Roala "Roa" Lyrithel
Race:
Western Shoals Merfolk (128)
Excerpt from an ancient scholar's documentation on the Merfolk 
(...)The Merfolk are the aquatic relatives of the Elves, sharing some of the more notable Elvish traits like long lifespans and a stronger affinity for magic, while also sporting many radical divergences in appearance and form. Much like their land-dwelling relatives, two Merfolk can be different enough to be considered a different race on their own, making the moniker a familial grouping of the many varieties of aquatic peoples.
Despite their variety, there are numerous traits that all observed Merfolk possess without exception. As many would assume, all of them have fine scales protecting their skin from the salty waters. Each race of Merfolk is noted to possess greater webbing on their hands and feet, along with fins extending from the middle of their forearms, hips and lower back. In place of hair, these peoples possess various crests and fins of varying size and length that adorn the head and smaller fins that form a fringe over their temples. All Merfolk possess gills in proximity to the torso, usually running down the sides of the torso, and breathe water via their gills. Though they possess pseudo-lungs that allow them to speak, they cannot breathe only air. Finally, Questioning their seeming ease of navigation, all Merfolk have implied that they possess underwater hearing strong enough to allow them to hear things from beyond horizon, and use this to navigate long distances and find one another.
Some of our scholars theorize that Merfolk diverged from Elves due to a greater intermingling with Fey bloodlines. This theory is supposedly supported by Merfolk's great physical variance based on the environments they live in. Others postulate that the Merfolk are a branch of Elvish precursors that never left the oceans, implying that the Elves' origins lay in the Depths and not on land. Many theories exist about the origins of these peoples, but there is no end in sight for these debates, and I fear this argument will endure for an age or more... What is known, is that they have been around for a very long time, which can be observed in some pockets of Merfolk civilization still using what appears to be ancient languages and texts thought long dead in their rituals(...)
(...)The Merfolk are the aquatic relatives of the Elves, sharing some of the more notable Elvish traits like long lifespans and a stronger affinity for magic, while also sporting many radical divergences in appearance and form. Much like their land-dwelling relatives, two Merfolk can be different enough to be considered a different race on their own, making the moniker a familial grouping of the many varieties of aquatic peoples.
Despite their variety, there are numerous traits that all observed Merfolk possess without exception. As many would assume, all of them have fine scales protecting their skin from the salty waters. Each race of Merfolk is noted to possess greater webbing on their hands and feet, along with fins extending from the middle of their forearms, hips and lower back. In place of hair, these peoples possess various crests and fins of varying size and length that adorn the head and smaller fins that form a fringe over their temples. All Merfolk possess gills in proximity to the torso, usually running down the sides of the torso, and breathe water via their gills. Though they possess pseudo-lungs that allow them to speak, they cannot breathe only air. Finally, Questioning their seeming ease of navigation, all Merfolk have implied that they possess underwater hearing strong enough to allow them to hear things from beyond horizon, and use this to navigate long distances and find one another.
Some of our scholars theorize that Merfolk diverged from Elves due to a greater intermingling with Fey bloodlines. This theory is supposedly supported by Merfolk's great physical variance based on the environments they live in. Others postulate that the Merfolk are a branch of Elvish precursors that never left the oceans, implying that the Elves' origins lay in the Depths and not on land. Many theories exist about the origins of these peoples, but there is no end in sight for these debates, and I fear this argument will endure for an age or more... What is known, is that they have been around for a very long time, which can be observed in some pockets of Merfolk civilization still using what appears to be ancient languages and texts thought long dead in their rituals(...)
Excerpt from Official Ducal study on local Merfolk morphology, writ by Court Scholar Holo Tolfel
(...)The "Western Shoals" Merfolk can be found living around the islands of the Armiri Sea off the eastern coast of the duchy. These people live, as the name suggests, in the shallow waters around sandy shoals and oceanic shelves. They fall just short of Humans in average height, and seem to trend towards brighter colors akin to the local corals. One of the more obvious features is an alternate formation of the common brow-fins into branching segments that resemble long hair. Segments appear to be thinner for the men and thicker for the women, with the distant ends changing into a secondary coloration. Men have less loose frill-like secondary finnage, but both sport primary fins of equal size. The final significant variation is the presence of a minor crest over the forehead above the brow, ending in a point just before the bridge of the nose.
Two novel traits are not immediately observable, but no less present. The first is a greater endurance for walking on dry land, withstanding up to an hour out of the water before signaling discomfort, though up to two hours can be managed without ill effect. The second hidden trait they possess is a resistance to severe cold. As the shoals are subjected to seasonal shifts in temperature, the waters they call their home can become so savagely cold as to threaten the very life of any sailor to fall in. These people report that they commonly endure the bitter cold with little beyond lethargy. There are rare reports that imply that, should the sea reach cold enough to freeze, our local merfolk fall into a protective sleep that persists until the cold spell lifts.
(...)The "Western Shoals" Merfolk can be found living around the islands of the Armiri Sea off the eastern coast of the duchy. These people live, as the name suggests, in the shallow waters around sandy shoals and oceanic shelves. They fall just short of Humans in average height, and seem to trend towards brighter colors akin to the local corals. One of the more obvious features is an alternate formation of the common brow-fins into branching segments that resemble long hair. Segments appear to be thinner for the men and thicker for the women, with the distant ends changing into a secondary coloration. Men have less loose frill-like secondary finnage, but both sport primary fins of equal size. The final significant variation is the presence of a minor crest over the forehead above the brow, ending in a point just before the bridge of the nose.
Two novel traits are not immediately observable, but no less present. The first is a greater endurance for walking on dry land, withstanding up to an hour out of the water before signaling discomfort, though up to two hours can be managed without ill effect. The second hidden trait they possess is a resistance to severe cold. As the shoals are subjected to seasonal shifts in temperature, the waters they call their home can become so savagely cold as to threaten the very life of any sailor to fall in. These people report that they commonly endure the bitter cold with little beyond lethargy. There are rare reports that imply that, should the sea reach cold enough to freeze, our local merfolk fall into a protective sleep that persists until the cold spell lifts.
Job: Roa works as a Jeweler in Lorenstad, repairing the few precious trinkets and baubles the townspeople have, appraising found valuables, making new treasures on her own, or selling various supplies and materials to other merchants around town. Every once in a while she will leave town to hunt for pearls in the ocean.
Separate from her home, she owns a small boathouse at the end of a river dock to serve as a workshop where she spends a not-insignificant portion of her time each day.
Background: Roa has lived in Lorenstad for just eight short years, but she has been traveling the waters of the duchy and the sea for just over two decades. She has spent a lot of time exploring the world, catching glimpses of the numerous land-dweller cultures along the coastline as well as out to sea. On her travels she made use of her unique nature, gathering rarities from the ocean to fund her exploration and learning.
As her desire to wander waned, she knew she would need more than exotic foods or rare herbs to make a home for herself among the land-dwellers. She built off of what she already had, and opted to learn how to better sell the pearls traders seemed to value so highly. She learned from jewelers and gem cutters from Struq to Grada over the span of a few years. Thankfully, her training had begun paying off early enough to afford her a workshop in the village of Lorenstad, and eventually her home.
Now, Roa has grown comfortable with her peaceful day-to-day life, and plans on immersing herself in the village's culture. There are still some things she wants to work towards, but her wandering is finally over. Roa has finally found home.
Home: Roa lives in a small sloop she purchased second-hand and then promptly sank directly underneath her workshop in Lorenstad. Barely large enough to have a below-decks , Roa's home isn't particularly spacious, equating to a single bedroom, but it provides what she needs to live comfortably. She spent a fair amount of money to have her makeshift home enchanted against rot, ensuring it will last if maintained. She also had a small number of lanterns enchanted to provide underwater light at night, visible from the docks above.
Birthday:
10th Raina
Other:
Roa still stays in contact with her family, sending and receiving monthly letters.