Merrow



According to legend, centuries in the past, the Nereid, vengeful lords of the sea became spiteful of the land Fae in the way that which they sought to hold dominion over not only their realm but the ocean depths as well. For their arrogance, the water nymphs became determined to even the playing field and create their own undersea kingdoms. Lacking the divine creation of true gods, they could not create life, however they could take the simple creatures of the sea and gift them with the evolutionary spark that allowed them to create their own aquatic fae races; the peaceful and wise Merfolk, the playful and innocent Undine, the mysterious and seductive Scylla and the far more aggressive and war like Merrow.

Personality/Behavior
Many regard Merrow as "sea orcs" in a few regards due to their similar predispositon to anger and violence, especially to any who would disrespect them. In reality however they do have a surprisingly well versed sense of honor and moral order that most often is simply influenced by personal bias against surface dwellers. More traditionally minded Merrow known as "Deepened" despise all land fae and will rarely show anything more than spite and disgust in the presence of one while the more open minded known as "Shallows" who live closer to the surface may willingly interact with land fae and trade with them but with a definite cautious approach. The very will of the Nereid is breathed into their souls, meaning no Merrow would ever be able to trust a land fae completely unless proven beyond all possble doubt. Ironically however, in the chaotic nature of the Nereid and their desire to create a race more like the land fae, who could take the fight onto land, they had no way of knowing this would eventually lead to them wanting to experience more of what the surface world had to offer.

Description/Biology
Merrow are humanoid in shape, normally bipedal for easier transition to land and come in a variety of forms and sizes including any number of aquatic features including fins, gills, webbed fingers or toes, various colored skin, tails, distended eyes, claws, tentacles and realy any other aspects of undersea biology. Some can appear to be quite monstrous in appearance while others are oddly beautiful in a surreal way. However most appearances are based around particular family genealogies, usually themed towards a particular order or phylum of sea life (sharks, squids, crustaceans, etc.) Of all the children of the Nereid, Merrow are also the most adept at suriving on dry land for extended periods of time.

Climate/Terrain
Underwater

Territories
Merrow can be found all throughout the eastern ocean depths and the only known civilization close to the surface is centered around a remote archipelago several miles into the ocean split between several tiny islands and shallow reefs between in which Merrow live both in water and on land.

Society
Traditional Merrow live in a regimented caste society, being the resident warrior race of the Nereid and overall resembling a very military style community in which all able bodied men and women are always at the ready to be called into duty to fight when needed. In times of peace society proceeds not unlike many surface ones, with good trade, commerce, art, music and a sense of peace only made possible by the watery goddesses calm nature. All activity within Merrow society is directly influenced by the emotional state of their Nereid rulers which they feel on a deep empathic level as it shifts. Those who live closer to the surface tend to have a more unique culture, regularly interacting with sailors and traders.

Species Relations
Merrow by their very nature are distrusting of most non-aquatic races but most all are on good terms with Undine, Grindylow, Merfolk and Sea Elves. Depending on the case to case basis, Naga can be seen as allies or enemies.

Gender Relations/Roles
Gender relations vary greatly thorugh the various civilizations of Merrow depending on how close they are to the mindsets of the Deepened or Shallows respectively. Traditional society had women in very subservient and obedient roles while more open minded modern ideals put them on a far more equal level of society.

Love/Courtship
Much like Gender Relations, love and courtship is also based greatly on tradition VS modern ideas. Normally any male could simply lay claim to a female of his choosing and fight off any who would challenge his claim, but surface world ideals of courtly romance appealed to the passionate souls of the Merrow, allowing them to move past simple instinctual predation, a mindset of which many traditionallist see as a dangerous trend.

Sex
Sex is as varied between partners as the Merrow are varied from each other with so many variations in sizes, shapes, anatomy and practices, although the one recurring theme that repeats throughout is the predator/prey dynamic between the partners wherein one will almost always be in the dominant role over the other wether its male or female. Predictably, those based on more predatory sea life are more likely to be in control in the bedroom.

Birthrights

 * Oceanborn: All Merrow are incredibly hardy and durable, able to withstand great levels of pressure in the deep sea, breath underwater and swim at incredible speeds.

Favored Class
Most all Merrow are either Warriors, Soldiers or Brawlers by nature with the rare Rogue among them. Magic users are far more unlikely.

Combat
Combat varies from case to case depending on what natural abilities that particular Merrow may have at their disposal such as razor sharp teeth VS poisonous quills.