Fiction:The Firmament/Merfolk

"A sailor's life ain't so bad after all!"

- Rudolf Springborn, human sailor

Merfolk are a species of being who resemble a hybrid of humanoid and fish, who can be found across most coastal regions of Telamon.

Biology
Merfolk superficially resemble elves with a scaly fish's tail making up the lower half of their bodies. They come in a variety of colours and their fin shapes. They are amphibious and can breathe air, though they require regular exposure to water in order to not fall ill. The average adult merfolk is 1.8 meters long from head to tail-tip, and lives over a hundred years. Merfolk sexes are significantly uneven, with females being much more common than males.

History
Merfolk do not hold records of their own history, and as they never truly possessed long-standing societies, their past is unknown to all. They are an ancient race, with the elves of Eondrassana recording their existence since the times of the Great Eondrassana War.

Culture
Merfolk live in small matriarchal communities, usually made up of a small number of families who share the same swimming grounds. They are known for their carefree personalities and friendly disposition, being considered easy to approach by most; indeed, merfolk have the reputation of being attention seekers and enjoy the sight of others admiring them.

Religion
Merfolk are attracted to gods of the sea, leading many to worship deities such as Tritonomarth. Sephiara, the matron of all Wildkin, is also respected by many among them. Such small populations of merfolk, corrupted by demonic inflience, have fallen to the worship of Uzgoroth.

Relations with other races
Many humanoids, particularly humans and elves, consider merfolk elegant and attractive creatures, a fact with the fish-like beings are well aware of; young merfolk enjoy wooing passing humanoids, usually sailors, and take delight in their attention, though these rarely advance further than single day stands - in no small part due to the merfolk's aquatic nature serving as a barrier for long-term relationships. The race are widely hunted and killed by the merkans and the merfolk hold a great hatred for the fish-monsters in return.