Overview

Name of Heritage Group:

Prismeer

The Prismeer are semi-elemental merfolk infused with water-light resonance. Their skin and scales refract ambient light into shimmering fractal patterns. They exist in a state of temporal shimmer—they do not see the future, but perceive overlapping slices of the present, each refracted along probable micro-paths.

This gives them:

• unnerving calm
• difficulty understanding linear cause/effect
• "multiple opinions at once" during dialogue
• an innate +1 Initiative

Their bodies are partly fluid, allowing them to ripple, elongate, and slip through water with effortless grace. On land they are slower, stiff, and uncomfortable.

Species:

Prismeer

Race:

Culture:

Indigenous Regions:

Coasts, cold seas, deep continental shelves around Miralune

Attribute Shifts:

Agility +2, Quickness +2, Perception + 1, Intuition +1, Hardiness -1, Strength -1, Endurance -2

Suggested NPC Attribute Set:

AGI 6, QUI 6, PER 5, INTU 5, STR 3, HAR 3, END 2

Total IP Cost:

(Playable with GM approval)

Physical Traits

Frame

Average Frame Value (Male):

5 (Light-Medium)

Frame Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Frame Value (Female):

Frame Min./Max. Values (Female):

Frame Variation (both sexes):

Height

Average Height Value (Male):

7-9 (5'7" -6'8")

Height Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Height Value (Female):

Height Min./Max. Values (Female):

Height Variation (both sexes):

Physique

Average Physique Value (Male):

3 (Thin) or Frail (2)

Physique Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Physique Value (Female):

Physique Min./Max. Values (Female):

Physique Variation (both sexes):

Resilience

Resilience:

Age

Average Lifespan:

Age Breakdown Table:

adjust table based on average lifespan

Interactive Points

IP Gained per interval:

(Avg. Lifespan/70 = Interval in yrs.):

Gender Ratio

% Male:

% Female:

Appearance

Appearance:

• Glass-blue or teal skin with pearl-like lenses
• Fin-crests along arms, spine, and scalp
• Black, pupil-less eyes glowing faintly when multi-present perception engages
• Long webbed hands with delicate skeletal articulation
• Bioluminescent freckles that pulse with emotion

Inherent Physical Aspects

Inherent Physical Aspects:

Refracted Present Rank 4

Perceives micro-branched present moments; grants +1 Initiative in all scenes involving timing, combat, or reaction.

Aquatic Physiology Rank 3

Can breathe underwater; suffers dehydration on land

Hydrostatic Body Rank 2

Body partially fluid; resistant to blunt damage in water.

Miralune Resonance Rank 1-3

Light-frequency sensitivity tied to their capital's crystalline reefs.

Inherent Weaknesses:

Landbound Fragility Rank 2

Loses 1 Rank from Agility & Quickness every 6 hours without immersion in water.

Heat Susceptibility Rank 2

High temperatures rapidly desiccate them.

Linearity Blind Spot Rank 2

Difficulty predicting sequential cause-effect steps (penalty to some Logic-based trials).

Psychological Traits

Inherent Aspects:

Mental & Spiritual Traits

Inherent MS Aspects:

Recommended MS Aspects:

• Calm, drifting affect
• Multiple overlapping opinions
• Deep empathy without urgency
• Difficulty with rigid schedules

Inherent Motivations:

Seek Harmony Across Presents Rank 6

They aim to stabilize uncertain or chaotic flows.

Curiosity of Divergent Paths Rank 6

Drawn toward crossroads, indecision, or "unstable fates."

Suppressions:

Aggression is difficult; they must be provoked or threatened severely.

Development Considerations

Inherent Expertises:

Recommended Expertises:

Swimming Rank 6-7

Awareness Rank 5

Dodge Rank 4

In water only

Observation Rank 4

Lore (Currents/Tides) Rank 3

Performance: Resonance Chant Rank 2

Language: Prismeer Signalclick Rank 5

Special Abilities:

Refracted Present

Grants:

• +1 Initiative in all combat
• Advantage in detecting ambushes, illusions, or temporal anomalies
• Ability to anticipate multi-direction threats (e.g., flanking)

Mechanically, treat this as:

• Initiative = Option Points + (normal) + 1 bonus

Hydrostatic Shift

Underwater, Prismeer:

• Gain +1 Strike Defense
• Ignore 1 Rank of blunt damage
• Move at full Agility rather than encumbered Agility

Miralune Frequency

Prismeer living near Miralune resonate with:

• Crystal reefs
• Light wells
• Subsurface pressure fields

They gain +2 to Trials involving:

• Navigation by sound
• Detecting disturbances in water
• Identifying illusions or false-present echoes

Cultural Features

Environmental Adaptation

Principle Environment:

Adaptability:

Heritage Orientation

Orientation:

Balance (Passive)

Orientation Description:

Prismeer view all timelines as shimmering possibilities that must remain in fluid harmony.

Orientation Aspects:

Cycle and Flow

Everything changes state; nothing is fixed.

Truth in Refraction

No single perspective is "correct."

Emotional Stillness

Emotions appear slow-blooming but deep.

Customs & Lifestyle

Status & Family

Prismeer do not use bloodline kinship. Instead, they bond into Schools:

• School-Clusters (20-60 individuals) share refracted emotional states.
• Castes defined by resonance frequency, not birth.
• Lineage Memory passed through water-echo rituals, not genetics.

Young Prismeer are "taught" by immersion in the shared resonance of their school.

Symbols & Art

Clothing & Decoration

Coral-carved ritual blades

Shell-harmonics tools

Luminous ink (for underwater scribing)

Most Prismeer do not wear armor.

Religion & Magic

Language

Language Family:

Prismeer Signalclick

Dialect:

Historical Notes