Swan Maiden Yokai

**Swan Maiden Yokai** are a variation of Waterfowl Yokai who has the ability to transform between their human and yokai forms.

## Physical Appearance

Swan Maiden Yokai has two forms. Their yokai is a typical appearance of a swan. They have white feathers, orange or yellow beaks, and orange webbed feet. When transform into their human form, they have an appearance of a beautiful lady. They wear a long white dress, have pale skin, white and/or light and pale-colored hair, and accessories like tiaras and other jewelry.

## Description

Swan Maiden Yokai mostly female who have the ability to turn back and forth at will into a swan. The key to their transformation is usually a swan skin, or a garment with swan feathers attached to it. When they remove it, they can transform into their human form for an unlimited amount of time. To transform back into their swan form, swan maidens will put on their swan skin or garment. They then transform back into their yokai form and act as normal swans until they have to remove their items.

## Abilities

Here are the abilities that Swan Maiden Yokai can have in their arsenal:

* Enhanced Beauty
* Magic (varies)
	+ Cursing (Cursed if male)
	+ Enchantment
	+ Spell Casting
	+ Water Magic
* Power Source (the majority of their powers are linked to their cloaks.)
* Semi-Immortality
* Shapeshifting
* Swan Physiology
	+ Avian Physiology
		- Aerial Adaptation
		- Atmospheric Adaptation
		- Beak Protrusion
		- Enhanced Agility
		- Enhanced Balance
		- Enhanced Endurance
		- Enhanced Lung Capacity
		- Enhanced Senses
		- Enhanced Reflexes
		- Hollow Skeleton
		- Wing Manifestation/Flight
	+ Enhanced Combat
	+ Enhanced Endurance
	+ Speed Swimming
	+ Webbed Feet

### Associations

* Mythic Physiology
* Shapeshifting
* Waterfowl Physiology

## Pop Culture

"Swan Lake" is a timeless love story that mixes magic, tragedy, and romance into four acts. It features Prince Siegfried and a lovely swan princess named Odette. Under the spell of a sorcerer, Odette spends her days as a swan swimming on a lake of tears and her nights in her beautiful human form. The couple quickly falls in love. The transformation has some inspiration from the swan maiden.

## Variations

### Waterfowl Yokai

Swans are part of the waterfowl family as they spend their time in the ponds in various parks throughout the world.

## Life in the Hidden World

Though most Swan Shapeshifters are female, there have been male Swans that became Swan Shapeshifters through generally a inducement curse on them. The curse that they have will mostly come from a Witch Yokai who specializes in Curse Magic. Swan Maiden Yokai live in ponds where they can blend in with normal swans. Most humans wouldn't know that there are any yokai as swan maidens look exactly like normal swans. If someone were to steal swan feathered cloaks, Swan Maiden Yokai aren't able to transform back into their swan form.

## Symbolism

Themes of Swan Maiden Lore Birds are symbols of freedom and elusiveness, sensuality and romance, even tragic love. All these characteristics and more are prevalent in one of the most widespread of fictional narratives, the so-called swan maiden tales.