Aquean

Brief Overview

The Aqueans are a humanoid elemental species which are capable of using Hydomancy, the ability to bend water to their will. Their species stems from the Elematiis race, and are well known as the most adaptive of the Elematiis due to the fact that they adapt physically based on the lifestyle, and ecosystem of the Aquean in question. They are able to adapt and develop the genes of marine beasts, gaining the survival abilities and physical features of the beast whos genes they share.

General Overview

The Aqueans, like most of the Elematiis, originated as humans that evolved over time through the exposure of the Tari in the atmosphere. A "god particle" left behind by a massive explosion created by the power of two different deities colliding in combat during the war of gods.
The Aqueans inhabit the kingdom of Aque, a mostly submerged civilization which uses its unique location to lure in tourists. The Deeps charge per hour of oxygen provided, which makes the underwater portion of their kingdom a killing because most Aqueans native to Aque can breathe underwater, allowing foreign kye, gold, and silver to continually circulate into Aques economy.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Aqueans physique varies on the dominance of their possible marine beast genes, and their exposure to water. Aqueans are typically slender, but they can also be wide, flat, or rounded. Their look and number of limbs and appendages are mostly attributed to their lifestyle needs and their ecosystem. An Aquean will actually adapt physically to what is needed in order to survive its surroundings. This means they can develop claws, tentacles, fins, tails, and the like, however, these marine-like features will always resemble an actual marine beast. This is assumed to be because of the tari remaining in the ocean after the Tari nova explosion, and the fact that the beasts and Aqueans live and die in the same ecosystems, allowing their genes to somehow blend.
Common features displayed in all Aqueans include a secondary set of transparent eyelids called an enhanced nictitating membrane, a two-toed foot that has a large web-like fin in the center that can allow their entire foot to extend and close together to protect the webbed fin, gills that may or may not be fully developed yet, small fins which trail off of where their ears would be, and fins trailing the back of their arms and legs.

Genetics and Reproduction

Almost all Aqueans procreate by sexually reproducing. They use the mixture of sperm from the male, and eggs the females produce. Additionally, there are also several variants of Aquean adapted to their marine beast genes that are hermaphrodites. This means that the Aquean in question could have both ovaries, and testes, but can only produce either sperm or eggs at one time, so they must still be cross-fertilized by another Aquean in order to reproduce.
The difference in Aquean procreation, however, is when the Aquean has dominant marine beast genes in which the beast whos genes they've adapted reproduce using their own specialized methods. Some of these methods include parthenogenesis, which is when the females egg develops into a new Aquean without exposure to a sperm cell. They are born as almost identical copies of the mother, and the cause for this is undetermined.
The other method of reproduction used by unique Aqueans is called fertilization. In most cases this method involves the external release of eggs and sperm into water, a spawning phase. These unique types of Aqueans will actually form large groups and release their eggs and sperm all at the same time in order to ensure the feralization is effective. The parents of fertilized eggs will instinctively know which eggs after two days time and they with return to their hatchery in order to claim these eggs. Most parents of this method will only successfully fertilize one or two eggs, so in many cases they will move in together in order to raise their offspring.

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Growth Rate & Stages

Each individual ethnicity of Aquean functions a little differently in their physical growth due to their adaptive physiology, however, their lifespan is the same on average. Both the lifespan and age cycles of the Aquean species are as defined in the table below.

Infa	Tooda	Chiida	Taana	Uuth Aada	Aada	Miidul Aada	Eelaada
0 - 2 yrs	2 - 16 yrs	16 - 35 yrs	35 - 70 yrs	70 - 120 yrs	120 - 180 yrs	180 - 230 yrs	230 - 280 yrs

Aquekiin

The Aquekiin are by far the most common type of Aquean, those who have developed more like marine based beasts genetically. The prominence of these feature is typically based on their exposure to water during their lives, however, some can be born with extreme genetical abnormalities, making them look more like a marine beast than an Elematiis.

1. Infa: During their infa phase is when an Aquekiin appears the most human, depending on its parentage. Some Aquean infas are born looking more like whichever marine based beast that its parents had dominant in their genes without having to achieve an elemental mastery, making it difficult for other races to differentiate a sea adapted Aquean from a true master of their element who accepted their spirit guide to gain its traits and features. This abnormal physical development and any gained after their infa phase is attributed to their adaptive genetics.
2. Tooda: An Aquekiin Aada physique is mainly attributed to what activities, habits, and environments that they are introduced to as a tooda. For example, an Aquekiin tooda born in Landis and exposed mainly to land would still grow webbing from its appendages and develop their second set of eyelids used for underwater exploration, however, an Aquekiin tooda born and raised in the Deeps would also develop things like fins down their spine and on necessary limbs, gills, amphibious or scaled skin, marine based natural defenses and so on.
3. Chiida: By the chiida phase, a Deeps raised Aquekiin will begin to fully resemble whichever marine beast that its parents most encompassed, potentially even forming a mixed creation if the parents had adapted into differing marine-like forms. They will then begin to from a sensitivity to dryness and heat, their skin being too adapted to the sea waters. A land raised Aquekiin chiida will likely develop skin capable of enduring the dry seasons, and will have the ability to hold their breath for extended periods of time. The land raised chiida have access to water, the more they will begin to adapt marine-like features. Aquekiin chiida become able to reproduce around the ages of 22-35, but this is seriously frowned upon.
4. Taana: During their taana phase the marine features the Aquekiin display will begin to grow at an accelerated rate, hinting their final physical form well before adulthood. By the end of their taanas, most have already finished growing their general limbs and torso. This applies to both types of Aquekiin.
5. Uuth Aada: Aquekiin that have survived their entire lives in the Deeps will begin to find themselves short of breath while on land due to primary use of the windpipes attached to their gills, and underuse of their throat pipes. Their fin spines will have hardened in order to protect them from environmental dangers, and they are easily capable of surviving the water pressure of depths up to 3200-feet. The land raised Aquekiin would have taken advantage of any access to the ocean that they could get in order to adapt as much as possible to the waters. Their webbing is much harder and feels more like tendons due to their lack of elasticity provided by the seas.
   Each type of Aquekiin have an understanding of novice water bending, or higher by this phase. This is expected as a societal norm. If they live in the Deeps and do not know novice water bending by their uuth aada years they will be relocated to Landis.
6. Aada: By adulthood the marine features that the Deep raised Aquekiin display will finally slow their growth rate. In most cases by this age most Aquekiin raised in the Deeps will look more like a marine animal, or a master element bender, than an Elematiis due to their adaptive physiology. An aada Aquekiin raised in Landis, however, will finally have developed their gills as they reach aadahood, and begin to show small fins and marine based features. The Landis raised Aquekiin are much more adapted to the seasonal shifts of Eden, and as such are only affected by extreme weather conditions. These are typically the less colorful of the Aquekiin when it comes to their complexions.
7. Miidul Aada: By this age, the Deep raised Aquekiin are typically more susceptible to Aque rot. This is due to the fact that by middle age, the Aquekiin are usually introduced to an excess of stress, potential overcrowding and/or poor water conditions, which can all be causes of this disease. Due to this fact, most Deeps raise Aquekiin will do everything in their power to migrate towards the Noble wing of the Deeps districts, where the water is its cleanest. At this phase of both variants of Aquekiin, will begin to experience their marine-like features softening and becoming more fragile, and in most cases they will no longer be considered fertile. The few exceptions to this are Aquekiin that have either achieved their elemental mastery which nearly doubles their lifespan, or they adapted with the genes of marine based life that has an extended lifespan, such as, Glowjelly, Tortoikoi, Zaparak, and the like.
8. Eelaada: By the eelaada phase, neither type of Aquekiin are capable of bearing offspring. The marine features will appear aged and tattered, their skin will discolor slightly, lightening in tone, and their internal organs will be more susceptible to diseases and organ failure. The swim speed of the Aquekiin will slow and they will struggle to surface when at depths below 900-feet.

Cryokiin

The Cryokiin are much different than their fellow Aquekiin, with the exception of their infa stage. In most cases, the Cryokiin grow to resemble Landis Aqueans except their complexions are pale or frosted blue, and their marine features develop based on Tundarin marine animals. This allows the Cryokiin to adapt to extremely cold temperatures.

1. Infa: Depending on its parentage, some Cryokiin may also develop marine-like feature based on their genetics, however, the Cryokiin typically appear to look more Elematiis than "fish". This abnormal physical development and any gained after their infa phase is attributed to their adaptive genetics, aka, what they're most exposed to while growing.
2. Tooda: A Cryokiins aada physique is mainly attributed to what activities, habits, and environments that they are introduced to as a tooda. An Aquean can only begin to form into a Cryokiin if it it consistently introduced to low, winter-like temperatures. A tooda Cryokiin will begin to develop a pale complexion, sometimes with a "frosted" appearance. Continual exposure to water may still enhance their marine features, however, if they are more often exposed to the cold, the Aquean will develop into a Cryokiin and its marine features will grow at a reduced rate.
3. Chiida: During their chiidahood phase, the Cryokiin will begin to develop what they call Icespires. These are icicle-like formations of compacted ice they use in order to insulate themselves to keep their temperature low. Icespires will grow out of the top of their heads, like hair, but can also grow from anywhere on the body causing each individuals physique to follow the principle of the snowflake. No two Cryokiin will ever look the same.
4. Taana: A taana Cryokiin will experience compacting Icespires. This process makes the skin beneath the spires tender, but hardens their protective Icespires. Unfortunately, this also makes the Cryokiin abnormally moody with the included mix of hormones they were already releasing in this life phase.
5. Uuth Aada: Cryokiin in their Uuth Aada begin to feel an instinctive urge to mate, this is because this is considered to be their most fertile life phase. The Icespires will finish their development and the soreness will stop.
6. Aada: This is the life phase where the Cryokiin are considered to have matured physically. Their growth will stop and their physique will be in its prime
7. Miidul Aada: As a miidul aada Cryokiin, The marine features risk freezing off due to lack of blood flow and warmth able to circulate to those areas. Great care is taken to protect their marine features, but most often the cold breaks them off. The Icespires begin to melt quicker in warm temperature and the Cryokiin begins to overheat too easily without them, making them more susceptible to temperature shock.
8. Eelaada: By this age the Cryokiin has mostly frozen internally, causing them to slow their movement speed. They look incredibly pale and most of their Icespires will have melted off, causing them to isolate themselves to areas with cold climates. When an Eelaada Cryokiin bends ice, they often fear freezing themselves over and crumbling, as it is said to have happened before. At this phase, both variants are infertile, and Cryokiin born in Tundarus will no longer be able to chip at the ice shield legally.

Depekiin

Depekiin are extremely rare and as such, their full lifecycle is undocumented.

1. Aada: The aada Depekiin have red, or reddish-purple skin tones. The skin appears to be hard, however it is speculated that blood pushed to the skins surface and hardened is actually the cause for this effect. Every so often, an untrained Depekiin will bleed through an orifice, but this is attributed to an overproduction of blood which pooled until it could find an exit.
   

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Ecology and Habitats

The best environments for Aqueans of all kinds range between oceans, wetlands, or ice lands. Each type of Aquean reacts to their environment by adapting to it, so although dry land isn't an ideal location for an Aquean to be raised, they are capable of doing so if necessary and can do this in most places. Furtystrom being a serious exception.

Dietary Needs and Habits

An Aqueans dietary needs vary depending on the ethnicity. In the table below is a breakdown of the Aqueans primary dietary needs.

Aquekiin	Cryokiin	Depekiin
Mainly calcium and phosphorus, but they also need general vitamins, iron, magnesium, chloride, iodine, sodium, potassium, sulfur, zinc and copper	Cryokiin actually need similar nutrients as Aquekiin in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.	Depekiin need large amounts of vitamin B12, copper, and iron, and then trace amounts of magnesium, chloride, iodine, sodium, potassium, sulfur, and zinc.

Biological Cycle

There are four seasons of Eden, they are Sprig, Summra, Autum, and Wintur. The way each season affects an Aquean varies on their potentially adapted marine beast DNA/genes, and/or the ethnicity of the Aquean in question. The seasonal effects on different Aquean ethnicities is defined in more detail in the following descriptions.

• In sprig the Aqueans who are in fertile life phases are more instinctively inclined to mate due to the daylight hours growing longer, and the waters growing warmer. Aquekiin tend to be fairly productive in the sprig and summra, using this time to breed more Spirrahna fish and fashion pounds of string into fine silks. The Cryokiin, however, begin to slow down, instead migrating toward the northern reaches of Eden.
• The summra is still fairly productive for Aqueans of all varieties, with the exclusion of Cryokiin. This is when the Deeps raised Aqueans will also surface more frequently. This improves the trade and boosts the economy of the Land district, an economy which is usually unstable. Most Aqueans gain an abundance of energy in the sommra, causing them to participate more often in outings and activities. The Cryokiin are typically far north by this point, or inhabiting a small patch of land that is blessed to be eternal winter located in the Land district of Aque.
• Autum is when majority of the Aquekiin begin to experience a lapse in their energy. Production and fertility slow as their bodies get colder and they often try to travel to warmer regions, or spend their savings in order to purchase a temporary stay in taverns or inns near the hydrothermal vents located in the Deeps. Cryokiin, however, will experience a boost in energy and begin to migrate back down toward Aque.
• In wintur, most of the Aquekiin will become fairly passive in nature, acting tired and constantly drained. They will now sleep closer to 15-20 hours a day, and their motor functions will appear staggered or clumsy. The cold has less of an effect on Land raised Aquekiin, still slowing them down early wintur, but gradually throughout the season they will adapt to the temperatures. Cryokiin thrive in the wintur season, not only reaching their physical peak, but gaining more employment from the Deep district in order to keep the Deeps running while the Aquekiin function at half capacity.

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Additional Information

Social Structure

Aque

Aque is divided into two different districts, the Land district, and the Deep District. The citizens and nobles of the Deeps live in luxury while pooling the resources from their district, and the Land district. The Aqueans of the Deeps look down on the Land district Aqueans, calling them "stained swimmers." The Praaomina of the Deeps, Desdemona, rules over all of Aque and has tyrannical control over each district. The nobles below her control and maintain order in the Deeps, buying out the Aque guard and posting them all in the Deep district in order to keep the Stained Swimmers from stealing Deep property. Below the nobles are the guards of Aque, known as Seaward soldiers. Unfortunately, there are few and far between Seaward soldiers who are actually lawful, causing the Land districts Aqueans to fear their abuse of authority. After the
The people on the Land district, however, live in squalor. They are heavily taxed, starving, struggling to meet ends meet, and there isn't enough funding to afford to form a proper guard so it's mostly run by crime lords who pay off the nobles of the Deeps in order to stay on top in the slums. A vast majority of Land district Aqueans try desperately to gain access to more water, even sneaking into the sea past mandated hours in hopes of adapting the required 80% marine beast DNA that would allow them to apply for property in the Deep District. For a Land raised Aquean, this is a serious breach of Deeps laws and can result in consequences ranging from something as simple as a fine paid in kye or free labor, to something as serious as being deported from their own kingdom and having their property seized.

Tundarus

The Aqueans of Tundarus function a little differently than their sister kingdom. Like Aque, king Constance of Tundarus, rules over her kingdom, however, Constance also rules over her entire continent. Their king prefers to keep the borders closed with the exception of trade, and has made education free to all citizens native to Tundarus. She taxes her people low and somehow still keeps her treasury in surplus. Because no one is sure how she has accomplished this, it is rumored that she is working with vendors who frequent the black market. Below King Constance "the Crazed" are her Stragiin Quartu, the royal guard which never leave her side, and never speak. Otherwise, her Glacial Knights and her people hold the most say when it comes to their kingdom. She will listen to the advice of her royal advisor, however, she will actually hold an open vote organized by houses of Tundarin people with ideas, needs, or changes in mind in order to hear them out publicly before she makes her decision.
The Glacial knights can only be knighted personally by King Constance, and are put through rigorous training in order to gain her favor. These knights protect her people fairly, while her Stragiin Quartu protect her. The only time anyone in her royal court is granted more power than her people, is when she travels abroad. When this happens, she often appoints her royal warlock as acting king in her stead.

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Uses, Products & Exploitation

Aqueans that have an abundance of marine DNA with clear marine features are often hunted for the parts that resemble the marine beast in question. for example, an Aquean could be hunted for it's poison glands, ink sack, tail, fins, etc... Because of this, security in the Deep District is heavy, whereas the Land district is subject to constant missing persons reports.

Facial characteristics

All Aqueans have slightly shorter noses than most races, but this can vary. They could have fins, scales, smooth skin, icespires, intricate markings, a bioluminescent glow, it honestly depends on the Aqueans DNA/genes and how developed it's marine features become.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Aqueans are mostly located in Aque and Tundarus, but they can also be found throughout Birtham. Other places Aqueans have been seen living include, but are not limited to Odeasus, Oodam, Terran, and in isolated cities hidden under Edens seas.

Average Intelligence

The average intelligence of an Aquean depends largely on where they were raised.
The Land District - Natives of the Land District struggle with poverty and famine on a regular basis, because of this their time, energy, and funds are considered better spent on working trade jobs then learning. The educators that do exist are underpaid and to top that off, the good educators are forced to pay out of pocket for proper supplies and field trips. This makes being an educator too risky of a trade to safely support a good life in the Land District, so there are few and far between. This makes gaining a good education difficult for the Landis based Aqueans, and as such most have below average intelligence.
The Deeps - Due to the fact that only the richest of their race is selected to live within the Deeps, the best educators they can afford are brought in from all around Eden to teach the refined Aqueans how to prosper. By law, it is mandatory for Aqueans in the deeps to attend an academy until the age of 20, this allows most Deeps raised Aqueans to have a well above average intellect.
Tundarin - Most of the Aqueans of Tundarus are equipped with an average education, if not, above average. This is due a well planned out economy which offers free education and shelter to its native citizens. With education being mandatory all through the tooda years of the Aqueans lifetime, they are able to retain a fair amount of information before they are legally allowed to leave Tundarus without an escort.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All Aqueans have fin-like ears that are capable of picking up echolocation. In order to protect themselves from sound sensitivity, they have a middle ear muscle (called the stapedius) that they are able to contract to separate the three bones there, The malleus, incus and stapes. By controlling this muscle during noise irritation, they can reduce their hearing sensitivity both underwater and on land. In most cases this is done by the Aquean instinctively, but it can also be done at will. Because of their echolocation ability, an Aquean is capable of detecting the density, movement, and distribution of a nearby school of fish at an angle of 360° or 180° in all directions.

All types of Aquean possess an enhanced nictitating membrane, which is a third, transparent eyelid capable of not only protecting their eyes underwater, but it also allows them to see clearly. It can be activated on land as well, but this is usually only done in order to remove sand and debris from the eyes.

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Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Most common Aquean names follow the Elemat rule of vowels holding prominence, however, there are a few unique exceptions to this rule. These are generally in tribute to oceanic locations, marine beasts, marine flora, or historical figures.
Examples of both common, and unique Aquean names are provided in the table below.

Female	Male	Unique Female Names	Unique Male Names
Wiisa, Seena, Waama, Pompa, Juuli, etc..	Waalan, Seelund, Wenwyr, Coraal, Aquis, etc..	Spirrah, Glow, Octra, Perscilla, etc..	Drowcoran, Eelun, Jaxx, Auksa, etc..

Major Organizations

• Seaward Soldiers - The official military of Aque, they are known for their ability to sink a fully manned galleon in under 5 minutes. They also provide soldiers for Aques royal guard, but only soldiers who have held the rank of Coomasea can be promoted to the royal guard. 
• L.O.O.T - An illegal organization that functions as a mix between a black market and a thieves guild. They have small outposts set up in discrete locations throughout most kingdoms, Aque is no exception.
• The Silent - A cult turned religion that worships Kami, the God of Chaos. They are feared by most of the people of Aque, and they consistently cause little bits of chaos throughout Landis.
• Seafaring Souls - The Aquean kingdoms official religion, they worship Neptyr, god of the seas. Only around half of the population are Seafaring Souls.
• Edenpol - An organization that aims to hold international authority as Edens police force. They have a small embassy located in Landis, but have yet to gain permission to buy property in the Deeps.
• The Devout of Deorum - A Religion devoted to worshiping all gods in the Deorum pantheon. There is only a small collection of the Devout of Deorum located throughout Aque.
• The Undecided - A Religious belief that can mean one of two things. Either the person in question believes that the gods can no longer interfere with Eden, or they are unsure who/what to believe.
• Bendball stadium - An underwater game where two groups of four players bend one ball for each group in an attempt to bend them through four goal posts. Two goals are horizontally placed across the stadium from one another and they're worth 1 point each, but the final two are placed vertically at the seas surface and are worth 3 points. Each group must comprise of Elematiis capable of bending the same element, but each team can bend a different element if they choose. The ball contains a little bit of air, water, and stone, allowing teams of Aqueans, Aireai, and Terranians to compete with one another in a safe environment. The first team to ten points wins.
• Deep Carte - A underwater crime ring of illegal dealers, handlers, and murderers. They are mostly feared throughout Landis due to the fact they avoid killing or taking Deep District civilians because they're too high profile.
• A.P.A (Animal protection agency) - They have a hard time in modern day Eden determining the difference between what is a beast, and what is a monster. Beasts are protected internationally under the A.P.A. The exception to this conservational status are beasts that are considered farmed, livestock, or that are thriving in excess.
• L.R.P (Landis rights organization) - An organization dedicated to fighting for the rights of the people of Landis. They struggle consistently against the authority and power of Praaomina Desdemona, and the nobles of the Deeps.

Beauty Ideals

The Aqueans find what is most unique and marine-based features to be attractive. The more developed the marine beast DNA/genes, the more likely the Aquean will find a mate with ease. This includes things such as fins, prominent gills, tails, poison glands, and so on.

Gender Ideals

After spawning season, the females are expected to nest with their potential offspring. The male of the spawn will sense his child and the two new parents will then relocate to the best living situation they can provide, this being as close to the deeps as possible. After the birth of the offspring, depending on the marine beast dna/genes most prominent in the parents, they will discuss which will raise the child. It can be both, it can be one or the other, or in some cases it can even be neither.
Otherwise, there are no specific gender ideals in Aque.

Average Technological Level

The Aqueans have a variety of technology that shifts between scientifically made and magically produced, which makes their general technological level of advancement difficult to define, however, below are several examples of technology commonly made and used by the Aqueans.

1. Massa Glow Piece - A timepiece designed based on the daily rise and fall of the Glowjelly each day. A Glowjelly is a transparent jelly fish variant that has bioluminescent material filling its insides. It lives in the Deeps of Aque and only rises to the seas surface when it hits mid-night. Its slow rise actually takes the exact amount of time as it does for a day to pass, and this is the method the Aqueans use to measure the passing of time. Glowjelly are farmed carefully and a small piece of their skin is harvested and placed in a vial filled with water. The small piece begins to form into a new Glowjelly and rise and fall based on the time of day. The vial itself is marked with several notches in order to indicate the exact time. The small notches determine the minute, and the large notches display the hour.
2. Vis-Sphere, or VS - A seers orb reverse engineered to record events up to 40ft around them. a civilian VS is only able to record up to 15 minutes of content, however, a military VS can store over 2 hours of content. They are replayed in 3D full color using light and are activated by verbal cues, but they can only store one recorded instance at a time.
3. Pic-Cube, or PC - A palm-sized cube that is able to imprint large bursts of light that happen around it into its center. To use, you must also have a Flash stone. Set the scene in the immediate 10ft from the cube as desired, tap the sphere twice to engage the imprint sequence, and throw the Flash stone directly at the cube. It will then use the light to place the nearby image inside itself. The Flash stone will be expended.
4. Cryssals, or Crys - Crystalized formations sculpted into a fragile form and enchanted for various use/sale. They are broken in order to activate, and can function as healing crys, explosive crys, hurricane crys, etc.
5. Drowcora vent - a circular vent that is 1-foot long vertically, 1-foot long horizontally, and around 5-6 inches thick. Its fitted around it edges with a transparent coral called Drowcora, that was ingrown into a stone rim. The rim itself only extends halfway through the inside of the vent, but it is fitted with a somrastine forged fan. Lining the fan are small, air filled bellows that when either pressed, or manipulated by an air/water/stone bender, will push air from the bellows directly into the Drowcora. When Drowcora coral is introduced to oxygen it grows at a rapid rate, and it grows into most surfaces it touches. So after the bellows are pressed the Drowcora around the vents edges will grow into the surface they were placed, attaching itself in place.
   The most common use for this vent is as a window for Aquean water benders living in the Deep District, however, it is also used to repair hull breaches on any Deep District walls residing within the tourist tubes. The tourist tubes are tubes built from the best glasses manufactured in Valkour, and they are isolated pockets of air that get continually recycled by the plants grown there. Once in awhile a tube will be damaged and the pocket will flood. To repair this quickly the Aqueans set the Drowcora vent on the outside of the wall where the breach happened and press enough bellows to make the Drowcora vents edges grow enough to seal to hole. After that, either water benders are able to cycle water through the fan with enough force to start its kinetic engine, which is encased within the stone layer. The fan then begins to pull the water out of the tourist tube and back into the sea. Once the room has been drained the Drowcora vent will be re-exposed to oxygen and the coral will start growing again, however, once the Drowcora grows past the fan it will stall and the kinetic engine will fail. This causes a failsafe countermeasure to activate which casts a rune designed to turn what it is touching to glass, permanently sealing the breach.
6. Identification Kelp, or Identikelp - These are issued to all Aqueans and tourists who pass through Aque. It is a small flexible rectangle that can fit in the palm of a hand that is oddly durable, and capable of surviving for up to 3 years either in, or out of water after its harvested. They are harvested, shaved down into a rectangular shape that is easy to carry, and an official Aque notary must then inscribe the personal details of the Aquean or tourist in question onto the Identikelp before they are allowed passage through Aque. These are used to monitor who is following Aque laws, and what the tourists are up to when they visit.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

On average the Aqueans speak the common tongue, and one of three dialects of Elemat. The dialect depends on which realm of Aque the Aquean in question came from, but the main difference is between the Aqueans of the Deep District, and the Aqueans of the Land District. In the Deeps, The general rules of Elemat remain true with only slight variations from the way the other Elematiis speak, however, in Landis the rules of Elemat wander. Most of Landis speaks in broken Elemat, which is riddled with modern slang, slang which the Aqueans of the Deeps consider to be below them.

Common Dress Code

Land Districts - In the land districts the people generally wear common material, with the exception of the occasional tattered silk garment which is so overworn that it's designs have faded. The style of outfit is usually a tighter wear that grips tightly to their body in case they have the opportunity to swim. This keeps the wet material close to their bodies, even after they leave the water, which they enjoy.
Deep Districts - In the deep districts it is more common to see fine spirrahna silk gowns and outfits. They like it when the flowing silk resembles their fins. On occasion you will see them dawn a tighter outfit when they surface to land, but for the most part, the nobles and finer citizens of Aque like to be showy about their attire. Jewelry involving Opapearls (pearls bearing and opalescent design) are also fairly common, however, you will only see these on the richest of nobles.

Common Taboos

• Discrimination - Because of the uniquely adaptive way in which Aqueans can grow, it was decided that discrimination about ones looks was forbidden. After a certain point this was even passed as a law with the consequences of breaking it being anywhere from a fine paid in kye, to being banished from Aque. If the circumstances are serious enough the banishment will be performed by the royal runwriter, if this happens the guilty party will be permanently branded with a banishment rune that acts as a ward whenever the banished party tries to re-enter Aque.
• Salt in their seafood - This depends on the district you are in. Land raised Aqueans are fine with salt and use it regularly, whereas deep raised Aqueans prefer the natural taste of marine cuisine. As such, the Deep district doesn't even let it past the land borders of Aque. Tourists constantly remark at their shock at the absence of salt when that half of Aque is in the sea.
• Wasting water - This is attributed mostly to their instinctive craving for water, but also applies to the fact that most land raised Aqueans don't always gain access to water. This makes Aqueans go out of their way to conserve their water, even creating Hydromancy methods to purify water that may be considered dirty.
• Polluting in the seas - The Aqueans not only find sea pollution to be a taboo, but that have also outlawed it in their kingdom. Though there are crews of Aqueans paid to travel the seas and stop other creatures from polluting in them. Any of them. The only exception they legally allow is Aquean excrement, which positively impacts oceanic ecosystems.
• Slaying beasts under the protection of A.P.A - The Aqueans respect the laws of the Animal Protection Agency, in fact, it is one of the few Edens laws they follow. The Aqueans consistently check the updated lists of creatures that are common or in excess and only hunt those in accordance to the A.P.A.'s bylaws.
• Interfering with the Silent - The Silent are known to be incredibly dangerous and as such are avoided by civilian Aqueans, and even most Aqueans in the military. They were so powerful as a religious gathering that they were able to oppose the Seaward Soldiers long enough to break off a piece of the Land District and claim it as their Silent kingdom.

History

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The Aqueans, like the rest of the Elematiis, originated as humans that evolved through exposure to the Tari particles lingering in the atmosphere. After the "cleanse" (The war against the remnants of humanity), the declaration of becoming a whole new species was not enough for the new people of Eden. They craved diversity and their difference of opinion caused the Elematiis to branch off into four factions, the Aqueans being one of such factions.
When the four factions split off the Aqueans migrated toward the coasts, settling the eastern coast and naming their new Kingdom, Aque. Once Aque was founded, the Aqueans had determined that all of them had begun to crave exposure to water. Fresh water, salt water, this did not matter. What mattered was general exposure and consumption. They decided to claim a small island off the eastern coast of Birtham as their capital, and they called it Harjmonia. Initially they could fit the entire population of Aqueans within Harjmonia, and worked in unison to adapt to their new life. That is, until the day that a man by the name of Walter Tait started an internal dispute about the laws passed by all Elematiis after the Cleanse. He argued his beliefs stating that as Elematiis that were evolving so rapidly they were above the Edens law and the kingdom of Aque should form its own laws. Many Aqueans disagreed, however, this dispute fractured Aque into two different districts, The Land District also referred to as Landis, and the Deep district, which is also called the Deeps.
So began the construction of the deeps. It took them 172 years to complete the full build considering the fact that at the time the Aqueans hadn't developed gill yet, so they were relying on how ever long they could hold their breaths. Hundreds died during its construction and were dubbed "Heroes of Aque". These poor souls were not only given a memorial tablet that sits in the Deeps, but they were also a stepping stone in the groundbreaking discovery of how to make concrete set underwater. Blood. Blood is how. It turns out when their concrete was mixed with blood and the ashes carried on the winds across the Atlantian sea from Mt. Ashe, it was able to set underwater. This allowed Aques enduring concrete to become harder, and more durable as it was exposed to the saltwater of the sea. Even with this discovery building the Deeps was still difficult, but this is speculated to be how the Aqueans adapted the way they did. Originally the intent was to build an air-filled underwater city which would be harder to attack with a full army, but by the time the Aqueans had finished building their Deep District they ended up knocking out most of the exterior walls to allow the ocean in because they were now unnecessary. The Aqueans could breath underwater. Only select areas within the Deeps were left with breathable air inside, which was continually recycled by special flora grown to allow tourists to take a swim break when passing through.

In the time it took to build Aque, the Aqueans had expanded their kingdom into four different realms. Harjmonia was the capital, followed by Cryooshela, Berdae, and Hyroohold. The The Deep District (the Deeps) and The Land District (Landis) were located in Harjmonia and ruled by two opposing forces. The Deep district was ruled by Elroy Tait, whereas the Land district was being ruled by Leias Brooke. At this time it was decided that The Deeps had reign over the sea within the borders of Aque, and the Land District would have reign over the lands and shallows within the borders of Aque, however, through the span of 15 years people began to go missing from the Land district and the bodies would wash up on the beaches of the Land district, Berdae, and Cryooshela. An outcry from the Land district caused a law to pass forcing any Aqueans living in the Deep district and any traders passing through to be required to carry a small metal tab with their personal information engraved into it in order to pass into, or through the Land districts. This infuriated the citizens of the Deep Districts causing them to band together and reclaim the shallows proclaiming that "If the Deep Aqueans cannot surface, then the Land Aqueans shall not swim." This immediately became a huge problem for the Land raised Aqueans due to their instinctive craving and need for water. The Deeps kept guards posted near the shallows that were ordered to capture any intruders and pull them into the Deeps regardless of if they could breathe underwater in order to interrogate them about the Land districts current governing force, if the prisoner could survive the decent. Because of their additional time in the water in comparison to the land raised Aqueans, the deep raised Aqueans were more capable in the waters. A war broke out within the borders of the Aque kingdom which caused the economy to fluctuate in an unstable manner and all Aqueans were affected by this whether that were from the warring capital or not.
25 years passed before a final battle ensued in the shallows, unfortunately the land raised Aqueans were unable to defeat the Deep raised Aque. Despite their numbers the land raised Aqueans had not fully developed gills so all the deep raised Aqueans needed to do was wear down the opposing forces stamina, and then drag them down into the deeps to suffocate. This battle earned the Deep District the title "The Drowning Deeps." Elroy Tait then dragged Leias through Landis by his hair while accompanied by his Seaward Soldiers, and executed him in town square. Elroy had already crushed the moral of the Land district Aqueans, but he continued his walk of destruction through Landis, burning any homes that were proven to be linked to a soldier from the Land District. Once he was finished burning who he'd considered to be treasonous eels, Elroy publicly passed a law stating that land raised Aqueans may only enter the shallows between the hours of 07:00 - 18:00. All Aqueans who he deemed worthy by Elroy, be it by status or their bloodlines, were given permission to relocate to the Deep Districts and access to the Deeps was then severely limited to anyone who wasn't a Deeps citizen. This is believed to be why the Aqueans have such a diverse gap in between one another from an evolutionary standpoint. The Landis Aqueans were not able to adapt to the seas as often, and therefore are behind in the evolutionary chain, hence their instinctive desperation to develop their DNA/genes in the Deeps.

Since then, many attempts to unite the land and deep districts have been made in order to further the Aquean race as an entirety. Unfortunately, though some efforts have succeeded none have been able to maintain the unified effort due to continuous greed, and corruption.

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Historical Figures

1. Walter Tait - Founder of Aque and the man to order to construction of the Deep Districts. Unfortunately, he died before he could see its completion.
2. Elroy Tait - Leader of the Deep Districts in the early days of Aque, under his rule the country fell to war with itself for 25 years. He ended the war as the victor and became the first known king of Aque. He then became known as "King Elroy the Ender," however, 3 days after his coronation he was found murdered in his bedchambers with nothing but the phrase, "the end" written all over the walls of his chambers in ink and blood.
3. Desdemona Raa - The first water bender able to bend against the moons during moon eclipses. (An event where both of Edens moon will pass each other by. During this time the three seas of Eden become chaotic and dangerous.) Desdemona Raa is known historically due to her ability to not only protect Landis from the seas during the moon eclipses, but she would also moonlight as a smuggler, smuggling refugees across the seas to safety. Her ship was said to be the safest passage on Eden at the time, yet she only charged travelers and refugees based on donations.
4. Leias Brooke - Leader of the Land Districts in the early days of Aque, his life was spent desperately fighting for the rights of land raised Aqueans. For 25 years he fought a war he wished had never happened, and he died in a public execution after an all out attempt to retake the shallows from the deep raised Aqueans.
5. Constance Chyll - The first Aquean to fully master ice after almost freezing to death in a glacier, Constance Chyll went on to lead a fairly humble life in a small cabin in Cryooshela. She is celebrated historically for her medical practices and the ways she would use temperature to help treat her patients. Present day clerics speculate that if not for her efforts, modern day medical science would be behind nearly 50 years.
6. Markus Holden - The first Aquean to fully master water bending. It is said that he saved all of Landis from a massive tidal wave when Sorus, god of the weather fell into the Atlantian sea in his titan form. He went on to join the Seaward Soldiers and raise in the ranks to the highest possible position at the time, the Coomasea, or "sea commander". After Edens law had passed allowing a master to take the throne by right he approached the current king of Aque, Whiirlen Gents, and offered him the opportunity to step down from the crown safely. Unfortunately Whiirlen had grown accustomed to a certain standard of living and tried to have him removed from the throne room. Needless to say, Markus ended up on the throne, and the shark-ish citizens of Aque were well fed that night.
7. The Raging Rapids - The first famous Bendball team in Eden. The team was named for Seenan Rapid, the team captain, and they were able to draw in so much tourism to Aques Deep Districts that the kingdom was able to recover from an economical recession. The team comprised of Seenan Rapid, Coraby Kreen, Soora Grouper, and Oseen Bruu.
8. Wateen Grouper - The architect of Bloodwrend keep, the base structure of the Deep city. He learned that introducing ash from Mt. Ashe into Aque concrete mixtures made it set better underwater, but not well enough for proper structural integrity. He then died discovering that when blood is mixed into Aque concrete while its setting it will continue to harden underwater over time.
9. Baemonbae Hoolden - Historically known as Aques kindest king, King Baemonbae, or King Baebae "the Benevolent" was a descendant of Markus Holden and used his name to gain weight with not only the king of the time, king Coorala Seern, but also the royal advisor and royal runemancer of Aque while practicing his water bending in secret. The king, Coorala "the Cruel" was lending out high class Aquean ships in exchange for a percentage of the goods transferred, and then using the Seaward soldiers to sink their ships passing by. Once sunk, they would claim that the opposing kingdom owed them compensation for the ships they had lent out in an attempt to fill their own treasury and force neighboring kingdoms into debt.
   Fearing this would absolutely trigger a war if discovered, Baemonbae worked hard until he succeeded in achieving water mastery and challenged king Coorala for the throne. After Cooralas defeat, king Baemonbae went on to gift all ships that were being lent out to the kingdoms that they were being used in, he lowered the Landis taxes and raised the Deeps taex in order to balance them, and he cleared any ship related debts owed by other kingdoms. After that, Baemonbae outlawed Handlers ships from passing through the borders of Aque. Any who were caught with slaves aboard their ship within the borders would have their "cargo" seized and released, and be deported back to their home kingdom.
   Because of his actions while ruling Aque, the word "Bae" in the Aquean dialect of Elemat means "to be kind," or "to be generous", though this varies on context.
10. Constance Hoolden - A exceptional child from an early age, Constance Hoolden was labeled a "Gifted child" and was able to gain entry to the Seaward soldiers at the age of 6. Constance raised in ranks until she was placed in Aques royal guard at the age of 11, becoming the youngest Aquean to receive the highest military honor in their kingdom. 42 years later, she presently rules Tundarus as king Constance "the Crazed", and despite her concerning mannerisms and reputation as a treasoner in Aque, she is beloved by her people for her incredible care of both them, and their economy.
11. Desdemona Hoolden - Known for her tyrannical reign, Desdemona Hoolden gained her mastery of water at the age of 7 after being pushed to her mental limit by her sisters early success. She was then labeled a "Gifted Child" due to her incredible abundance of tari at such a young age. The day she gained her mastery, she challenged her father, King Baemonbae "the Benevolent" for the throne, and due to Edens laws this was completely legal. She was able to successfully slay her father and since then, Desdemona has forsaken the title of "king" and renamed herself in honor of an ancient Balani passage she had read as a child that depicted the title of "Praaomina" as the highest distinguished figure. She rules over all of Aque and pools the resources from all districts, then funneling them into only the Deep Districts. This allows the nobles to live in luxury as the rest of her people struggle in squalor.
12. Chyndra Kaade - A beloved idol of the Aquean people, Chyndra was one of the few Aqueans known to have built a standing relationship with the Fae people. She would travel back and forth through underground water channels to safely avoid the Forest of Silence and offer the Fae gifts from the Aqueans without their knowledge. In return, the Fae taught her not only their customs, but the gift of song. Once she had learned enough, she began to share her gift of song with Aque. Slowly she started trying to teach the Aqueans that Fae were not dangerous, but instead a very generous people with much to share. Chyndra went on to become a songstress and bear a Diilute child with an Aireai man. Shortly after her childs birth, Chyndra disappeared at the age of 74. Neither her, nor her child had been heard from since, at least not until recently when word of the child surfacing in Fyorah has begun to circulate.
13. Caska Kaade - Caska was a modern day Seaward Coomasea up until the day of her sisters disappearance. After Chyndra went missing, Caska became a much darker person. It is rumored that she sold her soul in order to work as the saint of Neptyr, god of the seas so she could gain access to the tools required to seek out her sister, be she alive or dead. Caska went on to tame and raise Edens last known Kraken as her loyal pet, and travels the seas fulfilling Neptyrs will.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Interspecies relations are acceptable with the Aqueans and is common in their culture. Some Aqueans will even mate with other species simply in order to give themselves the opportunity to leave Landis. 
This does not apply to bestiality. They frown upon intercourse with anything unable to grant verbal consent, this would include beasts.

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Underwater by Янина - Yanina Krivosheeva

An Aquekiin raised in the Deeps.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humanity

Scientific Name

Auqi sapien

Origin/Ancestry

Aquekiin, Depekiin, Cryokiin, Edenkiin, Fyrnkiin, Aeskiin, Aerokiin, Stromkiin, Halitukiin, Human.

Lifespan

280 years

Conservation Status

The Aqueans are a race under protection established by the E.P.C. (Edens Preservation Convention). This status forbids any gods within Deorum pantheon from directly harming a fated mortal.

Average Height

4'11 - 6'1

Average Weight

30 - 625lbs

Average Length

2 - 25ft

Average Physique

The physique of an Aquean, no matter its ethnicity, is affected by its surroundings as it grows. For Land raised Aquekiin, and Cryokiin the physique generally remains the same. Landis raised Aquekiin will develop marine-like features but for the most part retain a humanoid form, whereas despite the fact the Cryokiin can develop the marine features as well, they will also grow ice-like armor and hair called Icespires.
The Deeps raised Aquekiin and the Depekiin have a much different physical appearance. Each of these Aqueans will develop marine beast features, however, their features will be more extreme and alter their physique in a manner that makes them look like an entirely different species. The physique of these Aqueans can vary widely, allowing them to take many differing shapes and sizes. This is attributed to both their DNA/genes and the ecosystems they live in.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Primarily they are a pale blue, or blue-grey color, but they can also be purple, black, green, red, orange, etc... They turn the color of the marine beast that they resemble. They can be smooth, scaly, or even spiky.

Geographic Distribution

• Aque
• Birtham
• Tundarus

Related Ethnicities

• Aquekiin
• Cryokiin
• Depekiin

Discovered by

Walter Tait