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Mer stuff
> Very loosely based on Pirates of the Caribbean's mermaids
> Very social with each other, living in large groups--numbering well into the hundreds if there is enough food and space available
> Carnivorous and needing to consume a lot of meat to keep up the energy to live and hunt.
> Primary diet is humans, sharks, whales and other large ocean creatures.
> A kiss from a mermaid can grant the ability to breathe underwater
> Hunt in large packs; attracted to man-made light as it usually means plenty to eat
> Beautiful and enchanting enough to bewitch men and lure them to their deaths. There is a degree of magic, primarily to their singing voices.
> Mermaids have a wide vocal range to entice
> Are absolutely vicious, and will seek revenge if one of their own is murdered by men
> Can take on the form of legs when out of the water. However, if they are even only a third of the way in the water, they will have a tail. Can also sit on rocks, completely out of the water, but this is something they do only carefully. Mermaids can dry out and die, a common way of torturing them.
> Mermaid tears have healing properties. Naturally, mermaids that travel close enough to the surface to be caught are typically very tough and it's hard to get a tear.
> Tails are recognizable fish, such as lionfish, sharks, etc.
> Carry offspring inside them like a human, always give birth on land in designated protected coves
Other information:
Mermen do exist, though most humans don't think they do. This is because a boy born to a mermaid is usually human (hence the giving birth on land). The babe is then usually left on a passing ship or nearby dock to be found and taken care of, because even mermaids don't have the heart to simply kill their own young. However, very rarely, a merman is born. There is usually only one in a large group of mers in a span of every one hundred years, and even then, they tend to blend with the women because of their own beauty and how enchanted their prey is. One would need a good look at their chest to be able to tell they're men, or hear them speak.
Mermen are just as vicious as mermaids, and will hunt in the same parties. However, they will occasionally take risks and go off on their own to port towns to lure women to a watery grave, or even to keep (as their kiss has the same properties as their female counterparts). Mermen also have the same enchanting voice, though they tend toward tenors with very few baritones and even fewer bass. Their speaking voices are also pleasantly light and airy, perfectly sultry.
Neither mermen or mermaids are stronger than the other, simply because of how demanding the ocean can be physically.
Merchildren are cared for mostly by their mother, but the rest of the pack will also take turns, so she (or the rare he) will be passed around and everyone will watch over each other. Merchildren also rarely go to the surface due to the dangers away from the sea caves or submerged ruins they call home. This makes it easier for them to be watched. Their games are primarily geared toward hunting or using primitive tools, and as young as seven they begin doing their own hunting around their homes, sticking to smaller prey such as crabs or small fish.
> Very social with each other, living in large groups--numbering well into the hundreds if there is enough food and space available
> Carnivorous and needing to consume a lot of meat to keep up the energy to live and hunt.
> Primary diet is humans, sharks, whales and other large ocean creatures.
> A kiss from a mermaid can grant the ability to breathe underwater
> Hunt in large packs; attracted to man-made light as it usually means plenty to eat
> Beautiful and enchanting enough to bewitch men and lure them to their deaths. There is a degree of magic, primarily to their singing voices.
> Mermaids have a wide vocal range to entice
> Are absolutely vicious, and will seek revenge if one of their own is murdered by men
> Can take on the form of legs when out of the water. However, if they are even only a third of the way in the water, they will have a tail. Can also sit on rocks, completely out of the water, but this is something they do only carefully. Mermaids can dry out and die, a common way of torturing them.
> Mermaid tears have healing properties. Naturally, mermaids that travel close enough to the surface to be caught are typically very tough and it's hard to get a tear.
> Tails are recognizable fish, such as lionfish, sharks, etc.
> Carry offspring inside them like a human, always give birth on land in designated protected coves
Other information:
Mermen do exist, though most humans don't think they do. This is because a boy born to a mermaid is usually human (hence the giving birth on land). The babe is then usually left on a passing ship or nearby dock to be found and taken care of, because even mermaids don't have the heart to simply kill their own young. However, very rarely, a merman is born. There is usually only one in a large group of mers in a span of every one hundred years, and even then, they tend to blend with the women because of their own beauty and how enchanted their prey is. One would need a good look at their chest to be able to tell they're men, or hear them speak.
Mermen are just as vicious as mermaids, and will hunt in the same parties. However, they will occasionally take risks and go off on their own to port towns to lure women to a watery grave, or even to keep (as their kiss has the same properties as their female counterparts). Mermen also have the same enchanting voice, though they tend toward tenors with very few baritones and even fewer bass. Their speaking voices are also pleasantly light and airy, perfectly sultry.
Neither mermen or mermaids are stronger than the other, simply because of how demanding the ocean can be physically.
Merchildren are cared for mostly by their mother, but the rest of the pack will also take turns, so she (or the rare he) will be passed around and everyone will watch over each other. Merchildren also rarely go to the surface due to the dangers away from the sea caves or submerged ruins they call home. This makes it easier for them to be watched. Their games are primarily geared toward hunting or using primitive tools, and as young as seven they begin doing their own hunting around their homes, sticking to smaller prey such as crabs or small fish.