Sapients of Aporue: Otterfolk

The otterfolk are playable in the Thick as Thieves tabletop RPG. Your player character can be a member of the otterfolk and the same is true for NPCs.

The most water-friendly mustelid beastfolk in Aporue, often colloquially dubbed “ottermen” or “otrins”. Otterfolk can be thought of at times as amphibious mammalians. Biologically and culturally, they tend to be generally divided into the rivers-and-lakes ottermen of the mainland (diet consisting mainly of fish, clams second) and the sea-and-coves ottermen of the coastal regions (diet consisting mainly of clams, fish second). The otrins have one of the more developed spiritual and material cultures of the mustelid beastfolk. They are often not that far behind human technology and culture in terms of overall development (especially various types of watercraft, the concept of seasteading and water-related technologies, etc.).

Though one would expect that ottermen and newtmen could potentially be competitors to each other, such a situation is usually averted due to the slight difference in the preferred environments of the two species. The ottermen of the mainland very clearly prefer running rivers and lakes with clearer water, while the newtmen are easily content even with swampier and muckier bodies of water as their potential domiciles. Nevertheless, conflicts do arise from time to time, though they are rarely of an openly military nature.

As endearing and charming as the otterfolk might seem at first glance, their history and even their present can hide a more darker side, not commonly brought up in front of others. Some otrins, especially the coastal/sea-dwelling groups, can be notorious for living double lives - one filled with honest and legal economic activity, and the other filled with sea piracy, smuggling and (in the past) even slavery and slave trade. Though pirate otrins still exist as a minority lifestyle in more lawless parts of Aporue, and cause a lot of indignation and grief among the peoples of more civilised areas, they are less of a problem than they used to be. Otrin-conducted slavery was targeted particularly at members of the crabfolk and lobsterfolk, and has left an incredibly bitter legacy between the three species, to the point that ottermen-crustfolk relations are still completely icy to this very day, even at their best. Some of the present day otterfolk's less savoury ancestors (or even contemporaries) were infamous as bandits and pirates, both on the major rivers and on the coastal seas.

Tallest of the mustelid humanoids, historically rather arrogant and self-centered, many of the very traditional-minded otterfolk couldn't fathom they're annoying everyone else (including the numerically superior humans) with their entitled attitude of just taking whatever they want, when they want. Among the otterfolk living in the present day, there is something of a cultural stigma, connected to shame over some aspects of otterfolk past. Part of the social friction among ottermen, and in their relation to others, is also caused by a schism of sorts over keeping alive traditions or embracing new technologies and modernity. Traditionalist otterfolk, especially the "freethinker pirate"-y types, are downright terrified of the invention and spreading of ocean-going steamships. They feel the end of their old way of life will inevitably come... And they like to brand anyone with good words about steamboats as a traitor and sellout. There have even been cases of the ottermen equivalent of "bomb-throwing anarchists", staging attacks on modern shipyards they perceived as an existential threat.

For good and bad, no single species in the known world has as developed a fisherman, sailboat and sailship building tradition as the ottermen. While their vessels are commonly built from the same materials as ships of other species, humans included, their design tends to be rather unique and in some ways, even a bit alien. Even their largest ships are smaller in size than those of humans, and might seem slender and wispy, as if they were wooden sail-equipped wraiths skimming on the surfaces of rivers and seas… Catamaran-like or proa-like designs are common for otrin ships and boats. Most of the present day otterfolk earn a legal and honest living from fisheries, fish farms and clam farms, riverine and sea fishing, riverine and sea shipping of goods and cargo, work on passenger ship lines, and so on.

Whether in mainland bodies of water or on the seas and oceans washing against Aporue, the otterfolk are some of the best swimmers in the known world, along with newtmen (who arguably specialise more in diving and holding their breaths). Most otterfolk get along well with humans (particularly Bigfolk), martenmen and hedgehogmen. The mainland otters can hold rivalries with the newtmen (though mostly of the friendly and respectful sort) and the otrin in general can be a bit reserved towards the stoatmen, who they often view as too roguish, childish and irresponsible for their own good. (This doesn't stop the otrins from hiring a lot of adventurous-minded stoatmen as mercenaries, bodyguards or deckhands.) The otterfolk still doesn't get along well with any members of the crustfolk and they are only begrudgingly willing to trade and provide sea services to the wolverfolk.

As already hinted at, the otterfolk come in two varieties, based on their preferred environment : River Otrins and Sea Otrins. The former are more numerous and live in the inland regions of the continent, whereas the latter prefer coastal locations or even living most of their lives on their sailships. The sea otrins in particular are well-known for their ability to survive floating on the waves for many weeks on end, thereotically even a month. Sea otrins are comfortable enough at sea that they don't bother to visit dry land all that often, floating on water and living aboard their sailships.

Outside of Aporue, otterfolk are said to occur on other continents of the known world as well. Much like the usual animal otters.

The native language of the otterfolk is known simply as Ottertongue, or the Otrin language.

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Skills and stealth, combat and thieving talents

Otrin swimming capabilities make them ideal not only as sailors, but also experts at stealthy incursions via swimming. In fact, they are much better suited for such a role than humans and other mammalian beastfolk, making them an ideal choice for a swimming-focused thief character.

Unlike the newtmen, the ottermen focus on showing off their great swimming skills in different environments. They are capable divers, but since they can't breathe underwater, they have to resurface regularly. They also prefer flowing and clearer waters, so they're not inclined to dive into swamps or sewer areas as easily as members of the newtfolk. The otrins are the fastest swimmers among the sapients of Aporue. Otrins are naturally skilled at quiet and stealthy boarding actions onto boats and ships, even in larger numbers. This makes them extremely dangerous to anyone who is far clumsier at swimming and sneaking up through the water than them. In a few moments, they can be aboard one's ship, already attacking the crew, holding it hostage, or sabotaging the functionality of the ship. Plenty of otrins are famed for being experts in shipboard combat, quiet boardings and ambushes.

Those otrins who become members of criminal gangs can be extremely deadly if they become assassins and their intended targets are wandering a part of a city that has boat canals or flowing streams. Before their victims realise what's going on, they can be knifed by an otterman (or otterwoman), who then disappears lightning-fast into the water and swims away even faster. Melza's townsmen and City Watchmen call these incidents "half-a-prayer" or "quarter-prayer" killings, because their victims would barely have time to say a quarter or half of a common prayer before the assassin killed them or mortally wounded them. The ottermen might look peaceful, even somewhat clumsy and harmless, but some of their fiercest criminals and lowlives are no laughing matter. It's said that if mobsters in Melza and elsewhere threaten someone with murder, that poor person often avoids all of the city's canals and flowing water, for fear of the few ottermen who are low enough in their scrupules to work for the mob.

Much of the ottermen's weaponry has a nautical focus, with the cutlass one of their favourite types of swords. So much so that in Aporue, it is heavily associated with the species, even those otterfolk who have nothing to do with pirates or riverine and marine bandits. As a rule, the otterfolk don't wear much armour in most combat situations. Especially not heavier types of armour. They generally wear either no armour or just light and medium armour, at most. Their love of ranged weaponry varies, but they tend to focus on short-to-medium distance ranges, whether in brawls, boarding actions or defence. These attitudes to armaments are equally present among both the upstanding, noble-minded otterfolk, and the criminally inclined or antisocial members of their species.

Two of Melza's thieving fellowships, focused on smuggling, even have a few disaffected Newtmen and Ottermen in their ranks. The members of the two species found a new home among these gangs, either due to being shunned by their own kind, or having no place to go and feeling the city's illegal trade is ripe for exploiting. Ottermen and newtmen members are tolerated in both gangs due to their skill at stealthily swimming and diving (humans being far worse at it, especially when they need stealth). These beastmen members function as expert scouts for the fellowship in particularly waterry locations.

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Author's note

It's really hard to compare the ottermen to something other than just certain fishing/seafaring cultures in general, and to pirates/corsairs in the case of the more criminally-inclined otterfolk.

Do you like otters ? Do you think otters are cute ? Sure they are. But if you look at some of the otterfolk, several of them are still haughty, dangerous river and sea pirates and criminals. Some of the more conservative otrins are also de facto bomb-throwing luddites who despise modern industry, and particularly modern ships, or the fact that society has turned its back against the old otrin practice of enslaving hapless people. The "fundie" otrins despise those fellow ottermen who are not antagonistic towards technological progress and get along well with humans and other beastpeople.

As I have mentioned, my setting has no elves. However, if there's an equivalent of the "arsehole, haughty elves with a massive superiority complex towards everyone" cliché in fantasy, then some of the less reasonable otterfolk come close... If you want to apply a Tolkien-esque lens to them, think of the otrins as the somewhat edgier elves-equivalent of the mammalian beastpeoples (while the hedgefolk and stoatfolk represent hobbit equivalents and the martenfolk and wolverfolk represent humans and dwarves).

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Gallery

My hand-drawn concept sketch for the otterfolk, a.k.a. ottermen, with a close-up on the head and neck

The common cutlass, closely associated with otrin pirates and river and sea bandits, and even with non-criminal otterfolk fencers

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English terminology	Slovak terminology	Etymology and notes
Beastpeoples	Zveroľud(ia)	The general term for beastpeoples in Aporue and other continents of the Orbis Furum.
Beastman, Beastwoman, Beastmen, Beastwomen	Zveran, Zveranka, Zverani, Zveranky	The everyday terms for males and females of the various beastpeople species.
Otterfolk	Vydroľud	The otter-like humanoids of Aporue and other continents, a less common species of beastpeoples, but reasonably widespread.
Otterman, Otterwoman, Ottermen, Otterwomen	Vydran, Vydranka, Vydrani, Vydranky	The everyday terms for males and females of the otterfolk.
Otrin, Otrins	Vydran, Vydrák, Vydrania	The nicknames for the otterfolk. The term for otter in Slovak is vydra. This time, I purposefully avoided a latinism, I couldn't think of anything I could derive from lutra. "Lutrin" ? Nah, I liked "otrin" better.
Clamsmashers, Water-rats	Škľabkobijci, Vodokrysy	The derogatory nicknames for the otterfolk.
Aporueans	Aporuejčania, Aporuejci	Any inhabitants of the continent of Aporue. Equivalent of Europeans.
Melzans	Melzania	Demonym for people of the Melzan statelet (the country) or its capital city of Melza.
Melzan	Melzan, Melzanka	A male or female inhabitant of the statelet in my fictional world, or of the city of Melza that the overall monarchy is named after.
Cittan	Mesťan, Mesťanka	Contrast these newly coined words with citizen and townsman and občan and mešťan (same meaning in English). The Cittans / Mesťania are only the people from The City (city / mesto), the city of Melza proper. These are always capitalised. "Cittans are citizens/townsmen of Melza." / "Mesťania sú občanmi/mešťanmi Melzy." Yes, the Slovak equivalent of Cittans only differs by two letters from the real term for "townsmen".

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Next time...

Next time, we take a look at the remaining sapient species of Aporue with a mustelid humanoid appearance.

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Other overviews of the Thick as Thieves sapient species
- Humans (Manfolk) overview
- Newtmen (Newtfolk) overview
- Hedgehogmen (Hedgefolk) overview
- Martenmen (Martenfolk) overview
- Wolverinemen (Wolverfolk) overview
- Stoatmen (Stoatfolk) overview
- Lobstermen and Crabmen (Crustfolk) overview
- Ravenmen (Ravenfolk) overview (apocryphal species)

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Copyrights

(C) 2014, 2021 P. Molnár & Knight-Errant Studios - Concepts/ideas, writing, drawn concept art, mockups