Pahari

Pahari are marine nymphs of the warm southern seas with three shapes. Their favorite, natural form resembles a mermaid: above the waist a woman lovelier than the full moon, below it a fish's tail scaled in blue, green or ruby. As a brightly colored reef fish about 12 inches long, a pahari swims at speed 24 and ducks into crevices to escape big predators. The third form is a human woman, identical to the upper half of the natural shape but with slim, graceful legs, used only on land or aboard ships.

They breathe air or water equally well. Every pahari speaks its own language and Common and can talk with all fish and nereids, and the brightest learn up to four more from among the tongues of dolphins, whales, reef giants and zaratani.

Gentle and timid, pahari avoid fighting. They carry no weapons of their own, though they can use any they are handed, and they gladly use magic items in a pinch. Their real strength is magic: most are elemental wizards, nearly always of water, casting at twice their Hit Dice (a 4 HD pahari casts as an 8th-level wizard). Favorite spells include waterbane, water blast, airy water, ship of fools, float, sea sight, converse with sea creatures, command water spirits, strengthen water creatures and conjure (water) elemental. Once per round, at will, a pahari can polymorph into either of its other forms.

Communities of 2-20, spread evenly across sizes and Hit Dice, live on the sea floor near shore in homes of shell and coral beside tended kelp or seaweed gardens. A group larger than five has a 50% chance of 2-12 attendant dolphins. They live mainly on seaweed and kelp with a little shellfish, but never eat fish, which they regard as close to cannibalism.

Pahari are fascinated, almost obsessed, with life above the waves. They collect surface objects, magic items above all, and invite sailors home to tell stories. The bold sun themselves on rocks or swim up to ships to chat, and a young one may walk ashore in human form to scandalize a village (whose people hurriedly find her clothes), taste strange food, and dance and sing all night before going home. A few stay, against their elders' advice, and some marry good-aligned surface folk. Living 300-400 years, a pahari soon outlasts a human husband and then returns to the sea for good, where older sisters who have known the same grief comfort her. The elders favor brief, frequent visits ashore.

Pahari guard their seas fiercely and fight evil marine creatures such as sea hags whenever they can. A pahari's kiss grants water breathing for a day.