Figured I would show you all what I have been up to on the Maeri. So here is an image I photoshopped of what a Maeri looks like (note that this is only one look as the Maeri have many racial types just as humans do).
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c140/doomyperson/maeri.png)
Here is the original image for those of you who are wondering what my base was.
[spoiler=base]
(http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/uploads/attractive_article.jpg)
[/spoiler]
Anyhow a re-explanation is in order for those of you who aren't quite sure what the Maeri are. They are to be exact, an offshoot of the same species that modern humans came from. That species was so close as to practically be human itself. However it has since branched into two races. Most humans would be appalled if you said they were related to Maeri and few would consider your words anything but rubbish. Likewise for many Maeri. While humans took exclusively to land living just as their ancestor had, the Maeri took to the water and their race adapted as a sea folk.
Since that point several hundred thousand years ago, they have adapted into something separate from humanity. Their eyes are larger and designed for taking in more light while their lungs have grown and developed to hold more oxygen. Furthermore Maeri hands and feet are webbed between their fingers and toes and their nose has taken on a smaller form with slitted openings (perfect for holding shut; their ears have similar membranes). Even now one can make out the slowly growing flaps that may one day once again become nictitating membranes. As the Maeri and Humanity developed they came into contact (and conflict) with each other and so have shaped both species with their actions. This is especially apparent in the crossbreeds between the two species. Their genome has remained similar enough that they can still bear young with one and other. This has resulted in some interesting combination and is even now leading towards the development of a third species. Who knows what they will look like in another hundred thousand years.
Now days the Maeri have found themselves in the place of second class citizens in Karros. Anti-Species prejudice towards them has made for an uneasy tension in many places. Unfortunately the collapse of the Dyyaro States has ruined any hope at a brighter future elsewhere. They have become permanent residents of Karros for the foreseeable future. Though some often return to the ocean in search of answers or a better life, none have yet come back. If this was otherwise humanity might have a better clue as to what happened to their homelands from long ago. The collapse of the Dyyaro States though has left little hope of ever uncovering the truth.
i do love the visual nature of your work
Don't get me wrong... the picture is totally cool. But it's hard for the trained human eye not to automatically correct that picture to normal proportions. You would be better off doing a sketch of that picture, making the exaggerations just a little more extreme.
I look at that and my brain is automatically processing it into "OH! It's Monica Belucci from The Passion..."
Good job though!
That picture does look entirely human. After reading below, I noticed the nostrils.
Thanks for viewing my picture :) . I understand that it seems odd that the Maeri do look very human (and I will probably take that into account in future explanations of them). The primary point of them is as hook from which I can dangle more prejudicial tensions. I felt that it would do better in that regard if it matched the real world irony inherent in racism (those with it still looking quite similar to those they are insulting).
Anyhow, I don't want to de-humanize the Maeri. So if you have any ideas about improving things without pulling them too far apart from humanity that would work great in fleshing them out. Please shout out any ideas on how you would do such a sea faring race. :)
[spoiler]On a side note, this is also only a head shot. It's much easier to see the difference when you notice their hands have huge webs between their fingers (and that they are generally a bit more stocky than plain humans). Though I still want them similar enough so that it only requires a simple cloak or a disguise to go unnoticed in a crowd of humans.[/spoiler]
I think you are right that seeing the whole body would make their differences more apparent.
Ya I posted this mostly cause I was tired and bored. Didn't actually expect any replies. Now that I have them though should probably consider some things (and ask for any other ideas).
I'd ditch the hair (all of it) and give her complexion a more sturdy and harried appearance. Life under water (even partially) is hard, and I think expressing that visually will go a long way. Also consider how strong your average foot-long fish is; growing up in the ocean makes for extraordinarily resilient creatures. It's also fair to expect that something accustomed to a higher degree of effort in general movement will be clumsy out of the water, using more force than is necessary.
Do the Maeri hunt with tools, or have they become adept at killing aquatic creatures with their natural weapons? Do they eat prey raw, straight out of the water (or maybe even while underwater)? If so, maybe they have a distinguishing jaw structure, and/or vise-like fingers that can effortlessly hold still a frantically struggling fish.
Anyhoo, these are just ideas I've considered in my own amphibious races. Obviously, we're not talking millions of years, so I'm not sure how much alteration can have taken place, but it's worth considering which ones might take place in developing a unique offshoot. Hope this was useful.
Well not all of it. The Maeri live on the water as well as in it (boat like villages, isles, floating kelp, etc) so they need some protection still. However you do have a point there. They probably have much finer and thinner hair than a human. Very stringy and sparse but still there. Also a good point on the rugged appearance (to match their more muscled/bulky full body). They also probably are a bit more clumsy on land (though Maeri that have been born and raised land side probably adapt better to this problem).
Yes the Maeri hunt with tools, you can thank their interaction with humanity for that. They don't have any natural weapons any more than humans do (before tools they tended more towards smaller prey and plants). Their tools are often of shell and rock. Islanders and coastal dwellers fortunate enough to find sturdy wood have also gotten into spear and lance making (and those that have interacted with humans have benefited from metalcraft). Raw prey though... that's a good idea. Fire would be difficult to maintain living on and in the ocean. While magic can overcome this I could see the difficulty as being enough so that eating raw food is more acceptable. So we thus have the invention of sushi (hehe). Their hands aren't vices but they can hold a fish much better than a human (those large webs between their fingers help).
And yes that was incredibly useful. Thank you.