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The Merfolk A race of amphibious beings, they are a sight to behold. Mermaids and mermen live in and beneath the sea but can make themselves at home on land. They have their own language and customs, but are also able to speak the language of the races living on the nearest coastline. They like to make frequent trips ashore, if only to sit on rocks and comb out their long hair, and so they generally live in soundings rather than in the deep sea. Merfolk are human in appearance above the waste and fishlike below, with large tail flukes but no dorsal fins. They are, however, capable of changing their fishlike nether regions into human lower limbs, so that they may walk upon dry land whenever they desire. The species develop slowly and the exquisitely beautiful merchildren take a long time to reach adolescence, they enjoy a prolonged period of maidenhood, and when they reach their prime they retain the appearance of a mature human for innumerable years. Most mermaids are strikingly beautiful, even if this beauty appears a trifle cold. They are blond, with long tresses ranging in colour from light brown to strawberry blonde, and possess large green or blue-green eyes. Their skin is an immaculate pearly white, with a silvery sheen when it is slick with seawater. Breasts, arms, shoulders, hips, and waist are all in perfect proportion. Mermen are stalwart, swarthy, hirsute and muscular, but with softer characters then their appearance would indicate. Mer have some ability to predict the future; they are often vain, jealous, petty and unforgiving. They have a strong affinity to magic and are powerful spellcasters. Most notable among the merfolk is their infatuation with the human race. There are many accounts of shore-dwelling humans and merfolk falling in love. Initially such relationships are passionately happy but the fine careless rapture soon dies away. One will long to return to the land they were born in and oftentimes abandon the other. Saddest is when a young mer falls in love with a human who does not respond leaving the mer to pine away with hopeless desire. Generally merfolk are delightful creatures to observe at a distance but uncomfortable on close association. Their intentions towards all races are amiable and are rarely malicious unless they conceive themselves to be offended, but the differences between the mer and other races are insurmountable. |
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