Merman

Mermen have a human upper body joined to the tail of a fish. Some unknown power changed their human ancestors into this shape long ago. Adults run 5 to 6 feet long and 150 to 225 pounds; mermaids are about 6 inches shorter and weigh 100 to 150 pounds. Skin ranges from fair to tan, hair is usually dark brown and occasionally blond, and scales shade from green to silver. They decorate themselves with coral and shells.

They speak their own language, with dialects that drift apart between distant communities, and half their settlements know locathah as well.

Merman communities are heavily armed. One in five trident fighters also carries a hook and a 50-foot grappling line, and their crossbows reach 30 yards underwater. Against ships they hurl grapples up to 50 feet; every grapple held by ten mermen reduces a ship's speed by 1. Once the vessel stops, they hole its hull in 4d4 rounds, let it sink slowly, and loot it. Fire attacks deal mermen double damage.

Every 20 mermen are led by a patrol leader of 2-3 HD with 1-3 barracuda (AC 6, MV 30, HD 3, one bite for 2d4). Every 40 have a 4 HD leader, and every 120 have a 6 HD chief with two 4 HD guards. A 3 HD shaman, casting as a priest of 3rd level, turns up with a 10% chance per ten mermen.

Most communities occupy a reef or cliff riddled with tunnels; only 10% build villages from shells and coral. A typical settlement has 100 to 600 males, with as many females and as many young as there are males, and it is guarded by 3d6 trained barracuda. Mermen herd fish for a living, surface to sunbathe on large rocks, and in lean times raid other sea peoples or passing ships.

Their society is strongly patriarchal. Males hunt, herd and defend the territory, while females raise the young, run the household and create the community's art: carved shells, woven seaweed hangings and songs. Mermen are territorial and standoffish, usually refusing offers of trade or friendship, and despite their kinship with humans they have no fondness for them.

They eat many things but favor fish, lobster, crab and shellfish, filleted and eaten raw. Out of water they last an hour before drying out, then lose 2 hit points per hour until they die at zero; soaking in fresh or salt water restores all of those lost points at once. They live about 150 years. Their bitterest foes are sahuagin and ixitxachitl, and they often fight tritons over territory.