Merfolk

Merfolk are a diverse and influential race that make up the most powerful subset of Oceanic Races, accounting for more than half of the population of oceanic races. Of this subset, the Piscimar are themselves dominant, making up the majority of Merfolk. However, this does not mean that the other Merfolk subraces (Kmolia, Karpori, Meduzoans, and Ceanu) are insignificant, as all of them play major roles in regional politics. None can match the global spread and population of the Piscimar.

Merfolk are generally known to be quite isolationist and egotistic, as opposed to the more open, but militaristic, Tritons. They prefer to keep to their own communties, often view outsiders as threats, and are known to subscribe to the idea that oceanic races are simply superior to land races. Many merfolk have posed the idea that because the majority of the planet is water, some god must have given the oceanic races his favoritism. Still, there are many exceptions to this rule, and Merfolk are known to be staunch allies and friends when they overcome their habitual dismissal of outsiders. Generally, this attitude is more about isolation than temprament, those merfolk communities who become more open often drop such racist rhetoric rather quickly, especially if profit is to be had in trade.

All Merfolk share basic antomical features, though the expression of these varies wildly. From waist up, Merfolk very closely resemble elves, though they may have certain features which differ. Most notable of these are their eyes, which more closely resemble those of sea creatures than any other land race. All subspecies display significant differences in eye type, with Piscimar and Ceanu having mammalian structures and being able to see above water, at the cost of vision in the depths. In contrast, the Karpori possess shark-like eyes which allow for them to live in their isolated communities near the Rift of Atrocity but are functionally blind above water. Meanwhile, the Kmolian eyes most closely resemble those of an octopus, which allows them to live in the vast undersea plains near the Atlan Islands of Namarin, with excellent color and contrast detection, but do not function above water or as well as Karpori eyes in the depths. The most unique are the eyes of the Meduzoans, which are heated through an orbital heater, giving them advantages in cold waters and the depths but making them perform poorly above water, like the previous two races. It is currently unknown whether the five Merfolk subspecies were created as they are with the eye distinctions, or if these developed separately as a result of divergent evolution.

Though differing in eye type, merfolk all share gills on their necks, which allow them to breathe. Unlike some oceanic races, like Tritons, Merfolk are unable to breathe above water for very long, and require specialized breathing apparati to survive above the surface. However, they can usually survive anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours above the surface without death, depending on the local conditions. This is plenty of time for trade and interactions with the surface world in most cases, so Merfolk rarely invest in sophisticated technology. Besides, when traveling overland, they usually keep themselves in tanks of water which they can just duck their heads into to replenish themselves, anyways.

From the waist down, Merfolk are all distinct. In summary, the piscimar have scaly, fish-like lower bodies, the ceanu dolphin-like, meduzoans jellyfish-like, karpori shark-like, and kmolia have eight tentacles like an octopus. Despite this unique anatomy, all merfolk are able to reproduce with one another, and because these body parts are not actually composed of what their corresponding natural lookalike is, can produce these children. However, due to the isolation of the various merfolk races- even from other merfolk, it is unknown the full range of outcomes for these children. This is because merfolk children appear to mostly follow one parent or the other, but can have some unqiueness. For example, the most common combination (piscimar-meduzoan has been known to result in stunted versions of both subspecies anatomy). Luckily, their eyes appear to fully follow one parent or the other, so none are born with strange hybrid eyes which don't function.

Merfolk are most at home in tropical regions, where the waters are warmer and opportunities for settling are more advantageous, but scattered settlements can be found across the globe. They typically prefer a diet with significant amounts of meat, and tend to neglect cultivating the plant resources of the ocean. It's thought that this is due to the lack of large, oceanic staple crops like kelp within tropical waters, creating a cultural disdain for farming before the Merfolk could properly develop it. However, Merfolk do have noticably sharper teeth than elves, so there appears to be some natural backing for this culture- despite the fact they can digest plant matter.

Merfolk are known to be very protective of the oceans, and vehemently oppose exploitation of its resources. Although they often destroy regions during warfare, they're careful to rebuild and repair these ecosystems, whether through magic or natural processes. Merfolk have a first hand view at devastation land races wreack on the ocean during fishing or whaling, and often intervene to prevent such acts. This can and has resulted in warfare between the merfolk and the surface, especially when fishermen start getting sunk by angry merfolk. Merfolk take great care to sheparding the animals they rely on, and this can also be a flashpoint if fishermen unknowingly begin poaching a herd of fish owned by merfolk. Most realms with sugnificant merfolk populations off their coast must be wary of this, and are often forced to either drive off the merfolk or ensure constant diplomacy and strong fishing regulations.