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The Lost Fathoms Leviathans:

The Lost Fathoms Leviathans (or LFLs) are a clan of leviathans that live at the bottom of the sea, preferably in the darkest depths of the ocean. They are a clan that takes in the other leviathans of other clans on one sole condition: they must be dead to join.

Usually when a leviathan dies and cannot be revived by its own Fear, its kin and tribe-mates bring their body to the darkest part of the ocean, where it is handed over to the LFLs. Here, the LFLs decide whether to use Necromancy to bring them back, or to recycle the body for parts. Usually it's the latter, if no one else in the ocean has died recently and they're in need of a certain part. Sometimes a body that is harvested for parts is raised again after and fitted with the cast-off parts of their new tribemates. Nobody asks, nobody tells.

There used to be a ceremony where a dead leviathan would be brought to the LFLs with its kin singing their Life-Song, telling the LFLs of their deeds in an attempt to convince them to bring them back. The song itself and the quality of the singers often determined whether or not a leviathan was ressurected, or if its corpse is harvested to renew the tattered and flayed scales of the Lost Fathoms. While the LFLs remember this ceremony, they also remember when those who were resurrected came back, unable to adapt to their former lives now that they were undead.

Now, the Lost Fathoms Leviathans tend to stick to themselves, hoarding anything that falls within their territory of the deep ocean. It doesn't matter if it's treasure or a waterlogged corpse -- what comes down usually stays down. They are, more or less, the ocean's janitors and secret-keepers, hoarders of junk and refuse. It is because of this that many refer to where they live as a grave or junkyard, rather than a territory.



Merope's Natural Form:
As a sea-dragon (or a reanimated one, at least), the mightiest thing about him is his length rather than size or wing-span. From snout to tail-tip in his natural form, Merope is roughly 100 feet long. He would be snake-like in appearance if not for the pair of short arms and legs that support his midsection. These limbs are roughly 15-20 feet when stretched out to full length. Even though he has these, he is not built for land -- his long claws are more for slashing at underwater opponents than anything else, giving him a cumbersome and ungainly walk-shuffle-drag on land. He his happiest in the water, where his size can surprise anyone by proving that even in undeath he is a fast and graceful swimmer.

Even though he is a leviathan, Merope sports a pair of wing-like fins that he most likely picked up from some other unfortunate corpse he came across. Or perhaps it came from a large fish? Either way, they're his now. These fins sprout from his shoulder down his back to stop at his tail-tip, and are in rather neat condition. In all honesty, these fins are more for a decorative value than anything else.

As far as coloration goes, he appears to be rather bland for an underwater creature. However, given the fact that he lives in the darkest part of the ocean where the sun doesn't shine, his coloration is understandable -- to an extent. When he was alive, Merope boasted a coloration that was primarily cerulean blue in color, specifically dark blue on top and a light blue underbelly that enabled him to ambush his prey. Once dead, this coloration was replaced with black -- the corruption of necromancy. His old coloration can still be seen in the form of bioluminescent markings, never mind that said markings are now lighter in color and glow. His fins are also his old color, sporting brighter marks of bioluminescence themselves as well.

At Amityville Academy, however, the Lost Fathoms Leviathan discovered something distressing about his size: he shrank. The further away from his home he went, the smaller he became. On campus, Merope in his true form is merely 10 feet long from snout to tailtip.

(( His Natural Form is similar to the Lagiacrus from Monster Hunter Tri. Size ref #1, Size ref #2. ))

More on their natural ability:
The LFLs are the ocean's janitors. However, the sea itself ravages their form. Not only are there tiny sea creatures that feed off of them, but there's other competition for food and resources down there! Because of this, the LFLs have devised a method of manipulating their own Fear to enable them to take on and adapt the parts of other creatures to replace their own limbs. No matter what, these new limbs take on the coloration of the LFL.

For instance, let's say a purple LFL lost their hand to another LFL, or it was crushed by falling rocks. Let's say that they found a huge red crab and hijacked a giant pincer. By concentrating, the LFL can attach the pincer to their wrist and "fuse" it with them, replacing their hand with a brand new pincer. Even though in the process that red pincer turned purple, the LFL can pinch and use it as if they were born with it.

If the LFL decides later that the pincer doesn't work out, they can rip or bite it off and trade it with another LFL and repeat the process. If traded to, say, an orange LFL with green spots, the pincer would change from purple to orange with green spots when fused to that particular LFL.

If the LFL went on land and decided to trade parts on the black market, that pincer would still be orange with green spots when separated from the LFL. If another undead took the pincer, it would remain orange with green spots. Exciting, isn't it?

On Land:
LFLs tend to stay away from the land. Too dry, too bright. Not to mention other Undead seem to become squeamish and uncomfortable when a LFL mentions trading parts. Unlike most other undead, the LFLs rarely become attached to any particular limb, as they like to swap and trade parts like kids like to swap and trade germs. To them, it's natural.

They also aren't opposed to trading heads to try on new bodies, however no matter the body, their Fear somehow manages to turn their bodies into a vaguely leviathan shape...

As far as "classification" goes, LFLs are split between being called patchworks and dracoliches. They are made up of many parts from many species and were resurrected by their leader, however they do not bear any bolts or stitches. Any metal on them is from piercings or spiking themselves with bits of metal at an attempt to wear "jewelry." Otherwise, they do not possess the same sort of magical aptitude that dracoliches do, save for their leader...

The LFL Leader:
There isn't much to say about him. Or is it a her? The LFL leader is even more secretive than the rest of the race, preferring to speak through a "council" of LFLs rather than address or lead anyone him or herself. What is known is that the leader of the LFLs is a powerful dracolich trained in the art of necromancy: all LFLs owe their undead existance to him/her.

The LFL Leader doesn't ask much of his/her subjects: every full moon the LFL Leader requests things. From body parts to treasure, the LFLs occasionally leave their territory/junk/graveyard to go in search of that their leader requests. While sometimes tedious, it is a good opportunity to go scouting for more treasure or to upgrade one's parts.

SHRINKING LEVIATHANS?!
The further a Lost Fathoms Leviathan goes from the home territory, the further away they become from their leader's influence of necromatic Fear. They can journey for short periods of time away from his influence, however a LFL will soon discover why it is unwise to say away from home for long: they will begin to shrink.

When the LFL leader first moved into the territory, s/he wasn't aware of how big their neighbors were. A couple LFLs were eaten this way until the leader decided to add size into the spell that resurrected them. Unfortunately for the LFLs, the leader's expertise lies in necromancy, not sizes. The Fear-spell to keep their size is a constant spell that the LFLs must remain in the territory to maintain, as their sheer size is one of their defenses against interlopers.