Locathah

The locathah are a fish-like humanoid race also known as fish-men, gill-men or kaparl ("slave" in kuo-toan).

Description
Although humanoid in shape, locathah are clearly more fish than human. The average locathah stands 5 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. Females and males look very much alike, although the former can be recognized by the two ochre stripes marking their egg sacs.

In Serôs, they have fine scales covering their bodies that range from olive green to ocre in colour although their stomach scales instead range from sea green to pale yellow. They have fish-like heads with large eyes, either all-black or all-white (which is viewed as a good omen), toothless mouths and small fins where ears would normally be. Instead of hair, they have a dorsal fin and flukes

Characteristics
The locathah have been dealt a bad hand in terms of their racial history, having been enslaved by nearly every race of the Sea of Fallen Stars, especially by the Kuo-toa and Ixitxachitl. Although there are still some locathah slaves dotted around the deeper oceans, most are now free and living in more shallow waters as nomads.

The reason for their enslavement, in their minds, was that their enemies took advantage of periods when the locathah were at odds with their allies or each other and thus, fragmented. As such, they now live in tight-knit communities and, if others prove to be their allies, the locathah will prove firm in their allegiance, trying everything in their power to keep such alliances together. Despite said history of slavery, even when treated with the utmost cruelty, they do not harbour angry or vengeful feelings towards their former captors, though they will do anything within their power short of threatening harm to their fellows to escape if enslaved by someone else. They don't believe that is shameful to be enslaved, but it is to do nothing about the situation.

It is easy to unintentionally offend a locathah as they have many unwritten rules of etiquette. If approached by a creature wielding a weapon, a locathah will always either flee or engage in combat. They do not like to be touched by other species, interactions with others are always done at a distance. They commonly lead creatures unfamiliar with their territory by their wake-currents.

Sociology
They are hunter-gatherers by nature, which has led many to believe them no more than simple barbarians. The locathah simply pay those with this attitude no heed.

Most locathah live in communal tribes. Those of 100 members or less are usually simple hunting parties, dominated by males, but in larger tribes they prefer a matriarchal chieftain. The chieftain lays a multitude of eggs that are cared for by the rest of the tribe. Kelp farms and hunting territory are defended zealously and religious ceremonies to their creator-god Eadro are kept totally private, but otherwise locathah are welcoming of strangers.

In ancient times, one group of locathah living between the Zakharan mainland and the islands of Sahu and Afyal worshiped the evil god Thasmudyan.

Habitat
Locathah territories can be found in warm coastal sea waters. They are perfectly happy living in deeper waters, but their former captors tend to live in such places so the locathah tribes have acclimated themselves to living in these shallows instead.

In Serôs, locathah nomads live south of Impiltur and west of Thesk in a region they call the Bymmalyn Hills, however, some have moved to more permanent settlements on the slopes of the Hmur Plateau which they use as a natural barrier against their traditional foes, the kuo-toa and the morkoth. They used to also live in the Alamber Deeps but the sahuagin there hunted them to extinction, earning the rare hatred of the locathah.