lacks dexterity due to its unusual bulky shape.
* **Racial Buoyancy:** -25B, **Depth Tolerance:** 5,000 ft.
* **Medium:** Chrysopsaros are Medium-sized creatures with no bonuses or penalties due to size.
* **Slow Swim Speed:** Chrysopsaros have a base swim speed of 30 feet.
* **Low-Light Vision:** Chrysopsaros can see twice as far as seafolk in conditions of dim light.
* **Gills:** Chrysopsaros can breathe underwater indefinitely through gills in their neck.
* **Seawalker:** Chrysopsaros were never meant to move on land. They do so at a movement rate of 5 ft.
* **Coin Scales:** Chrysopsaros have a +4 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.
* **Detect Coins:** Metallic money shines like a candle to a chrysopsaro’s eyesight. They gain a +4 racial bonus to Perception skill checks to notice coins. In addition, chrysopsaros can see coins in darkness and through any material that is less than one inch thick.
* **Money is Life:** As a standard action, a chrysopsaro may consume up to 200 gold pieces (or equivalently priced chunks of gold) to cure 1d8+ the chrysopsaro’s Wisdom modifier in hit points per 50 gp consumed. Gold pieces must be consumed in 50 gp increments, as lesser amounts are consumed with no effect. Alternatively, the chrysopsaro may consume up to 100 pearl pieces (or equivalently priced gems) in the same way, curing 10 hit points per character level of the chrysopsaro for every 25 pp consumed. Pearl pieces must be ingested in 25 pp increments. Excess coins or gems are digested normally.
* **Greed:** Chrysopsaros gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
* **Poison Resistance:** Chrysopsaros gain a racial bonus on saving throws against poison effects equal to their Hit Dice.
* **Languages:** Chrysopsaros begin play speaking Common. Chrysopsaros with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the languages normally available to seafolk.

## *Chrysopsaro Scales*

***While the scales of a chrysopsaro are normally a porous bronze metal that is merely gold-plated, this does not mean that they do not have value or use. For one, they can easily pass as a real gold coin if not too closely examined (DC 12 Perception skill check). Many chrysopsaros have swindled unwary merchants from distant realms with the coins off their backs.***

***Second, the scale-coins generate resembling coins of the realm that they grew in. In addition, chrysopsaro scales can last up to 25 years before they are shed and replaced. Since this process is greatly staggered and affected by both combat and health, someone can closely examine the chrysopsaro’s scales and tell where the subject has been, likely where he suffered the most hardship, and even when he visited certain areas (as many coins are also minted with dates or other date-specific data). Chrysopsaros will often stare at each other for long periods when they meet, doing this very thing. Some chrysopsaros will even un-scale themselves to hide their history. In such cases, the chysopsaro loses his natural AC, and it can take 4-6 months for them to grow it back.***

## Chrysopsaros in Your Game

Chrysopsaros, despite their alien heritage, have the distinct advantage of appearing somewhat familiar to most other aquatic races. While their appearance is somewhat unique, they look much like talking fishes, and share much in common with merfolk. While distrust will be apparent when dealing with any new race, the chrysopsaro should find miniscule prejudice among merfolk, sea elves, pisceans and other races with similar features.

Chrysopsaros also adopt the style of the area that they do business in. Their traditional herkins are easily modified to suit the style of the realm by adding sleeves, ruffles, and other clothing accoutrements. This alone will help them fit in well with the majority, as they are not fixated on racial traditions or cultural preferences prevalent in most other races.

In underwater campaigns with different money systems, the chrysopsaro should be slightly adjusted to reflect the type of currency available. Simply convert the coin values presented in this text to whatever common currency that your campaign uses.

Chrysopsaros in this text are presented as a fairly fresh race to the Cerulean Seas. The relative anonymity of their home world rendered it nearly nonexistent to the realm of the adventurers. The Gamemaster can introduce this new astral realm and its inhabitants as he sees fit. Chrysopsaros do not need to be intertwined with your existing campaign history. This allows them to be placed in virtually any campaign setting with little work. As is, they require almost no adjustment to your world to begin play immediately.

However, if the back story will not work with your campaign, there are alternatives. In games with a different cosmology, the chrysopsaro can come from an alternate dimension, or even a free-floating demiplane. If other planes of existence are absent entirely, the chrysopsaro could be a natural creature, descended from a fanatic race of merfolk or piscean merchants. They could also be the living representatives of a money god; a sacred race of financiers and money tenders.

Whatever the case, the chrysopsaro will make a welcome addition to any aquatic game as bookkeeper of the group, an unusual option for a player seeking to play a greedy character, a challenge for the player who wants their character to be rich, or even a fun alternative for those who want to be well-equipped with an eye for the finer things in life.