Shalarin

Shalarin blend traits of humans and elves into a fully aquatic form about six feet tall. A tall dorsal fin starts at the top of the nose, crosses the head and down the spine to the tailbone, flaring to about two feet high between the shoulder blades. Their gills open not at the neck but along the collarbones and down both sides of the ribs. They have no lungs, so they cannot leave the water. The skin is smooth and scaleless, feeling and looking like a dolphin's, and comes in every color coral does. Their eyes resemble those of fish and whales more than humans'. On their home world they dwell only in a great inland sea.

Most wear pearl or silverweave armor, though some try surface-made armor, always avoiding pieces that cramp the fin. Their weapons vary widely, but tridents and tapals are favorites.

Shalarin society rests on four strict castes: Protectors, who are warriors; Providers, the workers and servants who also include the rulers; Scholars, such as historians, poets, bards and singers; and Seekers, the explorers. Shalarin try to learn a stranger's caste at once, since it tells them how to behave, and mixed signals, like a warrior who also cooks or sings, leave them deeply confused.

They are courteous and open, though cool toward sea elves, who persecuted them long ago. Many outsiders mistake their trust for naivety; it is nothing of the kind.

Shalarin lay eggs, which incubate for six months in warm undersea caves and mud. The color and texture of each egg reveal the unborn child's caste without fail. Eggs go to clan hatcheries, and each hatchling is raised by foster parents of its own caste.