Nix

Overview

Nix reside primarily in warmer, salty waters, and are found in densest concentration in the shallow waters of the Silver Sea. They are a more distal species than iarans, having branched from the common ancestor further down the evolutionary line. They have cycloid scales, rayed fins, bony skeletons, advertising coloration, and lack any vocal ability. Like iarans, they are known by tellurans for their medicinal and scientific advancements.

Physiology

Nix are omnivores, unlike iarans, who are carnivores. As such, they have a lesser need for perfect camouflage, and could instead evolve an advertising coloration. Nix can take nearly any color, but the subtle greys and browns of iarans are less common than brighter reds, oranges, yellows, and blues. Green is rare, as is purple (both are recessive traits). Further, their scales can form many patterns in these colors, and many nix have vertical stripes or dapples across their body. Other patterns- large patches, horizontal stripes, a polkadot-like pattern- are rarer, as is solid coloration (again, all recessive). Likewise, nix have elaborate, flowing fins, especially the caudal and cephalic, the latter of which runs along the center of the head and connects to the dorsal.

Nix are very good eryhalines. They can survive in salt or fresh water, but only as adults: adults who leave marine environments must return to have children, as both eggs and very young elvers¹ cannot survive in fresh water. Nix are less common in freshwater environments as a result, but not absent.

Language

Nix, like iarans, are fluent in Optimana and, most often, Sign. Many nix can understand Solan, but lacking any vocal ability, cannot speak it. Many coastal telluran settlements in areas where many nix habitate have high populations of tellurans who know Sign, so they may converse with their underwater neighbors.

Culture