Kalasaa

A race of aquatic humanoids found throughout the seas of Quartus. Of all the children of Leviathan, the kalasaa are the closest to surface-dwellers in shape and appearance. Ironically, they're also one of the less frequent of the sea-dwellers to interact with surfacers.

Physical Appearance

Visually, kalasaa are human, except with non-human skin and hair tones, usually blues and greens. Their feet and hands are slightly webbed, and some have small fins on their lower arms and legs. Their eyes tend to be deep green. They average slightly shorter than most humans, with both males and females standing around 5' tall, although with significant variation. Sexual dimorphism is similar to that of humans, although females are just as large as males (on average). Kalasaa are stockier and hardier than most humans, and are fully amphibious and capable of swimming and living in the depths.

Cultures

Many, if not most, kalasaa believe themselves to be the chosen servants of Leviathan and, in alliance with the other sea races, form war bands to hunt the servants of the Twisted, especially mkhulu and comiedai who serve that demonic beast. They also consider themselves the keepers of the artifacts of civilizations lost under the sea. As a result, kalasaa society is martial, with strong emphasis on righteousness and order.

Most kalasaa settlements are in the deeper areas of the continental shelves, located hundreds of feet under the water, and they rarely approach the surface except on the hunt for thieves from their protected areas.

Ikelan Kalasaa

One exception to this are the kalasaa of Ikela, a nation on the north-eastern coast of Soefra. Living in abnormally shallow waters (for kalasaa), the cities of Ikel'Mer, Pel'Mer, and Kal'Mer are shallow enough that the tops of the towers are exposed at low tide. They once were deeper until the Cataclysm reshaped the land. Adapting ably, they formed an alliance with the local human communities and ever since have conducted the business of a hybrid human/kalasaa kingdom. Unlike most kalasaa, they no longer worship Leviathan; instead they revere the Sea Mother, an aspect of Selesurala as well as a coterie of ascended heroes, the Wave-minder, the Walker of the Middle Path, and the Eightfold Eye.