FISHER and the SPEAKER of the FLOOD

Name: Names are an important thing to Floodborn. To hold a name on your tongue is to hold a soul in your hand, they say, and so they tend to go by surnames and aliases. In other words - Fisher isn’t telling you his name.

Memento: N/A

Most of his other tricks have to do with controlling the flow of water currents rather than creating new forms, which tends to be significantly less effective above water. He could probably make some swirling tendrils to try and slow somebody down, but it'd take them running over a puddle or something similar.

Weaknesses:

History: Ever since he was born, Fisher was groomed to be the next Speaker. Dark blue hair spoke to an affinity for the voice, a talent that ran in his blood. He never knew his mother - a leviathan got her when he was young - and so he was raised by Speaker alone.

THE FLOOD
Some centuries ago - Fisher isn't sure of the exact number, Speaker might know - the world flooded, and flooded deep. With only the tallest mountains remaining as dry land, what little is left of a shattered humanity have taken to the seas.

• Neither Fisher nor Speaker have ever seen any of these old mountains. They might as well be myths.
• A common myth? New Venice. The city that floats.
• The survivors split into a couple easily recognizable factions. Luckily, we only need concern ourselves with the worshippers of the Flood.
• Worshippers of the Flood do NOT believe that the Flood was punishment from a deity - rather, the Flood is a deity and power into and of itself, released by the sins of humanity. 
• What specific sins? Some ungodly technological necromancy, probably, but nobody’s sure. The tech to properly sin was lost in the flood.
• It’s an uneasy relationship between the Flood and its worshippers. On the one hand, the Flood promises great, tangible power. So long as it’s used for things the Flood likes, of course, like flattening undead.
  
• On the other, said power can absolutely corrupt, and turn a man into little more than a fish. Mentally and physically.

The main commandments of the Flood are as follows.

• Preserve the cycle of life and death. The main commandment of the Flood ensures that its followers only kill when necessary, as the ocean’s predators do.When a fish is slain for food, all of it is used and eaten - except, of course, for the sea’s own due. This commandment also commands the floodborn to hunt the undead, for they are anathema to the Flood, and tends to restrict their use of medicine. If it is time for you to die, then why would mortal men stand in the way?
• As the ocean moves, so shall you. This commandment keeps the floodborn on their nomadic journey, entire ship-villages moving as one through a Speaker’s magic. As such, it prevents them from setting up kelp and fish farms, forcing them to live off the sea and its bounty.
• Always give the sea its due. Typically, the heads of fish are thrown to the sea, for they hold the soul. For the twice-born, however, the sea takes the whole beast. The sea also takes any floodborn that die.

Likes: Water, Speaker, fishing, swimming, boating, water
Dislikes: The undead, dry land, land animals (they're uncanny valley for him), modern technology
Other:
FISHING vs. HUNTING
FISHING is straightforward, and done with a pole. Fisher has a small collection of bone hooks, and is generally a more than capable fisherman. Flying insects or pieces of fish are typically used as bait. Fisher prefers to use his pole over a net, although he's capable with both.
Typically, fish are cooked in giant shells that serve as solar ovens (Mother of pearl from smaller molluscs can be used to make an oven in a pinch). Open fires on the water are reserved for special occasions.
In the Endgrove, however, fire is less risky, and wood is plentiful. He'll cook any fish he catches whole, satay-style, over an open flame.
HUNTING is trickier. Anything too big to fish can be hunted, either by spear or by flood, depending on size. Undead abominations are always hunted by flood.
Spearfishing is the easiest comparison to hunting by spear. Hunters are tied to boats before diving in and spearing their target - depending on the prey's size, the harpoon may be tied to the boat as well.
Hunting by flood, on the other hand, can involve being lowered for hours if not days. Hunters are again tied to a boat, whereupon they channel the Voice and dive in, ready to do battle.

Name: Who knows? He won’t tell you, and Fisher certainly won’t. Fisher probably doesn’t even know, come to think of it. Call him Speaker.
Alias/Nickname:(the) Speaker of the Flood, Speaker, Dad
Species: Flood-touched human
Age: Old enough.
Height/Weight: 6’3”, 300 lbs
Gender: Male
Reason for entering: Destroy the bloom.

Strengths:

• SEA HUNTER
  Years and years of life at sea have left Speaker in excellent physical shape - barring the missing arm. He’s quite strong, and can take hits well as well.
• MARINE MAMMAL
  With years and years of practice and training, Speaker can hold his breath for far longer than most - even when he’s not channeling the Flood’s Voice. He can hold his breath for upwards of twelve minutes, although this goes down drastically if he has to do much strenuous activity. Speaker can use this ability to avoid airborne toxins and other hazards - provided he knows that they exist.
• I HAVE A KNIFE
  Like most floodborn, Speaker keeps a long bone knife in his cloak. It's about as long as his forearm.
  It's mainly used to cut ropes, kill fish, debone fish, stab into maps pirate-style to look cool, and de-scale fish.
  He can tie it to his oar-stick, and have a spear! He’s a touch more comfortable with the knife, though, especially given his current one-armed situation.
  

Abilities:
SPEAKER OF THE FLOOD
When presented with a sufficient amount of water, Speaker can choose to channel the Voice of the Flood. His lungs fill with water, his voice drops several octaves, he becomes significantly physically stronger, and can create constructs out of water. This most commonly manifests itself in the form of currents or waves that push and pull as Speaker wants them to. When he was young, like Fisher, he too used javelins. Now he doesn’t have his throwing arm.

• This does allow him to speak and breathe underwater.
• Unlike Fisher, he does not have to give the water audio cues.
• No, Speaker does not have to inhale all the water into his lungs. It’ll just go there. It listens to him.
• Channeling the Flood’s Voice makes his eyes and tattoos glow a sea-green colour, and extended use makes him cry the same sea-green. The tears don’t impair his vision, though - he’s used to saltwater in his eyes by now.
• Perhaps most importantly, unlike the power struggle that goes on whenever Fisher channels the Flood, the Flood uses Speaker as more of a willing partner and conduit. It’s almost as if you’re talking to an elder god. Maybe you are.

LIMITATIONS

• He’ll need a bit of time to clear his lungs of water after. C’mon, cough it out. No, he will not need CPR.

Weaknesses:

• SEA LEGS
  Surprisingly poor balance - at least, on land. Having spent all his life at sea, he’s unused to ground that doesn’t sway and rock beneath his feet.
• NO HOOK HANDS
  Speaker has one arm. He’s not used to having one arm, and he’s quite fed up about it. This has greatly impacted his fighting capabilities, his magical capabilities, and, to an extent, his patience.
• TROPICAL FISH
  Speaker comes from a particularly warm climate, and is thoroughly unused to the cold. He also doesn’t have any layers on him to layer up. He’s never seen snow before! He’s easily prone to shivering, teeth-clattering, and all that other fun stuff. Makes him proper cranky too.
• OF SHIP AND SAIL
  It isn’t possible to make any modern technology on a flooded world. Speaker is generally unfamiliar with anything invented after the gun.
  
• FISH OUT OF WATER
  He's heard of the idea of land animals and the like, but never actually seen them before. He’s never seen dry land before. Mangrove forests and the odd rocky peak are the closest he’s got. If it’s not from the sea, he’s got no clue what it is or what to do with it.
  
• FATED TO DIE
  Speaker will die. He knows he will die. He has made his peace with it. He probably has a week, at most.
  The poison crawling across his body has also made him tire significantly faster, and be physically weaker than he appears - he’s still fairly strong, though, especially in shorter bursts.
  

Personality: Wise, old, and experienced, Speaker has seen it all, and done most of it as well. He’s a natural leader, with a charismatic voice and an easy smile. You probably want to listen to him. It’s like talking to your grandfather. He’s stubborn as hell, too. The one thing he hasn’t been able to get into Fisher’s head? The fact that he will die.

History: A tassel represents a hunt won, a monster vanquished - with its bearer at the helm. Speaker has a lot of tassels.

Likes: Fisher, water, boats.
Dislikes: The undead, his lack of arm, dry land.