Half-Nixie
Overview
Half-nixies are born when a humanoid and a nixie conceive a child together. It is most common for this to take place with elves, and humans, although other combinations have been theorized to occur. Nixies and some of their hybrid progeny live below the waves in large cities and small settlements built offshore of the main continent. Their oceanic life is far removed and different from those of land dwellers, and they face a host of other challenges in their underwater environment. Just as the ocean holds a mystique for many, so too does the nixie race and its often-misunderstood hybrid children. Inland societies believe them to be nothing more than a legend, but those who live by the sea tell tales of sightings of beautiful humanoids walking out of the waves onto the land to play and hunt before returning to where they came.
Personality
At birth, all half-nixies are able to breath water. However, if the baby is born on land and not submersed in water within an hour after being born, the baby loses the ability permanently. Half-nixies who grow up unable to breath water are among some of the saddest creatures in the world. It breaks their heart to be so far removed from what they want to be, and to have to rely on magic to go visit their roots. A half-nixie who cannot breath water will do anything to regain the ability permanently. Usually, they spend the better part of their lives trying to figure this out. Some of them succeed, and some of them die of a broken heart. To other creatures, this gives the impression that they are forlorn and unmotivated. However, on the contrary, half-nixies are often a lot more creative than pure nixies, and they can often be a very innovative help in improving the society of their home nixie settlement, if they can get there. Many of them who breath water take a good portion of their life and spend it above water to find out about their other heritage. This is often met with some very interesting experiences that change their personality greatly, and often sends them back to the water.
Full nixies live about 200 years, so the lifespan of a half-nixie will be about halfway between 200 years and the lifespan of their other parent's race. For example, a half-nixie of human lineage will live about 125-150 years, whereas one of elven descent will live about 400 years. This great variance can cause severe social disruption in their relationships with others, especially if they take on a wife, or a lifelong friend.
Physical Description
Half-nixies tend to have a stockier build than their nixie ancestor especially if they are of human descent. Heights can reach 5 feet for both human and elven hybrids. Their skin, and hair color depends on their lineage as well, but very pale green skin, and dark green hair the color of seaweed are common. In addition to these features, half-nixies' eyes tend to not be as slanted as pure nixie eyes are, and their ears tend to be less pointy.
When living underwater, they will dress in the traditional seaweed and shark-hide clothing of their nixie kin. Above water, they will adopt the dress of the surface dwellers, but they still tend to favor greens and blues above other colors.
Relations
Half-nixies get along fairly well in their fey societies. Some of the pure-blooded nixies will shun their heritage and create tension over the matter, yet this is often the minority. The nixie races of O'Ma understand that hybrids play a special part in their existence and can be a valuable learning tool. Above water, half-nixies meet with suspicion and awe, because few know what they are. Their appearance is hard to disguise due to the color of their skin and hair, and many surface dwellers will not know how to react to this.
Alignment
Half-nixies tend towards goodness and neutrality. Specimens from all alignments exist, but for the most part they follow the principles of operating for the greater good, which in some cases is the greater good of their home nixie settlement. Scholars make the analogy to a school of fish, half-kiddingly: a half-nixie's tribal ties can be like that of a fish in a school.
Half-Nixie Lands
Half-nixies do not have any countries or lands of their own, but they are often found contributing in some way to settlements and countries of other races, both above and below water. Many half-nixies are found in the nixie cities of Qwandovia off the west coast of Negaria, and in Qwanderal off the southeast coast of Negaria. Half-nixies that are unable to go below the waves tend to wander the lands aimlessly, though some have been known to settle in the city of Elysia, which is run by a half-nymph named Vanoviel Niltaurwen. This city operates as a safe haven for hybrids.
Religion
O'Ma is often the god of choice among half-nixies, for he has been said to accept their kind and sympathize with their problems as hybrids. Other gods can sometimes be supplemented into their worship, though this is more common of ground-dwelling half-nixies than water-dwelling ones.
Language
Half-nixies speak nixie as their main tongue, and common as their secondary tongue if they were at least partially raised by their non-fey parent. Most of them also know fairy common, the language common to all fairy races (both O'Ma and Titanian). Those with an elven parent may also know how to speak Nanshilae (elven).
Names
When half-nixies are raised by their fey parent, they will have a nixie name. Last names signify a settlement or group name in nixie society, and first names are given names. If they are named by a non-fey parent, they will have a first and/or last name from their parent's race.
Male Names
Burgh, Clopow, Erbulu, Fain, Lest, Meerid, Pelorn, Qwindi, Qwernolan, Selah
Female Names
Bruana, Ch'al, Elena, Deera, Dleniva, Haley, Lianne, Qwendalin, Qwerala, Seerah
Group Names
Breelon, Neleeeon, Qweeelenon, Treeeliun, Yeerand
Adventurers
Nixie adventures can begin as soon as they come of age. If the nixie is a land-dweller, their yearning for the sea is evident very early in their childhood, and this can lead to any number of adventures dealing with the sea. For those born in the water, it can be a quest for finding their non-fey parent, or establishing trade with a nearby land settlement.
Note that half-nixies are not a playable race on Avlis.