Finfolk

## Introduction

Finfolk are sea fae shifters. The only two named finfolk in the canon are Oura Selich, Queen of the Selkies, and Bhatha, a crewmember aboard the Mantissa.

## Physical Description

Oura appears largely humanoid, but doesn't wear a shirt, and wears her seal-skin as a cape when in human-form.

Bhatha has 'gloomy, heavy features.'

## Abilities

It's unclear if this is a finfolk ability or something unique to Bhatha, but he helps control the Mantissa's buoyancy, and can control the buoyancy of ships, or any large objects.

## Characteristics (culture, habits)

Oura is Queen of the selkies/the finfolk seal-shifters, so she seems to hold high importance in finfolk culture. Augus Each Uisge noted that 'it was a more cut-throat world beneath the sea', which might help explain Oura's sharpness, or the viscous scar on her torso, and which implies that the finfolk world is likely dangerous.

There is a group of Unseelie finfolk in Aberderrig, whom Gwyn ap Nudd thought might serve well as Court patrons.

Bhatha was seen eating a bowl of mushy soup and porridge, but it's unclear what his true appetite is.

## Folklore/Mythology

'In Orkney folklore, Finfolk (sometimes Finnfolk) are sorcerous shapeshifters of the sea, the dark mysterious race from Finfolkaheem who regularly make an amphibious journey from the depths of the Finfolk ocean home to the Orkney Islands. They wade, swim or sometimes row upon the Orkney shores in the spring and summer months, searching for human captives. The Finfolk (both Finman and Finwife) kidnap unsuspecting fishermen, or frolicking youth, near the shore and force them into lifelong servitude as a spouse. . . . The Finman is described as being tall and thin with a stern, gloomy face. He is said to have many magical powers, such as rowing between Norway and Orkney in seven oar-strokes, making his ship invisible and creating fleets of phantom boats. He avoids human contact, but is extremely territorial and will wreak havoc on the boats of any fishermen trespassing in 'his' waters, though he may sometimes be deterred by drawing a cross on the bottom of a craft with chalk or tar, for Finfolk abhor the sign of the Christian cross above any other device. The Finman was said to be very crafty and ever prepared to cheat men out of their silver or wives.

. . . [T]he Finfolk are neither romantic nor friendly. Instead of courting the prospective spouse, Finfolk simply abduct them. Regarded as territorial and greedy, the Finfolk, in addition to their lust for humans, have a weakness for silver, including silver coins and jewelry. According to legend, a possible way to escape abduction is to exploit this Finfolk weakness by tossing silver coins away from oneself. The motivation for the amphibious abductions are inspired, in part, because marriage to a human is preferred over other Finfolk.

To capture the unsuspecting human bride or groom, the Orkney Finfolk cunningly disguise themselves and their fins as other sea animals, plants or even as floating clothes. The Finfolk kidnapping attempt begins by approaching the prospective mate cautiously, floating ever closer, until it is possible to leap up and grab the victim. The Finmen often use another tactic, appearing in human form disguised as fishermen in a row boat, or a fishing boat propelled by oars.

. . . Whatever the method of abduction, the hapless human captive is ferried away (often screaming) to the floating, and sometimes disappearing, mystical island of Hildaland, where the rest of one's days are spent performing rigorous duties as either the husband to the Finwife, or wife to the Finman. Yet another compelling reason for Finfolk intermarriage with humans is that, should a Finwife marry a Finman, she loses both her beauty and mystical charm. As she ages (without a human husband), her ugliness increases in increments of seven years until she becomes the Finwife hag.'

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Game Theory*, Chapter 39: Alone. Accessed 12 April 2021.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *The Ice Plague: Book 2 - The Seething Seas*, Chapter 22: Service. Accessed 18 March 2021.
3. ↑ *Game Theory*, Chapter 42: Anam Cara. Accessed 22 May 2021.
4. ↑ "Finfolk". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finfolk. Accessed 19 May 2021.