Karpori
The Karpori are a species of Merfolk who live around the edges of the Rift of Atrocity . Thanks to the geography of the trench, there is a small region running along the east side of the Trench which is comparably more hospitable than the open ocean, and it is there that the Karpori developed. Karpori have the lower bodies of sharks and their sharp teeth, as well as their distinctive dead-looking eyes. Karpori are also very hostile towards outsiders, and refuse contact with the outside world. This is possibly due to their frequent contact with Trench Monsters which has molded them into a warlike culture. Karpori possibly assume that because they only recognize warfare, that all others behave similarly, and therefore do not trust outsiders to remain peaceful. They seemingly hope that by showing strength they will discourage such peoples from invading their small stretch of civilization, not realizing that it is one of the least habitable regions on the planet. Due to their violence, most steer clear of the great trench, with Meduzoans, their most frequent point of contact, warning others that they should not go near that region. It is this (and the Rift) that has kept explorers from finding Yehv and Namarin thus far, with many believing that the rift itself is impassible.
Life as a Karpori is never safe. Terrifying trench monsters can surface from it at any moment, and they must therefore be ready to fight. Each Karpori tribe has numerous strategies that they employ to keep the monsters at bay, and if possible to drive them back. Usually, they can count on aid from neighboring tribes who do not wish for the monster to ravage their homes, but sometimes aid is not forthcoming or comes at too high a price. Sometimes the monsters catch the Karpori at an inopportune moment or are just too powerful for them to contain. In these cases, a tribe may have to flee or perish. Neighboring tribes will then seize their lands and try to contain the threat. In this way, the borders and boundaries of the Karpori tribes are constantly fluctuating, which makes it easy to see which tribes are powerful at the moment. Due to the long and thin nature of the Karpori seabed, unification is nigh impossible, but generally large tribes control long stretches of the middle of their homeland. Usually buffer tribes will serve as a barrier between them and the Rift, which they prop up in order to keep themselves safe. Similarly, the poorest are shunted to the easternmost side of their lands, where resources are scarcer.
Karpori, because of their constant warfare, have approached near-equality between the sexes. Both men and women fight as necessary, except in the case of pregnancy, youth, or old age. Karpori know that their lives can be ended at any moment, so they enjoy it while they can, freely having children with whoever they please. Children are usually raised communally by elders as many have one or both parents dead. Elders may be present because of age, an injury that prevents them from fighting, or a physical disability. Nonetheless, they maintain the values of the Karpori and raise all young to be warriors. Cowardice is usually punishable by death, and the traditional rites are not observed. When a Karpori dies, his or her bones will be repurposed for use. While some of the materials Karpori use come from the bodies of the horrors they slay, this is an unreliable source, and bones from these are usually too large to be used as weapons (though their teeth may be useful for spears). Thus, their weapons are typically made of the dead, while they dwell in monster-bone shelters.
Life as a Karpori is never safe. Terrifying trench monsters can surface from it at any moment, and they must therefore be ready to fight. Each Karpori tribe has numerous strategies that they employ to keep the monsters at bay, and if possible to drive them back. Usually, they can count on aid from neighboring tribes who do not wish for the monster to ravage their homes, but sometimes aid is not forthcoming or comes at too high a price. Sometimes the monsters catch the Karpori at an inopportune moment or are just too powerful for them to contain. In these cases, a tribe may have to flee or perish. Neighboring tribes will then seize their lands and try to contain the threat. In this way, the borders and boundaries of the Karpori tribes are constantly fluctuating, which makes it easy to see which tribes are powerful at the moment. Due to the long and thin nature of the Karpori seabed, unification is nigh impossible, but generally large tribes control long stretches of the middle of their homeland. Usually buffer tribes will serve as a barrier between them and the Rift, which they prop up in order to keep themselves safe. Similarly, the poorest are shunted to the easternmost side of their lands, where resources are scarcer.
Karpori, because of their constant warfare, have approached near-equality between the sexes. Both men and women fight as necessary, except in the case of pregnancy, youth, or old age. Karpori know that their lives can be ended at any moment, so they enjoy it while they can, freely having children with whoever they please. Children are usually raised communally by elders as many have one or both parents dead. Elders may be present because of age, an injury that prevents them from fighting, or a physical disability. Nonetheless, they maintain the values of the Karpori and raise all young to be warriors. Cowardice is usually punishable by death, and the traditional rites are not observed. When a Karpori dies, his or her bones will be repurposed for use. While some of the materials Karpori use come from the bodies of the horrors they slay, this is an unreliable source, and bones from these are usually too large to be used as weapons (though their teeth may be useful for spears). Thus, their weapons are typically made of the dead, while they dwell in monster-bone shelters.
Lifespan
105 years
Average Height
Unknown
Average
Physical Strength
High
Societal Organization
Prodigious
Birth Rate
Average
Lifespan Classification
Above Average
Technological Progress
Low
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