Deep Ones

The Dark Rulers of the Deep

The Deep Ones are the mortal creations of Dread Cthulhu, utterly devoted to him and serving him as spies and watchers as he slumbers in drowned R'lyeh. The Deep Ones are enigmatic and highly egotistic, believing themselves to be the most perfect and dominant race on Wandrei. Deep beneath the waves, in their underwater cities, they plot and observe, waiting for the right time to strike the surfacers and bring chaos and destruction to the surface world.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Deep Ones resemble giant, four-limbed frogs, with fish-like heads and gills on their necks. They have the same basic shape as a humanoid, two arms and two legs, but they are around 300 pounds on average and stand around 7 feet tall. The Deep Ones have the unique ability to grow and shrink as they gorge themselves. Should they be starved, the Deep One can shrink as small as Tiny size, and when overfed, they can grow to Huge or even larger.

Genetics and Reproduction

Deep Ones are capable, as artificial lifeforms, to reproduce with almost every other species on Wandrei. This is all by design; Cthulhu wished his Deep Ones to one day replace the creations of the Gods, and made it so his creations could spy on them incognito and eventually transform them into more Deep Ones. They are capable of reproduction normally, but try to make as many hybrids as they can, expecially with surface races. The gestation method and length is dependent on the non-Deep One parent, and for purebred Deep Ones is about half the length of a human's.

Growth Rate & Stages

Deep Ones mature at about the same rate as humans. However, they are able (and willing) to reproduce with almost any other species, and in doing so may one day replace them. When this occurs, the offspring looks physically like its non-Deep One parent, and matures at the same rate as they do. Typically, around a decade or two after the spawn matures, it begins its metamorphosis into a true Deep One. This process takes longer the more different the other parent was physically from the Deep One (for example, a Deep One-Shark hybrid would take two to three times longer than a human-Deep One hybrid). Once the transformation is complete, the offspring typically join their kin beneath the waves.

Ecology and Habitats

Deep Ones live under the oceans of Wandrei, deep beneath the waves in caverns and hidden reefs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Deep Ones are mostly carnivorous, though they do supplement their usual diet of fish and other sea life with kelps and other aquatic plants, and sometimes with fruits stolen from the surface. Their biggest delicacy, however, is surfacer flesh; raids on sailing boats and coastal villages are common, both to find compatible breeders and for savory food.

Biological Cycle

Deep Ones never stop growing, and can live for millennia. The oldest Deep Ones, Father Dagon and Mother Hydra, are considered Great Old Ones, and have been elevated to god status by their younger kin. This process can hypothetically happen to any Deep One, though most are not allowed to live that long; Dagon and Mother Hydra dictate that at a certain growth stage, a Deep One must sacrifice itself in their names, giving its body up as a sacrificial banquet course for ritual consumption.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Deep One society is rooted in religion, and their lives are utterly devoted to Cthulhu, Father Dagon, and Mother Hydra. Their entire social structure reflects this, and the elders of a Deep One city are usually scions of Cthulhu, and clerics to boot. Each Deep One follows the orders of these scions as well as the oracles and other clerics of Cthulhu to the letter and without hesitation.

Facial characteristics

Their heads are roughly shaped like an anglerfish's, without the head lure but all the teeth.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Deep Ones live in every ocean in the world.

Average Intelligence

14 INT

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Deep Ones are not necessarily any more or less inclined for magic or extrasensory abilities than any other races. They do, however, have great darkvision, and hybrid Deep Ones keep the perceptive abilities of their non-Deep One parents. In addition, Deep Ones are amphibious, and near-immortal.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The Esoteric Order of Dagon

Average Technological Level

Primitive

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Deep Speech, Aklo

Common Taboos

Nothing is taboo to the Deep Ones. Their entire lives are devoted to Cthulhu and the other Great Old Ones, and so intersocial murder never happens. Cannibalism is common in their society, and due to their unique physiology incest is not a problem.

History

The Deep Ones were created aeons ago by Cthulhu, who wished them to supplant the mortal races created by the Gods and to help him sow destruction and discord upon the mortal realm. They have lived beneath the waters of Wandrei ever since, biding their time and striking when necessary at any surface dweller upon the seas or living near the coasts.

Historical Figures

Father Dagon, Mother Hydra.

Common Myths and Legends

See Myths and Legends

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Deep Ones wish to one day supplant the surface dwellers, and when Great Cthulhu rises, to throw the world into chaos and disarray.

Scientific Name

Antennarius striatus monstro

Origin/Ancestry

Created by Cthulhu

Lifespan

Millennia

Average Height

7', but variable

Average Weight

300+ pounds on average

Average Length

about 6' long if on all fours

Average Physique

17 STR, 9 DEX, 16 CON

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Deep Ones have variable body colors, from deep blues to kelp green or even browns and sandy yellows.

Related Materials

• Blood Crystal