Realistic or Modern beneath the waves — lore

[fairyfawn]

hi everyone! this is the lore thread for the pirate roleplay, beneath the waves! here i'll be listing important stuff and will hopefully add onto it as the roleplay goes on! enjoy! c:


A simple q+a

What country(ies) will this roleplay take place in? Will it be a fictional world or the real world?

— both! If you are planning on applying for the royal, you can make your character be from a country that has a monarchy. Examples being, spain, england, etc! In this roleplay, there will be made up towns and islands. As for countries, it will mostly take place in england and france but the crew will most likely be landing in other countries as well.

Is this roleplay going to always take place on the pirate ship and open seas?

— not at all. there will be adventures that strictly take place on land. it’ll be split — some adventures will be on the open seas while others will be on land.

Are the characters going to be strictly human?

— I will allow sirens and merfolk! I think it would be interesting to have sirens and merfolk amongst the crew! So, if you wish to make your character a siren or merfolk and have the crew know about it or keep it a secret, go for it!

what’s the age range for the characters?

— 19+ please!




Important towns and islands

oriasea
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oriasea is a small, fishing based town where the locals make a living on fishing the fish rich waters. the marketplace is full of raw, freshly caught fish as well as spices and herbs to season the fish for better flavor. when it comes to pirates, the locals are pretty friendly and welcoming towards pirates so there’s no need to worry about being arrested just for being a pirate or anything like that.

tirie
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an extremely large town where the citizens here are people of wealth. the town stores the richest of rum and the finest of fabrics and intel. are you seeking something? maybe a specific place? you wish to gather information before continuing on your voyage? tirie is the place to be! but tread carefully, tirie hates pirates and any pirates who are caught will be swiftly disposed of. the residents try their best to keep pirates out of their town. it’s best to not let any of the residents know you’re a pirate.

aryith
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This town is the absolute worst of the worst. in aryith, any little thing can get you clocked in the face. this town is full of taverns and overall weird, sketchy people. don’t set foot here unless it’s absolutely necessary. there’s really nothing here you can stock up on.

chatsa
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a rather decently sized town. the marketplace is rich with freshly picked fruits and vegetables and fresh meat. however, chatsa isn’t really too fond of pirates, not as bad tirie is but it’s really best if you watch your step here.

padstow
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a small, yet really cozy and welcoming town where the residents make a living on farming and raising livestock. it’s a forested town complete with an inn, tavern, a marketplace, and farmhouses. there are a wide variety of things you can stock up on here: lumber, blankets, fresh vegetables, warm blankets, and more! but as stated, it’s a forested town, and the forest seems a little off. it’s really eerie, honestly. especially at night! if you want to go in there, please be sure to bring a lantern with you.

shora
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pirate or not, the residents of this town are really cold and show no hospitality to new comers. they are extremely reserved and any questions you ask will most likely go unanswered. the town itself is small and desolate with simple houses dotting the area. something seems off with the residents

shark fin cove
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a very mysterious place that is defined as a place that you cannot go to unless you already know where it is at or you end up getting lost and stumble across the place. the entrance to the cave is in the shape of a shark’s dorsal fin, hence the name. plus, sharks come here and swim inside the cove. The only way to get inside the cove is getting into a longboat and rowing yourself in there. legend has it that shark fin cove is home to lost treasure and precious jewels. who put it there? how did it get there? once you get past the possible traps, the treasure is yours!

the ghost isle
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a haunting place. here, the sun never shines, and the sky is full of gray clouds and there is a cold, eerie fog surrounding the isle and the waters. there’s a heavy atmosphere around the place and it is really cold so be sure to stock up on plenty of blankets if you’re coming here. it’s said the isle, and the waters, are haunted and there’s tales of sailors seeing ghostly apparitions and hearing the sounds of wailing and crying. the isle itself is devoid of lush vegetation and is extremely sandy so don’t be surprised if you get sand in your boots. are the ghostly tales true?

stingray island
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one might think that stingray island got its name from the fact that the waters are full of stingrays. well, that’s true but it also has to do with the shape of the island. here, you’ll find patches of vegetation, but the terrain is mostly rocky with little to no shade from the scorching sun.

shiver cove
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it’s so cold here! what an absolutely fitting name for this place to have. or perhaps shiver cove got its name because there’s something about this place that is really off putting and can give you the shivers? getting here is tricky though since sharp rocks are scattered around the place so steer carefully to avoid getting a hole in the ship’s hull.


tortoise island
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a small island full of extremely lush vegetation. while there’s nothing here of interest, this could be a good place to relax and unwind for a bit.

parrot lagoon
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yet another great place to unwind. it’s also a good place to sail away from enemies and lay low for a while until the enemies have lost interest in attacking you.

?????
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it seems this place has yet to be discovered!

 

[fairyfawn]

will be adding on to this when I think of more things to add c:

merfolk lore
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the merfolk are omnivorous sea and land dwellers who primarily feed on seaweed, algae, small fish, and crabs. They have vibrant, scaly tails that come in a variety of colors and fin types and the tails are rough to the touch. the merfolk have scales on their skin, primarily on their shoulders, elbows, and ribs. they lose this feature when they come up on land and become human. speaking of land, most merfolk prefer to stay underwater because the process of obtaining legs is extremely painful and most would rather not go through that. when a merperson comes up on land, their tail begins to split in two to create legs which is painful as the tail tears apart. what’s worse for the merperson is that with legs, for a while, every step on land will be agonizingly painful as if they’re stepping on broken shards of glass and they’re clumsy for the first few steps.

when a merperson touches water whilst they have legs, their legs will glue together to create a tail and they’ll have their tail back. merfolk often get tangled up in fishing nets by mistake and are killed for their scales.

merfolk can communicate with animals, but only marine animals. this ability rarely comes in handy in emergencies but who knows. they like to collect shiny things and keep said shiny things for themselves. merfolk have been known to rescue sailors from shipwrecks and help them to land before disappearing back into the waters.



siren folklore
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unlike the mythology which describes sirens as half human and half bird, these sirens are often mistaken for merfolk. sirens are opportunistic predators who primarily feed on fish, birds, and any meat they can get their webbed fingers on. they have tails but the tails are dull colored compared to the brightly colored tail of a merperson. siren tails can be any color but will be a dulled version of that color and the tails are smooth to the touch and lack scales. the siren also has webbed fingers, finned ears, and sharp canines for tearing into flesh. they lose these features as a human to blend in with the crowd.

they live in the seas, primarily in areas that are cold and foggy with little visibility. they can often be found in coves as well. sirens can be of any gender and they can entrance people of any gender with their melodic songs. they like to sit up on rocks and wait for a ship to be sailing near. when a human hears the song of the siren, they will often jump overboard to get to the person singing and will end up drowning. sirens will then jump into the water and feed on the remains. sirens can live underwater but every so often they have to come to the surface for oxygen.

sirens can come onto land and blend in with the humans. even as a human, the siren’s song is potent to anyone who hears it so if a siren is blending in, it’s best not to sing. the process of becoming a human isn’t as painful for a siren as it is to a merperson. they come up on land and instead of their tail splitting, they suddenly have legs. walking isn’t as painful for them and they adjust well to walking up on two legs.

there are some docile sirens who simply refuse to kill humans with their song and will not feed on them. rather they wish to learn more about humans and attempt to befriend them.

 

[fairyfawn]

monster handbook
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cthulu
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a cosmic entity. it’s said if you stare at cthulu long enough, you’ll lose your sanity. cthulu lies in a dormant sleep deep beneath the waves yet he will bring about the world’s end once he is fully awakened. cthulu is terrifying to look at with a squid face and he is immensely tall in height, easily towering over the tallest human being.


the kraken
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a classic sea monster written about in books and stories verbally told by sailors and pirates alike. the kraken has never been seen in its full view as anyone who comes across it only sees the tentacles. of course, those who see the rest of the kraken are devoured so their tales are taken with them to their watery grave. the kraken is an aggressive sea monster who lies on the ocean floor and waits, it can feel the disturbance a ship makes in the waters and will take the opportunity to make its way towards the ship and the unsuspecting crew. the kraken is a sunburnt red in color with peach undertones and the bottom of the tentacles are peach in color as well. the kraken has extremely long tentacles that can wrap around a ship and can even crush the ship in half with its strength.


the lusca
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a monster described to be half-shark and half-octopus. It has the head of a shark, and the tentacles of an octopus. It grows to monstrous lengths, longer than most ships and the dark silhouette of this creature can be spotted beneath the waves. it has the serrated sharp teeth of the shark and the tentacles of an octopus that can wrap itself around prey.


sea serpent (eel)
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an electric sea monster that resembles a giant electric eel. It rarely breaches the surface as unlike a snake, it cannot raise itself into what looks like a sitting position. however, it can produce electric shocks that can be shocking enough to cause heart and organ failure as jolts go through the person’s body upon making contact with electrified water. it has been known to upturn small boats and stories of fisherman being knocked off their boats are plentiful and frequently talked about in towns near the sea. they leave specific burn patterns on human flesh.

sea serpent (snake)
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a scaly sea monster that grows to around 60 feet in length. they’re as green as the algae and seaweed and are able to raise their upper body out of the water to tower over ships passing through. their jaws are large enough to bite a ship in half. the underbelly of the sea serpent is more a light green and is covered in rough scales that are rough enough to give you a cut if you were to run your hand across.

the water dragon
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water dragons are usually docile, peaceful, and curious creatures. they come in a variety of blue hues and blend in with the ocean. water dragons are not aggressive towards humans most of the time but they will attack a human if provoked or if they’re cornered and feel threatened. they are naturally curious creatures and will breach surface to inspect boats and have been known to bump boats from underneath the waves.


kelpies
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a malevolent water spirit that takes on the appearance of a beautiful horse, usually with a black coat. it is able to take on human form as well. the kelpie seems to be a normal horse though the hooves are backwards and the coat has a sticky substance that you cannot free yourself from. kelpies entice people to climb up onto their backs for a ride, though once the person touches the kelpie to climb on, they become stuck and can’t get away. the kelpie jumps back into the water where it will drown their victims and proceed to devour them. however, it is possible to ride a kelpie! those who get ahold of a kelpie bridle will have command over the kelpie and will be able to ride the kelpie safely.

selkies
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selkies are described to very attractive individuals who have the ability to shapeshift from human to seal. they have sealskin that allows them to transform and must be kept with them at all times. if the sealskin is lost, the selkie will remain in their human form until the skin is found. selkies can be of any gender. unlike the kelpie, selkies are considered to be helpful to humans and very polite.

the hydra
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an aggressive monster able to grow two heads if one head was sliced off. the creature’s blood is toxic and venomous and the hydra is notoriously difficult to bring down.

giant jellyfish
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larger than your average jellyfish. they’re very colorful and they can be clearly seen floating around if you look down into the water. their stinging packs a punch so be wary of the tentacles so you don’t get stung.

giant lobster
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listen, don’t try to catch and eat the giant lobsters please. they’re not for eating. giant lobsters are giant crustaceans larger than your average lobster who dwell on the ocean floor.

zaratan
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livyatan (leviathan)
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thought to be extinct along with millie, the livyatan, or more commonly known as the leviathan is a whale who grows to be 50+ feet in length. due to their massive size at over 50 tons, they have to eat as much as they can and they prey on other whales, dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles. leviathan is going strong and is still alive in the ocean. their teeth can tear off flesh and honestly, leviathan might be able to tear a whole ship in half. best be careful.

giant moray eel
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charybdis
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scylla
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water sprites
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millie the giant plesiosaur
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what do you mean plesiosaurs are extinct? of course they’re not! how else would we have millie the giant plesiosaur? millie is an old plesiosaur who is currently at 40 ft in length. she feeds on fish, crustaceans, sea turtles, and most marine animals that she can get her jaws on. millie is the color of gray, like a dull yet vibrant gray like when the early sun shines on a lake in the foggy morning. her underbelly is a lighter color so she can blend in — if you’re looking down, millie’s dull gray back blends in with the ocean, if you’re looking up, her lighter underbelly is like the sun reflecting off the water. fish won’t see her coming. millie is very polite but also very shy so don’t scare her off please.

hippocampus
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the hippocampus is a sea horse creature with the upper half of a horse and the lower half of a fish. they are not malevolent unlike the kelpie, and they are not limited to living in the ocean. they are known to breach the surface, jumping out of the water and it’s amazing to watch a hippocampus jump out of the water.

melusine
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melusine is a fresh water spirit taking on the appearance of half woman, half serpent or fish.

loch ness monsters
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not just one, but a whole species. and no, millie is not a loch ness monster. these are a group of monsters who are reclusive and prefer to avoid as much human interaction as possible. they’re endangered due to how much luck they can bring. but overall they’re pretty docile and gentle creatures.

this will be updated of course! there are plenty more sea monsters that will be added to the monster handbook!