Sea Elves (maerach)

The maerach are those elves that chose the oceans and seas as their home, and with Eldar assistance, came to own them as any other elf does their woods. The maerach discovered, however, that like the lands they had left, the seas were also home to numerous creatures that sought mastery and domination. Maerach have found themselves in conflict with these creatures of the Undersea ever since. Fortunately, the maerach retain their ability to breathe air, and have often aided surface mortals against the creatures of the Undersea in exchange for knowledge, tactics, and sometimes even mercenary help. Individual maerach are sometimes dispatched to the surface to learn of events there, carry messages, and create friendships, and a few port cities are even called "home" to some maerach who find the surface interesting. Maerach look strikingly similar to elves, aside from a small set of gills set just below their ears, which long hair (worn loosely) can usually hide.

Maerach are a strongly matrilineal society, with family names associated with the birth mother of the elf involved. Families are more "pod"-like in nature, and family bonds are often more fluid than is found in other elvish societies--it is not uncommon to see a maerach family pod that consists of multiple adults raising multiple children. Adults in the "pod" are generally loyal to their family, though family disputes often do see a pod member kicked out of the pod (often temporarily, but sometimes permanently), which can lead to maerach journeying "abovewater" for a while.

While some maerach have settled "abovewater" for long periods of time, most maerach consider the sea their homes, and will generally not want to settle anywhere more than a day's walk or ride away from the ocean. (For whatever reason, maerach do not consider interior lakes or rivers to be "proper sea"; discussions on the subject usually end quickly as the maerach changes the subject.) As a result, any concentration of maerach is inevitably in a port city or town, and maerach are often engaged "abovewater" in maritime activities--sailors, shipbuilders, or even fishers.

Whether maerach have cities in the Undersea is a hotly-debated topic among the non-maerach, and one that maerach refuse to discuss, even at point of torture.

Maerach generally have very good relationships with tortles and tritons, but are highly prejudiced against lizardfolk, at least at first. Like all elves, maerach tend to judge individuals based on their actions as they observe them, but it is not uncommon to see maerach loosen weapons at first sight of lizardfolk, or be surprised in combat by devious tortles or tritons.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

• Sea Elf Training. You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.

• Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.

• Friend of the Sea. Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any beast that has an innate swimming speed.

• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Aquan.

name = 'Sea'
description = "***Subrace: Sea Elf.*** *Maerach* look strikingly similar to elves, aside from a small set of gills set just below their ears, which long hair (worn loosely) can usually hide."
def level0(npc):
    npc.CON += 1

    npc.proficiencies.append("Spear")
    npc.proficiencies.append("Trident")
    npc.proficiencies.append("Light crossbow")
    npc.proficiencies.append("Net")

    npc.traits.append(traits['sea-emissary'])
    npc.traits.append(traits['amphibious'])
    npc.speed['swimming'] = 30

    npc.languages.append('Aquan')