Lifespan:
– Wenssri have a long natural life span of 130 years, regardless of their gender. Many are not considered to be an Elder member of the race until they reach around 90 years of age.

Population:
– The Wenssri can be found in the seas and oceans across Siliren, but have avoided getting too close to Winhem until recent years. Across the world, Wenssri have a population of approximately ten million. They are nomadic by nature and travel in Schools. Large schools can be close to one thousand Wenssri, and the smallest schools can have as few as fifty. Permanent settlements of Wenssri are infrequent, but places like Meelohnar can have a population of roughly 800,000 Wenssri.

Racial Bonus:

– Wenssri, upon creation, gains a +10 bonus to one of the following skills:

1. Athletics
2. Espionage
3. Singing

Spellpool:
150

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History

During the ancient times of Anore, the Wenssri were guardians and custodians of Muostas’ domain, who forever endeavored to keep life in the oceans thriving and lush. They feared no creature that called the ocean home for the Wenssri treated them as family. Life in the Rigen-infused waters of Anore was as close to paradise as even Muostas could imagine. The only thing the Wenssri could have asked for was that it had never ended. But alas, the side effects of the Domain War did not permit that.

Waters boiled their inhabitants alive and ocean currents underwent drastic changes. The safety and familiarity of living in the seas were stripped away. Confused and desperate, the Wenssri cried out to their patron deity only to be answered with the waters growing more dangerous. When Muostas finally appeared to them again, it was to deliver news worse than anything they could imagine. The seas, the oceans, and Anore… were dying. The Schools that had survived prepared for the migration to the new world that Muostas, and the other gods, had promised them.

The Change Days were not kind to the Wenssri. Coming through Nilata’s portal was traumatizing like it was for many of the Anorians. Of the Wenssri that had not been mutated into Hellbends, many of them were stricken with Rigenic poisoning. Saturated in Rigen as its nature changed in a chaotic manner, tens of thousands of Wenssri died suddenly. Those that did not found themselves in an arid desert. Panicked, the Schools scattered in all directions to try and find the seas. Thousands more died of dehydration as they wandered for days.

The Wenssri population had been reduced by more than half during the Domain War and Change Days. Those that survived managed to find rivers that led to the seas. Naively, the Wenssri believed their troubles were over once they found the oceans. While the other Anorians were involved in the war with humans, the Wenssri were struggling to find their place within the ecosystem of Siliren’s waters. Sea creatures far more dangerous than any they knew on Anore hunted the Wenssri, who were so accustomed to being prey to other creatures. The Schools scattered all over the world, caring not for the struggles of the land races.

Decades passed before they established their place in the oceans. Certain Schools developed a deep understanding of specific regions of the ocean. They became territorial, and would sometimes war with other Schools over sea domains and hunting areas. As more decades passed, the Wenssri began to abandon their primal survival instincts. Schools began to reconnect in order to trade with or aid each other. Some Schools grew larger and established permanent communities near gigantic reefs that stretched for miles.

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Biology

Physical Appearance

Some of the other races may refer to the Wenssri derogatively as “fish people” but they are more similar to octopi. Their upper half appears as a humanoid torso with two arms and their lower half are tentacles with suction cups. A web of skin connects the base of each tentacle together.

Check out this Pinterest Board for inspiration on Wenssri, or look up images of Cecaelia.

Head

A Wenssri has two eyes that each have two eyelids that can blink individually. The inner eyelid is translucent and protects the eye from water or high winds. The outer eyelid blinks horizontally towards the center of the face. Depending on their genetics, a Wenssri can have one of three pupil types. Most common, roughly 65% of the population, are rectangular irises that rest horizontally like an octopus. Then there is a circular pupil like that of a squid’s which roughly 30% of the population has. Finally, there is the “w” shaped iris similar to that of a cuttlefish’s, which roughly 5% of the population has. Surrounding the pupil the eyeball itself is near white in color, usually with slight hints of yellow, green, or even red.

Every Wenssri has either 2, 4, 6, or 8 cirrus (plural: cirri) that protrude from the back of the head, the side of the head, or a combination of both instead of hair. Cirrus is defined as a slender tendril or hairlike filament, such as the appendage of a barnacle, the barbel of a fish, or the intromittent organ of an earthworm. It is not until the age of 10 that a Wenssri begins to grow their cirri, which grows at about one inch per year for all their cirri. Wenssri are not considered to be adults until their cirri have grown to be twenty inches in length, which is typically around the age of thirty. After reaching adulthood, the cirri’s growth rate slows down to a quarter of an inch per year. Cirri continues to grow throughout a Wenssri’s lifespan, regardless of how many cirri an individual has. They have gross motor control and more sensation than the cirrus of other creatures. In the water, the cirri can bend and move as though they are a slower, and much weaker tentacle. Outside of the water and without the aid of buoyancy, the cirri have only enough strength to twitch and reposition themselves to either side of the shoulders.

It is most common to see a Wenssri with 8 cirri, as about 55% of the population have 8. 30% of the population has 6 cirri. 10% of the population has 4 cirri. 5% of the population has 2 cirri. The fewer cirri a Wenssri has, the thicker the cirri grows at the base.

To see images of what Cirri look like in real life, look at this Pinterest Board for inspiration.

Wenssri are born with smooth teeth like that of a human. This allows them to have an herbivore diet until their second set of teeth grows in. Beginning at age five, and over the course of the next five to eight years, the smooth teeth fall out and sharp teeth like that of a shark begin to grow in. When a Wenssri has nothing but sharp teeth, their diet changes to be primarily carnivorous.

There is an additional lobe to a Wenssri’s brain located on the forefront. This lobe’s entire function is dedicated to producing and understanding a unique method of speech. Wenssri have a larynx in their throat like many humanoid races, and can produce articulate verbal communication. However, they are also able to vibrate their vocal cords in a way to produce moans and screeches that carry through water for miles if desired. With these sounds, Wenssri can navigate the waters and track food in a similar way to how whales communicate and track food.

Torso

There isn’t a gender among the Wenssri that is genetically the larger gender. Females do not have breasts, and no gender has nipples. Rough, leathery skin covers the torso except for the forearms and the webbed hands, which are covered in fine scales. The skin, scales, tentacles, and cirri of male Wenssri can be any combination of blue, green, and gray. Female colors are purple, orange, and pink. No Wenssri is a monochrome color. The colors of their body swirl, speckle, and mix to make patterns on the chest, back, and sometimes on the cirri. Color patterns are hereditary, which can assist in identifying what family, or School, a Wenssri descends from.

Male Color Inspiration Palette

Female Color Inspiration Palette

Wenssri can produce a chemical reaction that is focused on the skin across their chest and through their cirri. The chemical reaction causes bioluminescence in shades of blue and yellow. Generating this is a conscious effort similar to a humanoid flexing a muscle. The amount of light produced is small, only enough to be seen by someone no further than fifteen feet away in the water. Outside of the water, the light can be clearly seen up to forty feet away in the dark.

Wenssri can also excite or relax their skin which causes the pigment to change color. The color change is most extreme on a Wenssri’s chest and back, with the head, arms, cirri, and tentacles having a less significant change. While every Wenssri is born with this ability, the effectiveness of it is something that each individual needs to be trained in. Individuals that can change their skin color to almost match their surrounding environment perfectly are considered masters of camouflaging. Training this skill falls under the Espionage skill.

Arms & Hands

Wenssri possess a pair of arms nearly identical in anatomy to other humanoid races. The differences are small and practical for their aquatic lifestyle. The hands and forearms are covered in tiny scales to provide more friction underwater and to protect the hands and forearms from injury. Both hands have five digits each with webbed skin connecting each finger just above the lowest knuckle. Wenssri have tough, thick nails that are either purple or black that grow at half the rate of human nails. Hunters tend to file their nails with rocks so that they have sharp points. On the upper forearms, just below the elbow, are small fins to aid in swimming.

Lower Tentacles

Wenssri have either six or eight tentacles, which is a hereditary feature. Six tentacles are the dominant gene, and eight tentacles are the recessive gene. Males have an extra, smaller tentacle that usually remains tucked away and out of sight that is used for reproduction. The tentacles vary in length, based on genetics, and range from 3ft to 4ft in length. Each tentacle has fine motor control and suction cups along the entire length of the underside to allow for better gripping on both items and surfaces. A tentacle’s diameter at the base can range between 6 inches and 10 inches before tapering to a blunt point.

Amphibious Anatomy & Nature

Gills are located on either side of the neck as well as on their sides right below where a human’s rib cage would be. Through the gills, a Wenssri can breathe water, and through the narrow slits on their face they are able to breathe air. Wenssri do not have rib cages but have chitinous plates across their chest and back that are layered so that they can still bend and twist their upper body. This allows the Wenssri to resist greater water pressures than other humanoids. For Humans, the water pressure below 180 ft is great enough to penetrate the skin. The rougher skin and chitinous plates allow a Wenssri to resist the water pressure up to a depth of 1,800 ft.

Even though Wenssri can venture onto land and breathe the atmosphere, they are an aquatic race by nature. They have not evolved to survive for long outside the moist environment of the sea. Only five hours need to pass before the Wenssri begins to suffer from dehydration. Symptoms include dizziness, lethargy, and extreme thirst. Once they’ve been out of the water for twenty-four hours, a Wenssri looks noticeably pale and they begin to feel physically weaker, as though they are sick. After forty-eight hours of being out of the water and poorly caring for themselves, a Wenssri moves slowly and with difficulty; to the point where they are only able to venture half as far as they would have otherwise. They also begin to hallucinate and have poor coordination. After seventy-two hours of being outside of the water, a Wenssri is on the brink of death and will not survive the day unless they can submerge themselves completely in clean water for an extended period.

Hot days, persistent sun exposure, and wintery cold temperatures can hasten symptoms. To properly care for themselves when on land, a Wenssri needs to consume large amounts of water or to be able to submerge themselves in clean water for at least a full sleep cycle. Wearing mantles, capes, or vests of moist seaweed or sea sponges help in retaining moisture for longer, but the clothing needs to remain extremely damp to continue to benefit their health.

Reproduction

Like most other Humaniods, the Wenssri have a range of ways they choose a mate. The most traditional, however, is a courting ritual known as Gnoehom. Gnoehom is a performance that one Wenssri does for another. The performance can include dancing, singing, camouflaging, a luminescent display, and other methods of expression. Preferences for what is considered an acceptable Gnoehom can vary from School to School. Among one School, singing could be the focal point of a Gnoehom, whereas another could prefer a balanced combination of dancing, luminescence, and no singing at all. Regardless of how a Wenssri decided to perform their Gnoehom, they do so to express their strong emotions and make their interest for the other plain to see. Either gender can initiate a Gnoehom, and perform it for a same-sexed Wenssri as well. If the observing Wenssri finds the Gnoehom satisfactory, they usually participate for the conclusion. In general, the Wenssri consider it taboo to reproduce without first performing a successful Gnoehom.

To reproduce, the female first produces her clutch of eggs, usually between 2-6 but up to 8. She holds these eggs on the upper suction cups of her tentacles and holds them close to her body, sheltering them with the remaining tentacles. The male is then allowed to fertilize the clutch. The eggs start with a very thin shell, which hardens over the course of a few days. The mother will hold her eggs closely to herself for those days until she places them in a safe location to finish growing. A Wenssri egg is between five to eight inches and weighs approximately three pounds. The color of each egg is unique and varies, usually taking on the colors and patterns of the parents, and can be used as a, somewhat unreliable, predictor of gender and color pattern. The colors show up as the egg hardens in its first few days. It takes five months before an egg is ready to hatch. Not all the eggs that a female lay will hatch. Usually, 50-80% manage to hatch. As the day of hatching approaches the mother will once again carry her eggs closely with her as they rarely hatch all at once. This way the newly born Wenssri tadpoles will be immediately protected by the mother.

Newly hatched Wenssri are born as tadpoles, with a large, near translucent head and eyes, and one thick fin-like tentacle. As they grow in the safety of their mother’s tentacles they begin to sprout more and more appendages until they have reached their 2 arms and 6 or 8 genetic tentacle limit. Their colors and patterns slowly solidify during this time as well. As their tentacles grow, so does the torso as it elongates to separate from the head. The tadpoles use their mother tentacles much like a clownfish uses an anemone to protect themselves from the outside world. As they grow larger they begin to venture further away from the mother and for longer. Eventually, usually around 6-8 months old, the young Wenssri are too large to stay with their mother and this is normally where the father takes over the primary care. Once the children are big enough and self-sufficient enough to hunt and gather food for themselves, the parent’s duties are over. This is usually around 2 years of age. Offspring are commonly called tadlings from this point on until their sharp teeth have completely grown in.

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Culture

Names

There are two names that most members of the Wenssri possess. Their individual name, which typically is three or four syllables long, as well as their School name. A Wenssri’s School name can change during their lifetime, either through mating, migration, skirmishing, or exiling. Example School names are Lehlexo, Wamrao, Ruhwyno, Ahmrahlee, and Oenyeza. There are also names a Wenssri can have to indicate that they don’t have any allegiance or affiliation to any Schools. They are wanderers and sometimes even mercenaries. Such names are either one or two syllables in length and never longer. Widely known names that indicate an individual is a wanderer are Saisa, Enou, Yilin, and Ruzor.

A holy person devoted to Muostas takes on the School name of Senzaru and uses that name even when traveling with others of a different School name. Individuals that are devoted to other gods have their own School names, which easily identifies who it is they worship.

See this name generator for names that can be used for inspiration for PC and NPCs. This generator will include some letters that don’t exist in the Lamechian language, so be sure to edit accordingly.

Society

The Wenssri race is nomadic by nature, with only a couple of known settlements like Meelohnar. Schools often relocate throughout the seasons, primarily to follow their food supply. A School consists of a minimum of fifty Wenssri, and some of the largest are approximately a thousand, maybe more. The average size of a School is one hundred and twenty. Each School is led by a Chieftain. An individual becomes a Chieftain by proving they are either a capable hunter or a wise leader. If the previous Chieftain does not willingly step down, there is either a trial by combat or a vote among the School’s elders.

Elders serve mainly as advisors to a Chieftain whenever there is a discussion pertaining to a School’s future. Elders are Wenssri that become pillars of their community, either through service or expertise in a specific field. Not all of them are necessarily old, but it typically requires decades to establish themselves in their School. Their position as an Elder is determined and maintained by having the other Elders’, or even the Chieftain’s, approval.

Many Schools will often have at least one holy person among them, referred to as a Shaman. Muostas is the primary deity that the Wenssri worship, and other gods are considered secondary. Shamans do not include themselves in discussions with the Elders, and only initiate a discussion with the Chieftain when they feel the Chieftain is leading the School in a sacrilegious direction. A Shaman of Muostas does have the power to depose a Chieftain in the eyes of a School, but only does so when they feel the Chieftain is committing undeniable heresy.

The last prestigious position a Wenssri can have in a School is to be one of the Hunters. A group of three to twenty Wenssri, depending on the size of the School, venture out to hunt and gather food for the rest of the School. Becoming a Hunter requires extended training on how to hunt, as well as how to survive in the open seas. They are trained under a senior Hunter, or even an Elder that was once a Hunter. Hunters often collect keepsakes from creatures they slay, which can include teeth, eyes, and other unique pieces.

Specific to settlements like Meelohnar, farmers are respected, but not to the same extent as Hunters. Farmers raise crustaceans, fish, or other forms of aquatic life in order to feed the larger settlements.

Society

Being clothed is not a requirement within the Wenssri communities and serve more as a means for an individual to express themselves. Jewelry is crafted from choral, chitin, or scales from other sea creatures. Hides can be crafted into decorative pieces to establish the individual having prowess as a hunter or as an individual of wealth. Wenssri that regularly venture onto land are usually donned in capes, mantles, or vests made of seaweed or sponges as a means of helping to keep themselves from drying out and dying.

Singing

Singing is an intrinsic part of Wenssri culture. No ceremony, courtship, or celebration is ever without people breaking out into song. Any other race that understands Lamechian would be confused the first time they hear a Wenssri sing. This is because any attempt to translate a song would result in babbling, incoherent nonsense. They do not sing words but feelings with their prolonged moans and screeches. It is more a series of vocalizations driven by emotion than an expression of a story. Wenssri have a strange interpretation of land-based humanoid singing. Highly recognized and celebrated singers of the land-based races would not be well received by the Wenssri. They instead find the singing efforts of unskilled singers more enjoyable because it appears to be the land equivalent of emotional moaning and screeching.

Language

The Wenssri’s primary language is Lamechian (La-mech-ian). It is a language produced and understood by the additional lobe on the front of the brain. Other humanoids can study the language to understand and, to a rudimentary extent, replicate the language. Lamechian is a language that consists of prolonged moans and screeches. It uses only a few consonants and every vowel. The primary consonants used are M, N, H, L, and W with G, R, S, X and Z used occasionally. The most common vowels used are O and E. Words in verbal speech tend to repeat the use of many letters due to the limited number of letters in their alphabet.

Lamechian does have a written language that was developed through centuries of rock carvings underwater. Letters are formed with a series of linear scratches and dot-like punctures in the rock. Writing is not organized from left to right in descending order. Instead, it is written in a column from top to bottom and columns organized from left to right.

Wenssri hunters developed a non-verbal language that consists of gestures made with the hands, arms, and cirri. The language developed as a means of communication when they could not risk speaking Lamechian during moments of tracking prey or to not reveal their location to a dangerous sea creature. This non-verbal language is known as Huo’mmoal, or Stalker-Sign when translated. Huo’mmoal is generally known by only Hunters, and used to only be a language for tactical communication. As time progressed, more vocabular was added to Huo’mmoal, but it is still not complete language when compared to See-Speak.

The Wenssri people have, mostly, retained their knowledge of Anore’s common lanague, Rigarian. It is rarely used amount Wenssri, and really only used when dealing with other races. Wenssri Rigarian has a different dialect than other race’s Rigarian since it is so rarely used. Mostly only Elders, Cheiftians, or traders who deal with outside races are able to speak this language fluently.