Riddle's Keeper lore drop 4
Riddle's Keeper Lore Drop 4: The Merfolk of the Jasconian Ocean
There many things that lurk in the depths of the ocean between Jasconius and Seika that humans cannot fathom, but a surprising number of things humans can and do so on a regular basis...
At first, the merfolk would seem two different races, especially when one first hears of them being referred to as Tritons and Mermaids, and then witnesses them in the flesh. The tall Tritons with their shark-like teeth. and the fair Mermaids in their delicate fins seem too different to be the same species. They are indeed the same race, with their genders being wildly different from one another. It's possible there are more forms of Merfolk, but none that have been (or perhaps can be) observed by humans.
Mermaids resemble human women with koi-like features, taking pride in the vivid colors of their skin and the dazzling shapes of their fins, which hang around their chests and legs like a dress. While beautiful to behold, Mermaids had the dubious pleasure of being referred to as 'Sirens' for a very long time, and still are by the more bigoted sailor. The reason for this is their song; Mermaids are famous for their lilting and sonorous Whalesong that sounds pleasant to human ears but can be deadly to those who don't understand the ominous tones. The Whalesong is a magical practice all its own, capable of such feats as commanding the waves and sea creatures, and when turned directly against a victim, inducing a dream-like state. All can often result in death for the subject, their bodies given to maws both real and imagined.
Tritons are huge humanoids with finned forearms and calves with a singular, large fin crowning their cranium. The skin on their gray bodies with white chest and abdomen is rougher than sandpaper, and lets the Triton swim swiftly. Tritons are rarely seen in their bare forms; when they show themselves to humans, it is in a huge suit of corroded sea-metal armor that betrays nothing of the Triton within except a pair of glowing red eyes from an abyssal visor. Hefting massive hooks wrought from whale bone or even looted ship anchors, there's a very specific reason they arm themselves as such that goes back to Jasconius' origins.
Long ago, when Jasconian humans turned their eyes to the sea, a faction of Tritons were the first to reply. The Tritons taught the old Jaconians of the art of seafaring, but there was a darker purpose to the design of the ships they chose to give to the humans. Finding the Seikanese junks too difficult to attack, the Tritons gave the Jasconians a boat with a curved bottom. When the Jasconians began to set sail, tales were spun of armored giants emerging from the depths with massive hooks to grasp the sides of boats, easily flipping them over and sending the unfortunate sailors and their bounty sinking to the depths.
These days, Jasconian ships have grown far too large and well-armed to be viable for attacks by the Merfolk, save those Mermaids who can provoke the largest of sea monsters with their song. Instead, most Merfolk are cordial with the humans they meet, as if they didn't give humans a boat design just to exploit it. It's not as if humans can really do anything in retaliation for such, for how can they make war with a foe they cannot follow?
There many things that lurk in the depths of the ocean between Jasconius and Seika that humans cannot fathom, but a surprising number of things humans can and do so on a regular basis...
At first, the merfolk would seem two different races, especially when one first hears of them being referred to as Tritons and Mermaids, and then witnesses them in the flesh. The tall Tritons with their shark-like teeth. and the fair Mermaids in their delicate fins seem too different to be the same species. They are indeed the same race, with their genders being wildly different from one another. It's possible there are more forms of Merfolk, but none that have been (or perhaps can be) observed by humans.
Mermaids resemble human women with koi-like features, taking pride in the vivid colors of their skin and the dazzling shapes of their fins, which hang around their chests and legs like a dress. While beautiful to behold, Mermaids had the dubious pleasure of being referred to as 'Sirens' for a very long time, and still are by the more bigoted sailor. The reason for this is their song; Mermaids are famous for their lilting and sonorous Whalesong that sounds pleasant to human ears but can be deadly to those who don't understand the ominous tones. The Whalesong is a magical practice all its own, capable of such feats as commanding the waves and sea creatures, and when turned directly against a victim, inducing a dream-like state. All can often result in death for the subject, their bodies given to maws both real and imagined.
Tritons are huge humanoids with finned forearms and calves with a singular, large fin crowning their cranium. The skin on their gray bodies with white chest and abdomen is rougher than sandpaper, and lets the Triton swim swiftly. Tritons are rarely seen in their bare forms; when they show themselves to humans, it is in a huge suit of corroded sea-metal armor that betrays nothing of the Triton within except a pair of glowing red eyes from an abyssal visor. Hefting massive hooks wrought from whale bone or even looted ship anchors, there's a very specific reason they arm themselves as such that goes back to Jasconius' origins.
Long ago, when Jasconian humans turned their eyes to the sea, a faction of Tritons were the first to reply. The Tritons taught the old Jaconians of the art of seafaring, but there was a darker purpose to the design of the ships they chose to give to the humans. Finding the Seikanese junks too difficult to attack, the Tritons gave the Jasconians a boat with a curved bottom. When the Jasconians began to set sail, tales were spun of armored giants emerging from the depths with massive hooks to grasp the sides of boats, easily flipping them over and sending the unfortunate sailors and their bounty sinking to the depths.
These days, Jasconian ships have grown far too large and well-armed to be viable for attacks by the Merfolk, save those Mermaids who can provoke the largest of sea monsters with their song. Instead, most Merfolk are cordial with the humans they meet, as if they didn't give humans a boat design just to exploit it. It's not as if humans can really do anything in retaliation for such, for how can they make war with a foe they cannot follow?
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