The origin of the Falaskians (known in the Far West as the Fanesgs), a marine race, is shrouded in mystery. This is not only because it is ancient and distant, but also because the Falaskians themselves jealously guard their history and heritage, sharing it with no one. To the mainland populations, the race is known in many forms and variations as the proverbial “Sea Peoples,” whose empires have risen, fallen, and warred with one another in the past without landsmen ever having a clear understanding of it. During the eras of expansion for any given Falaskian empire, mainlanders suddenly found themselves under their cruel dominion, and it sometimes took entire centuries to cast it off.
The Falaskians have never been popular masters, for in their model of the world, they alone possess a soul and a true human nature, while all other races are by nature at their mercy for free use. They essentially hold a similar relationship toward other races as many races hold toward animals.
Regarding appearance and characteristics, the primary distinguishing feature of the Falaskians is that, in addition to lungs, they also possess gills. They are taller than average humans—”two swords’ length without the hilt”—and Falaskian women are taller still, measuring around two swords’ length. Their feet are broad with membranes between the toes, and their bodies are elongated and agile, especially underwater. Skin color varies from grey to green to almost black. Their hair is of a different character than that of terrestrial races; it consists of long, semi-transparent cords that can glow with inner light, which is particularly useful in the undersea depths. Their eyes are large and round, of many colors, though most often a bright red. For clothing, they use a peculiar fabric of unknown origin that insulates and maintains body heat when wet. They craft armor by assembling the hard shells of crustaceans.
The Falaskians divide themselves into a multitude of nations, but mainlanders have only a general notion and classify Falaskians into two broad categories:
– Island Falaskians: The Island or “Coastal” Falaskians are the result of the mingling of Deep Falaskians and mainlanders. They are more similar to humans in every respect: their gills are merely rudimentary, and they cannot remain underwater indefinitely, thus they do not keep their dwellings there. Their skin is essentially human, possessing only a faint grey tint. Their eyes are somewhat rounder than human eyes but do not typically possess the terrifying red color of the Deep Falaskians. On the contrary, due to their large eyes and graceful, lithe stature, women of the Island Falaskian nation are often considered very beautiful by mainlanders. The fate of this Falaskian nation is otherwise quite harsh: given that the Falaskian empires of the past treated mainlanders with cruelty, contemporary Coastal Falaskians are regarded as a “fifth column.” Majority society treats them as pariahs and internal enemies; thus, they often live in poverty and discontent.
– Deep Falaskians: This nation is entirely adapted for life underwater. The Deep Falaskians possess undersea cities and empires of which mainlanders have no inkling. Besides gills, tall stature, bioluminescent hair, finned feet, and large eyes adapted to underwater darkness, some species of undersea Falaskians also have long tails and bodies covered in glowing patterns or hard scales. Very little is known of the Deep Ones, hence many conjectures and myths exist. One frequently repeated assumption is that the Deep Ones live to a great age—entire centuries—and that they grow slowly throughout their entire lives. Thus, the ancient Deep Ones must presumably possess immense, giant bodies. However, it is hard to say what truth lies in such reports.
