Selkies

The Selkies of the Whale Islands have long since left their history as magical experiments behind.  Selkies live in autonomous, small communities, always near large rivers, large bodies of water, or the sea.  In appearance, Selkies are somewhat similar to Galidines, but where Galidines tend toward high-strung watchfulness, Selkies are simply goofballs.  The people of the Whale Islands, the Ardyn, live in peace with the Selkies but do not intermingle with them, except in the area of shared interest - the sea.  Selkies are superb swimmers, but they also make natural sailors.

Wanting more time to enjoy themselves, Selkies have become masters of aquaculture, raising fish, crabs, frogs and crayfish in netted shallows and weirs along rivers.  Unlike the Galidines they sometimes resemble, Selkies were not originally bread primarily for fighting, and so while they do have some sharp teeth, they cannot make bite attacks in combat. 

Personality

 As mentioned above, Selkies tend to be fun-loving and playful, and have trouble treating anything but a life-and-death situation very seriously.  Many of their cultural advancements have been aimed at creating more free time for themselves, and any technology or practice that creates more work is readily abandoned by Selkie communities.  Selkies can be laid back, but will make sure that they goof off at least once a day.  This goofing off may or may not create some trouble - Selkies who get into trouble are often a bit surprised by it, as if they assume that everyone is as easygoing as they are.

Physical Description

Selkies look a bit like Galidines with long, flexible, sleek bodies - but of course Selkies will maintain that they are far better looking.  Selkies have wide hands and webbed feet to help with swimming, and long, powerful arms that they use to propel themselves through the water (which, in a pinch, can also swing a weapon pretty hard).

Relations

Selkies get along well with most Ardyn, the humans who live with them on the Whale Islands, and when they travel to other places, they can often fit in relatively well anywhere.  Selkies just don't appear very threatening to most people, whether they are trying to appear threatening or not.

Alignment and Religion

You have to travel a long tie to find a Selkie with a Lawful bone in her body - Selkies are creatures of Chaos, and often tend toward the Good, preferring to live in peace and plenty but willing to help those in need when they are able.  Neutral Selkies tend to prank and joke for the sake of pranking and joking, and often at inappropriate times.  Evil Selkies certain exist, and they see all of life as one big joke - and they are determined to have the last laugh, no matter who else it hurts.

Adventurers

Selkies love music, and make excellent Bards.  They also tend to eschew many of the trappings of Human civilization, making them prefer the life of the Barbarian or the Ranger.  Occasional Selkies feel the call to become an Oracle, and they almost always worship their own version of the Trickster deity.  Many Selkie communities will also have a Witch who provides useful spells and periodic healing.

Names

Selkies have their own language, adapted for use underwater, that almost no non-Selkies know.  Their real names are in this language, and they only use it with each other.  With outsiders, Selkies tend to choose odd, descriptive names like Shell-cracker, Swift, Bubble, Sharp-tooth and Fisher.

Selkie Racial Traits

 Medium-sized

+2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma

Bestial Nature: Selkies are able to communicate with otters at will.

Just Joking: Selkies enjoy jokes, pranks, puns and the like, and it is often very hard to tell whether they are kidding or not.  Still, it makes them likeable, at last in small doses.  Selkies receive a +2 racial bonus to both Bluff and Diplomacy

Low-light vision: Selkies can see twice as far as Humans in low light, above and below the water

Natural Swimmers: Selkies have a swim speed of 20 and are extremely maneuverable underwater.  They can hold their breath and remain highly active for 5 times longer than a Human.

Taunting: Selkies can turn their playful cleverness into some serious trash-talking.  At level 1, every Selkie is able to make a Feint against a single opponent as a move action instead of a full action

 Languages

The Selkies of the Whale Islands have long since left their history as magical experiments behind.  Selkies live in autonomous, small communities, always near large rivers, large bodies of water, or the sea.  In appearance, Selkies are somewhat similar to Galidines, but where Galidines tend toward high-strung watchfulness, Selkies are simply goofballs.  The people of the Whale Islands, the Ardyn, live in peace with the Selkies but do not intermingle with them, except in the area of shared interest - the sea.  Selkies are superb swimmers, but they also make natural sailors.

Wanting more time to enjoy themselves, Selkies have become masters of aquaculture, raising fish, crabs, frogs and crayfish in netted shallows and weirs along rivers.  Unlike the Galidines they sometimes resemble, Selkies were not originally bread primarily for fighting, and so while they do have some sharp teeth, they cannot make bite attacks in combat.

Medium-sized

+2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma

[2pts] Just Joking: Selkies enjoy jokes, pranks, puns and the like, and it is often very hard to tell whether they are kidding or not.  Still, it makes them likeable, at last in small doses.  Selkies receive a +2 racial bonus to both Bluff and Diplomacy

[1pt] Low-light vision: Selkies can see twice as far as Humans in low light, above and below the water

[~3pts] Natural Swimmers: Selkies have a swim speed of 20 and are extremely maneuverable underwater.  They can hold their breath and remain highly active for 5 times longer than a Human.

[4pts] Taunting: Selkies can turn their playful cleverness into some serious trash-talking.  At level 1, every Selkie is able to make a Feint against a single opponent as a move action instead of a full action

***

This puts the Selkies aright at about 10pts, which is cool.  I'm glad that I seemed to have gone into designing these races with a pretty good intuition of what would be 'balanced' - I was afraid that I'd be making them too powerful because I thought they were cool