Drownies

The Drowned Men

"The Drownies swim with the ship now. In their song is the taste of salt, the hundred colours of darkness, the loving coil of the current. Come home, they say: come home to us."

Drownies are Fallen Londoners who think they're drowned. That is, they were drowned, but death being what it is there, they recovered. Try telling them that, though. Drownies are, for practical purposes, walking drowned men. They shiver, they complain, they try to drag you under the Zee's surface and make you one of them. They become Siren-like entities that prey on men driven mad by their experiences on the Zee. When a ship's crew fears the Zee the fear draws the Drownies like moths to a flame. To hear the song is a death sentence, as most men are urged to jump in and join them. Resilient and men of strong will, however, might be able to resist the urge to jump ship, there are several tales of captains returning home to London, shaking and alone with no crew in sight.

Be wary of the Drowned Men of the Zee, for they are far smarter than they look. Despite being pale, waterlogged corpse the Drownies are entirely sentient beings who retain much of their humanity after death. It is uncommon, but known, that Drownies will communicate with living men peacefully when negotiating with other factions or within the court of the arbitrary Fathomking.