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Merfolk
May 26, 2006 16:03:18 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on May 26, 2006 16:03:18 GMT -8
This doesn't just include things like mermaids and mermen, but other animals crossed with fish or mammals.
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Merfolk
May 26, 2006 17:34:29 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on May 26, 2006 17:34:29 GMT -8
Mers These creatures are much like the mermaids/men from Earth. This is, of course, because back in the ancient times, there were portals that appeared randomly under the sea, as well as on land, and swimming through them unaware, Terran merfolk were transported to Beyond. Finding that there were no humans polluting the oceans or hunting them for wishes, they decided to stay, and set up underwater kingdoms.
These merfolk are the only creatures that have royal hierarchies, or any kind of organized societal structures. They have the usual king, queen, prince and princess. The rest are basically either hunters or gatherers.
BREEDS
Each Kingdom of mers has a different species of fish tail, skin color and builds. In order of north to south, they are as follows:
Royal mers from the north have medium blue tails. The hunters have nearly midnight blue tails, while the gatherers have a pale blue tail. All classes have medium blue skin, and their hair and eyes are various shades of blue from the lightest blue to the darkest..
Midsea mers are green of skin and tail. As with the northern mers, the royals have the medium green tails, while the hunters have the darkest green tails, and the gatherers the lightest. As with all classes of northern mers, midsea mers have medium green skin, and their hair and eyes are various shades of green from the lightest to darkest.
Tropical mers are the most colorful of the four kingdoms, and also the most flamboyantly built. Royals are colored like angelfish, with wispy fins that trail and glimmer. The commoners aren't separated by class, but rather by gender; males are colored and have the tails and fins of lionfish, while females have clownfish or damselfish coloring. Their skin is a golden brown, and their hair can be any color of the rainbow. Their eyes are warm, tropical colors, usually matching their hair.
Southern mers have pale white skin that sort of glows. They aren't as pale as sea fey, but they glimmer like their tails, which are silver. All classes of southern mers have shiny silver tails, and their hair is pure white. Their eyes range from silver to pure white, which can be an eerie sight.
BREEDING
Mers mate in a manner closer to humans than fish; that is to say, the female doesn't lay eggs and then the male fertilizes, but they mate one on one. When pregnant, the female carries the egg (usually no more than one, but twins can happen), and when it is lain, it is the same texture as a fish egg. The baby emerges, and is a miniature version of the adult, with a combination of coloring from both parents, of course.
Each kingdom tends to keep to itself when choosing mates; you won't find Midsea mers with Southerns, for example. They also do not breed among species; you won't find part sea fey, part mermaid, for example. They tend to be monogamous, unlike sea dragons, but that's not to say they don't have love triangles and other complications.
BEHAVIOURS AND ABILITIES
Mers can speak, as can all other peacefull sea creatures except sea dragons. They speak a sort of aquatic Avian, which is where the Avian language finds its roots. They can also use telepathy, which is good, since they can't help but come across dragon territory now and then. The hunters use nets made from the kelp grown in the midseas or bone spears with silver spearheads. Gatherers gather shellfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and edible kelps and sea grasses. They have gills and lungs, so they can breathe above and below water, but rarely surface, having no need to do so. The gatherers near shore at night to gather shellfish, but do not surface.
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Merfolk
May 27, 2006 12:59:36 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on May 27, 2006 12:59:36 GMT -8
Sea Fey
These lovely merfolk only reside in the tropic region of Beyond. They are the counterparts of Terran fey, with the exception that they are mers, so they are part humanoid, part seahorse. They are the descendants of seagoing Terran fey who also passed through portals into Beyond.
They have a sort of symbiotic relationship with the merfolk, in that the hunters and gatherers provide them with food and protection, and the sea fey are artisans, the ones who designed and constructed the palace of the Tropic kingdom, the jewelry the merwomen (and even the men) wear, as well as compose the music everyone sings.
BREEDS
Sea fey, unlike any other Beyond sea creature, are able to change color to blend in with their surroundings, and are capable of long-term dramatic color changes to match their background better. Their skin is the palest white, even more pale than the mers of the South. Most sea fey are neutral colors ranging from beige to black, but they can also be bright, nearly neon colors to deep jewel tones, depending on the species. Their eyes have pupils, unlike the mers, and can be any color, as can their hair. Like their skin, their hair can change color to match the environment. Their tails are fully prehensile, and instead of scales, their skin stretches over their bony plates. Sea fey live in complex habitats that are built for manouevering rather than speed. They tend to move slowly across the sea using their dorsal fins for propulsion and their ear-like pectoral fins for balance and steering. Their slow movement means that their symbiosis with the merfolk is very important. Most sea fey are more active during the day than at night, but there are some who work with the gatherers and sleep during the day.
BREEDING
As with their Terran counterparts, female sea fey place their fertilized eggs in the male fey's 'womb' to carry for twenty-eight days. He then gives birth, and the ponies (that's what the infants are called) scatter, fending for themselves. Like the mers, sea fey only mate with other sea fey. They form monogamous pairs where the male and female mate exclusively with one another in and between reproductive seasons. The bond is reinforced by elaborate greeting dances soon after dawn each day. The female swims in to the male and they both change color to “dance” together, which lasts up to ten minutes, and afterwards the pair separates for the rest of the day. Greetings continue throughout the male’s pregnancy until he gives birth. They ignore all other fey when paired as far as mating goes, and are slow to seek another if their mate disappears (read: eaten).
BEHAVIOURS AND ABILITIES
Sea fey can speak aquatic Avian and use telepathy. They also sing and play curious instruments fashioned from the gold and jewels they harvest and fine tune. They build the coral reefs that created the Tropic palace with amazing detail. They are very gentle, very soft spoken, and are rarely fierce. As a bonus, they are able to lull just about anyone into a sort of hypnotized calm, which gives them time to escape or help to arrive when they are under attack.
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Merfolk
May 27, 2006 14:05:47 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on May 27, 2006 14:05:47 GMT -8
Narmers
An ultra rare form of seafolk, Narmers are a combination of humanoids and narwhals. There are only twenty in existence in Beyond, and this is because they are so far spread throughout the seas that it's hard to form large pods, and smaller ones are subject to being ravaged by predators or the sea dragons, if a Narmer should be so unfortunate as to wander into their territory.
BREEDS
Narmers have the tail of a narwhal, narwhal skin up to their necks, bare humanoid torsos and a long horn on their foreheads. They use the horns for weapons as much as they do for decoration, though they do not use them to hunt. They are very beautiful and have uncommon hair styles, in that unlike the rest of the sea folk, their hair never grows longer than past their ears. Long hair would of course get in the way of using their horns, so they evolved to the point where it just didn't grow any longer.
BREEDING
Narmers mate as their Terran counterparts do, giving live birth after a ten month gestation period. They are monogamous, and nurse their young for four months, then hunt as a pod. They are hard to find, so it's rare that they mate, let alone breed.
BEHAVIOURS AND ABILITIES
Unlike the rest of the mers, Narmers can emit sonar pulses, which they use for echolocation. They are also very vocal, so they tend to be the minstrels of the seas. They migrate from the north pole to the south, and visit the mer kingdoms en route. When they pass through the tropics, they exchange songs and tales with the fey. Archaim and his pod were the first to begin migrating from pole to pole with his pod, and the others took to doing the same. It not only gave them a chance to learn new music, it gave them the opportunity to find other Narmers and possibly find a mate. Archaim is the only Narmer who speaks Common. The rest only speak aquatic Avian or sing and emit pulses.
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Merfolk
Jun 9, 2006 17:13:35 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on Jun 9, 2006 17:13:35 GMT -8
Acroms
A more common form of merfolk, Acroms are a combination of humanoids and orca. They are easily the strongest mers in the waters, and are often in battle with more than one kind of predator, especially their counterparts, who will be listed under Predators.
BREEDS
Acroms have the tail and dorsal fin of an orca, bare humanoid torsos and black or brown hair. They are skilled in hand to hand combat, and have uncommon agility with tail attacks. They are very beautiful and no two have the same markings.
BREEDING
Acromss mate as their Terran counterparts do, giving live birth after a seventeen month gestation period. They are monogamous, and younger females may start to "babysit" as a sign of sexual maturity approaching. A female may expect to have at most 4 to 6 offspring, and will stop reproducing after about forty years of age, although there are exceptions to this "rule." They do not breed with other species.
BEHAVIOURS AND ABILITIES
Acroms speak aquatic Avian and/or sing. Unlike Narmers, they have telepathic abilities, which is likely why their numbers are greater. They travel in pods, which are nuclear and extended families. At the social heart is the Acrom mother, and the pods are generally anima, like Avians. That means that the females pretty much hold sway. Pods that share calls are known as clans, and although some clans may not share calls with others, they still interact and communicate now and then. This race is pretty much the guardian race of the seas, and the men are just as fierce as the women when defending the pods against predators.
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Merfolk
Jun 9, 2006 17:47:01 GMT -8
Post by The Forsaken Subtle Sin Saint on Jun 9, 2006 17:47:01 GMT -8
Moreels
Moreels have a frightening appearance, and are so reclusive that they are often mistaken for evil predators. They are in fact mostly neutral, though they fight on the side of good, more often than not. They are the most misunderstood and mysterious merfolk in the entire ocean.
BREEDS
Most of the Moreel body looks like an eel, with a shorter torso than most mers, glowing yellow eyes, and eel teeth. Their eyes, though they glow, have very poor sight, and in exchange, they have keen olfactory senses. Extremely gracefull inspite of their startling looks, they're silent and sturdy, and blend in with their surroundings easily. Their tails are a dappled grey, and their hair (brown, dark grey or black) is very thin compared to other mers, although it can grow to 30'' long. Moreels do not have a specific gender until they mature, and gender tends to be determined by the availability of food and living conditions. Females tend to come from low food, low temps, whereas Moreels who live in slightly warmer waters with a greater supply of food tend to become males.
BREEDING
Because they do not have genders until they mature, Moreels only mate near the end of their lives. Females lay two to three eggs, which are later fertilized by a male, then both parents leave the eggs to their own devices while they seek a place to die.
BEHAVIOURS AND ABILITIES
When hatched, Moreels are left to defend themselves, and being lain in the tropical waters, they immediately start heading north for the waters where the Raider Cliffs are. They have some mysterious homing instinct that beckons, and inspite of their small size and lack of training, many are able to make the journey safely. They never develop any kind of relationships with anyone, not even each other, and therefore have few ties that bind. They are telepathic and have learned aquatic Avian from the Großer Afli, which is actually one of their biological ancestors.
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