Leviathans

Leviathans are an elusive, ginormous, serpentine, race of highly intelligent aquatic beings that dwell across the both Eldham and Rathnir's oceans. They are also capable of taking on a more human-like form via a specific ritual, which will last until the counter ritual is undertaken. While most leviathans never leave their oceanic homes or only leave for brief periods, some choose to preform the transformation ritual with the intent of living on land and among land-dwelling races.

Appearance
Adult leviathans tend to be extremely sizable, with most around 500 feet in length, though the largest known leviathan was over ten times that. Juvenile leviathans tend to range from half to a third of the average adult size, and hatch at around one tenth of it. Leviathans will continue to grow as they age, slowing down substantially when they reach maturity, but never truly stopping.

Temperate leviathans have a typical coloration of mild blues, greens, and purples, sometimes with the odd yellow, alongside various muted neutral colors. They have minimal to no patterning and large spiney fins. Horns are moderately common among them, and they are often described being medium size relative to the rest of their species.

Tropical leviathans are usually awash in vibrant colors encompassing the entire rainbow and covered in patterning with as many variations as the fish they live alongside. They have the second lowest tendency to possess horns, and their fins are sleek and rigid. They are tied for smallest leviathan with arctic, being almost 100 feet less long on average.

Arctic leviathans typically have either a very light coloration, a very dark coloration, or a contrasting combination of both. In any case, their colors tend to be rather muted. Patterning is usually only seen in simple color blocking, and even then it is not common. Their rate of having horns is the lowest, and their fins tend towards moderately flowy.

Abyssal leviathans are most often of pale shimmering colors with bioluminescent pigmentation in their patterning, which is the in between of the complexity of tropicals and the minimalism of temperates and arctics. They are by far the most likely type of leviathan to have horns, and they often have extravagantly flowing fins as well as growing to the largest size of all the sub-species.

Leviathans that have undertaken the ritual to assume a humanoid form will attain an overall human-like physique and skin coloration as well as gaining a head of hair in a color that correlates to their true form in some way. They will retain from their original form some fins in various places (most commonly behind the ears, on the forearms, and on the calves), a set of fangs intermingling with otherwise human passing teeth, and a tail. If the leviathan possesses horns, they might also find themselves retaining those through the transformation as well. In addition, leviathans in humanoid form will find themselves with sharper than normal fingernails.

Subspecies
There are four leviathan subspecies, distinguished by their habitats, temperate leviathans, arctic leviathans, tropical leviathans, and abyssal leviathans. These subspecies vary to various degrees in culture, appearance, and biology, but they are all compatible in a reproductive sense, so it is not uncommon to find leviathans of mixed heritage.

Temperate leviathans are adapted to be best acclimated to their habitat's climate, and they also have decent tolerance for other temperatures to a certain extent, sometimes tending more towards warmer or colder climates depending on their heritage. Similar goes for arctic and tropical leviathans, being best adapted for colder and warmer waters respectively, with temperate waters being mostly fine for them and being ill adapted for the climate opposite to their favored. Abyssal leviathans are better adapted for a comfortable life under the pressure of the deeper waters, though all leviathans can handle those sorts of atmospheric pressures to a degree.

Names
Even amongst themselves, leviathans almost never go by their true names, given at hatching by whatever parent or parents raised them. This is because these names hold incredible magical significance over a leviathan, and without knowing this name it is impossible for someone to magically bind a leviathan against their will. However with a leviathan's true name, almost no defense can prevent such a thing should someone attempt to do so. The vast majority of leviathans would rather die than give their true name to someone they would not trust with their very existence.

Leviathans pseudonyms have no widespread methodology for how they are chosen, and are a mostly personal choice. Some may chose to pick something they just happen to like, and others may choose to follow a family tradition.

History
The leviathans believe themselves to have been created many millions of years ago by an ancient entity they call the Mother of the Seas, who was said to have carved the first four leviathans, dubbed the First Children of the Seas, out of mother of pearl harvested from the shell of a great beast known as the Primordial Scourge. These four were said to have gone on to be the progenitors of the different subspecies.

Written records were not commonly kept by leviathans until a few centuries ago, so most information was passed down orally and safeguarded by the oldest among them. However there is quite a bit of documentation by other civilizations regarding encounters with leviathans, positive and negative, with most of this documentation coming from merfolk.

Beyond this, the history of leviathans is so complex and varied between the various cultural groups, that it would best be covered on an individual basis as opposed to trying to lump it all together.

Luna Maris Argentea
Luna is a leviathan of about four centuries age who currently lives in Ythmyrr Beach of the Socialist Union of Medtremar following a several year period of seclusion after suffering a stress breakdown in her previous home of Myrtana. Though an active community member, she prefers to live quietly and at her own pace, having learned her lesson about letting others decide her life for her.