[The ri was a big deal in cryptozoology circles for a little while, as it was seen as a mystery creature with good evidence for its existence. That’s because it was a dugong, albeit one behaving weirdly (moving into deeper water than had been thought). The charming tears are based on folklore about actual dugongs, and apparently sirenians in general have super-fast clotting blood, hence the immunity to bleed effects.]
Ri This creature resembles a beautiful human woman from
the waist up, and has the lower body and flippers of a rotund sea mammal. Her
skin is thick and gray, but her demeanor soft and gentle.
The ri are
merfolk that combine the features of humanoids with those of manatees and
dugongs. They are peaceful herbivorous creatures that tend to gardens of sea
grass, and are generally benevolent and welcoming of others. Ri carry weapons
in order to defend themselves, but they would rather make friends then
enemies—and their tears can supernaturally charm humans and animals alike,
making this a prospect that the ri can force if they have to. Some ri clans
have grown wary of outsiders, as these magical tears prove to be a tempting
target for unscrupulous alchemists who harvest them to make elixirs of charming.
Many ri live
alone or in small family groups, but they keep in touch with larger social
structures and may gather in the hundreds for festivals such as weddings,
funerals or religious holidays. They may domesticate animals to keep as
pets—fellow herbivores such as sea turtles or sea urchins are popular choices.
Males are slightly larger than females, but there is little social distinction
between sexes.
A ri is somewhat
shorter than a standard merfolk, reaching between five and six feet long, but tend
to fatter builds. Their lifespans are equivalent to those of half-elves—they
live slightly longer than humans.
The gentle ri inhabit the southeastern coasts of Gladia, peacefully tending their seagrass beds. Theymaintain contracts with zitiron companies to protect them from other aquatic menaces.
Shores of Swords 