Gillmen
The gillmen, known among themselves as azarketi and also called Low Azlanti or Tritons, are amphibious humanoids who live in and around the Aquié Patrium. They are believed to be one of the last direct descendants of the inhabitants of the ancient Alghollthus Empire.
Appearance
The gillmen of the Aquié Patrium most closely resemble half-elves. They have their forebears' pronounced and haughty facial features, and exotic, purple eyes. Their hair is generally dark, but mostly have tints of blue or green. They have pale skin from years of living far from the sun's rays, but many who live closer to the surface have had their skin turn blue through evolving to blend better with their surroundings. Three piscine gills on both sides of their neck, just above their shoulders, give them the ability to breathe underwater, even though they can also breathe air. Gillmen cannot survive long away from sea or freshwater; they quickly develop organ failure if they are not submerged in either fresh or salt water for more 24 hours.History
Most of the human inhabitants of ancient Alghollthus Empire died during the fall of the aboleths, slain by rampaging giants. A few were saved by the their masters, the mysterious alghollthus, who took in a small number and further fleshwarped them to survive in their aquatic domain far below the waves. Strangely, once this transformation was accomplished, the alghollthus seemed to lose interest in the gillmen, leaving them to freely form their own society in the following millennia. Despite this ancient abandonment, some gillmen still serve as spies for their alghollthu masters.Society
Because of the race's origin, gillmen still have a strange connection to alghollthus. Although particularly resistant to enchantment magic, they display a distinct vulnerability to alghollthu enchantment, a legacy of the millennia of control their aberrant masters had over them. In addition, the alghollthu seem to have implanted some form of racial post-hypnotic suggestion in all gillmen, giving them the theoretical ability to exert control through keywords or images. Many still serve their creators, sometimes unwillingly, which makes some distrust gillmen. Even free gillmen feel shame at their history and rarely deal with others. Occasionally, the alghollthu programming in a gillman's mind triggers. Most descend into insanity and turn to worshipping the Great Old Ones, but the most self-aware ones realize its true nature and embrace their roles as alghollthu servants known as awakened agents, who gather data on the surface and influence fellow gillmen to carry out their masters' agenda. Many lead mystery cults of 'hidden gods' or 'newly risen ocean spirits', whose members never know the truth about their patron. Some awakened agents are nearly insane, while others view their acts as necessary to secure their people's position as favoured pets even if it means sacrificing the world. Awakened agents are often entrusted with powerful magic by the alghollthus.
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