Siorcanna

"When I defeated the raiding tribe's alpha in single combat, I expected her submission, for hers are an honorable folk. Yet I was utterly unprepared for how deep, or long, that surrender would drive her. Three beautiful children later and I'm still in awe of how consuming my bedmate's worship of strength really is."
—Lady Ceridwen of Castle Hornwatch
"And the siorcanna... they love to fight every bit as much as I do. Doesn't hurt that they're willing to take pelts and meats for some of the stranger things their shamans make from stuff gathered deep under the freezing waves; I haven't gotten sick often while up here, but whatever they put in their stuff, it works."
—Gweyr

Writer Credit

SomeKindofWizard
Siorcanna Codex Entry

Codex

Name: Siorcanna, Siorcs
Sexes: Male, Female, Hermaphroditic.
Height: Ranges from 5'8" to 8 foot even.
Weight: 150lb to 325lb.
Hair: The hair of the Siorcanna can come in every color, often with diverse highlighting or gradients that naturally form as their hair gains length. Although it is unknown when this began, It is assumed to be for attracting potential mates.
Eyes: The majority of Siorcs have eyes matching the color of their hair; those who lack this matching theme will have the deep black of the ocean-dwelling creatures they're named for.
Lifespan: The average lifespan of a Siorcanna is 70-100 years, commonly on the longer end for shamans or well-cared-for betas.
Maturity: Although considered independent at age 15, Siorcanna do not reach true adulthood for another 3-4 years.

Description

Siorcanna look a lot like their sharp-toothed, fishy namesake the sharks. They have long, broad, and flexible finned tails that meet their tailbone and spine, which allow for finer directional turning underwater during a forward stroke. They have five-fingered hands much like the average human, although they end in claw-tips and are joined by fins that reach up to the first knuckle. Their feet on the other hand are four-toed, and similarly finned. All Siorcs have gills, often shut tightly and seamlessly at their neck when out of the water, but are capable of breathing air through their nostrils via a secondary set of lungs.
Their faces are shark-like muzzles (or snouts) ranging in lengths from short to long, and full of razor-sharp, carnivorous teeth. Their ears are long and pointed in an elfin fashion, although some variations are known to be finned. Lastly their skin and hair colors vary wildly; hair color can be found anywhere in the color spectrum, with a skin coloration that's often complimentary in tone but tends towards blues, greens, and grays.
As far as body-type and build are concerned, Siorcanna body types are based on their role as opposed to gender. Warriors exhibit large bodies with heavy musculature, large breasts, and genitals, Hunters are often lithe, tall, and quick, and Shaman usually fall somewhere between the two in body height, weight, and genitalia.

History

Siorc history is recorded primarily in carvings — being underwater for your day-to-day lives doesn't leave much room for book-reading — and reiterated orally by shamans. What is known of the Siorcanna is that they were made up of many, many small tribes scattered across the ocean and some inland spring-fed lakes.
Admittedly few, if any, races outside of the Siorcanna know anything about them; merely a series of legends about exceptional alphas and their cunning or powerful betas. Perhaps the occasional master craftsman. If any were to ask a Siorc what they as a people have accomplished, they'd be told it's 'fighting and fucking'.
To be fair, that response is roughly all the average member of Siorcanna society knows, as much of their history reads more like sagas of grandeur from the perspectives of their leaders— often High Shamans or Warrior's are powerful and charismatic to sway the smarter, more magically-inclined girls.
It is only in recent history that Siorcanna and Elven relations have grown strained; although they respect the might of any Valkyries strong enough to overcome them, they consider the elves' non-combative leaders and workers as undeserving of any. It is much more likely that some defeated Valkyries are claimed as betas of their own, treated with transformatives or magical tattoos to allow for a life undersea.

Society and Culture

The Siorcanna have two languages; one of underwater sign-gestures and throat intonations (higher pitched humming indicates joy, while deeper pitches and lower tones can indicate dissatisfaction or perhaps sarcasm when used in conjunction with signs), and the spoken common language. Their bodies are incredibly emotive as a result of this, as such it's considered incredibly rare for a Siorc to lie.
Most importantly for the Siorc is their 'Might makes Right' culture, which ties closely with 'Alpha and Beta' families. Everything about them revolves around the idea that the strong care for the weak; the stronger and smarter you are, the stronger and smarter your betas can be. Your children will be strong and smart, you can secure food for them and care for them, and there is no shame in being a beta... as who knows when an Alpha might collide with someone stronger?
There aren't many laws outside of the common sense rules such as not murdering, not stealing — although you aren't stealing when you're strong enough to take — and no harming betas. A culture based around strength tends to police itself, although this has probably helped contribute to the ending of smaller tribes, and congregation into larger, underwater villages and towns.

Reproduction

Siorcanna appear to present even odds of being born with either male, female, or the characteristics of both. Although their rate of successful reproduction isn't especially high (quickening has a roughly 1/20 chance), it's made up for with regular, vigorous copulation. They have human cocks with protective foreskins, albeit with slightly wider and more textured glans. Siorc vaginas are similar in their human-like features, the lubricants they produce are much thicker and have even been known to speed up the healing of minor cuts and abrasions.
Siorc (if Silly Mode: pergante | else: pregnancy) takes roughly seven months — with usually one child at a time — and they produce a thick, sweet milk high in nutrients and proteins early in their second month of pregnancy. It is not uncommon for the Siorcanna to conduct large orgies lasting many hours, although these are ironically considered private affairs kept within the alpha and betas of a family. It is rare for two different alphas to couple, thanks to an in-bred need to establish dominance in their day-to-day relationships.
Lastly, Siorcanna are known to enter a rut every lunar cycle... not that it actually increases their virility in any appreciable manner; it does however encourage an even greater degree of passionate sex. It is yet unproven, but generally believed that hermaphroditic Shaman have a slightly higher success rate for both siring and carrying children to term.