The Skrael

 Stories abound of the origins of the skrael. Stories abound also of the sorcerous origins of various creatures, of demented mages intoxicated by power, using dark arts to meld forms and birth twisted bodies and nightmare creatures, a mishapen race, an unnatural guardian. Some of these stories may even be true.

But in the case of the skrael, it seems more likely than most; how else would a creature with the head of a seagul and the body of a human possibly come to exist? And so the tales of their sorcerous origins are held, almost universally, to be true.  

But there is another version.

The skrael are known to inhabit a range of environments. In particular, the love coastal areas and rockly ones especially, though large bodies of freshwater also seem to appeal. In fact, they seem to have an unerring, though perhaps unconscious, ability to sense water. As if they can smell it. They are known to have a keen weather-sense, able to predict accurately changes in the weather, appraching storms, rain or fine weather, and even drought. 

Skrael have heads like herring gulls. White feathers, yellow beak, smudge of red on the lower bill. A skrael's white feathers extend down the neck to the chest, but how much further is unclear. In some individuals it would seem the entire torso is feathered, but in others not. It is unclear whether such differentiation indicates distinct populations. Limbs are never feathered, however. Feet, though avian, are not webbed. Hands are entirely human. Which might bring us back to that origin story. 

Skrael was once a man, punished by, depending on the version you hear, the sea deity or a storm deity. for mistakenly thinking the world was only there for his use. He fished in forbidden waters. He hunted dolphin in the breeding season. He caught fish he didn't eat and used other people's boats to do it, borrowing without permission. Worse, he stole from others' nets and fought with his fists over the right to fish in particular waters. The deity told him to change his ways. But he did not heed the warning. His wife asked him to change and warned him his behaviour would end in disaster, but he would not heed her warning either. So the deity gave him the head of a gull, saying "If you behave like a gull, you should look like one, that people are warned of what you are".

Thus marked as an outcast, Skrael wandered the earth. But his wife took pity on him and stayed with him and bore him... eggs. And from the eggs hatched more skralls, for the deity had cursed him with this also: that all his folk should be like him and behave no better than he, so that he would never get any rest. 

Skrael and all his kin still roam the world, screaming their ancestor's name and taking what they will. 

The skrael are consumate sailors. An innate understanding of current and wind makes them almost infallible. But they make poor traders. They are impulsive, impatient, impolite, unreliable, untrustworty, aggressive, selfish and disonest. 

They are very good raiders.

They travel the coastlines of their world in longboats, (often stolen), in crews of a dozen to a score, armed with whatever weapons are to hand (often stolen) and makeshift armour (often stolen). They don't wear helmests: they can't make them and stolen ones don't fit. 

Skrael eat almost anything organic. This often includes victims of their raids. After attacking a coastal settlement, they can often be found gorging on any food supplies they find until the place is bare. Fresh meat, such as bodies, will be eaten first. They do not drink, for physiological reasons (beaks) and they are immune to food poisoning. 

The one area of trade in which skrael are partially successful is the slave trade; skrael are  at least able to value foodstuffs and they recognise livestock as such, an humans as a form of livestock. They are also moderately successful mercenaries. Though indisciplined, unreliable and dishonest, they are courageous, or at least unable to conceive of danger. They are also cheap and vicious and often find work in return for food alone or 'spoils', which in skrall terms means dead bodies and shiny stuff.

Skrael are not designed to be playable. But should some misguided player ask to, then the Intelligence score of any skrall should be the minimum for sentience. In class-based systems, skrall are best represented by the Barbarian class, and if Barbarian is an Origin or Background option, this is mandatory for any Skrael player character. They are , by nature, violent thieves, so Thief or Rogue might also be a viable class, but only with a focus on physical cometence, not persuasion of trickery-focused characters. Thug, Outlaw or Bandit would also be suitable profiles, backgrounds or careers or NPC types.

Skrall don't do magic.  Unless you decide they do. Or worship in the way humans comprehend, but they do show respect (through a kind of walking, bobbing dance, that involves lowering the head and making a wretching noise) to something called The Great Deep one, which is definitelt NOT the sea god of your world.  And some recognise Great Thunder Cloud Head, which might be a personification of storms.

They don't bury their dead.

They don't do mercy. 

And if they want something you've got, they don't give up.