Malenti

Malenti (or tu'sarlos in the language of the shalarin ) were mutated children of sahuagin that looked like sea elves. They occasionally infiltrated sea elf societies, usually for nefarious purposes.

The word "malenti" meant "changeling" in the elvish dialect. In sahuagin, its literal meaning was "ugly one"—a term sahuagin used among themselves and not directly to a malenti.

Description
Malenti were sahuagin mutants, but they most closely resembled aquatic elves in form and appearance. They had greenish-silver skin and green or deep blue hair, with slanted, sparkling green eyes. They had webbed fingers and toes, as well as the gills of most marine species. Unlike aquatic elves, however, they had retractable claws and sharper teeth, as well as skin as tough as normal sahuagin's.

Their similarity to sea elves was enough that even true sea elves could not distinguish the difference, however, dolphins were sometimes able to tell them apart, and malenti greatly disliked dolphins because of this.

Society
Malenti were shunned by their clan as whole, but were protected by the clan's ruler and trained as spies by the clans best warriors and the priestesses. Some developed the ability to detect sea elves up to away, which made them even more useful. Training could last anywhere from a few weeks to a full 20 years, depending upon the ruler's goals for his spy. This training had the additional affect of bestowing a sense of honor as a protector of the clan on a malenti.

A clan's blacksmiths were often malenti since they could tolerate the open air and fire necessary to operate a forge better than other sahuagin.

Ironically malenti could not mate with sea elves, but could mate with a sahuagin, if one would have them, or another malenti. The offspring was always another malenti. A sahuagin who did mate with a malenti often killed off the mutant hatchlings if it could.

If a malenti discovered its true status among sahuagin society, it sometimes left its clan. Malenti reaching the end of their lifespans also tended to flee their clan as their usefulness waned. As a result, whole communities of malenti have been known to come into existence. These rogue clans were often sought out and eradicated by "true" sahuagin.

Noble Malenti Society
Two of those rogue clans, gathering a total of 60 members, had built new cultures and colonies far from the original sahuagin society. As outcasts, they tend to be very discrete and reject the model of sahuagin society that is seen as savage. They are looking for a more harmonious way of life with other races, even by forging alliances. Doing so they would try hard to be accepted but would be ready to react against any aggression they might suffer. In order to be accepted by other races they can count on their ability to forge and work metal under the sea.

Settlement
The first colony known was Kymal. It is located above the Bymmal trench, close the Aglarond shores, and lead by a citizen elected by popular vote. The Noble Malenti of this colony wanted it to be a place where every Malenti would be considered as equal to one another. This settlement is built as structures of giant clam shells.

The second location was in the Bay of Chessenta, into the elven settlement of Velyraar. The Noble Malenti clan helped the elves living there to defeat a slaughter started by a sahuagin attack. In return for their help, the sea elves tended to accept them to fight their common enemy.

Religion
The noble malenti have embraced new faiths, shifting away from Sekolah's church to worship Deep Sashelas, Eldath or Mystra. Those changes have been strongly supported by Kymal's leader in order to turn away from their devil origin and hopefully win wizardry abilities.

In the last part of the Twelfth Serôs War in 1369 DR, Laaqueel discovered that she had been blessed by Eldath, not Sekolah, and it was Eldath's voice that had guided her choices.

History
The orgins of the malenti lay in the distant past, when a cabal of surface-dwelling mages tried to create a sea elf-sahuagin hybrid. Some of the sahuagin who they experimented escaped returned to their homes and bred, resulting in the malenti strain.

Notable Malenti

 * Sittl, a malenti masquerading as a sea elf.
 * Laaqueel, a priestess who undertook a quest to search for Iakhovas. She succeeded and thereby inadvertently started the Twelfth Serôs War.
 * Qallit & Tekir, a pair of malenti from the Corsair Domains.

Appearances

 * Adventures : Corsairs of the Great Sea, "The Genies Fifth Wager: Terrapin Isle" • Dungeon #66: "Operation Manta Ray"