Sea Elf by Nuramoon (model: Hel Chezar).
When the mage Jonas decided to explore the claims of Nereids living in the Great Sea, he used a magic spell that allowed him to create a bubble of fresh air and other magics that allowed him to sink but remain relatively buoyant. What he discovered in the great sea was beyond imagination. The Great Sea under the waves was populated, but not in the deepest part of the ocean.
Dominate Races[]
Two races dominate the Great Sea. They are the Nereids or the Seafolk, and the Sea Elves. Beyond that, he found monsters under the sea, including the Piceans, the Sahaugin, and the Grindylows. Beyond the realms of the Hellenic Empire, he found other seafolk and the sebek-kahs. He also found that the Great Sea was divided into five territories: Oceania Aquatica, Massalia Marinis, Sobekah, Grindalis, and the Sahaugin Territories.
The Nereids
The Little Mermaid drawing by Eranthe.
The Nereids are known as seafolk or merfolk in other places and other times. They are the dominate race in the sea and in the Great Sea they come in two flavors: Cindarians and regular Nereids. The Nereids and Cindarians are subjects of the undersea kingdom Oceania Aquatica.
The Sea Elves
Descendants, or cousins, to the elves. These sea elves typically are light skinned to having a dark tint of green on their skin. They were related to the Fair Elves of Arcasia, but have taken to the sea, literally, when their colony fleet hit a sea storm and was wrecked. Now they seek to recreate Arvandor under the sea. The efforts have not been easy.
The Nommo[]
A largely merfolk race, the Nommo have a small kingdom in the Great Sea, and a larger kingdom in the Pacific Ocean. The Nommo encountered the Sirians and conducted an experiment that created the Melusine. The relationship between the Nommo and the Melusine are best described as strained.
Tritons[]
Tritons are from the Elemental Plane of Water, and are seeking to control all of the Mediterranean Sea. They are building a great empire to conquer all that are underneath the waves, and are sometimes seen as benevolent and sometimes malevolent. They are unable, as of yet, to conquer the amphians or the sahuaginin.
Major Races[]
Three races are major under the sea. These include the Sebek-kas, the Pisceans, and the Deep Drow.
The Sebek-kas
Sobek, the patron god of the Sebek-kas.
are anthro-salt water crocodiles originating, ostensibly enough, from the land of Khem. The Sebek-kas have been known to build cyclopean structures under the sea and to appropriate Khemet structures that have been claimed by the sea. The Sebek-kas are an air breathing race, so some of their structures are built on remote beaches.
The Pisceans
Found along the Straits of Syracuse Isle, the Pisceans have grown in numbers. They aren't seen in Phaeselis, much. Fortunately, they keep some of their old allies, the sahuagin, in check along the western part of the Sea. They don't build much under the sea, which is a good thing, actually.
The Deep Drow
The deepest part of the Great Sea is the Calypso Deeps at 17,280 ft. In the Calypso deeps dwell the deep drow. The deep drow are cousins to the deep blue skinned drow, and how they got there no one knows. The deep drow do not worship Nott, however, and they already live in a part of the sea that is Twilight. The deep drow here are enjoying their twilight depths.
Minor races[]
Minor races are races that don't have a great impact on the politics of the Great Sea and include the following:
Amphians[]
Amphians are psionic sea folk that migrate into and out of the Mediteranean Seas often, and may even cross oceans. There are several tribes of them, but they have hunting grounds near the Phoenician Republic.
Cindarians[]
Female Cindarian by Dean Spencer for the Cerulean Seas Campaign Setting.
Cindarians are halflings gated through the Dragon Gate and used by the Lemurians to adapt to the sea. The original halflings for this purpose were volunteers to the Lemurians' plans. All Cindarians were created using a lionfish merfolk gene template.
Thallassic Azrai[]
The Azrai are psionic sea elves related to the Olivaen elves. Because their undersea kingdom is located close to the Olivaen Elves' nation, people have speculated that they are an underwater strain. There are colonies of Thallassic Azrai in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Benthic Naga[]
Hidden in the Aryavartan Ocean, near the coast of Aryavarta is a mythical city where the Benthic Naga originate, the city of Dvaraka. They have little to do with the politics of the Mediterranean Sea, except when they visit the kingdom of the Sebek-kas and make the trip over land into the Great Sea.
Austorian Dwarves[]
Austorian Dwarves are a race of aquatic dwarves that seem to be perfectly humanoid. They are found in the deeps underneath Piscean and Triton territory.
Melusine[]
Beyond the Pillars of Hercules dwell the reclusive Melusine. Their civilization is rumored to be found amongst the Circe Isles (The Azores). The Melusine are a deep water, psionic race that looks alien.
Sharkfolk[]
Dwelling around wetlands and deltas are the sharkfolk. Found living in the delta of the phoenix river, the sharkfolk hardly molest any travelers. This is despite their fierce-some appearance.