Aquatic Races
Naga
The nagas are a crepuscular species. They are reptilian, with human-esque upper halves, and the lower half of their bodies are giant snakes. They come in normal snake-skin shades and eye colors. The average naga male and female standing height are about 6'0'' and 5'8'' (1.83/1.73 m) respectively, and the entire body length is 20' and 18' respectively. Nagas are covered in scales, have earholes without an ear, and usually have a hood or ridges on their heads to give a 'hair-like' appearance. Nagas have a lifespan of 60-70 years. Nagas reach maturation typically around 13 and are considered adults around 15. Females only ovulate twice a year and can produce 1 to 3 children per litter every three to four years. They give live births and do not lay eggs. Their pregnancies last about six and a half months. Males sometimes stay with females to help rear children and occasionally enter into lifelong relationships.
Nagas originate from the islands south of Alhamra and Serracole. However, colonies of nagas can be found along the southern coastlines of the various countries. Nagas are carnivorous. Their diet mostly relies on insects, amphibians, and fish. Typically naga do not eat the flesh of sentient races, considering it vulgar and uncouth, but there are some tribes that do not share these sentiments.
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Nagas are not a naturally magic species, but do have a maternal heritage trait of a poisonous bite. Nagas are better at catching movements with their vision, but typically have some form of color-blindness. They usually travel on land at about 2-3 mph (humans walk at 3-4 mph). However, they can travel twice as fast as a human for short distances. They can swim about 7-8 mph with speeds topping at 10-12 mph, but cannot live entirely in the water as they can only hold their breath for 15 minutes (with training some can hold their breath for half an hour). Nagas are also cold-blooded and will hybernate or die if left in too cold of an environment. Some nagas will where flammesten embedded charms or clothes to magically warm up their bodies so they can live or travel in colder regions. Nagas arm-strength is about 10 percent less than humans, but their push and torso strength is about 15 percent greater than humans of their same standing size, fitness, and sex.
Nagas are usually an insular species. They prefer to live in naga communities, and do not like to eat in front of other races, as their diet is different. They are a semi-aquatic race. While they can live entirely on land, they usually prefer to live near the ocean, lakes, or rivers, since it is far less physically taxing to move through water. While nagas do not typically form life-long relationships, they are often very territorial of their current mate.
Naga can only produce viable offspring with other nagas.
The naga language is based on the language of Armenian.
The merfolk are a crepuscular race. Merfolk have the upper body of a human, from head to hips, and the lower body of a dolphin, from loins and buttox to tail. Most merfolk do not have the back dorsal fin of a dolphin, but some do, enabling them to be better swimmers. Merfolk have upper-body skin tones similar to humans, as well as similar eye and hair colors. Their lower body has the same coloring as the various species of dolphins and whales. The average merman and mermaid lengths are 6'6'' and 6' (1.99/1.83 m) respectively. They have a lifespan of 65-75 years. Merfolk usually reach maturation by 14 and are considered adults at 16. Merwomen only ovulate four times a year. Their pregnancies are a year long. They have 1 child per birth and can give birth every two to three years. Males typically stay to help raise children, and they sometimes enter into life-long relationships.
Merfolk are almost entirely aquatic. They can travel on land, but are extremely slow, and do so at a crawling speed. If a merfolk individual is on land more, they might purchase a cart to sit in, which they can propel forwards by spinning the wheels with their hands. Some will also purchase a manesten leg transformation spell, that will transform the dolphin half of their body into a pair of legs (though they can only walk slowly, not run with these legs).
Merfolk are omnivorous and can eat normal human food. Their diets are almost entirely seafood. They keep underwater gardens in which they cultivate various underwater vegetation. A large portion of their diet is various sea creatures, which they almost always eat raw (though they usually season or prepare them in other ways). There are many types of fish and other sea creatures that they are capable of eating which would be unsafe for normal humans to eat. They often will keep herds of fish that are more popular to eat, and they will cultivate them the same way humans cultivate livestock.
Merfolk can only hold their breath for thirty minutes (with training some can hold their breath for an hour). While some surface water villages of merfolk exist, merfolk generally prefer to live underwater entirely. In these underwater villages, they use an ancient system of glyphs and vandsten on their homes, buildings, and thorough ways to enable them to breathe underwater. However, when individuals venture from the main merfolk villages, they either must have a water-breathing charm, or visit the surface to take a breath as needed. Because of the breathing glyphs, even surface dwellers can visit merfolk lands. However, generally, only nagas, sirens, and undine will actually live in merfolk villages. Merfolks also cultivate fysalides, which are a type of finger-like multi-colored algae that creates tiny air bubbles. Merfolk can breathe near fysalides without the aid of magic. However, surface-dwelling races do not receive enough air from the fysalides to breathe underwater. Merfolk will grow fysalides all around where they live and at certain points in long journeys to remove the need to go to the surface for air.
The human portion of merfolk are not as strong as humans, with about 10 percent less strength than humans. However, their lower body strength is 15 percent greater than humans, of their same fitness, size, and sex. Merfolk swim at a normal speed of 4-6 mph but can swim speeds up to 20 mph. Merfolk with back dorsal fins can swim up to 28 mph.
Merfolk are an insular species. They do freely interact with undine/nix and aquatic races but are generally apprehensive about interacting with surface races. Oceanic villages are generally nowhere near as advanced as surface or cave villages, as they lack the ability to produce fire or formulate metal tools. While they do trade with coastal regions for metal tools and weapons, they still often use stone tools and ropes to build and cultivate their lands.
Merfolk can only reproduce viable offspring with humans and undine/nix. When reproducing with humans, they will produce a merchild as long as the child is 25 percent merfolk. When reproducing with undine/nix, they will reproduce undine/nix, as long as the child is at least 25% undine/nix.
When merfolk breed with undine/nix (water fae), they retain the water fae's natural water magic abilities and ability to breathe underwater as long as they are at least 1/16th water fae. After that, the water magic and ability to breathe underwater becomes a maternal heritage trait.
The merfolk speak the Oceanic language. The Oceanic language is based on Greek.
Sirens
The sirens are a crepuscular race. Sirens have a human-esque upper body from head to hips, and the lower body of a fish, from loins and buttox to tail. Most sireans have the back fins of a fish, but some do not. Sirens' skin tones are similar to fish and have fish eyes that are front-facing. While they do not have hair, they usually will have head fins that are hair-esque. The average siren man and woman lengths are 6'' and 5'6'' (1.83/1.68 m) respectively. They have a lifespan of 60-70 years. Sirens usually reach maturation by 13 and are considered adults at 15. Siren women only ovulate once a year, and will produce eggs whether or not the eggs are fertilized. They will produce one to two eggs at a time. If the eggs are fertilized, they will stay in the mother until they are ready to hatch. Eggs usually take about a year to hatch. Siren women can only produce 1 to 2 children every 2-3 years. Males sometimes stay to help raise children, and they occassionally enter into life-long relationships.
Sirens are entirely aquatic. If they are above the water they can only remain for an hour before they suffocate. However, if trained, sirens can stay above water for two hours. Sirens are omnivorous, and can eat normal human food. Their diets are almost entirely seafood. Like merfolk, they keep underwater gardens. However, most of their diet is various sea creatures, which they almost always eat raw (though they usually season or prepare them in other ways). There are many types of fishes and other sea-creatures that they are capable of eating which would be unsafe for normal humans to eat. They often will keep herds of fish that are more popular to eat, and they will cultivate them the same way humans cultivate livestock.
Sirens can live in underwater merfolk villages, even when water-breathing glyphs are present. They can also breathe normally in the presence of fysalides. They often coexist side-by-side with merfolk and undine in these villages, but there are some deeper underwater siren villages without glyphs. Merfolk cannot travel to these villages without some breathing charms or underwater breathing trait inherited from undine.
The human portion of sirens are not as strong as humans, with about 10 percent less strength than humans. However, their lower body strength is 15 percent greater than humans, of their same fitness, size, and sex. Sirens swim at a normal speed of 7-8 mph, but can swim speeds up to 30 mph.
Sirens are an insular species. They do freely interact with undine/nix and other aquatic races, but are generally apprehensive about interacting with surface races. Oceanic villages are generally no where near as advanced as surface or cave villages, as they lack the ability to produce fire or formulate metal tools. While they do trade with coastal regions for metal tools and weapons, they still often use stone tools and ropes to build and cultivate their lands.
Sirens can only reproduce viable offspring with other Sirens.
The sirens speak the Oceanic language. The Oceanic language is based on Greek.
