'''Race''': Deep One'''Over-race''': Merman'''Classification''': Pseudohuman'''Family''': Aquatic'''Sphere''': Darkness'''Origin''': Raithev fashioned these out of the darkness at the depths of the ocean, as a present for Keserel'''Lifespan''': ~1000 years'''Habitat''': The deepest reaches of the oceans'''Food''': Blood of ocean dwellers
'''Description''': Deep ones appear to be greyish-green, with white bellies. They have scaly ridges on their backs, with shiny, slippery bodies. Their heads are those of anglerfish, complete with fleshy filaments above their eyes, including one long one with a light at the end. Their eyes bulge and never close, and they have gills. They have webbed hands and feet.
'''Procreation''': A female will lay a clutch of about 20 eggs, only one or two of which will ever grow up to hatch. Of those that hatch, few survive to adulthood. Deep ones can only mate genuinely with other deep ones or other mermen races or demons, though mating outside their own is extremely rare. Mating with demons produces half-demons. When a deep one mates with a surface dweller, the hybrid created will be a mad fishmonster, though it appears normal until its forty-first birthday. A fishmonster is almost impossible to kill.
'''Magic''': 1/10,000 has soul magic. 1/10,000 has heart magic. Mind, body, & void are all common, as is faith.
'''Special Powers''': A deep one cannot breathe above water without magical aide, but many deep ones can use magic or faith. They are excellent swimmers. They have huge, black hearts that pump black blood through their cold veins. These hearts contain powerful dark magic if one rips them out. The blood of a deep one poisons the water it touches, creating a soul eating cloud of bloody water. Their sharp fangs are vorpal.
Deep ones can use their arms as legs on the sea floor, and they are excellently camouflaged. Their sense of smell is excellent.
'''Weaknesses''': Their eyes are extremely sensitive to light. They are also weak to powerful holy power, & they dry out easily if not underwater.
'''Culture''': They live to dominate the seas & the world, eventually. They are evil fishmen who worship the Spider Gods & the Mother of Water, mostly. They generally create vast empires, built on the backs of slaves, on the sea bed. They loathe all other merman types & many undersea animalmen.
'''Notables''': Audzius Rex, Emperor of Dalurine; Basgastian, the Deep Lord
'''Sample statistics''':PRO 10ATH 10 Swimming 13STR 10 Vorpal Fangs +10/+10AWA 12 Smell 16WIL 12ROG 12
Blood Poison 15