Seafolk are the most diverse sentient creatures of the sea. This may be due, at least partially, to their openness to other cultures and ideas. Some speculate this has a biological source; seafolk can successfully interbreed with a multitude of other species, including species that are seemingly vastly different. In fact, the only common sentient races that have no known half-breeds with seafolk are trueforms, sebek-kas, kappas, slurgs, naiads, nixies, nucklavees and tritons. This leaves twelve possible combinations. Each pairing yields consistent and sometimes spectacular specimens, many of which appear to be separate species in their own right.
Much like human half-breeds, these mixed seafolk face similar prejudice and trouble relating to either side of their family. Crossbreeds have access to the languages available to both parent races.
CROSSBREED ORIGINS[]
Seafolk are oviparous; they lay eggs that are later fertilized. This allows for many different ways they can become fecundated. It seems that seafolk are biologically compatible with all other oviparous humanoids that lay eggs in water. Whereas this disqualifies egg-layers such as the sebek-ka and kappa, who typically lay their eggs on land, it means that mogogols, pisceans, and even karkanaks are possible candidates. The following are common scenarios that lead to crossbred offspring:
Accidental Spawning: Mogogols and karkanaks especially are considered “messy spawners.” Both races lay thousands of eggs that are fertilized en masse. While this is to ensure that about one percent of their larval offspring will survive to adulthood, a hapless seafolk egg that happens to be upstream may also take up a rogue seed. Although it is possible for this to happen with any oviparous aquatic, it is typically only excusable for the mogogols and the karkanaks.
Crime: The more nefarious races will steal eggs or even individuals, and further disgrace their enemies by bestowing them with a bastard child that bears their semblance. These children often harbor tortured souls and harsh stigmas. It is a tough life for these half-breeds born of violence or malevolence.
Interspecies Love Affair: Seafolk are open minded creatures, and often fall in love with beings that are not of their race or even their species. This can be quite simple with other merfolk who share the same basic biology. Nommo, cindarians, and kai-lio all have tales of great love affairs between the two races.
However, an equal amount of stories revolve around the adoration between sea elves and seafolk. Unfortunately, the two races are biologically dissimilar. Luckily, this does not dismiss intimacy or even offspring. The feykith are notorious magicians, and with a common transfiguration spell, they can effectively join one species or have the other join them. Magic does not however, change their genetic heritage, and the offspring of such unions are always crossbreeds.
MERFOLK HALF-RACES[]
The most common crossbreeds occur among the merfolk races. All seafolk half-races lose there “Skilled” racial trait, and usually gain one or two particular traits of the other race. They are otherwise identical in statistics to a seafolk (including aging). The following entries further describe specific combinations:
Seafolk/Cindarians[]
Common Name: Cindarfolk
Racial Trait: Poison Spines (the crossbreeds are immune to their personal venom only, but not to other natural poisons like their cindarian parent).
Description: Cindarfolk appear as Medium-sized cindarians, complete with spines. While they are larger than their Small-sized parent, their spines are typically smaller in proportion, and tend to do the same damage and carry the same toxic potency.
Seafolk/Boggers[]
Common Name: Bogfolk
Racial Trait: Claws (1d4 damage each)
Description: The unfortunate bogfolk are particularly ugly-looking Medium-sized seafolk with a mudskipper-like fish tail. As their name implies, they have innate love of muddy or swampy water. Like boggers, bogfolk are strict carnivores; the taste of vegetation causes fits of nausea in most individuals.
Seafolk/Kai-lio[]
Common Name: Kai-lua
Racial Trait: Kai-luas have their own unique racial trait that neither parent possesses.
- Prehensile Tail: A kai-lua’s tail can be used as a third hand. The tail can be used to manipulate objects or even as an extra hand for multiweapon fighting, albeit with an additional -4 penalty to attack with the tail (in addition to other penalties for multiweapon fighting). The tail can be used with skill checks involving precision manipulation and hands in general such as Disable Device and Sleight of Hand, though at a -4 penalty. Finally, the tail confers a +2 racial bonus to the kai-lua's Combat Manuever Bonus while attempting to grapple.
Description: Kai-luas look like normal seafolk from the waist up, and colorful seahorses from the waist down. They are Medium-sized and can ride mounts normally. They often have red hair, regardless of their parents’ coloration.
Seafolk/Sharg[]
Common Name: Sharkfolk
Racial Traits: Bite attack (1d4), Dart (as sharg, see chapter 9)
Description: The unfortunate sharkfolk have a hairless seafolk upper half that looks fairly normal. On their backs however, sprouts the telltale dorsal fin, and their fish-tails are unmistakably shark-like. Their mouths are filled with sharp, serrated teeth. Though not predestined towards evil, sharkfolk often have violent tempers and are notoriously single-minded.
Seafolk/Nommo[]
Common Name: Mroe
Racial Traits: Aquatic, Big Hands
Description: Mroe appear as hulking and muscular seafolk with an eel-like tail. Their skin often has a greenish tinge and their irises are commonly jet-black. They are mostly hairless, though males have a persistent mustache that will grow long and whiskery if not trimmed daily. Females have impossibly long fingers, much like their female nommo relatives.
Seafolk/Crystolix[]
Common Name: Iquala
Racial Traits: Natural Diplomat & Unshakable
Description: Iquala manifest as silver or grey-haired seafolk with skin coloration and fin arrays similar to that of the crystolix. Many believe that Iquala are natural leaders, but they often use this skill to lead rebellions.
Seafolk/Ningen[]
Common Name: Kyla
Racial Traits: Lungs & Eerie Stealth
Description: Kylas appear as large, white and hairless seafolk. They have the reputation for becoming excellent rogues and assassins.
FEYKITH CROSSBREEDS[]
Feykith and seafolk tend to make the most attractive crossbreed children. They are often thin and lithe; flaunting their feykith heritage while maintaining their seafolk body-type. Seafolk-feykith must take Skill Focus as their racial bonus feat, and lose the Skilled racial trait that is available to seafolk. Like feykith, they gain Keen Senses and Feykith Resistance, and often gain one racial trait common to their feykith parents. In addition, these crossbreeds inherit the age categories of their feykith bloodline. For the purposes of racial requirements, these crossbreeds count as both parent races. All other statistics remain the same as typical seafolk.
Seafolk/Deep Drow[]
Common Name: Dark Oceanid
Racial Trait: Deep drow resistances
Description: Dark oceanids are ebony-hued from head to tail, including hair and fins. Their eyes are the typical colors common to both sea folk and deep drow. While their natural resistance to toxins makes them particularly well-suited to making and using poison, they have no special talents with them, as is common with their deep drow parent.
Seafolk/ Elf[]
Common Name: Oceanid
Racial Trait: Weapon Familiarity (as described for sea elves).
Description: Oceanids are often the envy of sea folk population. They are often very talented and beautiful individuals. However, this is a mixed blessing that sets them apart from those they wish to be close to. Destined to be trapped between the realm of the feykith and merfolk, they often lead lonely, melancholy lives.
Seafolk/Selkie[]
Common Name: Pincoy
Racial Trait: Seabond
Description: Pincoys look very much like the elven-form of selkies from the waist up, and the seal-form of selkies from the waist down. Although they cannot transform, they fit in well amongst selkie-kind, and often adopt their culture and mannerisms, regardless of which parent raised them.
Seafolk/Ice Elf[]
Common Name: Frost Oceanid
Racial Trait: Cold Subtype
Description: Frost oceanids look like seafolk versions of the ice elves, though they have visible skeletons and tooth-filled mouths. Many find their visage to be extremely unnerving.
ANTHROMORPH CROSSBREEDS[]
When a seafolk mingles with an anthromorph (usually by accident), the results can be quite spectacular. Anthromorph crossbreeds are the most alien crossbreeds, and often have a harder time fitting in compared to other variations.
Anthromorph crossbreeds do not gain adjustments to ability scores as seafolk, but instead gain the ability score adjustments of their anthromorph parent. Seafolk-anthromorphs lose the Skilled racial trait and the racial bonus feat that is available to seafolk. Like anthromorphs, they gain Amphibious (gills) and Bestial Senses, and often gain a few racial traits similar to their anthromorph parents. For the purposes of racial requirements, these crossbreeds count as both parent races. All other statistics remain the same as typical seafolk.
Seafolk/Echinn[]
Common Name: Deodona
Racial Traits: The deodona retains the Poison Spines and Iron Stomach racial traits of the echinn. In addition it gains the following unique racial trait:
- Puff Up: As a swift action, the deodona can expand her body to sphere-like proportions. The deodona suffers a –4 penalty to Dexterity and her speed is halved due to her awkward, bloated state. However, she counts as a full size category larger when applied to special attacks where a larger size might make the attack more difficult or impossible such as grab, constrict or swallow whole. Equipment does not expand with the body, and may become damaged in the process. For all other purposes, the deodona’s size does not change. The deodona can end this ability as a swift action.
Description: Deodona look surprisingly like regular seafolk, except that their fish tails are a bit wider and their body, especially their backs and tails, are covered in sharp quills.
Seafolk/Karkanak[]
Common Name: Crucian
Racial Traits: Natural claw attack (1 claw, 1d6 damage), Natural AC of 1, Innate Craft
Description: Crucians have hard blue skin covering their bodies, wiry hair on their heads with antennas, and expressionless, almost mannequin-like, faces. Their lower-half appears very crustacean, similar to a lobster or shrimp. One arm, usually their right arm, is a cheliped from the shoulder down.
Seafolk/Mogogol[]
Common Name: Mergogol
Racial Traits: Inborn Alignment, Landwalker, Marsh Move, Obsessive.
Description: Mergogols are the only known seafolk crossbreeds that develop legs at puberty. From the waist-up, they appear as normal seafolk with green skin. They have the lower halves of mogogols; distinctive frog legs. The racial curse of the mogogol, lives on in the mergogol, and they often have similar personalities as a result.
Seafolk/Piscean[]
Common Name: Oanne
Racial Traits: Darkvision, Fish Friend, Landwalker, Tempered Mind
Description: Oannes have carp-like torsos and heads that resemble neither parent. Their bodies are covered in thick blue-green scales and they have a fishy tail. In all, they look like normal fish that has sprouted arms and legs which could belong to a human, if it were not for their webbed feet and hands.
PLANAR CROSSBREEDS[]
The only known planar crossbreed is that of the seafolk/genai combination and they are exceedingly rare. Referred to as meridians, these planar-crossbreeds appear as genai from the waist-up and seafolk from the waist down. They have the swim-speed of a seafolk, and lose their landwalking ability. Otherwise, they are identical to genai.
Deep Drow Abominations[]
The deep drow have long had dealings with Saloth and her demonic minions. In fact, a rite of passage for high priestesses is to make a blood pact with a summoned demon. Occasionally, deep drow offspring will be “blessed” with horrendous deformities and dark gifts. The most common of these is the Kirah, a deep drow/spider crab centaur.
Deep Drow / Minion of Saloth[]
Common Name: Kirah
Racial Traits: Same as a deep drow with the following exceptions: Instead of the standard deep drow ability modifiers, kirah have a +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, and -2 Wisdom. They are considered Large-sized (they suffer a -1 size penalty to their AC and attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Stealth checks. In addition, they gain a +1 bonus to their CMD, take up a 10 foot by 10 foot space and have a reach of 5 feet.) They also carry loads as if they were quadrupeds. In addition, kirah have a +2 natural armor bonus from their chitinous hides. They do not, however, have the deep drow’s Poison Use or Poison Cloud abilities.
Description: The top half of a kirah looks something like that of a chitin-plated deep drow except for the head which is a nightmarish blend of man and crustacean. Their lower half is that of a tremendous spider crab. While kirah are considered blessings and given special treatment, they are also not allowed to own property or hold non-military titles. The deep drow often view the kirah as a bit slow-witted, which is a vast underestimation of their diabolical intellect.
Though predestined for evil, a kirah can be of any alignment. Most do succumb to the lure of dark power, though a small few will rebel against the deep drow houses, possibly even becoming a vigilante or joining forces against the family that raised them.
Pinniparian Crossbreeds[]
Pinniparians are made up the three main races that use Pinnipar as their native tongue: Hydrurgans (trueform seals), selkies and thanors. In addition, they share a genetic similarity that allows for occasional crossbreeds.
Hydrurgan/Selkie[]
Common Name: Olhaiyu
Racial Traits: Same as the selkie with the following exception: An olhaiyu can change to seal form as a swift action, but can only assume sea elven form once every 8 hours (for an unlimited duration).
Description: An Olhaiyu’s seal form is always that of a leopard seal and their elven form has dark grey skin.
Selkie/Thanor[]
Common Name: Aivuk
Racial Traits: Same as Selkie, except a +2 to Strength rather than Dexterity and instead of a seal, the aivuk assumes the form of a small walrus that gets bigger as the aivuk advances in level. The walrus’s speed is 40 feet (rather than 60 feet) and it gains a natural bite attack (1d6 damage). By 7th level, the aivuk’s walrus form is that of a full grown walrus and the aivuk is considered to be Large-sized when in this form. Bite damage also increases to 1d8 in accordance to its Large size.
Description: The sea-elven form of the aivuk is tall and muscular in stature, typically a foot taller than his selkie counterparts. In addition, males often sport bristly facial hair.
Human Halfbreeds[]
Half-breeds are extremely rare under the Viridian Veil. While severe xenophobia precluded the mingling of races in the past, the present day is limited simply by biological incompatibility. The Qar Qlahap are not as hyper-compatible as nommo-based merfolk and cannot create offspring with any other local denizen aside from humans, and this is very rare.
Half-elves are much more common, though not as common as they were in the days of the drylanders, as elves are not as physically attractive to humans as they once were. Half-Sahuakins are equally uncommon, and unfortunately often the product of violence.
Non-human crossbreeds are entirely unheard of under the Veil, and are likely due to vast biological differences among the denizens of Devonia.
Human/Elf[]
Common Name: Silurian
Racial Traits: Silurian characters gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature. They are humanoid creatures with the human, elf, and aquatic subtypes. They have a base speed of 30 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet. They share the same buoyancy and depth tolerance as the Eifelians. In addition, Silurians are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects. They receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level and a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. Silurians can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Description: Strangely, all half-elves look surprisingly similar and somewhat degenerate compared to both races. In addition to being completely sterile (unable to have offspring of their own), Silurians have tiny, dark and widely-spaced eyes. They also have small, pointed ears, greyish-brown skin (devoid of the patchiness of their Eifelian parentage), white or grey hair (even when young), and gill slits on their necks.
Silurians are not well accepted by either of their parent races. Strangely emotionless, they unnerve most Famennians. Their infallible practicality annoys most Eifelians. Silurians are so named because many go off to live in a commune on the tiny island of Siluria, rather than associate with their families on either side. On Siluria, they have adopted their own unique style and customs.
Human/Sahuakin[]
Common Name: Sahu-man
Racial Traits: They have all the same racial statistics as Sahuakin except darkvision, light blindness, slippery, bite attack, and natural armor. In addition, they can select one extra feat at 1st level.
Description: Sahu-men look like humans with green skin and a slightly more bestial visage. Typically they have dark-red eyes and sharp teeth. Sahu-men tend to prefer their Sahuakin parents, who incline to treat them as equals and greatly value their strengths. In Famennian culture, sahu-men are typically pitied or looked down upon.
Human/Merfolk[]
Common Name: Nag qlahap (mud-blood)
Racial Trait: Nag qlahap have all the same statistics as merfolk (qar qlahap) with the following exceptions. Instead of a +2 Charisma, a nag qlahap may apply that bonus to any other ability score except Dexterity and Constitution. They do not receive a natural armor bonus or low-light vision.
Description: Nag Qlahap look like dark-skinned merfolk with tails that match their skin. These are the rarest of the half-breeds, and are usually just mistaken for oddly-colored qar qlahaps.
Psionic Seafolk Halfbreeds[]
The psionic races will mingle with seafolk from time to time, though half of them are biologically incompatible. Of all the psionic races, only the amphian, the melusine, and the naga have ever created half-breed offspring. All psionic seafolk halfbreeds have the following racial trait:
Psionically Attuned: Seafolk halfbreeds must take the Wild Talent feat as the bonus first level feat received from being a merfolk. If the halfbreed begins first level in a psionic class, she gains the Psionic Talent feat instead.
MERFOLK HALF-RACES[]
All seafolk half-races lose their “Skilled” racial trait, and usually gain one or two particular traits of the other race.
They are otherwise identical in statistics to a seafolk (including aging). The following entries further describe specific combinations:
Seafolk/Amphian[]
Common Name: Attinia
Racial Trait: Venom Resistance
Description: Aside from flame-red hair and a bright orange tail, they appear much like any other seafolk. Male attinia are extremely rare, but do not change into females as they get older.
Seafolk/Melusine[]
Common Name: Melusina
Racial Trait: Resilience
Description: The strange melusines occasionally mingle with seafolk to create eerily normal-looking offspring. The melusina look like normal seafolk from the waist up, with the exceptions being their three luminescent green eyes; two in their normal positions and one in the center of their forehead. Melusina tails are similar to seafolk tails, though forked; to many, they appear to have two tails.
ANTHROMORPH CROSSBREED[]
Anthromorph crossbreeds do not gain adjustments to ability scores as seafolk, but instead gain the ability score adjustments of their anthromorph parent. Seafolk-anthromorphs lose the skilled racial trait and the racial bonus feat that is available to seafolk. Like anthromorphs, they gain Amphibious (gills) and Bestial Senses, and often gain a few racial traits similar to their anthromorph parents. For the purposes of racial requirements, these crossbreeds count as both parent races. All other statistics remain the same as typical seafolk.
Seafolk/Benthic Naga[]
Common Name: Lamian
Racial Traits: Scaled Hide, Guarded Thoughts, Poison Resistant
Description: Nefarious individuals of the benthic naga race will occasionally mingle with a seafolk to create a lamian offspring. The result is spectacular, and perhaps a clue to the ancestral bloodline that originally mixed with pure-blooded naga. From the waist up, lamians are beautiful seafolk with highly unusual coloration. Their snow-white skin swirls with brilliant purple, cyan, crimson, and/or green. Their hair and the scales of their long, serpentine tail are usually one of these colors as well.
Naga value these crossbreeds for their ability to socialize with other influential races such as sea elves and seafolk. Lamians are also well-known for developing skill in the art of seduction. Where the naga lack humor and subtlety, the lamians are seafolk delightful and entertaining company. A naga, however, would not allow a lamian to exist that did not go through intense conditioning to ensure their loyalty. Lamians are often trained in the soulknife class and encouraged to work as spies for the benthic naga race.