Deep Scion
“When a ship wrecks or a poor soul be cast overboard, a seafarer don't often question when somethin' offers t' save thar life. Unfortunately, the depths hold some o' the darkest monsters, 'n those deals are usually rotten. That's how ye end up lookin' like this, lad.” The captain grunted to me, allowing the gruff human disguise to fall away to reveal a more fish-like, slimy, monstrous appearance, with the lower half of the face splitting open to reveal jagged fangs. I swallowed in fear, watching the tendrils extending from behind the captain’s head adjust the hat on his head. The captain noticed my fear, and grunted again before the slimy grey flesh shifted back to the rough, tan flesh of an old human. “Do ye understand? Yer lucky we fished ye out o' the sea afore somethin' else did, so quit yer bellyachin'."
—Alec Crestfall, ‘Across the Monster’s Sea’
With slimy grey skin, claws, fangs, and various aquatic changes leaving them monstrously deformed, one may be led to believe that their ability to return to their true form would be a blessing to them. However, this is not the case, as deep scions believe that their hybrid, aquatic form is their proper form, despite their true forms remaining unchanged.
Slaves to the Ocean’s Evils
When an aquatic power like a kraken needs servants, they will often fill this role with deep scions. The bodies and souls of those lost or dying at sea are twisted and changed painfully, turning them into fish-like hybrids, capable of taking on the appearance of their prior form to carry out their new master’s will among their old fellows. However, when a deep scion is freed from their master or born without one, they often struggle to find their own path in life.
Their masters hold little care for them, and will often order them to carry out any task if they believe it will be beneficial to their cause, no matter how dangerous. Most deep scions follow these orders unquestioningly, their souls warped as they are. Some deep scions are able to break this servitude, overcoming the magic and training that stripped them of their attachments and individuality.
Living Free
When a deep scion’s master is killed, many of them find no drive to live any longer, or become senseless and violent until killed. However, many find this newfound freedom to be the opportunity for a fresh start, seeking out new ways of life. Examples of this were rare, but when the Flying Dutchman was killed in 1432, Second Era, the droves of scions he had amassed with his power suddenly found themselves free. Those following his greatest servant, Davy Jones, were able to turn their loyalty to their captain without issue, but it took much time for the rest to find peace.
This freedom also gave them the opportunities to reproduce, with naturally-born deep scions without the history of torture and slavery weighing on them beginning to crop up over time. Many use their shapeshifting abilities to enter normal society in peace, while others embrace their more monstrous forms. Either way, deep scions are still viewed with hesitance and contempt, leaving them struggling to find a true home.
Deep Scion Names
Deep scions will usually respond to their original names on instinct, both from before their transformation and from their infiltrator role afterwards. However, this is usually no longer who they are. If they choose to take on a name at all, they usually choose a name they find simple, fitting or pleasing-sounding to them in aquan or whatever language they use on the surface. These names are also given to deep scions at birth, in those cases, but they often only adopt a family name if they integrate into another society that does so.
Found Names: Axe, Buwami, Current, Gakin, Fin, Galley, Sashi, Waves, Zaji
Deep Scion Traits
The transformation into a deep scion completely changes your body and mind, granting you the following abilities.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Deep Scions hold onto vestiges of the races they once were, and families will often declare adulthood at ages appropriate to the race they come from. Due to the magic that transformed them, they can sometimes live for a century longer than they otherwise would.
Alignment. The process of becoming a Deep Scion often involves shirking off any moral quandaries to only serve one’s master, but this process can be overcome. If you were raised under a master, there is an intrinsic pull towards evil, but many Deep Scions have been able to resist this, especially when freed from the corrupting influence of their masters.
Size. Deep Scions match the height and weight of their true race.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 40 feet.
Superior Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
True Form. Choose any playable race. That race is your true form, and you retain that race’s Size and Language traits, but lose all else. Determine the appearance of your true form during character creation, as this cannot be changed later. As an action, you are able to shift into your true form or back into your deep scion form. When in your true form, you gain that race’s Speed traits, but lose your swimming speed and amphibious trait (unless your true form’s race has those traits as well), lose your natural weapons, and are indistinguishable from a normal member of that race. If you die in your deep scion form, you regress into your true form.
Deadly Jaws. Your fanged bite counts as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your jaws, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Vicious Claws. Your sharp claws count as natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your claws, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Deep Scion Instincts. You have proficiency in the Deception skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan.