Shaltao of the Depths

Back to mermaids. I also made a new watermark.
Page two of the Return is next on my to do list.

Lore:
Merkin that live in the Scavenger's Trench, one of the deepest locations on Ovun, are generally considered ruthless and frightening. Shaltao is a member of the Fel-Merkin, also known as trench-dwellers on the surface, who live in the darkest deapths of the ocean. While much of the Fel-Merkin's society remains a mystery, Shaltao is one of the few trench-dwellers to have actually spoken with those on the surface. Her status as a friend or foe is hotly debated by civil merkin society, but she often appears as the herald of an attack on the surface world, issuing an advanced warning, and then disappearing briefly after. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to stall her or take her by force have been ripped apart by the entourage of monsterous eels that seem to see Shaltao as a mother figure. On the occasions she's been inland without the protection of her eels, she has defended herself with powerful magics that numb the minds of the strong and bend the weak to her will. Unwitting soldiers have maimed or killed their own friends in defense of Shaltao.

Those brave few who attempt to follow her home either succumb to the water pressure and give up, return as hollow shells of their former selves speaking of ancient and dark cities filled with impossible architecture and alien sea creatures, or they never return at all.

Shaltao herself seems to take great satisfaction in the mystery that surrounds her.

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Illustrator CS5
Pen, Blend, Gradient