Merfolk

 

Physiology

Merfolk are amphibious humanoids who breathe equally well in or out of water. They have webbed fingers and toes, and endomorphic bodies and pale, porcelain skin has bluish undertones and a rubbery texture due to a layer of blubber they keep for warmth. They have thin, wispy hair, only noticable on their heads, ranging from platinum blonde or ash blonde, to a translucent green or blue. They stand 170 cm and weigh 75 kg on average. Males and female are hard to distinguish for non-merfolk. While merfolk can survive for many days or weeks without returning to the water, their body chemsitry begins to fail rapidly if they become dehydrated

Life Cycle

The vast majority of merfolk live their entire lives at sea, migrating seasonally in nomadic groups, normally only a few dozen in size. These groups tend to congregate periodically, with breeding pairs forming before the groups disperse again. Merfolk have a six year life cycle, and their children are born one at a time. Young merfolk are raised exclusively by the mother who almost always leads them away from the group to raise them on her own for several years, only returning to rejoin their nomadic groups when the children reach the age of ten to twelve years. Mer children use the family name of their mother.

Culture

Leaving aside the incomparable difference of environment, merfolk nomadic tribes otherwise seem to be quiet similar to nomadic tribes who live on the surface, with the exception, of course, that they are exclusively comprised of merfolk. These tribes are often in conflict with one another, and sometimes come into conflict with organized societies on the surface. As with surface nomads, they have an important impact on trade; merfolk are intelligent tool users, interested in clothes, weapons, jewelry, various containers, vessels and processed foods, as well as money, which they use to facilitate trade just as any other nomadic tribes bordering with an economically organized society would.

Merfolk and small merfolk tribes will also take jobs from time to time, sometimes working as sailors, or swimming in support of ships and sea; facilitating the harvesting of food, scouting for threats, carrying messages, performing hull repairs or maintenance, or a wide range of other tasks to which they are uniquely suited. They have also been known to become pirates - with or without ships - as a couple of dozen merfolk can trivially ambush and overtake a ship at sea if they choose. This tends to happen either when tribes begin to grow very large and powerful, or when groups of them beleive themselves to have been wronged by surface dwellers.

While it is extraordinarily rare for merfolk to leave their tribes to integrate with land-based society and become land-dwellers, it does happen. These merfolk exclusively live in port cities, and almost always work on the docks or ships.

Adjustments

Merfolk gain a bonus to their Stamina, as well as to Strength and Confidence, but have reduced Agility. They start with Apprentice level of mastery and a free initial roll in the Transport - Sea skill field. Merfolk have the Amphibious perk and the Echolocation perk, and automatically have the Swimming skill at a level equal to their highest Physical Stat, and can move at their base move while swimming for no Stamina cost. They can also move at sprint move while swimming by expending Stamina, just as others can sprint on land.