Race - Thalassai

[Hisao]

Sources:

Mythological - Fictional - Original

Hisao. Self-created race. Help with creating is always welcome, if you want to offer it sure inbox me. Want to be member of this race? Post below (preferably), or send a message on here, on skype, msn, or IMVU, whatever you have as contact information of me. I don't want to control, I just want to know who are the individuals of my race.

Internet sources:
Wikipedia, Marine Habitats, link


Content:

• Basic
  
• History
  
• Life
  
• Types/Subraces
  
• Physiology/anatomy
  
• Reproduction and gender
  
• Abilities

Basic:

A Thalassa. (Plural: Thalassai.)

Thalassai live mainly in the water, even though they can breathe on the land. They are a species that only exists of females.

Thalassai have fins and gills. Their skin is part smooth as that of a dolphin, but part is also scaled like fish. Most have silverish skin, but depending on the fish in their vicinity, they can also have it in other colors. Thalassai have very long hair, mostly in oceanic colors - silver, blue, green, coral red, black and white, etc. - which often depends on where they live. They have quite long limbs, especially fingers and toes, since they serve as flippers to swim. They have a mouth that serves to breathe when they are out of the sea, but their lungs aren't fit for long stay on shore.


History:

The legend of the other Atlantis:

Just like many other people, the Thalassai have their own legend as to how they have started existing. The Thalassai myths tell about the island of Pylonae, the counterpart for Atlantis that is located on the southern half of the earth.

Real history:

...


Life:

Thalassai cannot be born on shore. Since their breathing goes lots better under water, newborn babies almost always die in open air. Also, newborn babies are not ready for living yet. They are kind of still eggs, as of fish, only about three inches big. They are hidden in big shells or under water caves until they come out, three or four months later. Thalassai pregnancies don't take long for this reason, and they don't become real fat either.

Once come out, Thalassai children are soon able to swim. In some areas, especially cold ones, it happens that they eat the eggs of their sisters to gain strength enough to be able to leave the place. In either case, their mothers only come check upon the eggs a few times a day, so they have time enough to explore the environment by themselves already for a bit.


Types of Thalassai:

Okeanai:

Of the Greek word 'ωκεανός' (okeanos), meaning 'ocean'. The Okeana is the type of Thalassa that mainly lives in oceans or large seas. Some Okeanai also travel up to big rivers, but never to stay there.

Limnai:

Of the Greek word 'λίμνη' (limni), meaning 'lake'. The Limna is the type that mainly lives in lakes. They however mostly stay away from getting too close to the shore, since they can only live in water with a certain minimum depth.

Aktai:

Of the Greek word 'ακτή' (akti), meaning 'shore'. The Akta is the type of Thalassa that lives close to coastal lines. They do not need very deep waters to stay in, but don't come too close to the (sand/rock) beach either. This kind is the one that species on land come in contact with.

Potamiai:

Of the Greek word 'ποτάμιος' (potamios), meaning 'fluvial'. The Potamia is the type of Thalassa that lives in rivers or streams. In large rivers, it happens that their habitat crosses with the Okeanai's. Just like the Aktai (though less), Potamiai sometimes come in contact with the species on land.


Physiology/anatomy:

Gender-based anatomy:

As already mentioned, Thalassai exist of only females. Each and every one of them will have breasts, female curves, and the organs they need to reproduce. The parts that we consider "male" remain all internal until they have started the act of their intercourse.

...

Skin:

Depending on the subrace, the skin structure and color can vary.
Okeanai ~ silky smooth skin, almost completely hairless with a slightly rubbery feel.
Limnai ~
Aktai ~
Potamiai ~

Gills:

Thalassai have gills that are externally visible as long as they are under water. When they are on land, the gills will close again and they will have changed to breathing via mouth instead. The gills being closed, they are not very visible.

Reproduction and gender:

Even though they exist of all females, Thalassai reproduce within their own species, and aren't a mix of two existing races (like f.i. nephilim). As said in 'Gender-based anatomy', they have male parts that are used during sexual intercourse.

First generation hybrids:

If a male outsider impregnates one of the Thalassa species, the biological structure of their DNA will cause the other chromosome to mutate. There are three scenarios for the baby in this case:
- the baby will die (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn two-gendered with male appearance (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn female with Thalassa reproduction system (statistically, 50% chance)

If a Thalassa impregnates a female outsider, the child can be one of the following:
- the baby will turn two-gendered with male appearance (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn female with Thalassa reproduction system (statistically, 50% chance)
- the baby will turn fully female (statistically, 25% chance)

Second generation hybrids:

For the second-generation of hybrids, the full females will just reproduce as any kind of females. The females with Thalassa reproduction system will reproduce the same way as full-blood Thalassai (just like in the first generation hybrids).

If a half-Thalassa with male appearance mates with a Thalassa (or Thalassa-reproductive female), one of the following scenarios will happen:
- the baby will turn two-gendered with male appearance (statistically, 50% chance)
- the baby will turn female with Thalassa reproduction system (statistically, 50% chance)

In case this half-Thalassa's partner is either another like themself, or a full male, these are the possibilities:
- the baby will die (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn fully male (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn two-gendered with male appearance (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn female with Thalassa reproduction system (statistically, 25% chance)

In case this half-Thalassa's partner is a full female, the possibilities are:
- the baby will turn two-gendered with male appearance (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn female with Thalassa reproduction system (statistically, 25% chance)
- the baby will turn fully female (statistically, 50% chance)


Abilities:

Water abilities - hydrokinesis:

Thalassai can create, manipulate and wield water. These abilities consist of for instance moving water and shaping it (a sphere is the most easy, but more complicated shapes are possible too), but also summoning water or transforming themselves or (inanimated) objects into water. For this, it is not necessary to be able to see the water to wield it, so they can also wield water within containers or pull it out of the air. Apart from that, the strongest hydrokinetic Thalassai can also change water into ice and wield it.

As long as they are present within water, their mental and physical energy 'recharges'. One of the habits that evolved out of this: since they can as well breathe more easily in water, they summon water when on shore. They are able to maintain the water in a ball shape while they are asleep, so they step into the water and sleep in the center of the ball. Overnight, they don't need a lot of energy to maintain the ball, but they recharge from summoning it.

Sound abilities - sonokinesis:

They can, like dolphines/whales, carry sounds through water for distances of several miles. Within the water, they can also use a scream quite similar to a siren scream, that has the effect of throwing creatures who are not used to the water, out of balance, or of scaring away water creatures such as sharks or orcas. In its strongest version, this scream can also cause waves, or (mostly when used by multiple Thalassai simultaneously) small tsunamis.

Hybrid Thalassai's abilities:

To make an outbalanced Thalassa hybrid, there are the following guidelines (not a must do),

Water breathing: a given for most hybrids, no additional weaknesses required to compensate.
Thalassa-level sonokinesis: drop (most) hydrokinesis abilities.
Thalassa-level hydrokinesis: drop (most) sonokinesis abilities.
Sono- and hydrokinesis: drop part of both (if you want to keep most of one, drop most of the other, otherwise drop 50-50%)
* Causing waves will be out of the question for sonokinesis, sounds might carry less far, enemies brought out of balance only when close, ...
* Wielding/creating ice out of water is out of the question for hydrokinesis, as well as moving or summoning large water masses, ...
No breathing difficulties onshore: consider leaving out a small power or adding a small weakness of the other species.