The Aquaa are a race of sea-dwelling humanoids based in the underwater city of Wosh'aa in the vast kelp beds of the eastern Rangal Sea. They have both gills and lungs, giving some credence to theories that they once dwelt upon dry land. Aquaa still venture on land, though they must wear curious rubbery suits to protect their delicate skin from the harsh rays of the sun and the drying effects of the air.
The average Aquaa is tall and broad, though their bodies are curiously flattened front to back, giving them a bit of a squashed appearance. Their hands and feet have long, webbed fingers and toes (six digits per limb) and a line of folding spikes runs down their back, supporting another webbed fin. Aquaa skin tones range from pale blue or green to almost pure white. Their large bulging eyes have both fleshy lids and clear nicatating membranes, which provide protection underwater. Their flat faces have almost no defined nose, and fleshy flaps cover both nostrils and ear canals. Aquaan gills are a series of narrow slits along either side of the throat.
Little is known about Aquaan culture or politics as few humans have ventured into the depths to visit the capital city of Wosh'aa. The Aquaa are generally friendly and inquisitive when they visit the surface world but reticent to discuss their own affairs. It is known that their ruling body, the Hierarch, is a strictly structured organization, with many layers of bureaucracy and organization. The tentacles of this organization extend well beyond the capital city, reaching into the smallest and most isolated Aquaan communities.
Externally the Aquaan Hierarch influences the surface world in a number of ways. The Aquaa are masters of ocean travel, and their wave-talkers often accompany merchant convoys on long trips. They also provide access to many unique mineral and biological specimens from the depths, items with strange mundane and magical properties. In exchange for these services, the Hierarch requires human vessels stay out of their home waters unless invited, a requirement they enforce with brutal efficiency. Few vessels survive an engagement with a pod of Aquaan combatants.