Fish Folk:

Animal folk based on fish. Though impossible to describe every nation, the following are broader categories of nations (each nation having its own species to be based on) with general characteristics, plus some notable nations from within those categories. These animal folk evolved from coastal and sea-faring peoples who returned to living underwater, those living by and on lakes and rivers, and some who dwelled in the Subterranean Realm near watersources there.

Jawless Fish Folk :

Lamprey Folk: known as an invasive and territorial group of nations (envy), they are very rare but well known and with a bad reputation

• Kowhatu-Kohatu: (pouched lamprey) (name means stone-licker in maori): this small but vicious nation has a large territory within the Thousand Thousand

Hagfish Folk: largely unknown, the one nation of hagfish folk to interact with other nations dwells so deep in the Palhuric Ocean that none have visited their homeland; how they came into being is a mystery, though their own legends say they were once enslaved by eldritch horrors (misfortune)

• Te Puhi: (pacific hagfish) (name means eel in tahitian): their name comes not from themselves but from the few islanders who ever interact with them; their primary interaction has been to sink boats and ships as plunder

Cartilaginous Fish Folk :

• Shark Folk: one of the most known and most feared groups of fish folk, some nations of shark folk have a deserved reputation as violent raiders, and others do not
  • Kuyingozi: (great hammerhead) (name comes from zulu word for dangerous): this nation of hammerhead shark folk is the one that earned all shark folk their fearsome reputation as brutal raiders; their original national name is long lost, as they adopted the name given them by one of the nations they invaded early on; they are known for combining their aetherial arts with baleblood (rage)
  • Zaenafa: (angelshark) (name comes from arabic word for finfolk): this nation formed when their people took on angelshark features in order to hide on the bottom of the ocean during one of the many divine wars; their origin tales explain that eventually, they realized they could not hide and must fight back, and in doing this, they took to wielding Tenyocan, but they retain their abilities to camouflage (valor)
  • Fiogach: (spiny dogfish) (name is irish for dogfish): a nation that returned to the sea to better hunt their prey, formerly a fishing nation, they took on the features of the fearsome spiny dogfish and have ties to the Wild Hunt (hunt)
  • Akum: (bramble shark) (name is igbo for shark): a nation known to use thorn energy combined with aetherial arts, they live off the coast of western Taggarus and prey on the people there (envy)
  • Wobbegong Folk: (spotted wobbegong, or all wobbegongs): a nation or group of nations living in the Thousand Thousand, they are known for their use of dream energy (dream)
  • Dakuwaga: (nurse shark) (named for fijian protector/shark god): a nation of shark folk in the Thousand Thousand who have a long tradition of using hegnh (home)
  • Kanaka Mano: (whale shark) (name comes from hawaiian for shark person): a nation of whale shark folk in the Thousand Thousand who use ikehu lyua pele, or island aether (island)
  • Mangonuima: (great white shark) (maori word for great white shark): the largest and most powerful nation of shark folk in the world, they have territory in every ocean; they are large enough of a population that though they have their own traditional mystic arts (b'qar, nzwara murazvo, baleblood, conflueverant), most esoteric arts are used within their culture (water)
  • Tigomano: (tiger shark) (hawaiian for tiger+shark, but not mano mano, which is their term for tiger sharks): this nation in the Thousand Thousand keep to their roots, favoring nzwara murazvo (fauna)
• Ray Folk: living much deeper than their cousins the shark folk, ray folk are greatly feared for their cultural connections to eldritch horrors and their general lack of interaction with other nations (doom)
  • Sthamuth: (deepwater stingray) (name is from the ancient language of eldritch horrors): living in the deep parts of the eastern oceans, these ray folk are servants of the eldritch horrors and users of doom energy
  • Uggugot (manta ray) (name is from the ancient language of eldritch horrors): living in the equatorial waters in small but powerful nations, these ray folk serve the eldritch horrors and traditionally use hollow energy (abuse)
  • Jawawira (river stingray) (name is from tupi word for stingray): these freshwater ray folk live in the deep rivers of the Palhuric rainforests, and they do not use the eldritch powers; instead, they are users of nzwara murazvo (fauna)

Ray-Finned Fish Folk : the largest grouping

• Sturgeon Folk: known for their use of koramongst the various cultures (history)
  • Iqakimi: (atlantic sturgeon) (name comes from inuit words iqaluq for fish and kimigaaq for ridge): this ancient nation lives in the Altic and Aurul Oceans, along their northern edges and southward as well; they have a strong oral tradition that relates their entire history
  • Sevruga: (starry sturgeon) (name is alternate name from persian/turkish for the starry sturgeon): living in the northern Indigo Sea and inland seas of Ranu, these sturgeon folk chart their histories through the stars (star)
  • Oka'Nakni': (lake sturgeon) (name is chickasaw words for water+man): ancient nation that dwells in the lakes and rivers of western Palhur, these sturgeon folk read their histories in the currents (water)
• Gar Folk: national grouping mostly associated with the large swamp nations in Palhur
  • Truite: (alligator gar) (name comes from cajun word for minnow, a reclaimed term used by the nation): a powerful nation much attuned with the wetlands of western Palhur (swamp)
• Carp Folk: unfairly associated with a large, belligerent nation, these folk are more varied than many realize (filth)
  • Kingyo: (goldfish) (name comes from japanese for goldfish): well-known nation famed for their beauty, wealth, and spiritual traditions, they live in eastern Dabusen among the lakes of the larger islands; among them are traditions of using dumaqu, mashoaab, and ambrosia (love)
  • Liyu: (cyprinus qionghaiensis) (name is chinese for carp): dwelling in and around a single large lake in Unbul, these carp folk are known for their use of HolyVirtue and dedication to the rulers of Unbul (heaven)
  • Noergeln: (common carp) (name is german for carp): this nation has a long reputation for invading and raiding from major rivers in Jesenya; brown aether became a part of their culture as they tried to survive polluted rivers near major cities; they have become driven by this energy to befoul the world around them
• Mullet Folk: coastal nations that live in scattered, hidden communities near the coasts of Palhur (silence)
  • Dajaun: legendary nation that few have ever met, as arcanum is central to their culture
• Mackerel Folk: a varied grouping of nations that are often known for their bondsmagic (connection)
  • Kahist: (king mackerel) (name comes from seminole word for fish to-tee-kah and the word for person): a nation along the coasts of Palhur, they are known for their use of ethereal energy to connect them to a wide variety of other creatures, plants, even objects
  • Godeung-eo: (korean mackerel) (korean for mackerel): an east Dabusen nation that uses yahas as their main mystic tradition; they are small but have a powerful reputation
• Herring Folk: a group of nations scattered through the world, known for their powerful working class culture (labor)
  • Skeddan (atlantic herring) (manx word for herring): living throughout the Wyren Ocean, they have a large series of cities built with euergasia
  • Sel'd: (pacific herring) (russian word for herring): living in the northern Aurul Ocean, this nation is also a one built with euergasia
• Angler Folk: an uncommon group of nations, but the most notable is the Dalurinean nation, known for being devoted to the shadow(darkness)
  • Dalurinean (sea devil) (named for their homeland): living in the deepest parts of the Red Ocean, little light reaches them; they have a long tradition of using gossamer light energy in their culture; one of the many nations used by the Webweaver in previous Shems
• Piranha Folk: all piranha nations are united under one banner, the sainha, founded by a powerful group of kalku(nightmare)
  • Sainha: (all piranhas) (from the tupi root word for piranha): long ago, a group of kalku (an evil spiritual leader from the mapuche people) bonded with a school of piranha; they formed a nation that terrorized the rainforests of eastern Palhur' they often use uafas
• Marlin Folk: a grouping of nations from around the world, they are often known for their philosophers (philosophy)
  • Atlaltean (atlantic blue marlin) (name is a corruption of atlantean, or citizen of atlantis): possibly the most well known fish folk kingdom in the Wyren, the atlalteans pride themselves on their ideas, education, and philosophies, despite having a fairly brutal autocratic society
• Electric Eel Folk: only one known nation living in eastern Palhur, amidst the waters of the rainforests (storm)
  • Pira-endi: (electric eel) (name is tupi for fish-lightning): rivals territorially with the sainha, this nation consider themselves stewards of the rainforest and seek to protect it
• Salmon Folk: nomadic fish folk living in freshwater areas, these have close roots to their human ancestors (travel)
  • Eqaluk (pink salmon) (inuit word for salmon): the most famous, living in northwestern Palhur, this nation is well known for their nomadic traditions, their long journeys, and their powerful magics
  • Cohoan (silver salmon): Palhuric nation known for their command of ashar. (life)
  • Chianega (red salmon): Palhurc nation known for their deep-set eyes and their powers over the water and the wilds. (water)
• Perch Folk: (philosophy)
  • Skalert (european perch): [norwegian] nation in northern Ranu who are known for their epistemological discourses.
  • Neqetupik (yellow perch): [inuit] nation in the Cassaran Ocean who have a unique view of the world.
• Trout Folk: (order)
  • Sewingwer (brown trout): [corrupted welsh] lake and sea nation around Lyrilla who have a special Code that drives their culture. (order)
  • Namagwobigen (silver trout): [corrupted abenaki] lake nation in western Palhur who control major trade routes through the area. (value)
  • Onek (brook trout): [corrupted seneca] river nation in western Palhur who are known for their use of conflueverant (water)
  • Sumu (rainbow trout): [comanche] freshwater nations across Palhur who wield the spectrum. (vision)
• Bass Folk: (water)
  • Ulkeway (black sea bass): [corrupted seminole] in the Palhuric Ocean, a major nation that dominates the great oceanic plains.
  • Rybanarod (giant sea bass): [russian] in the Aurul Ocean, a powerful nation among the frigid waters (ice)
  • Alumco (chilean sea bass): [mapuche] in the Great Southern Ocean, a powerful nation of esotericists (magic)
• Clownfish Folk:
  • Vidoolok (common clownfish): [corrupted hindi] in the oceans north of Dabusen, near the subcontinent, this nation celebrate beauty (love)
  • Isdabayan (maroon clownfish): [filipino] in the oceans around northeastern Dabusen, this nation holds annual celebrations and festivals known to sailors around the world (wine)
  • Ikanrakyat (saddleback clownfish): [indonesian] in the oceans around northeastern Dabusen, a nation of artists and architects (vision)
• Cod Folk: (neutrality)
  • Kaneqipak (atlantic cod): [corrupted inuit] in the northern Indigo Sea, this nation tries to stay out of the international disputes around them.
  • Tulut (pacific cod): [corrupted miwork] in the Palhuric Ocean, a nation of builders (structure)
• Swordfish Folk:
  • Iaoiwi (swordfish) (war): [corrupted hawaiian] in the oceans around the eastenr Island Bridge, a powerful, belligerent nation.
• Catfish Folk:
  • Ruffun (catfish): catfish folk around the world all belong to the same powerful nation, often stereotyped as merry folk (joy), but also shrewd trading, emotional magicks, and earthquakes.
• Char Folk:
  • Zamorozhenny (arctic char) (ice): powerful nation in the Cassaran Ocean who control the cold waters.
• Seahorse Folk:
  • Samahisqawm (common seahorse): [corrupted arabic] in the oceans around Mahad, a peaceful nation that guards their borders with diplomacy.
  • Ikkudarak (spiny seahorse): [corrupted indonesian] in the oceans around northeastern Dabusen, a nation of vicious, petty tyrants (oppression)

Coelecanth Folk: (nature)

• Kaecar (coelecanth): [comorian] in the Great Southern Ocean, a nation who are masters of viridian aether.

Fish Folk Template