Zern

Zerns (ゼルン) are one of the heteromorphic species living in the Abelion Hills.

Background
Zerns are a species that many humans wonder if they should be classified as heteromorphs. However, zerns can be affected by spells that worked on demi-humans, so they were classed as the latter. But in fact they truly are heteromorphs.

They were one of many races that Jaldabaoth enslaved as part of his demi-human coalition to attack the Roble Holy Kingdom. During the war, 3,000 zerns had betrayed Jaldabaoth. Among that number, 2,800 of them had gone with their prince to the Sorcerer Kingdom, while the remaining 200 or so had gone to the hills to collect information.

Appearance
Zerns are a slimy species with whose upper bodies are like eels with arms and whose slimy lower bodies are like blue-colored maggots. They are a sexually dimorphic race, females possess blue skin while the rare males are much smaller, possess purple skin and no arms.

Abilities
Zerns have the racial weakness of being affected by race-specific spells, so people have mistakenly classified them as demi-humans when they are in fact heteromorphs. In addition zerns are colorblind due to the fact their species adapted to environments with low level light.

Even if all the male zerns were wiped out, there were cases where females could change sex.

Culture
The zerns are similar to insect communities, and live in hives beneath the surface of the Abelion Hills. The zerns mostly feed on precious bodily fluids of living creatures, be they alive or dead. The zerns also are cannibals, eating their dead or others in respectful fashion, it also serves as their official way of mourning.

Zerns are born from eggs, as hinted when they refer their comrades, as "eggmates". Males within the Zern species are few. On occasion when a new one is born, they instantly become royalty. Life of a royal is mostly secluded with one never leaving the nest to the end of his life.

The zern calendar system is based on the four seasons, each with at least 98 days.

While most of the relationship with the other inhabitants of the Abelion Hills is unknown, however at least one other species the pandex seemed to have had good relations, due to similar cultures although inter-species relations seems to have been seen as a taboo.

Known Zern

 * Beebeezee
 * Beebeebee
 * Boobeebee

Trivia

 * To prove a point of his ruthlessness, Jaldabaoth tore the zern representative's shoulder after he breached the Great Wall of the Holy Kingdom.
 * Due to the zerns' appearance, they are sometimes give the nickname called "blue maggots" in relation to it.
 * They are the first New World heteromorphic race Ainz has encountered that have an established form of civilization and culture.
 * The zerns are the first race in the Demi-Human Alliance to rebel against the Demon Emperor.