As submitted by: DeiocculusSub-Race Name: Mer(Singular, Plural)
Race category: Elf
Languages: Merak(Main, usually referred to as 'Mer'), other small dialects
Main habitation(s): Oceans, port cities, and basically anywhere with water.
Estimated Total Population: 2,250,000
Physiology: The mer people are quite similar to fish and the common ideas of mermaids. They are however, different in quite a few aspects.
Mer themselves are, at birth, born in the form that their carrier(mother, ect ect) is at that time. Each Mer have their own aquatic and air-breathing form unique to themselves. No two Mer have been the same, as of now, but there is still the possibility. For a Mer to change into their aquatic form, they must be drenched/submerged fully in water. For a Mer to change into their non-aquatic form, they must 'will' themselves into their non-aquatic form or stay out of the water for 15 seconds.
A Mer's aquatic form is dictated by genetics. Fins, tails, spines, ridges, and the such are governed by genetics. If the Mer's parents are both, for example, pure-blooded sailfish-type Mer, then the child would most likely be as well. Otherwise however, when two Mer of different 'types' mate, then the child will have traits from both or one of the parents. This can lead to complications if the child has adapations that are dangerous(venomous spines, ect ect) and their 'carrier' does not have resistance to these adaptations. This is one of the reasons that the Mer population is limited.
Most, if not all, Mer have a 'breathing' system based on gill-like slits when in their aquatic form. Most mer have two sets of gills, one on their neck and the other set near the sides of where their ribs are located. The gills on their neck and a Mer's mouth take in water and send it to their 'lungs', then the other slits push out water and waste after its been processed. Some Mer can both simultaneously breathe in air and water, through some process that will not be described here. This large description of the most common Mer physiology is, of course, not the only way Mer bodies work. This is just the most common. There are many types of Mers and body-types, ranging from your common
mermaids to others.
Mer, due to evolution helping them, have a strange aging process. They age normally until they reach age 20, then they age at a rate of 1/50th what they used to. This longevity is a result of most Mer not surviving in their first few years of life, due to the vastness of the ocean, some Mer 'carriers' dying as a result of poisonous(or otherwise) children, being preyed upon, and general limiting factors. If you compare the total number of Mer in existence to the number of humes, their number may seem large. This number is however, accounting for all the Mer in all of the world's oceans. Taking into consideration that and the fact that Mer have the capability of living a long life, it's to be expected that the Mer aren't in a very good spot right now.
Politics: Mer politics are a tricky thing, mostly for the fact that the Mer population is split up into 3 large groups. The first group,
the Deimar, is one governed by a system reminscient of modern day United States, flaws and all. They control 1/2(3/6) of the ocean. Their population is deverse and you could find all sorts of 'types' in their territory. The second group, the
Gamier, is one ruled by the Golverta dynasty of Mer. This group is currently facing political unrest due to the 'unfairness' of the choosing of rulers. They control 1/3(2/6) of the ocean. Their population is mostly made up of Mer with the most common type of aquatic physiology. The last group, the
Orcham, is governed by the same system as the Deimar due to the Deimar having stemmed from this group, but the people generally have different views on creatures that are not Mer. They hold a snobbish attitude towards purely air-breathing creatures and tend to ignore most happenings on the above world. They don't care about the humes finding out about magic, seeing as they think themselves too good to ever fall to the humes if it came to that. They control 1/6 of the ocean. Their population is made up mostly of predatory-type Mer.
Technology: The Mer race is technologically advanced, but not more so than the humes. Their technology is made to best work underwater and will, occasionally, not work above water. The race trades with other races for tools that would work best above-land for when they, of course, travel above water. Most Mer do not, due to the fact that water/rain/being-drenched can screw them over easily, usually go above water. They, at least not the Deimar, don't necessarily dislike the above world, it's just dangerous for them. In short: you'd find bows, crossbows, swords, tools, and the such in Mer stores, but you wouldn't find them selling airships or guns(guns mostly due to the fact that they most likely wouldn't work underwater).