Merfolk
Summary
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Merfolk are amphibious humanoids that typically live underwater.
Sereia
Physical Attributes
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General
Sereia are half sea creature, half Human.
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Skin
Sereia have Human skin color possibilities on their upper half, and their marine animal possibilities on their lower half.
Ears
Sereia have fins where their ears would normally be, and small holes at the base of the fins are the actual ears.
Eyes
Sereia can have any eye color, but blue is the most common. Sereia have a protective film over their eyes that is clear and barely noticeable; it keeps moisture in their eyes so they don’t need to blink.
Hair
Sereia can have any hair color, and their hair tends to be very silky and smooth.
Body
Sereia have the upper body of Humans, and the lower body of marine animals. Sereia can have the lower body (in style and appearance, not size) of any saltwater aquatic species; but they can have any colors or patterns on their lower body. Sereia also have webbing in between their fingers and various fins located on the body (location and number are based on genetics). Sereia have gills located just above their hips (on the sides) and on their necks or on their shoulders, but they can choose whether or not to use their gills or their lungs.
Sereia can shapeshift at will in order to walk on land. Their land form will look entirely Human as all fins, gills, webbing, and etc will ‘fade away’ except for the fins where their ears should be. Sereia do not need to keep these fins wet, as they are just fine being dry. Sereia originally were able to be in their land form through a magic spell, but after thousands of years, this magic is embedded in their genes, making them capable of shifting at will.
In their land form, Sereia have the same height and weight proportions as Humans. In their water form, Sereia have the same height and weight proportions for their upper body as Humans, but for their lower half it can be anywhere from 4’0” – 15’0” in length and its width tends to stay the same as/less than the width of the Sereia’s hips.
Age
Sereia have a maximum lifespan of 200 years. They age normally at first, but they physically stop aging after they turn 30 (except for their hair which will still turn white and grow thinner near the end of their lives).
History/Information
Sereia are an evolutionary off-branch of early Humans that evolved to be amphibious due to ancient disasters that pushed their adaptation to life in water. Like Demons, Sereia have a notoriously bad reputation, but theirs is because they are incredibly mysterious. Sereia rarely come on land, and those that do have never been known to speak of the History/Information, society, or etc. This has led to others being forced to fill in the gaps with their imagination, and unfortunately this usually meant horrible rumors. Currently, many people view Sereia as evil, life sucking beasts of the sea that lure people to the depths in order to eat their souls. This of course is not true, but this fact does not stop many from believing that it is.
Sereia typically do not leave the territory of Merfolk underwater cities/countries, but the ones that do must be especially cautious as Water Lamias are a violent race that are intent on killing any Merfolk including Sereia. They must also be careful because many people fear the existence of Sereia, and may kill them out of fear for their own lives.
Culture
Religion
Though it is unconfirmed, most Sereia are believed to worship a gargantuan sea creature known as “Pdi Jupdih” which translates from Merfolkien as “The Father” which they believe is the source of all underwater life.
Family
Sereia have an average family unit of 3 people.
Traditions
Sereia have few known traditions other than to never travel outside of a Merfolk city/country unless by a protected mode of transport, and to avoid Water Lamias at all costs.
Fighting
Powers
Sereia are innately magical, but the type of magic depends upon the individual; though water magic is the most common. Sereia are also not affected by extremely hot or extremely cold water.
Sereia can communicate telepathically (with each other, other races, and animals), but they can only hear the thoughts of willing individuals. Some Sereia are born with amplified telepathic abilities which allows them to hypnotize other races without the use of magic.
A single drop of Sereia blood can give any race that ingests it temporary gills that last 24 hours. Permanent gills can only be acquired by drinking the blood from the lips of a Sereia; hence the saying that "a Sereia’s kiss can give breath to a drowning man*. Some may try to kill Sereia to acquire their blood, but when Sereia die, their bodies liquefy and turn into water. (It is also considered very bad luck to kill a Sereia)
Preferred Fighting Style
Sereia typically prefer to avoid all contact with outsiders, especially fights; but if they do fight, they will likely use a combination of magic and melee fighting techniques.
Weaknesses
Sereia need to ingest large amounts of water (roughly 5 gallons a day) while in their land form in order to stay properly hydrated. If they do not consume the necessary amount of water, they will suffer from chills, profuse sweating, dizziness, migraines, and eventually they will bleed uncontrollably from their eyes until they either are submerged in water (salt water or fresh water) or they die.
Names
Sereia have Human names that are usually associated with water (whether in meaning or in reputation); references to use: http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/mermaid-names.php http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/siren-names.php https://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?12982-List-Of-Mermaid-and-Merman-Names
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Arrain
Physical Attributes
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General
Arrain are humanoid sea creatures.
Skin
Arrain have the skin color(s) of their animal counterparts. Most of their skin is rubbery (like a dolphin’s), but they can have scales/etc on their bodies in some places (usually on their tails or around their fins/etc).
Ears
Arrain have small holes in the sides of their heads instead of ears.
Eyes
Arrain have solid colored (no eye whites or visible pupils) eyes that can be any color.
Hair
Arrain are hairless, and typically have fins (or the equivalent) on their heads where their hair would normally be (these fins can be similar to hair in shape and the way they lay on the head).
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Body
Arrain have the form of Humans, but have the skin/scales, tail, and fins (or equivalent) of their marine animal counterpart. Arrain have tails that are similar to their marine animal counterpart, but these tails are different from Sereia as they do not replace their legs, but rather act like a cat’s or a dog’s tail would. Arrain also have webbed hands and feet, but their feet are unique in that the toes are 2-4 times longer than Human toes. Arrain can have the traits of any saltwater aquatic species. Arrain can have gills anywhere on their bodies, but on their backs/on top of their shoulder blades is the most common.
Arrain are unique from Sereia not only in appearance and capabilities, but also in diet. Arrain are capable of eating anything that their aquatic species would normally eat, even if it would normally be poisonous to other beings or even other Arrain of different types.
Age
Arrain have a maximum lifespan of 600 years, but 400 years is the average.
History/Information
Arrain are the result of breeding that occurred between Tsusei and Sereia thousands of years ago who’s offspring thus eventually evolved into Arrain.
Arrain are the much less secretive and much more friendly Merfolk in many people’s eyes. Like Sereia, Arrain must also be careful to avoid Water Lamias, but they are much laxer about traveling away from Merfolk cities/countries. In fact, it is much more common to meet an Arrain than it is to meet a Sereia. Arrain are also amphibious, so they are capable of living on land as well. Those that do live on land, tend to live closer to Tsusei populations as it makes them feel more at home to be around those they are related to (even if the relation is from thousands of years ago). Arrain tend to be a very kind people, and they are the top sellers of marine goods in Annwn.
Culture
Religion
Arrain tend to worship The God of the Sea called Persidion; a god unique to their culture.
Family
Arrain have an average family unit of 2 people, as having children isn’t as highly held of a value in Arrain culture.
Traditions
Arrain have traditions relating to their religion. The most notable tradition is known as the “Jibpytuz ej Zyfdpb” which translates from Merfolkien to the “Festival of Lights”. This holiday, which is held every 2 years on July 17th, takes place over the period of a week. The first six days include fasting (no one except young children and the elderly are allowed any food, aside from a thin fish broth, for these six days), decorating of houses with florescent seaweed, and a massive fishing expedition. On the seventh day, all the fish that have been caught during the week are gathered (and taken above water if not already) where they are cooked on a large bonfire. Between the fish and the flames, a large iron pot is sat to catch the drippings of fat that fall from the fish. Then, the fish are prepared and the bones and scales are tossed into the bonfire as an offering to Persidion. Finally, each Arrain family makes a collection of small decorated boats made of seashells. These boats are then filled with the fat from the fish and the fat is lit on fire. As a final offering, the Arrain float their lit boats out into the water and say a prayer to Persidion. This is truly a very unique sight to witness, as normally the seashell boats would immediately sink, but for the Arrain on this one night, the boats somehow miraculously float. Many mages have witnessed this event and have been completely lost for an explanation as no magic is ever being used around the area when this happens. It is truly a miracle of their culture. But other than this, the rest of the festival is completely normal as the Arrain feast upon the fish and sleep under the stars. Note: some very savage Arrain that remain in a very tribal society (this is extremely rare) have been known to catch other races instead of fish to use for this festival.
Fighting
Powers
Arrain have innate water magic abilities.
Arrain are surprisingly strong and are capable of lifting up to 10x their own weight.
Preferred Fighting Style
Arrain typically prefer melee combat using their bare hands.
Weaknesses
Unlike Sereia, Arrain are not capable of choosing whether to use their gills or their lungs, as it is a natural bodily reflex for which one they use (they are also incapable of holding their breath). Due to this, Arrain can be easily suffocated if they are repeatedly and rapidly switched between water and air; as their natural bodily response will get confused and, in an attempt to stop the confusion, will simply shut down both the gills and the lungs. If the Arrain does not have the "shut down" magically fixed within 30 minutes, it is irreversible and the Arrain will die. Due to this, Arrain parents will often scold their children for swimming with dolphins or whales since those animals have a tendency to repeatedly jump in and out of the water.
Names
Arrain can have any number of different kinds of names including Tsusei names, Human names, and Merfolkien names. Merfolkien is heavily reliant on vowels as vowels are often the only thing one can hear underwater, but written Merfolkien is a cipher for Common. Due to this, a Merfolkien name may be written with lots of consonants when in reality it is pronounced as a normal Common name or a vowel heavy Merfolkien name even if it appears to be consonant heavy. It should also be noted that Arrain that live mostly on land will tend to not use Merfolkien names since they primarily speak common on land.
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