Merepeople

General Overview

A long time ago, there lived a beautiful young maiden. She fell in love with a man who cruelly broke her heart. Devastated, the woman jumped off a cliff, intending to end her life in the waves below. The source-filled water offered her a second chance at life as the first merperson. She took her revenge that next summer by singing to her ex-lover’s ship. It crashed into a pile of rocks, and each one of the men on board drowned in the watery depths.

Over the years, she would recruit more women and men who come to the water broken-hearted. The merpeople chose those who were broken-hearted because it reminded them of themselves when they were mortal. They don’t want to be alone in the depths of the sea.

Physical Description

Mermaids have two different forms: human and mer. In their mer form, they have gills and flippers to help them survive underwater. Their hands are webbed and their tails come in all different sizes and colors.

Abilities

• Quasi Immortal. Technically immortal, immune to the effects of illness and aging, merepeople will live forever unless killed. However, a mer can be weakened severely if kept from the sea for a long period of time. When in the water, mers can heal quicker than what would be concerned normal. For example, a finger can grow back within a day.

• Human Form. This is their secondary form that allows them to walk on land and fit in with any populace. They can only use this form for twenty-four hours before they must return to the water to repower themselves. Their human form can only be assumed where the source is plentiful.

• Siren Song. The mermaids have the ability to control people’s physical actions. The hypnosis only lasts as long as the song does. They can and have used this ability to sing people to their deaths.

• Water Manipulation. Merpeople have the minor ability to manipulate water. They must be near a body of water and can only manipulate small amounts.

Sirens Kiss. A merperson has the ability to turn another broken-hearted human into a merperson. The catch? When performing this kiss, the merperson could lose their fins or their life helping another transform.

Regeneration. When in the water, merpeople can heal quicker than what would be considered normal. For example, fingers can grow back within a day.

Strengths

• Being in the water (Salt or Fresh) - They are at home in the water and can disappear into the depths. It is their sanctuary and escape.
• Swim speed - They are extremely fast in the water. Faster than any natural creature of the sea.
• Ability to breathe underwater - There is no limit to how long they can be under. Able to breathe as easily underwater as they can out.

Weaknesses

• Dry air when in human form - Water is so essential to merpeople that even dry air can be dangerous. You will not find them near a desert.
• Acidic water - Can cause burns and damage them internally if breathed.
• Fossil fuels/oil - Pollution is always an issue. But for the denizens of the deep, it is especially catastrophic. They can become critically ill if they are subjected to these poisons.
• Going without water for 24 hours - Merpeople need to return to the water at least every 24 hours.
• Merpeople cannot conceive unless their broken hearts are healed.