Merfolk

**Merfolk –** Humans pirates gypsy’s and mages have all told stories about these finned creatures. From the waist up there shape is roughly human. From the waist down there fins make them the fastest of the deep. Swimming everywhere they have built groups in oceans far and wide.

**Merfolk Subspiecies**

**Aicaya Merfolf –**The Aicaya are a special kind of mermaid who live in the Caribbean. It’s unknown how the first one of them came to be, but the Aicaya are young men and women who are disowned by their native communities and went to live by the sea. Aicaya will seek out these individuals and turn them in one of their own so they won’t have to feel rejected or alone again. The amazing and unique thing about the Aicaya is that they are all different but all accepted, so they aren’t all the exact same.

**Arctic Mermaids-** Arctic Mermaids are some of the most secluded for the obvious reasons of them being in polar regions. Places where winter is longer is where most of them dwell, in partially-underwater caves near icecaps. They normally have a diet of strictly raw fish, due to the fact no plants can grow near them because of the cold. Almost all of them have white or light blonde hair and a thick layer of fat to go with their transparent skin. It protects them from the cold. Their tails are usually white with a medium fluke. They have sharp claws and teeth for hunting, with a threat from their biggest opponents, the polar bears, which mistake them for their normal prey. They can also be known as Cold Water Mermaids. No countershading.

**Deep Sea Mermaids –** Deep Sea mermaids are the most vicious of the whole race, cutting themselves off from others, going solo, and declining to help anyone and anything (from the stories told). They have eyes adjusted for the advanced darkness of being so deep underwater no sunlight can reach them. They have large flukes for long-distance and fast swimming, with dark shades of purple, blue and black for their tails. They have thick insulated skin to withstand the freezing temperatures of the deep. Very few mermaids have wandered into their territory and came out to tell the tale. They say that some Deep Sea Mermaids don’t have hair and have replaced it with seaweed or tentacles from their prey. This is NOT TRUE. Their diet consists mostly of raw fish and a few different underwater plants. No one knows where Deep Sea Mermaids prefer to dwell, but most would guess a cave or under an outcropping for shelter from bigger fish.Deep sea mermaids must have terrific hunting skills and vision to survive. There not known to have countershading.

**Freashwater mermaids –**These mermaids don’t really have a special name like ‘Open Ocean’ because it’s pretty simple- they live in lakes, sometimes also in ponds, streams, and rivers, but mostly lakes. They mostly live in pods of 30-50, and there are rumors that Freshwater mermaids have more complex society than saltwater mermaids. They are also more friendly than most saltwaters. They have a greenish tint to their skin to blend in with the mucky water. These mermaids sometimes have large flukes, sometimes they don’t. It depends on which body of water they are dwelling in. Almost every mermaid has a green tail the shade of seaweed to blend in, but a few have blue tails. Freshwater mermaids are the most sociable and most likely to approach and befriend humans. Depending on how murky or how clear the water is, they may or may not have countershading. They have a mixed diet, and the choice to become a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore.

**Merrow Mermaids –** Merrows are from highlander folklore, so the best shifting into merrows will take place in that general area near the lowland ocean shores. They are said to have long green hair and a red cap. The red cap is what makes them a mermaid. If they lose this cap, they are human until they find it, and when they do, they will return to the sea, sometimes leaving entire families behind. There isn’t a specific culture or stereotype for merrows, because they are so widespread and have a lot of options in a lot of categories. They could choose to be in a pod or solitary, where they want to live, what tail color they want, what their diet will be, the choices are almost endless.

**Open ocean Merfolk –** There’s no way to tell, but since there’s so much coast and a lot of mermaids lived there before they shifted, it is the popular belief that there is the most Open-Ocean mermaids of all the sub-species. They almost always travel and hunt in pods of 30-50, and their diet varies depending on their habitat. Most open ocean mermaids live in the upper Zallis oceans in the summer, where it’s warm and there’s a lot of fish and plants. Then for the winter they migrate south, sometimes far enough to integrate with tropical mermaids. They have large flukes for swimming very far distances, and a long tail of blue, green, or light purple to blend in. Their tails have countershading, where the backside is darker so predators looking down won’t see them, and lighter fronts so predators looking up don’t seem them. These mermaids vary in personality, most are friendly but anxious and secretive around humans. They have many Ancient languages. They are also known as Traveler Mermaids because they migrate.

**Sirena Chilota Merfolk –** All you who just feel the need to help everyone you can, the Sirena Chilota is right for you. Most have golden blonde hair and golden colored scales, making her human side look like a very beautiful teenager. She was commissioned by her deity, and she has the task of caring for all of the fish. (You can guess that Sirenas are herbivores because of their purpose and beliefs). Sometimes the Sirena’s deity will bless her so she will never be hunted by man or animal. She also helps her siblings and/or friends to carry the bodies of drowned sailors. She does this so they can be revived and is a very happy mermaid. They have very large flukes and strong tails so they can swim long distances while carrying victims of tragedies. It is said that a Sirena Chilota’s tears are very delicate and, if used in a spell, is very powerful. May have countershading.

**Tropical Merfolk –** Ah, yes. Tropical mermaids. Most say they have the most fun. That is not true. They are just the most fun-loving and easy-going, as a whole, out of them all. They have smaller flukes because they don’t travel a lot and mostly stay in one place. Since they spend a lot of time near or living by coral reefs and brightly-colored plants, their tails are more brightly-colored than others. Usually a red, pink, orange, or blue tail. They don’t have the layer of fat some other mermaids do because they live tropical waters will it stays mostly warm all year. They are friendly but tend to stay away from humans. They always travel in pods. A few close themselves off, but most can’t stand to be alone and have really bubbly personalities. They are usually found a little off the coast somewhere warm.