Piscine

Piscine are humanoids with the characteristics of various aquatic creatures.

The races of piscine are:

• Cecaelias

• Merfolk

• Sirens

• Kulus

Cecaelias

Cecaelias are humanoid octopuses, averaging 1.7 to 2.4 meters (5’7” to 7’10”) in height and weighing 50 to 110 kg (110 to 242 lbs). They can live up to 70 years. Their upper bodies resemble lean, aquatic humanoids, while their lower halves consist of multiple flexible tentacles, providing exceptional agility and precise movement in water. Their smooth, color-shifting skin varies in blue, purple, and green, often mottled or patterned for camouflage.

Cecaelias primarily inhabit the coastal shallows of Praetoria, residing in submerged caves, shipwrecks, and coral reefs. They live in loosely structured, nomadic pods rather than permanent settlements. Highly elusive, they avoid outsiders and use chromatophores to blend into their surroundings for concealment and ambush hunting.

Merfolk

Merfolk are an aquatic race native to the seas surrounding Praetoria, with the largest population in the Kingdom of Mar Toren. They measure between 2.4 and 3.5 meters (8' to 11'6") from head to tail and weigh 50 to 120 kg (110 to 265 lbs). Their upper bodies resemble humanoids, while their lower halves transition into finned, fish-like tails, allowing for swift, precise movement underwater. Their skin varies in shades of blue, green, and teal, and gills along their necks enable them to extract oxygen from water. Some possess limited lung capacity, allowing them to survive above the surface for short periods. They typically live up to 150 years.

Merfolk society is structured yet adaptable, valuing diplomacy, craftsmanship, and martial skill in equal measure. Their settlements blend seamlessly with the ocean floor, featuring coral-carved structures ranging from modest dwellings to towering castles designed to withstand everything from shifting currents to violent tempests. Their jewelry, tools, and weapons—crafted from pearls, shells, and deep-sea minerals—are highly prized in maritime and terrestrial trade.

While known for their grace and eloquence, many merfolk are also formidable warriors and magic users. They hold a deep reverence for the sea, seeing the tides as a guiding force in both personal and communal life. Their traditions center around the ocean’s rhythms, with festivals, competitions, and performances that showcase agility, strategy, and endurance.

Cautious yet curious, merfolk engage with land-dwellers primarily through trade and the Arena Games but remain wary of those who would exploit the sea’s resources. They fiercely defend their territories, ensuring their waters remain untamed and sovereign.

Sirens

Sirens are an aquatic race found throughout the seas surrounding Praetoria, known for their haunting beauty, hypnotic voices, and mastery of magic. They range from 2.5 to 3.7 meters (8’2” to 12’2”) in length and weigh 70 to 160 kg (154 to 353 lbs), with lifespans reaching up to 170 years. Their upper bodies resemble elegant humanoids, while their lower halves transition into sleek, scaled tails built for speed and agility. Their skin and scales range in shades of deep blue, violet, and teal.

Sirens possess large, membranous wings resembling elongated fins, with webbing stretched between long, spiny supports. Though incapable of flight, they use their wings for underwater propulsion, creating powerful currents to disorient foes, and briefly gliding above the water before plunging back beneath the surface.

Reclusive by nature, sirens prefer the solitude of deep trenches, sunken ruins, and coral labyrinths. Their splinters are typically a matriarchal, with the most powerful spellcasters and warriors rising to leadership. Their voices are potent magical instruments, capable of weaving illusions, luring prey, or inspiring allies. Many are skilled sorcerers, seamlessly blending magic and combat.

Sirens will defend their waters with a mix of cunning, magic, and force. Some rely on stealth and ambush tactics, while others favor direct confrontation, using their aquatic speed and sorcery to overwhelm intruders. Though they rarely interact with land-dwellers, they may forge alliances with those who respect the sea.

Kulus

Kulu are humanoid squids, averaging 2.1 to 3.2 meters (7’ to 10’6”) in length and weighing 90 to 200 kg (198 to 441 lbs). They can live up to 160 years. Their skin is smooth, rubbery, and scaleless, varying in color from dark green to shades of blue or purple, often marbled or speckled with lighter hues for camouflage. In addition to humanoid limbs, they have prehensile tentacles that extend from their torsos, which they use as additional appendages. Their elongated, tapering heads feature large, forward-facing eyes adapted for low-light vision and facial tendrils that enhance sensory perception.

Kulu are apex predators and highly adaptable hunters, traversing oceans, lakes, and rivers in pursuit of prey. While many hunt for sustenance, others kill for sport, leaving devastation in their wake. They can wield an array of weapons using their limbs and tentacles, although they are just as lethal unarmed.

Kulu society is built around consortiums—fluid alliances where leadership is earned through cunning and strength rather than lineage. They frequently raid merchant vessels and coastal settlements or serve as mercenaries, offering their lethal services to the highest bidder.

They are found throughout the seas of Praetoria, with consortiums like the Anasth dominating key maritime routes. Ruthless and pragmatic, kulu are both feared and respected throughout Praetoria.