Merfolk

Lurking in deep sea caves, darting among the kelp forest or even sunning themselves near water's edge, merfolk have been reportedly sighted since inhabitants first began to settle in Mystara. The reports range from accounts of enchantingly beautiful women singing to lure young men closer to that of terrifying creatures of darkness.

All of the oceans, rivers and estuaries around Mystara belong to a myriad of different watery inhabitants. There are the Merfolk, of all shapes and sizes, creatures with an upper body displaying human traits, but with the tail of a serpent, fish or other aquatic hybrid such as an octopus or shark. Merfolk are beautiful by predatory design, and if spotted, should be regarded with respect and a healthy level of caution.

Here in Mystara we have several varieties of Mer. If you are not sure which kind you are, please IM someone and ask! Remember these describe the typical.

Merfolk Group Structure

Selkies
Selkies are seals that can shed their skin to become humans. They are able to become human by taking off their seal skins, and can return to seal form by putting it back on.

Appearance

In seal form, selkies can take the form of any seal from harbor seals to lion seals.

In the Sea

Males aggressively defend groups of specific females, referred to as harems. Possibly violent competition for females or territories is an integral part of male breeding strategy.

Going on Land

Sexual coercion is extremely common among selkies.

Sometimes the human will not know that their lover is a selkie, and wakes to find them gone. Other times the human will hide the selkie's skin, thus preventing them from returning to seal form. A selkie can only make contact with one particular human for a short amount of time before they must return to the sea.

Males

Male selkies are very handsome in their human form, and have great seduction powers over human women. They typically seek those who are dissatisfied with their romantic life. This includes married women waiting for their fishermen husbands. If a woman wishes to make contact with a selkie male, she has to go to a beach and shed seven tears into the sea. The offspring of a union between a human and a selkie have webbed fingers and toes as a mark of their origin

Females

If a man steals a female selkie's skin, she is in his power, to an extent, and she is forced to become his wife. Female selkies are said to make excellent wives, but because their true home is the sea, they will often be seen gazing longingly at the ocean. If she finds her skin again, she will immediately return to her true home, and sometimes to her selkie husband, in the sea.

Strengths Weaknesses
 * Selkies are equally comfortable on land and water, moving with agility in both environments.
 * They tend to be charming and make friends easily.
 * Selkies are air breathers and cannot stay underwater for too long without discomfort or worse.
 * When they shed their coats, they make themselves incredibly vulnerable to anyone who might find it and steal it.

Octomer
Appearance

Octomer have the torso of a human and the posterior of an octopus.

Personality

Octomer are highly intelligent creatures and often playful. They are ever curious about creatures and the world around them, often seen trying to mimic the behavior of other sea creatures. They tend to be solitary creatures who residing in small, dark, cozy areas.

It should be noted, because of their solitary nature and lack of close relations with others of their kind, they tend to be unintentionally cruel toward others. Not to mention, their appearance is often frightening to some merfolk.

Strengths
 * Octomer also have an excellent sense of touch. An octomer's suction cups are equipped to taste what it is touching.
 * Octomer have keen eyesight, even in low lighting found in the deep sea.
 * Most octomer have no internal or external skeleton, allowing them to squeeze through tight places.
 * For defense against predators, they hide, flee quickly, expel ink, or use color-changing camouflage.
 * All octomer are venomous, but only some are known to be deadly to humans.
 * When under attack, some octopuses can perform arm autotomy (detatching of a part of the body).

Weaknesses
 * Octomer have a very poor proprioceptive sense. This means they cannot easily determine the position of their tentacles and could touch things unintentionally with them without even realizing it.
 * Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, therefore Octomer tend to have no longer of a life expectancy than a human.

Orcan Mer
These pod-based mer differ from regular mer in that they breath air and must surface periodically to breathe.

Appearance

Orcan mer have the torso of a human and the tails of Orca (aka Killer) whales. They are slightly larger than average mer.

Personality

These people are rough and ready. Females and males share all tasks, though males are more headstrong. All place great importance on honor. They all eat meat and land creatures if they can get it. Friendly to most all races of mers unless attacked first.

Socially

They are found in family units under a queen and only the mother of each family has the right to speak to the queen. Males are generally either hunters or guards. Males have no real power over orcan females other than perhaps brief influence on there mate.

Strengths
 * Echo location allows them to detect other sea creatures at a distance and communicate with other orcans.
 * Orcan mer are especially skilled at hunting!
 * They are incredibly strong.

Weaknesses
 * Though they can take human form, they dislike doing is because of the way the dry air feels in their human lungs. They are not ever at home on legs and thus vulnerable while on land
 * Like selkie, orcan mer cannot go long without surfacing for air to breathe.

Mermen
Mermen are the male versions of mermaids.

Appearance

Mermen are naturally handsome though if they know it, they certainly don't show it. When they pass by, they naturally attract the attention of every mermaid and siren within view.

Personality

Mermen are the quiet beach combers, very cool and laid back. They spend their time hunting and sparring with eachother. They love to fight, mostly for fun, but to be capable warriors as well. Unlike mermaids, they feast on fish that they hunt and do not see fish as friends.

Unliked Tritons, mermen do not love the spotlight and are thus often upstaged by them. Though perhaps having handsome features, they are often overlooked when in the presence of a Trition. Physically, they do not have the massive build of a Titon, but rather a more natural, lean muscular appearance.

Typically, mermaids see mermen as stiff and unimaginative while mermen see mermaids as silly. Thus, it is difficult to work out the dynamics in a relationship between them.

Strengths
 * Mermen are strong, capable creatures that make excellent warriors.
 * Their mellow demeanors often serve to calm tense situations.
 * Like mermaids, mermen could give up their tails once and for all if they found a land-dwelling love worth leaving it behind for. This, however would be an irreversible effect.

Weaknesses
 * They tend to dry out when out of water for too long.
 * They can be suckers for a pretty face that pays them enough attention.
 * Because of their straight forward nature, they are often oblivious to manipulative efforts of crafty characters.

Mermaids
Mermaids are mythical, soft creatures that are part woman and part fish.

Appearance

They have a very natural beauty and don't feel a need to try to improve upon it as sirens do. If they use any adornments at all, they will be natural things like sea flowers, anenome, sea shells, seaweed and occasionally pearls.

Mermaids come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Skin can range from fair to ebony to fair. Tail colors tend to be natural aquatic colors (think earthy/watery tones, etc) and sometimes pastels but this is uncommon. Personality

Totally carefree, they enjoy sleeping on rocks and playing all day. To mermaids, life in the sea is one big playground and they are never short on energy. They love dancing and singing and engaging in games of all sorts.

They are known for their cute, bubbly nature. Carrying a childlike innonce, they are generally good natured and incredibly playful. One of their favorite things to do is hunt for seashells and pearls.

Because of their sweet caring nature, they are always trying to save things and or people. Hence we have the legends of sailors lost at sea being rescued by beautiful maidens. Also because of this nature, they tend to eat more plant based diets, seeing fish as friends not food.

Since they love their lives under the sea, they tend to not often concern themselves with land-dwellers and will often shy away from them if spotted. They see no reason for sprouting legs though they do possess the ability. Occasionally, a mermaid or merman will fall in love with a human. When this happens, a mer can choose to take human form once and for all. This change is PERMANENT.... so choose wisely.

Lastly, like sirens mermaids are required to grant a wish to anyone who can catch them. It is part of the magical nature that is a mermaid!

Strengths
 * Mermaids are incredibly caring and thoughtful creatures with a natural affinity for healing minor wounds but can only perform this ability when underwater or at the water's edge.
 * Their natural curiosity for all thins aquatic has left them very knowledgable and aware of all things happening under the sea to a point of bordering on premonition.

Weaknesses
 * When sunning themselves or lingering near water's edge they are incredibly exposed and vulnerable to attack.
 * They are hopeless romantics.
 * Their concern for all living things makes them subject to manipulation.

Tritons
Tritons are massive hunky mermen with ego's to match.

Appearance Tritons are very large and muscled in apperance, often making everyone around them seem smaller. Their colors tend to be bold, striking, catching the eyes of all around. Their features are chiseled the presence they carry is commanding.

Personality Incredibly charming, females beware, these men are masters of making you believe what they want you to. They are lean, mean aggressive machines. When they come to town, it can often prove problematic. They take what they want, much like the sea sirens. Sadly, tritons are terribly strong and stopping them from getting what they want is nearly impossible. If sea sirens are the rich cliques of merworld, these are the jock bullies. Tritons can also sprout legs and will do so only to ravage villages. They may sneak in undetected as human males only to seize the opportune moment to pillage and plunder. They are ruthless.

Strengths
 * It is said that the look in the eyes of a triton is as strong as the call of the sea itself and it renders the onlooker utterly helpless under his gaze.
 * Naturally, with such large builds, they are incredibly strong.
 * Their dashing good looks and charm have a potent affect on females of various races.

Weaknesses
 * Because of their inflated egos and overconfidence, they can be easily manipulated and provoked to act rashly.
 * The longer they are out of the water, the weaker they become.

Sirens
Sirens are dark cousins of mer and tend to reside in deeper waters than their sweet mermaid relatives. They age very slowly (approx. 10 human years to 1 siren year).

Appearance

Natural sirens most often appear as normal, strikingly beautiful mermaids but can take human form comfortably for brief periods of time. Sirens come in several varieties. Some have the tails of great sharks, others are those of scaled fish and some are much more serpentine in appearance. Their colors also vary widely.

They love to adorn themselves with valuables of every kind and will even barter with humans for them, bringing up items from submerged wreckages to swap for pretty things. Sirens tend to grow a little wilder in appearance as their hunger increases (particularly for blood). Some sirens' eyes will change color and shape depending on their thirst, growing more cat-like as their instincts and desire to hunt take over. Others grow claws or their skin grows an unhealthy pallor.

Personality

Sirens are the most vain of all sea creatures, save perhaps Tritons. They absolutely adore being verbally praised and stealing the attention of males from many races and pride themselves on being more attractive than other females around.

Sirens are capricious creatures whose singing can enchant other races (literally). Sirens are not necessarily cruel, but they do enjoy enchanting and controlling others. They have a tendency to look down on other races, with the exception of elves, who they have a grudging respect for. Sirens do not get along well with many races, with the exception of elves, who have a resistance towards the siren's music. They are usually chaotic neutral with a tendency towards evil.

Sirens tend to be 'very' territorial of places, people or things that catch their attention. Competitive by nature, they will get along well with fellow sirens until there is a limited resource to be won. When sirens are in good spirits, they can be extremely affectionate with one another, to the point of making others nervous or uncomfortable.

When sirens have been without blood for an extended period of time, their temperments grow more turbulent than a tempest in hurricane season and others would do well to stay out of their way. They become less and less aware of themselves as their hunger takes over, even attacking friends or loved ones if provoked.

Genders

Not all sirens are female, but a majority of them are. Typically, this is because sirens are more likely to prey upon men and convert women into helpful sisters. Male sirens are often loners and compete directly against small shoals of female sirens.

Sirenum Disease They naturally carry a disease known as sirenum that is contagious through bite when they choose to inject it. While sirens are omnivorous creatures, they occassionally grow a thirst that can only be quenched with blood. Biting to feed does NOT necessarily mean that a siren is injecting the sirenum disease.

Infected victims are subject to involuntary transformations into blood-thirsty mermaids, especially if submerged in water. They will pass on the sirenum virus to offspring if not cured.

Strengths
 * Due to their deep sea nature, sirens see very well in low light but not total darkness. Their vision in daylight, however, is average.
 * They are terribly clever and gifted at bartering and negotiating of all kinds.
 * They use their beauty and charm to their advantage shamelessly.
 * The irresistible sound of a beautiful voice, employed to call to those who venture by, or out onto, the waterways - coaxing them away from otherwise innocent pursuits and toward a fast and watery end.
 * As a siren grows more and more hungry, their reflexes tend to quicken as their instincts take over. Fangs elongate slightly just before feeding.

Weaknesses
 * On land in mer form, siren's are terribly vulnerable. They have no natural defenses beyond their looks and their enchanting songs.
 * While in human form, sirens dry out quickly and grow weaker the longer they are away from the water.
 * They are easily manipulated when their vanity is appealed to or when provoked into a competition.
 * A siren who goes for extended periods of time without satiating their thirst grow weaker, nastier and more wild... If they were forced to go without it long enough, they could starve to death.

Dolphin Mer
These pod-based mer differ from regular mer in that they breath air and must surface periodically to breathe.

Appearance Dolphin Mer have the torso of a human and the tail of dolphin. They are quite a bit smaller than average mer. Streamline and lean they are designed for fast swimming and have a youthful appearance and even the males have softer features.

Personality These merfolk are perhaps the most carefree and playful of all the merfolk, friendly, intelligent, and social they have a long held reputation of being the merfolk that never truly grow up.

Socially Dolphin merfolk live in tightly knit family units called Pods and are fairly egalitarian. Dolphin merfolk blur the line between gender and social roles. both males and females have a fairly equal part in there society. This makes choosing a mate very open for them being as same sex partnerings are common, as are multiple partnerships. The young in a pod are often cared for by the entire group. This often leads to a merchild not knowing who there blood parents are, because the pod each act as mother and father.

Strengths
 * Echo location allows them to detect other sea creatures at a distance and communicate with other Merdolphins.
 * They are excellent swimmers and can out swim just about anything else in the water.

Weaknesses
 * Dolphinmers cannot take human form, resticting there movement when they crawl onto land, leaving them slow and sluggish.
 * Like selkie, and there Orcan cousins, Dolphin Mer cannot go long without surfacing for air to breathe. Due to the fact they they have a much smaller lung capacity then Orcans they must surface more frequently.