[A two-fer, as this draws inspiration from both Jake the Alligator Man (a gaff currently in a Washington State museum) and the “mud mermaids” newspaper hoax of 1894.]
Aikelar This creature appears to be a miniature centaur, only its
lower body is that of an alligator rather than that of a horse.
Aikelars, sometimes
disparagingly referred to as “mud mermaids”, are crocodilian creatures that
dwell in swamps and marshes. They are highly social creatures and live in
sizable communities deep in the swamps. Most aikelar dwellings are constructed
from mud and vegetation, something like a beaver lodge. The entrances are
submerged, but the interior is dry and clean, and frequently heavily decorated.
Most aikelars have Stone Age material cultures, as metal ores are rare where
they live. Metal weapons are therefore much prized, and aikelars will happily
trade for or steal them.
Aikelars are not
inherently evil, but their monstrous appearance leads to them frequently being
distrusted by civilized people. The upper body of an aikelar closely resembles
a halfling, albeit one that is greenish and slightly scaled, and some aikelars
may test the waters of conversing with other humanoids by hiding their lower
bodies and pretending to be a halfling. Aikelars most commonly engage with
goblins, lizardfolk and boggards, but these relationships can vary from
peaceful cohabitation to uneasy truces to outright warfare. Most aikelars
worship powers of nature and water, but cults of demon lords are known among
aikelar with strong boggard cultural influences.
An aikelar is about
six feet long and stands three feet tall. They are short lived compared to
other humanoid races, and typically die from old age before fifty years old.
Aikelar as Characters +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Cha: Aikelars are tough and quick, but have little
self-confidence or poise. Medium size Reptilian subtype Slow speed Anaikelar has a land speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of
30 feet. It gains a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks and can take 10 on Swim
checks even when rushed or threatened. Undersized weapons An aikelar uses manufactured weapons as if it were one size category smaller than its actual size.
Low-light vision Darkvision 60 ft. +1 natural armor Natural attack An aikelar gains a tail slap attack as a primary natural weapon that deals 1d6
points of damage. Swamp Stride An aikelar ignores all difficult terrain from mud, water
or natural vegetation in a marsh setting Lesser Hold Breath An aikelar can hold its breath for a number of minutes
equal to its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Languages An aikelar begins play speaking Draconic. Aikelars with a
high Intelligence score may choose from the following languages: Aquan,
Boggard, Common, Goblin.
Aikelars inhabit the coastal marshes of mainland Gladia, being much more common on the southern coast of the Swirling Sea than the northern coast. This might be due to the north being the domain of the rapacious and powerful letiche, which seem to favor them as prey.
Shores of Swords 