FISH MAN LAIR

 

Hook: A caravan of iron goods arrived in shambles. Most of the mercenaries and some of the craftsmen and their families were hurt or killed. Several were taken. But, what took them is what has mystified everyone... At first, the villagers thought the merchants were crazy. Fish men? 'Yes! They walked on two legs, but, they had large, sharp teeth, stood no higher than your waist! Strong as any man! They chewed through our wagons and those with us like dry leaves!'

Details: The fish men are the servants of Apskylla, the Treacherous, a child of Chaos from the old world and wars fought on Aelŵydir. Her children are the various sea lords lurking beneath the waves. Her followers, the fish men of the deep and rivers, are terrifying examples of evil in the world. At 2'-4' tall, they don't seem like much of a threat. They have large, scaly, gray-brown heads perched on dark to light gray, damp bodies mottled with dark spots, mostly on the upper torso, along the back, and upper legs and arms. They are void of hair, draped or wrapped in sea-weed, bones, and other articles taken from the waters they inhabit, some of them grim reminders of their nature as carnivorous villains and killers. Most articles are beautiful and lovingly crafted. Their bellies and inner forearms and lower legs are blood red, as are the two side fins near their gills on their necks and attached to their outer ankles, and the long fins on their outer forearms. Their long-digits on wide hands and feet are red-webbed and clawed, good for swimming, but, their awkward feet slow them down on land. There are two fins along their spine. A larger one high up on the spinal ridge, and another smaller one above the base of the spine near the fish tail that fans out just above the lower legs. Their weapons are made of heavy bones taken from driftwood, whales, sharks, seals, and other sea life. They are industrious, and prefer their own belongings to those of the land-dwellers. Mostly, they capture their prey for later sacrifice, or eat them alive, on-the-spot. Their large, sharp teeth are extremely dangerous and efficient at removing meat from bones. Fish men are zealous and single-minded. Food and sacrifice, pleasing Apskylla, are placed above all other concerns. They will kill those taken captive in special rituals, then feed the bodies to their young.

The area inhabited by these fish-man is a series of caves surrounding a limestone formation that has collapsed in the centre into the caves beneath it where surging water thrusts up into the cave, frequently, in spurts. At high tide, the hole overflows, bringing newborns living in the network of lower caves with it to feast on any unfortunates sacrificed to Apskylla at the southern end of the area. A 10' likeness of Apskylla carved of stone has been erected behind a large flat stone that acts as an altar. Two menhir flank the altar stone, one left, one right. They are carved with distinct patterns and depictions of sacrifice and war, something the little fish men know and enjoy. The whole area is flooded during low-tide, but, it's sandy stone surface is traversable until low-tide when the only 'safe' area is the higher part of the network of caves at the northeast part of the map. Most of the rocks in the area are half-submerged. The fish men live and work in the lower area, while their shaman/high priest prepares sacrifices kept on the island to the south west of the sacrificial area. when it's time to sacrifice, the priest works his people up into a fervour that drives them mad with delight, making them both more savage and less careful in their exultation. The fish men living here came up the rivers and marsh sloughs to seek sacrifices from The Road, once they discovered people used it.