Galapa¶

"I was a child when the Ophidians left. I remember the water tasting different the day after."
— Sho-Ren, eldest of the Kraken-docks Galapa, on the Ophidian withdrawal of 255

The turtle-folk of Cadwallon's coastal waters — slow, long-shelled, philosophically patient, and so long-lived that their elders are walking historical archives. The eldest Galapa in the city personally remember the Ophidian withdrawal of 255. The middle-aged remember Khaurik's ogre exodus. The youngest were children when Duke Den Azhir took the title. Their lifespan makes them quietly the most important historians in the Free City, and almost nobody asks them anything.

What They Are¶

Turtle-folk — bipedal humanoids with carapaces (shells) along back and shoulders, leathery skin, broad faces, gentle voices
Slow — physically and conversationally. Galapa do not interrupt. They do not raise their voices. They take meal-long pauses in mid-sentence and resume.
Extremely long-lived — 300–400 years is normal; the eldest documented Galapa, Sho-Ren of the Kraken docks, is approximately 820 years old, born before the Ophidian withdrawal
Aquatic capability — they swim well and can hold their breath for hours; the Marine Ruins are not foreign territory to them
Refugees — the Galapa came to Cadwallon from a now-submerged coastal nation south of Aarklash, lost to rising seas during the Steel Age. They have nowhere to go home to.

Where They Live¶

The Docks (Kraken) — the largest Galapa community in the Free City; many work as harbor masters, ship-keepers, and underwater salvagers for the Guild of Ferrymen
The Marina (Den Azhir) — wealthier Galapa families who serve in upper-city diplomatic and translation roles
Port of the Ondine (Soma) — small population, mostly aged, who appreciate the quiet
Buoyancy Bay — Galapa salvagers work the wrecks; a handful have entered the Marine Ruins and returned

In Cadwallon¶

Living history. A Galapa elder's testimony is treated by the Bards of Destiny as primary-source documentation. [[Argos Brisandre]] has interviewed Sho-Ren three times.
Guild of Ferrymen alliance — long, mutually respectful, professional. The Ferrymen handle anything that requires Galapa skills underwater.
Circle of Explorers relationship — Galapa salvagers are sometimes consulted on Marine Ruins approaches, but the Galapa do not freely enter Ss'Alish's domain and have warned against it for centuries
No Alliance affiliation. The Galapa watched the Three Alliances form and concluded that taking sides shortens lifespans. None of them are wrong.

What They Know¶

Sho-Ren's testimony

Sho-Ren of the Kraken docks personally met Ss'Alish before the Ophidian withdrawal. They were on speaking terms. Sho-Ren has not raised the subject in eight centuries. If asked correctly, Sho-Ren can describe:

What Ss'Alish looked like alive
What the Marine Ruins were called in their proper Ophidian name
The reason most of the Ophidians left and a few stayed
The single fact about Vortiris that Ss'Alish told Sho-Ren over a meal, four months before withdrawal

Sho-Ren has never been asked. Asking requires standing — correctly correctly. Sho-Ren is the central potential ally on every Marine Ruins thread, and almost no Cadwë knows they exist.

Relations¶

Ophidians / Ss'Alish / S'ylice — pre-existing diplomatic relationships, centuries cold but not broken
Guild of Ferrymen — primary professional alliance
Bards of Destiny / [[Argos Brisandre]] — interviewed many times, deeply trusted
Marine Ruins / Buoyancy Bay — physically familiar territory

The grandchild

Sho-Ren has a great-great-grandchild, Nelu, who is young (forty-something) and impatient. Nelu wants to enter the Marine Ruins formally and ask Ss'Alish for an audience on behalf of the family. Sho-Ren is opposed. Nelu is looking for a free league to escort. Sho-Ren will not protect them. Ss'Alish may receive Nelu as kin. Or not. The Marine Ruins do not forgive misjudgment.