This is set up for anyone who has questions or would like to comment on the new personal creation between Eol and I called “Into the Deep and Out of the Waves”. It’s based on the upcoming new race that Eol is creating called Ayalualie, who are sea elves. Stay tuned into the Audalis for Eol’s new creation!

We’re creating a whole new set of elven words more suited to aquatic life to update the Gray Company Elven Dictionary. Let me know if you’d like anything translated before we get that completed!

**for... whatever from me**

Just in case anyone's curious (or impatient, as the case may be ), here's the not-quite-complete Ayalualie article as it stands right now. Still have a bit of work and polish to do on this - details to add, gray areas to color in, etc - but, here's what's there, for better or worse.

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The Ayalualie – Aquatic Elves of Audalis
The Sylvari are so commonly seen in the lands of Antaron that those who don’t know better might be lead to believe that the Sils (and their half-blooded kin) are the only elves in all of Audalis. Those who live or ply their trades on Antaron’s coastlines, lakeshores, and riverbanks, though, would strongly advise you to reconsider that belief and, then, regale you with tales of Audalis’ elusive aquatic elves, the Ayalualie (roughly translated from their own tongue: “We who dwell in the waters”).

Although the Ayalualie (or “Wallies” as they are commonly called by humans) are encountered far less frequently, they are no rarer than are their land dwelling cousins.. There are few among those folk who glean their livelihoods from the oceans of Audalis who can’t tell you at least one tale of an encounter with a Sea Wallie – merchant captains and their crews alike have spun tales of silvery-blue skinned elves swimming alongside dolphins at their bow; fishermen have reported seeing them frolicking in kelp beds or having their nets cut by one that, for whatever reason, took offense to their catch; even pirates have been known to drunkenly lament having been harassed or outright attacked by a pack of “pearl-eyed, point-eared, Salt Wallie so-and-so’s” – nor are there many who make their livings on the waters of Antaron’s rivers and lakes who would be short, at least, a single, similar tale – “As we were ferryin’ across th’ river there in Goodlund, me youngest boy fell off inta th’ water. Th’ boy can’t swim, so me wife were in a tizzy, bless ‘er… She were half wracked with grief thinkin’ our boy were lost when, of a sudden, this wisp o’ a green-skinned girl leaps outta the water an’ lands on th’ ferry with th’ lad in ‘er arms. Th’ girl din’t say a word, just kissed the boy on ‘is mouth afore she put ‘im on the deck at ‘is Ma’s feet, smiled at as, and dove back inta th’ river pretty as ya please. River Wallie, the ferryman says she was…”

Description The Ayalualie share many traits with their land-born cousins, the Sylvari. They are physically more slender and sleekly muscled in comparison to humans, their facial features are finer, they have notably pointed ears, and they are of a height with both Sylvari and Men, alike (on average, the height of an adult male Ayaluali is just under six feet; adult females tend to average only an inch or three shorter). Additionally, the Ayalualie share the Sylvari’s longevity, with lifespans of 550 years or greater not being unheard of. It is here that the similarities between Sils and Wallies come to an end. For instance, while Sils and Wallies both have what can be called a “typical elven build,” the Ayalualie tend to have a somewhat bulkier appearance due to the addition of a thin but highly insulating layer of a fat-like substance between their skin and muscles. Wallies also tend to have webbed fingers and toes. Both of these adaptations, of course, serve them well in their lives below the surface of Audalis’s waters.

Ayalualie skin tones range in color from shades of silvery-blue to varying hues of golden-green and are, as often as not, streaked or dappled in various patterns. Ayalualie hair also compliments their skin, ranging from deep blacks and browns through shades of blue and green, and even more exotic colors such as sea-foam white, coral pinks, and the like not being terribly uncommon. These colorations and patterns seem to vary dependent upon where the individual Ayaluali calls home and serve to make these aquatic elves difficult to discern underwater, especially among kelp beds and patches of river grass; because of this they gain the ability to easily camouflage themselves in their natural environment.

Ayalualie eyes are larger and somewhat rounder than are those of the Sylvari and coloration runs an impressive spectrum from the deepest blacks and browns to blues, greens, and violets so pale that they might, at a glance, be seen as almost white. Regardless of the color, the eyes of all Ayalualie have a somewhat pearlescent sheen to them, especially in direct sunlight. Wallies also have three eyelids, so to speak; they possess both upper and lower (outer) lids as do most other humanoid races on Audalis and and “inner lid”, a thin, tough, translucent membrane that can be drawn across the eye to protect it from damage without hindering visibility (i.e. when hunting, in combat, or swimming through tainted or polluted water). The presence of this nictitating membrane often lends a flickering effect when the Ayalualie blink and can be somewhat disconcerting to people of other races until they become accustomed to it.

As mentioned before, Ayalualie ears have a notable point to them much like Sylvari ears; however, Ayaluali ears have an almost fin-like appearance as opposed to the “leaf-shaped” look of the Sils’. Additionally, they have what appear to be the equivalents of gill slits behind their ears and/or along their necks through which they process oxygen while under water (i.e. most of the time)… Ayalualie are able to breathe out of the water, as well, but prefer not to do so for extended periods of time as it can be uncomfortable for them at best and painfully deadly at worst.

Dress In general, Ayalualie tend not to wear clothes in their natural environment as clothing of any sort usually restricts movement and/or adds additional drag that inhibits swimming to some degree. This is not to say that Ayalualie never wear clothing; however, on a day-to-day basis, they see very little need in it. On the occasions that clothing is worn, males commonly trend toward short, simple breechcloth type garments whereas females can be found wearing apparel that ranges from a two piece ensemble of bandeau and short kirtle (much like a modern bikini) to a single piece garment similar to a shift or chemise. These clothing items are most often made of woven kelp, sea/river grass, shark or Maur'daegothrim skins or something similar, but it is not uncommon to see Ayalualie craft their apparel from items they have salvaged from the sunken hulks of ships and such – skirts, tunics, and other items made from fish nets or sail-cloth are not unusual, for example; nor is it uncommon to find “standard surface wear” to find in the repertoire of Ayalualie dress.

Ayalualie warriors and hunters typically craft and wear armor made from Maur'daegothrim or shark hides and other naturally tough items found in their environments (turtle shells, etc), and, like their salvaging of clothing, they have also been known to wear piecemeal armors that they find among items lost by surfacers…

Culture and Society Ayalualie society is probably best defined as quasi-nomadic, with groups of anywhere from two to two-dozen individuals coming together to form temporary, fluid groups much like the pods formed by dolphins. Ayalualie are very gregarious creatures and appear to enjoy (if not even need) each other while hunting, defending themselves and their pods, and (obviously) mating. The Ayalualie in these “pods” regularly join, split up, and rejoin “pods” in different combinations and two or more “pods” may combine for several minutes or hours to form larger social groups. “Pod” size is typically related to the availability of food and resources as well as the openness and depth of their environment. The composition and population of these pods are constantly changing, some Ayaluali moving into these pods for only minutes or hours before leaving.

Despite their apparent nomadic tendencies, the Ayalualie have, in fact, established several permanent settlements and even cities of living coral and crystal beneath the waves and, to this end, Ayalualie society consists mainly of those sea-elves who dwell within a fifteen-mile area around these cities. There is a titular king or queen to whom they pay homage but he/she has no real power over daily life – Ayalualie live as they please, for the most part, coming together under a ruler only in times of undersea emergencies or great trouble for the world in general. For the most part, the lords and ladies of the ocean cities do little other than escort visitors and conduct trade. The rest of the population consists of artists, hunters, and farmers, all concerned with making survival possible and life pleasant for the rest of the community…
((more to come))

Trade and Commerce ((In the works))

Values and Taboos ((In the Works))

Game Terms
Ability Score Adjustments: As the breed needs the ability to move quickly and gracefully underwater, Ayaluali characters gain +1 bonus to their Dexterity scores. However, since their underwater realms are essentially isolated from the realms of other races on Audalis, they suffer a -1 penalty to Intelligence

Special Disadvantages:Although they may survive on land, the Ayalualie prefer not to do so, for it causes them immense pain. They can live on land for a number of days equal to their initial Constitution score. However, they endure increasing pain as time spent out of water wears on, and their ability scores and proficiencies are affected. Every two days, these scores decrease by –1 until the elves return to water. If a physical score (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) reaches 0, the Wallie dies.

In salt water, the Ayaluali’s attributes return to normal within 15 minutes. In fresh water, an Ayaluali merely stops losing his or her scores; they do not revert to normal until the elf enters salt water. The time spent in fresh water does not count against time away from the sea, and these Wallies may dwell in fresh water indefinitely. If they enter the water before their attributes are to decrease again, the water acts as a revitalizing force; the suffering period begins anew when they emerge from water.