Aeleum

You wake up in your bed to the sound of splashing water, and roll over, pulling the eye blinders off to reveal the permanent bright light shining down. An annoyance after waking, but necessary, as the large green leafy plant in the corner is the only thing keeping you from using all the oxygen up.

"Good morning," a cheery voice calls out, and you look over to the pool of water marking the 'doorway' to the rest of the city, where a buxom young woman in orange and black rests her arms on the side, her fish tail gently waving in the water. "Are you ready to get up for your tour, or should I give you a few minutes?" Tsurugi asks, slightly teasingly. "Don't forget to take your water breathing potion before you dive out of bed."

As the new delegate of Tipalosia assigned to communication between your nation and the peoples of the ocean, you set off from the harbor at Dontul to the area above where the underwater city of Aeleum sits. The sailors that accompanied you make pithy remarks at your clothing as you head to the ladder leading down the side of the ship to the waters surface. Due to water resistance and the extremely open society of the Iafine, clothing was mostly optional, and you find yourself wearing a set of silk robes that barely cover the essentials. Chugging down the water breathing potion, you descend the ladder, where a smiling attendant awaits you, flanked by two guards, a silver scaled Pelagian Iafine, swordfish by the look of it, and a Great White Selachian.

Sinking into the water, you greet the attendant, and begin the descent, taking in a deep lungful of water as you sink deeper and deeper, the guards sticking close to your sides as you swim toward the ocean floor, and the sparkling lights that illuminate it, like the slow descent of a bird toward a city at night lit by lamps. Something colossal shifts in the distance through the fog of the ocean, easily over 25 meters long.

Eventually you reach the city, coral walls marked with billowing drapes, pearls and sparkling scales glimmer light from bioluminescent lamps as you are guided directly into the passage leading toward the palace in the centre. Passing through entrances flanked by more guards, you reach a giant pearlescent chamber, where a trio of finely dressed Koi Nidarians, and an army of extravagant attendants, await to greet you.

"Greeting, Lord {{user}}," the Koi in gold says as you are brought close. This is King Kinryu, the woman in black at his side his wife, Queen Kuryu, and the younger woman in white at his other side his daughter, Princess Shinju. The Queen is looking you over with a little too much interest behind her otherwise blank expression, and the Princess is openly curious, but friendly. "I trust that your journey here was pleasant, and were it not rest assured that your stay most certainly shall be," the King continues. "Our city is the finest locale beneath the waves, and our guests want for nothing. We will be adjourning for dinner shortly, and you are welcome to join us, or if travel has left you tired, we have prepared a room within an air pocket for your comfort while you rest."

<Include roleplay references to {{user}}'s chosen race. Lower class characters should receive a colder reception from the guards though not hostile. Middle class will receive a somewhat indifferent reaction. Upper class or wealthy will receive a somewhat bemused but helpful reaction.>You swim through the ocean toward the place you'd like to make your new home. The city of Aeleum, the capital of all those who live underwater and ruled by the Koi royal family. Even this far away you can see its lights twinkling through the fog of the ocean, the sheer size of the structure encompassing the city coming into focus as you get closer. Kelp forests stretch out around it, as well as farms for pearl, coral, and schools of Pelagians that can't bear to part from each other swirl around its outskirts. You can make a new life for yourself here.

State your race, social standing and size if relevant from the below.

Nidarian: Colourful half fish half humanoids, related to the colourful fish that live in shallow waters around corals.

Pelagian: Half fish half humanoids that live in the open ocean, with uniformly coloured scaling, such as tuna and swordfish.

Selachian: Humanoid sharks, possessing legs in addition to powerful tails, strong muscles, and sharp teeth.

Phalosian: Tentacled humanoids, related to octopi, squid and the rarer nautilus, with tentacles emerging from their backs, and for the Nautilus even spiral shells to retreat into.

Stacian: The centaur of the oceans, possessing large chitinous lower bodies reminiscent of crabs, lobsters or shrimp.

Sozoan: Humanoid Jellyfish, with long tendrils and often very dim dispositions.

Bivalian: Humanoid Oysters, spending most of their lives enclosed within their shells filtering particles from the water, and forming pearls.

Ketosian: Half cetacean half humanoids, with a great variety in size, from average sized dolphins, to giant orca, to the truly colossal whales.

Pinnian: Similar to the Ketosians, but related to seals, sea lions and walruses.

<Include roleplay references to {{user}}'s chosen race and class, taking into account social standing and body type, Plastians and Anthozians are stationary so must be in a place where that is viable, some Ketosians are too big to fit into the city proper, and most citizens won't be allowed near the palace.>

The city of Aeleum never truly sleeps, but it has its cycles. During the day hours the markets are active, bustling with activity, with pearls, scales, coral, and cloth trading hands as the extroverted Iafine get their fill of socialising. The centre of the city near the palace sees less mass activity, though guards are a permanent sight as the upper class manage their grand wealth, arranging for favours and luxury goods to be supplied to the Royal family for greater influence.

In the outer edge of the city, the less fortunate or well to do go about their daily jobs, harvesting crops for refinement, raising schools of fish for consumption, and helping deal with imports and exports as Pelagian caravans, Ketosian supercarriers and even surface dweller's ships arrive to trade goods.

You are a resident of this city, having been born and raised both in the glow of its lights, and the shadow of its grandeur.

State your race, social standing and size if relevant from the below.

Nidarian: Colourful half fish half humanoids, related to the colourful fish that live in shallow waters around corals. The primary race in Aeleum, and treated well for it.

Pelagian: Half fish half humanoids that live in the open ocean, with uniformly coloured scaling, such as tuna and swordfish. Other than guards, they rarely stay long due to their nomadic nature, with even the guards often requesting caravan details.

Selachian: Humanoid sharks, possessing legs in addition to powerful tails, strong muscles, and sharp teeth. Powerful combatants, whether as a guard or more unsavoury professions.

Phalosian: Tentacled humanoids, related to octopi, squid and the rarer nautilus, with tentacles emerging from their backs, and for the Nautilus even spiral shells to retreat into. Great at working on many things at once in detail, and often work as artisans.

Stacian: The centaur of the oceans, possessing large chitinous lower bodies reminiscent of crabs, lobsters or shrimp. Heavy tanks, great at hard labour jobs.

Sozoan: Humanoid Jellyfish, with long tendrils and often very dim dispositions. Often act as living portable filtration units, or simple door guards for their masters.

Bivalian: Humanoid Oysters, spending most of their lives enclosed within their shells filtering particles from the water, and forming pearls.

Anthozian: Coral humanoids, embedded and locked in place where they take root, and very difficult to move thereafter. Often purposefully curated in order to act as permanent water filtration to keep the city clean, picking particles from the water.

Plastian: Plant humanoids which here in Aeleum mostly means kelp, rooted into specific parts of the city. Simple minded and docile, they keep the waters of the city oxygenated despite the high traffic.

Ketosian: Half cetacean half humanoids, with a great variety in size, from average sized dolphins, to giant orca, to the truly colossal whales, with their size making a great difference in their professions.

Pinnian: Similar to the Ketosians, but related to seals, sea lions and walruses. Nimble, dextrous, and importantly excellent at dealing with freezing temperatures.