Abyss
An original Mer-race from before the Great Forgetting. They are extremely introverted, only ever getting together with others, including their own kind, once a year. They do not have a spoken language, only a very complex written language. They are one of the only Mers to have shapeshifting capabilities, but only on their lower half. The Abyss are guardians of the Maze and they do not appreciate anyone even attempting to navigate it.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Abyss are humanoid from the waist up, with smooth skin and thin arms. Their lower half is as a default a long, scaled tail with a dorsal fin. Their Tail has two long strips of lights that reflect their large, luminescent eyes and aid them in seeing in the darkness of the Abyss. Thin membranes stretch between their long, boney fingers, mimicking the thin, translucent membrane that lies over their eyes, aiding their eye sight.
Ecology and Habitats
The Abyss live in dark, deep carverns and underwater chasms. They stay in darkness and deep, pressurized water, away from everyone else and everything else.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Abysmal eyes are huge, at least a quarter of their entire face. Their noses are typically flatter and more rounded off to match their rounded mouths. their ears are smaller, pressed against their head to lower resistance.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
They can morph their lower half into legs when on land, shifting away their gills and switching to their second lungs to breath air instead of oxygen. When in this other form, their eyes loose their luminescence but still retain their fish-like appearance.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Black scales with bright, almost neon accents in contained, artistic swatches. The most attractive thing to an Abyss, though, is an amazing, intellectual achievement that can be portrayed in a small amount of time.
Courtship Ideals
When their thought process' aligns and both seem, (very rarely) in the mood they hook up. They never do it again. After this, they then live in closer proximity to their now partner until the child is old enough to take care of themselves.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Since they have no spoken language, they communicate using a private writing system or body language. A select few have learned the bare amount of Common if only to tell stray ships to leave the area.
Common Etiquette Rules
Do not enter their space without permission. Do not ask too many questions. Do not force them to talk. Do not ignore what little they do say. Do not question them in general.
Common Dress Code
None really, clothing isn’t really a thing with them. If on the rare occasion they are on the mainland they wear whatever is culturally relevant to their purposes.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
They have towering underwater dwelling places. A special substance none have learned its name coats much of their work. It glows on contact with different colors and can even project images into the surrounding water. This substance Is used to create art and pathways.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Privacy and Intellectual prowess are highly respected. Social interaction takes a heavy toll on them and their psyche, so many of them interact with as little people as possible. Instead, they focus on achievements in science, medicine, maths, magic, and the arts. Honesty is a huge value, as well as loyalty to those you declare a connection with others. Breaking these values, even once, can cause a total ostracizing of them from the Abyss.
When an Abyss comes of age they are allowed to move as far away from their family and everyone else as they like. It is customary that they stay in the Abyss itself but not mandatory.
When an Abyss dies the body is wrapped in seaweed and sent into the maze so that their spirit may guard it forever. Any cherished possessions are given to the family members or put on display in the city center.
When an Abyss comes of age they are allowed to move as far away from their family and everyone else as they like. It is customary that they stay in the Abyss itself but not mandatory.
When an Abyss dies the body is wrapped in seaweed and sent into the maze so that their spirit may guard it forever. Any cherished possessions are given to the family members or put on display in the city center.
Common Taboos
I know it sounds fake, but speaking too much is almost punishable. To the Abyss, to speak is to prove your thoughts are not deep and its taking others away from their own thoughts. Instead, write. It's more permanent, and it is not imposing your own will on others without their initiation.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The Abyss are not well known among the land-dwellers, and are creatures of myth and legen to the other aquatic species. They created this reputation on purpose, to drive people away from them and their Maze.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
120 years
Average Height
6'10 -7'2
Average Weight
150lb-170lb
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Abyss are generally exceedingly pale, not getting much UV rays from the sun under all that water. Their tales are often two toned, one darker, desaturated color and one brilliant accent color. These accent colors are wither placed on the bottom of their tale or in swatches across their front. They have markings of matching color on their face in small slashes or dots near their hairline or cheekbones, near their facial scales.
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