I'll write a bit more about each subtype in their own posts, but this is the overview of the seadweller subtypes my friends and I came up with and discussed.
Additionally I could use my limited marine biology knowledge for something so that's neat.
Although seadwellers represent a branch in the evolution of trolls, it is likely that they are relatively new.
It seems probable that, like us, trolls began in the sea as simple lifeforms, eventually crawling onto land, exchanging fins for more complex modes of locomotion, and finally, becoming bipedal.
I have an idea that at first all trolls had the same blood color ( dark murky brown - the color you get when you mix all colors), then due to radiation and evolution, blood castes started to separate from it, starting with rusts. But that's for another post!
With two moons and a large sun, radiation on Alternia is more intense, which may have contributed to a wide variety of mutations in terms of shapes and sizes, extra limbs, eyes, and abilities.
Seadwellers likely evolved as a fairly recent subtype of trollkind, or perhaps remained near the water during the transition to bipedalism, evolving alongside their landdwelling counterparts, with their genes adapting to a fully marine lifestyle rather than that on land.
For the sake of this post, I'm going to theorize that seadwellers evolved later. So, trolls crawled out of the sea and settled on land, becoming bipedal, and then a smaller group returned to the water, readapting to aquatic life. (something like to whales).
Despite the radiation from the two moons and the sun resulting in different mutations in trollkind, seadwellers will generally have these physical traits, which can vary in size and appearance:
primary and secondary respiration systems (primary being their lungs, secondary being their kills
Now that I covered the general theories, I can get into the subtypes. The subtypes evolved depending on the location they decided to settle in and the environment they needed to adapt to.
The are the most common and the oldest type of a seadweller, the classic type of which any troll thinks of when they hear the word "seadweller". They inhabit most bodies of water and major seadweller cities, and are the closest in language and culture to landdwellers.
Their earfin, along with the fin stems, are generally knife-shaped and average in size. Their features usually include sharp shark like teeth, generally pure and rich violet blood hue. Usually bigger in size and can comfortably live on land as well as the sea.
Example of a Commonwater seadweller are the Amporas.
This subtype is characterized by longer and thinner earfins in shape and size, with a longer main ear stem for stability. Stems are generally thin but stronger than those of a commonwater type. Their eyes are narrower than those of other types, and have a special kind of lenses in their cornea to reduce the chance of snow blindness.
Arctic trolls have unique bioluminscent patterns along their bodies. While other seadwellers may have these lunar marks, arctic patterns will often mimic that of snow leopards or aurora borealis, depending on the seadwellers consistent time spend above or below water respectively. These markings fade quickly when exposed to heat/rising body temperature.
As pagophilic trolls, Arctic seadwellers have a more well-rounded distribution of fat around their bodies, insulating them and is stubborn to remove. As children, this layer of fat is significantly thicker and concentrated in the face and mid-body to brace against exposure/maintain core temperatures. Also due to being pagophilic, Arctic seadwellers have a distinct, thick and soft head hair and have less body hair than other seadwellers. Insulating and hydrodynamic.
Arctic seadwellers have a high concentration of troll equivalents of antifreeze enzymes that reduce their chances of cold-borne illness, frostbite, hypothermia and infection.
Their blood is slightly colder than that of a Commonwater seadweller, but it's barely noticable.
Arctics make distinct sounds with their throats and teeth - mostly for underwater communication or across ice plains. Other than that, they have their distinct language, which hadn't changed much over the sweeps, and not many speak the common alternian - which means it's good to have a native on your crew if you need to do a diplomacy mission or go to the market for resupply!
(most of ideas about Arctic seadwellers is @mirthfulmoonshine's headcanons! Check out her blog and her arctic fish, she's chill (teehee)
Example of an Arctic seadweller: Britce Faible (oc: @/mirthfulmoonshine)
They inhabit rivers and other types of moving freshwater. However, they reside there only temporarily, until they grow large enough to move to the sea.
They do not have a city or a permanent settlement like other types and are fairly scattered across planet. Unlike other types, they do not have a distinct dialect and usually speak the language of the region they inhabit, along with common alternian. Length of their earfin can vary, but is generally longer than any other types'. It has concave shapes in the silhouette instead of looking like a classic Commonwater seadweller earfin.
They're generally taller and slimmer than other types, with less fat and more pure muscle mass - their muscles are small but very strong.
Example of a Freshwater seadweller: Fleet Admiral Orphaner Illixi Rosata.
She grew up in the arctic parts of Alternia, so she can speak common and arctic troll language!
The ear is smaller and more delicate, with a flower-like shape in the membrane connecting the stems. It can have more than one color, usually with spots, stripes, or blotches. Movement is forward and back instead of classic up and down.
They're generally the most optimistic and positive of seadwellers.
Example of a tropical seadweller: Nemori Dakkha ( oc by: @daydenmax-drawings
Vulcanic seadwellers are a relatively new subtype and are few in number, with a distinct features that sets them apart from other subtypes: four earfin stems and scorching, hot blood.
It is not known why this mutation happened, but it makes it hard to seduce and mate with other seadwellers, who are already isolated culturally from the rest of trollkind. Their bodies produce internal heat, allowing them to remain comfortable in the unusually warm waters around volcanic vents and to regulate their temperature against sudden environmental changes. They, however, cannot lower their body temperature by themselves, nor can it rise. Their bodies burn a lot of calories just to keep the temperature so high, so their diet is high in calories.
Because their numbers are small and interacting with other seadwellers is difficult due to their mutation, their culture has evolved to form tight-knit communities. Social bonds are very important, and individuals usually remain close to others of their kind rather than living in isolation. They are very communal and close to each other. The same culture places very little emphasis on privacy, particularly regarding romantic relationships and reproduction, so having more than one partner across different quadrants is culturally common and encouraged.
Physical affection is highly normalized. Volcanic seadwellers are extremely tactile, expressing closeness through physical contact—hand-holding, casual touching, kissing, and open displays of affection, both romantic and platonic. Such gestures are seen as everyday expressions of connection rather than something reserved for private moments.
Being a close-knit community means that communal living is quite common. There are usually few trolls per hive, often including quadrant mates. They prefer to remain physically close to one another and often sleep together in groups and piles for comfort, sleeping alone is widely considered unsettling or even frightening, as companionship and proximity are deeply ingrained in their social instincts!
Vulcanic language reflects the culture and emphasis on closeness. Compared to other Alternian dialects, it contains a wide variety of words describing affection, intimacy, and different types of lovers across social contexts.
Some terms in volcanic seadweller language have no direct translation into the common tongue or other troll languages, as they describe emotional nuances unique to volcanic seadweller culture.
In short, their language is quite romantic! They're really good lovers, knowing the language of romance by heart, swoon!
Example of a vulcanic seadweller: Synnac Erucot ( the first picture is an early design, so ignore three ear stems! )
Subtype 1: Deep Seadweller or Midnight Dweller
Deep Seadwellers inhabit the midnight zone of the ocean, where the pressure is far greater than at the surface. Their earfins are similar in size and length to the Commonwater subtype, but with sharper concave shapes in silhouette, reminiscent of the freshwater subtype. Sometimes the earfins droop and the delicate membranes start to resemble curtains due to improper pressure stabilization caused by diving or surfacing too quickly or too often, which can lead to damage.
Some Deepwater seadwellers have evolved the ability to breathe through their skin, in addition to using their gills and lungs, due to the scarcity of oxygen at these depths. Lack of oxygen is also why their blood color is a bit darker in shade than that of the Commonwater or other subtypes. They can surface to breathe air, but what truly sets them apart from other subtypes is their flexible ribcage, which allows them to inhabit the midnight zone without their lungs popping like balloons from the pressure!
Because of the lack of light in the midnight zone, their eyes are highly sensitive, making them more prone to blindness when exposed to the surface. They cannot see well in darkness but they can still navigate effectively using underwater echolocation, thanks to a specialized organ positioned in front of their brain. This adaptation also contributes to the shape of their head and nose - their heads are rounder in the front, and their noses curve outward, the profile is a smooth curve without or barely noticable brow ridge.
Example of a Deep seadweller / Midnight dweller: Murrek Attoll ( oc: @daydenmax-drawings )
Example of a Deep seadweller / Midnight dweller: Oterma Brighu
Her fins didn't suffer the damage due to pressure, but she lost her sight due to sensitive eyes and spending time on the surface.
Subtype 2: Abyssal Seadweller, or in short - Abyssal
Not much is known about Abyssals. Their evolution branched dramatically from other subtypes, and they inhabit the deepest parts of the Alternian oceans, The Abyss. Light and food are scarce in the said zone, and no one really knows what lurks in those depths.
All that is certain is that they have lost the ability to breathe air, having completely exchanged their lungs for other adaptations to survive in their environment. Abyssals have no eyes at all, their skin is likely translucent, and they are permanently confined to this part of the ocean due to their bodies bring soft and boneless, held together only by water pressure. Their blood is dark violet, almost bordering on black.
For now we don't have an example on Abyssals, as no troll had been able to make contact with them in sweeps.
Also known as Merbeasts / Sea Wraiths / or Sea Ghosts
Although troll-looking with arms, legs, and fins, Seawraiths are NOT seadwellers. Due to their rare sightings, which the observer survived, they exist somewhere between fact and myth.
Little is known about how they reproduce or live, but most sightings have occurred in the midnight zone of Alternian oceans. It is speculated that they move interchangeably between the abyss and the midnight zone, hunting smaller fish and crustaceans, along with Abyssals and any seadwellers they can catch.
Although they can eat and digest Abyssals, the flesh of other seadwellers is too thick and tough for their stomachs - they can only consume internal organs.
They are also called Sea Ghosts due to the way they swim when hunting. Their approach is undetectable ( something similar to an owl) you cannot sense them, hear them or feel the vibrations in the water. If you're a seadweller you'll be minding your business until you feel a full body slam, then a sharp pain on your side as you realize your organ has been torn out and you’re left to bleed out and die.
They appear trolllike in shape, with arms and legs and movable appendages resembling horns, which they can stiffen, and long fins on the sides of their heads that move similarly to ear fins ( looking similar to those of a freshwater subtype of a seadweller). Their skin is white, similar to Lusi’, but they do not seem to care for young or approach brooding caverns, if anything, they'd rather eat the young, it's a snack they can easily digest!
Blood color is unknown, though it is speculated to be blue, purple, or violet.
Merwraiths usually reside in the deeper parts of the ocean (the midnight zone), but they will sometimes surface and take interest in a boat carrying a violet. They will follow it for days, waiting for their target to enter the water. If a different violet from the crew jumps in, they will still be attacked and eaten, but the Merwraith won't leave until it's caught and eaten it's primary target. The sight of your crew member in the ocean, with their chest and stomach torn open and missing organs is usually a sign that the boat is being Haunted by a Merwraith.
At that point, you can only hope you are not their target, or that they will not climb onto the boat while you sleep and eat you.
The best course of action is to move your hive to the land, and wait out a few sweeps, hope they lose interest and move on.
If you encounter one, good luck.
Examples of Merwraiths: Shrimply
Veriya and Athusa (oc: athusa - @/mirthfulmoonshine) merwraith versions
jbbartram-illu
kaledo-art
gummygunk
blakekathryn
ellievsbear
stormborns
