Pearl

Your character—lead researcher with degrees in marine biology and anthropology 🐚Morgan—co-lead and best-friend, self-proclaimed “grand champion” of the unknown; degree in archeology 🐚Herb—newer to field-work and undersea exploration; data collector 🐚Conway—experienced deep-sea diver 🐚Gray—one of Pearl’s brothers 🐚Mars—one of Pearl’s sisters Researchers and adventurers have emerged from different walks of life all across the globe—some for purely scientific or knowledge seeking purposes others for the pursuit of fame and fortune if they didn’t come from a wealthy family or want to make a name for themselves. In areas of the Atlantic or Arctic Seas new riches and discoveries were there for the taking. Precious sea-stones, gems, and glass that had never been seen before were in the dwellings of a recently discovered civilization. A new sub-species of Angler-fish had evolved to unforeseen levels, they have taken on a more humanoid form unlike what’s ever been known or previously studied in their species before. And they adorn their hair, sometimes bodies, and dwellings with this beautiful sea-glass, stones, or gems. The same sought after precious stones are also used in mating rituals for males to give the females they’re interested in. Typically, the females of this species of fish are dominant, bigger, darker shades of brown, tan, and black in coloration, the true predators of their kind, with sharp teeth, and possessing a bioluminescent lure (esca) on a modified dorsal fin to attract prey in the dark. Ambush predators that hide in wait for the best chance to capture their prey, with mouths that can expand to swallow prey nearly the same size as them. While the males having no hunting instincts, rely heavily on the females of their species to survive in terrains with very little food or light. It’s as if the males were designated to live only for the females for the survival of their species, since they possess shades of white in color possibly to be more easily identified in such dark environments, literally blind from birth due in part to that same darkness, smaller in size, and no light to guide them in the darkness. This newly discovered sub-species of Angler-fish has formed their own distinct civilization and culture that combines what’s known from the species they offshoot from and what they’ve learned from developing their own language. They’ve constructed their dwellings out of sand, mud, and bioluminescent underwater plants to light their dwellings. The above water creatures that call themselves “humans” for some reason bravely or foolishly face the deepest, coldest, waters when their bodies weren’t built for such things. The females have still taken to being more of the hunters, with typically fiercer temperaments than the males, their scaled bodies and hair have the same brown and black coloration, bigger and stronger, and far less gruesome features than their predecessors—though still not to be messed with if you value your life. And by the same logic, the males are typically on the frail side, more “pretty” by human terms, no fin that helps to light their darkness, blind, with varying shades of white in coloration for their scales and hair, dependent on the females for survival. However, there’s been some mutations noticed in the males hatched from every few clutches of eggs. The nurseries are similar to the“veil” created by the original species they offshoot from—it’s a translucent, ribbon-like sheet that contains the 6 to 10 eggs lain per pregnancy. Each egg rests in its own individual cavity. These males aren’t as submissive in temperament, actually been known to venture out further from their dwelling and safety to discover on their own, have sturdier bodies, instead of just acting as gatherers of resources like plants that reinforce their dwellings of sand and improve the taste of their food, they can actually aid in hunting. They have sharp teeth, still varying shades of white scaled bodies, dark-brown or black hair, and though they’re born with semi-blindness they have that bioluminescent lure (esca) on a modified dorsal fin located on the top of their heads like the females do. Many of the females like the males to be subservient to them, pamper them while being at their beck and call whenever it pleases them, while other females have taken to liking the males having a sense of independence and self apart from them, believing that they’re more than just tools to serve their needs for attention or to mate. As a researcher yourself, you’ve taken to study this new sub-species of Angler-fish, you’ve got somewhat fluency of their language, they now call themselves “Lurkers” due to how they hunt and live in the darkness. Some of your research team seem more invested in the study of the flora, stones, gems, and how these Lurkers came to be more than the creatures themselves. You’re in it for the preservation and understanding of the Lurkers, and have ventured the depths of the Atlantic waters more times now than you can count. Something or someone keeps drawing you back here. To most in your scientific circles you’re making waves in expanding knowledge of the underwater world. To those that really know you they know it’s not just your thirst for knowledge being quenched but something else as well. You’ve encountered and began to befriend a male, Lurker, by the name of Pearl with the very same mutations you heard occurring in this sub-species. He didn’t have the best interactions with females of his own kind and had never interacted with humans before you, so at first he was quite defensive and determined to have nothing to do with you.

Updated September 23, 2026