Physical Characteristics
Mermaids are among the most beautiful beings in creation, in both their mermaid forms and their human forms. In mer-form, from head to the tip of their tail, a mermaid measures around eight to twelve feet long, and their body takes on shimmering scales that are heavier and more pronounced on their tail, and extremely light and subtle on their upper half, mostly concentrated at their shoulders, elbows, and shoulder blades (and breasts, if female). These scales take on an iridescent glow in the moonlight, adding to the mermaid’s exotic beauty. Their welcoming smile hides sharp, fang-like teeth, not unlike a vampire’s, which they can utilize in both their mermaid and human forms. Like with fish, there are numerous subspecies of mermaid, resulting in variations in the colors and patterns of their scales, and size of their fins.
Natural Habitat
Mermaids prefer environments that have plenty of water nearby, as they need to submerge themselves regularly, or risk severe to deadly dehydration. It doesn’t matter whether it’s salt water or fresh water, nor if it’s a river, lake, pond, ocean, sea, or canal. In a pinch, a large bathtub or tank full of water will suffice.
Submerging one’s mer-self in a chlorinated swimming pool could be deadly, depending on the pH levels (but not if the mermaid is in human form). Mermaids also cannot survive spending time in anoxic waters (meaning water with very low or nonexistent oxygen levels), which tend to be found in bodies of water with restricted water exchange (meaning there is little to no water flowing in from a river or tributary to stir things up and keep the water moving) – if present, this heavier, hypersaline water is typically located at the basin of a body of water (generally at around 150 or so feet deep), and it can suffocate a Mermaid.
Procreation
Mermaids procreate with each other in a similar way to humans, except the gestation period (in both mermaid and human form) is only two months, as opposed to nine months. Since The Fall, Mermaids have been spending more and more time on land and have proven that they can also mate with other species while in their human form; however, a mother will lose her baby if she transforms back into a mermaid before giving birth. A child from a mermaid + mermaid union will be born a mermaid. A child from a blended union may turn out to be a mermaid, or it may be the same species as the other parent; regardless, as a baby it will seem to be just an ordinary human until its supernatural traits present themselves.
Special Abilities
When submerged in water and in their natural form, a mermaid will heal faster than as a human on dry land.
Mermaids are also able to communicate with certain aquatic creatures via a primitive form of telepathy – the further up the food chain the creature is, the better the chances of being able to communicate with it.
Mermaids’ singing voices are known to be incredibly beautiful. Their songs have the power of low-grade mesmerism over humans and are typically able to get people to do whatever they’d like, or provide them with sought after information, with just the power of their suggestion. However, they do not need to sing in order to mesmerize another person, for as long as they are able to maintain eye-contact, they are still able to compel people to carry out their will. A hypnotic command will fade within just a few hours, and it will usually be forgotten by the person mesmerized.
Mermaids can swim at incredible speeds and can withstand the pressure of the ocean at great depths. Their bodies have been specially developed for underwater conditions, granting them specialized blood circulation to withstand freezing temperatures and highly developed vision to see clearly even in murky ocean depths.
Like fish, Mermaids can breathe underwater, due to having gills while in their mer-form. These are located behind their ears and metabolize the oxygen from the water. They can also breathe on land, as well, without the aid of breathing devices, since their bodies can adapt to being on land by converting into their human form.
Weaknesses
Mermaids are especially sensitive to pollution.
Mermaids are drawn to light and music – all things pretty and shiny, really – and this is often used by other races as a way to capture them.
Mermaids also need a reliable, clean water source, as they need to submerge themselves regularly, or risk severe to deadly dehydration.
Mermaids enjoy superhuman strength, speed and senses in both of their forms, though they are not as intensely strong or as fine-tuned when they are in their human form.
Culture
They stopped luring sailors to their deaths (and eating them) hundreds of years ago.
Mermaids are omnivorous. They typically like to eat seafood and underwater vegetation, but vegetables and meat from land animals is also sufficient – the fresher and more raw, the better.
History
Mermaids used to be one of the world’s best kept secrets. They rarely – if ever – left their underwater cities to visit the world above the waves. At least, not until after The Fall.
In the early days, Mermaids hunted humans. Sailors, mostly. They would use their powers of mesmerism to convince their victims to join them in the water – where they would then be dragged beneath the waves, drowned, and fed upon. These days, the Mer-folk would prefer to move past their primitive, violent history with humans. In fact, several have taken to living – at least part time – on land. Among those, a scant few among each generation have shown the potential to wield magic and have joined the Orders of the Magi.