Sahuagin
The sahuagin are a powerful aquatic race. They have a scaly skin of green or brown, with webbed fingers and toes. Their mouths are filled with fangs and they breathe through the use of gills. Fins jut out from a sahuagin's head, back, and arms, and a sahuagin has a finned tail. Traditionally, they are much stronger, faster, and smarter than humans.
The sahuagin have the ability to live and breathe in a saltwater environment. This makes them powerful under the waves; however, the sahuagin cannot easily adjust to freshwater environments. Sahuagin have blindsense when under the sea, but also have a sensitivity to light. They are dependent upon the water. Sahuagin can also speak with other creatures of the deep, like sharks.
Though the sahuagin have natural claw and bite attacks, most sahuagin wield weapons. Most sahuagin will enter a blood rage when fighting, showing an almost instinctual desire to kill their foe.
Although they excelled in physical prowess, they greatly feared magic, so they never tried developing or studying it for any purpose. Only priestesses of Sekolah used clerical magic granted by the god and even that magic was regarded with fear and as a necessary evil.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
While most sahuagin are true sahuagin, occasionally a sahuagin is "born again" into a mutated form: The Malenti. These malenti are usually sahuagin who have been transformed after devouring the intellect of a powerful creature, though some malenti may be bred from other malenti. Malenti look like Sea elves or but are sahuagin. There are few creatures who can tell the difference.
Their similarity to sea elves was enough that even true sea elves could not distinguish the difference; however, dolphins were sometimes able to tell them apart, and Malenti greatly disliked dolphins because of this.
Biological Cycle
Multiple births were frequent among sahuagin and they dealt very harshly with offspring who were not robust or aggressive enough, eliminating them through compulsory fights to the death between the young. Sahuagin seemed fixated on all aspects of consumption and were eager to weed out anything they saw as weak or unworthy to compete for resources.
Behaviour
Sahuagin were the natural enemies of Tritons and Lizardfolk. Tritons and sahuagin could not co-exist peacefully, and wars between them were often prolonged, bloody affairs that occasionally even interfered with shipping and maritime trade. Sahuagin tolerated the lizardfolk much more than they did the Tritons. Exactly why the two races hated each other so much was unknown.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
They also had a very particular way of keeping lore, using what they called singing bundles—conchs and shells supported by bone and sinew. When shaken, they made the clicking and hissing sounds of sahuagin language.
Civilization and Culture
Average Technological Level
Savage fighters, sahuagin asked for and gave no quarter; not even to children or babies. They had wide and powerful jaws filled with long, sharp fangs, which they often used in battle. When swimming, a sahuagin tore with its feet or hands, striking with its talons or a weapon. Spears and tridents were their favored weapons, which they often coated in a poison they prepared. About half of any group of sahuagin were also armed with nets that were laced with barbs. Especially when in groups, they rode mantas as a means of transport to assault ships and other vessels. They also used sharks as allies in battle, but the number of sharks they could control was limited to an unknown amount.
Common Myths and Legends
Most sahuagin are fervent worshipers of the Devourer, whom they call Shargon, the lord of the deep waters. In sahuagin culture, he is depicted as a sahuagin, or sometimes a giant shark. Sahuagin prefer to fight with his favored weapon, the trident. The Devourer teaches that the sahuagin gain power and ability by eating other intelligent creatures. Many sahuagin firmly believe in these teachings and will hunt humanoid races over other creatures of the sea.
According to an ancient prophecy of the Devourer, a "smoothskin" called the "Shirrin Kho" will rise to lead his people into an age of victory and supremacy over the land-walkers. Many followers amongst the cult of the Devourer in Stormreach believe that the "smoothskin" will be a malenti, and believe that the coming of the priest K'shegla signals a time for the sahuagin to rise and take on the nations of the land-walkers.
Average Height
6ft
Average Weight
200 lbs
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