Species Name: Locathah, Gill-man, Kaparl
Type: Humanoid Fish
Physical Traits: The skin is covered in fine but tough scales. The scales vary in colour from a ivory yellow on the stomach and neck to a pale yellow on the rest of the body. The fins of their ears and spine are ochre. The ear fins enhance hearing while the large eyes are designed to enhance underwater vision. The only way to distinguish males from females is a vertical ochre stripe marking the egg sac. They have fish-like heads with large eyes, either all-black or all-white (which is viewed as a good omen), and small fins where ears would normally be. Instead of hair, they have a dorsal fin and flukes' On the surface, Locathah have a typically fish-like smell.
Height: 5-6' feet
Weight: 150-180lbs
Abilities: They are able to dive down to a maximum depth of 25 metres per CON.
Mobility: Legs
Sensory Organs: Visual
Communication: Vocal
Reproduction: Sexual, egg
INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 3D6, DEX: 3D6, CON: 3D6, CHA: 2D6, MR: 2D6/6D6 (swim), HPs: CON +D6
Orbit/Climate: See Earth
Feeding Habits: Locathah are omnivorous. They have both aquatic farmers and hunter-gatherers that provide a varied diet for their clan brethren.
Lifespan: 70 years
Technology: 2
Culture:
Standard. Diversified mix of kind and
evil people. Locathah have developed a society similar to that of surface
humans. They have a well-developed hunter-gatherer society and a strong sense of
territory. Locathah make their lairs in rocks carved into castle-like
strongholds. These aquatic castles are very similar to their surface
counterparts. Openings are protected by stout doors, shutters, or coral bars.
Often 4D4 moray eels are used as guardbeasts. There is a 50% chance that
Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish may be used as traps. A herd of giant eels is
kept at the edge of each stronghold. Locathah have a communal society organized in tribes of 20 to several hundred.
Each band of forty Locathah has a leader (18 hit points, treat as a 4th-level
fighter) and four assistants (14 hit points, treat as 3rd-level fighters). Clans
of more than 120 Locathah are led by a female chieftain (22 hit points, treat as
a 5th-level fighter) accompanied by 12 guards (12-14 hit points, treat as
3rd-level fighters).
Clan chieftains are prolific egg layers. Eggs are gathered into well-guarded
nurseries where they hatch after five to six months. Hatchlings are raised
communally but each is assigned a “parent”, a non-warrior adult that takes
personal responsibility for that hatchling.
The Locathah were slaves of the Kuo-Toa and Morkoth
for centuries before liberating themselves in an uprising assisted by the
sea Elves and Mermaids. Although there are still some Locathah slaves dotted
around the deeper oceans, most are now free and living in more shallow waters as
nomads.
The reason for their enslavement, in their minds, was that their enemies took
advantage of periods when the Locathah were at odds with their allies or each
other and thus, fragmented. As such, they now live in tight-knit communities
and, if others prove to be their allies, the Locathah will prove firm in their
allegiance, trying everything in their power to keep such alliances together.
Despite said history of slavery, even when treated with the utmost cruelty, they
do not harbour angry or vengeful feelings towards their former captors, though
they will do anything within their power short of threatening harm to their
fellows to escape if enslaved by someone else. They don't believe that is
shameful to be enslaved, but it is to do nothing about the situation.
It is easy to unintentionally offend a Locathah as they have many unwritten
rules of etiquette. If approached by a creature wielding a weapon, a Locathah
will always either flee or engage in combat. They do not like to be touched by
other species, interactions with others are always done at a distance. They
commonly lead creatures unfamiliar with their territory by their wake-currents.
The Locathah’s stone-age technology is limited to manufacturing weapons, tools, and
ornaments from available materials. More advanced or magical items are scavenged
from sunken wrecks, invaders, and drowning victims. Although they defend their
territories against hostile invaders, Locathah cooperate with nonhostile
visitors, especially traders. Locathan coral carvings and jewelry are highly
valued by art collectors and are traded for forged metals, ceramics, and durable
magical items. Locathah can be hired to assist travelers in their realm. They
also collect tolls from fishermen using Locathah territorial waters.
Locathah never voluntarily leave the water. They are almost helpless on land. They are limited to slow crawls because they are unused to supporting their own weight. The use of magic to fly or levitate will negate this helplessness. They risk swift suffocation as their gills dry out; after ten turns, a surfaced Locathah suffers 1 point of damage each round. If the Locathah immerses itself in water, the damage is halted.
Locathah go to great lengths to befriend surface folk, offering safe passage through the waters, pointing out dangerous reefs, and hinting at sunken treasures in return for durable ceramics and metal tools and weapons, as well as tubers, which they view as a delicacy. These creatures dislike combat and flee when disarmed or outnumbered. Locathahs hold community in the highest regard, never leaving a friend behind and often going to great lengths to retrieve a fallen companion. Locathahs work in stone, coral, and bone to produce the crude implements they use. Some take coral work to obsessive levels, with certain clans taking generations to grow their preferred medium in its desired form before carving it.
Locathah matriarchs serve their undersea tribes not only as chieftains, but also as the primary egg layers of the community. Each adult member of the tribe is responsible for raising a single young Locathah as his or her own. Locathahs tame moray eels, keeping them near their lairs as humans keep dogs. Some Locathah soldiers and hunting groups use giant moray eels as mounts, chasing down their quarry and attacking with narrow-tipped spears. More powerful aquatic races use Locathahs as slaves, abducting breeding matriarchs to produce a constant wave of new workers.
Locathah territories can be found in warm coastal sea waters. They are perfectly happy living in deeper waters, but their former captors tend to live in such places so the Locathah tribes have acclimated themselves to living in these shallows instead. Locathah try to maintain a healthy relationship with all the races of the sea, despite the difficulties this sometimes brings. They enjoy the company of Elves for the protection that they bring, as well as their fine craftsmanship of weapons. Merfolk and Locathah get along famously, Kuo-Toa and the Morkoth remain their mortal enemies.
Government: Monarchy
Population: 1,465,410