Nug Soth said
Alright, I really wanted the deep ones to be lovecraftian deep ones, but that wasn't to be. So, here's my race idea to fill that eldritch void; The Vodyanoi: Humanlike fish-frogs of the deepest depths, the vodyanoi are an ancient, sentient race of underwater dwellers. Those who venture away from their homes seem to be divided into two main classes: Priests, the cast blessed by the Lord Dagon and Warriors, the caste blessed by the Lady Hydra. Every vodyanoi serves and trains as one of those two honored castes for at least 25 years before they may choose to fulfill more mundane roles within a vodyanoi community.
Uuuuuuuuuummmmm...Are you a member of the Marsh family, Nug Soth?
And damn, with the Lovecraftian Deep Ones having the name Vodyanoi, I can't recommend the mythical vodyanois. Well, I guess I could, under the name Vodnik.
Here's my idea, two species: The Vodniks, an all-male freshwater species that greatly resemble humans with three big differences: green scales, gills, and huge masses of algae, kelp and other water plants as "hair". (Conveniently placed on the top of their heads and their jaws, so to disguise the plants as facial and head hair.) The Vodniks possess the ability to control water, varying at different degrees depending on the individual. They're a solitary species, with each having a small stretch of territory. It's very common for multiple Vodniks to "own" a stream or river, with each man sticking to his own stretch of land. Vodniks are very aggressive towards fishermen. While Vodniks themselves are herbivores, they like to protect the ecosystem of their land by guarding the fish from harm. Vodniks can come on land for a few hours at a time. They tend to scare humans, because their idea of a disguise is "whatever clothing fits", and this makes them look like dripping wet, smelly hobos. It's not uncommon for a Vodnik to enlope with a human, but it's rarer than their female counterpart, the Rusalkas.
The Rusalka are an all-female freshwater species that are almost identical to humans, minus their green hair. The Rusalka, unlike their male counterpart, love to hang out in groups, generally their family and whatever Vodniks or humans they're married to. Rusalka must stay near the water, as they do breathe it, but they lack gills, and are culturally accepting of long, risky trips to the human world. Rusalkas draw up images of sirens; wet females with unusual hair who love to sing and draw men to their watery doom. There's a legend that claims a Rusalka is powerless without her comb. This is fantasy, and many human men fall for that rumor, and try to steal their killer's comb, only to get laughed at, and then drown. Rusalkas are omnivores, like humans, and love to dine on fresh seafood.
The Vodniks and the Rusalkas are close species, and in both cultures, it's expected for two to meet and have children. The children will become a Vodnik or a Rusalka, depending on its sex. There are very, very few cases of hybrid species. A hybrid only comes out of a hermaphrodite child.
Also....I AM INTERESTED! I like merpeople. :D
