Selkie

A hardy northern race who are related tenuously to the Merfolk, Selkies are a solitary and nomadic people. They are known for going on land and have good relations with northern tribes, helping them to fish in the hard winter seasons. In return, the surface folk will trade things which the Selkie themselves cannot make.
Selkies are said to possess the ability to shed their lower seal half and become human. They will often hide their lower half, which takes the form of a kind of coat, near where they embarked onto land. If this coat is stolen, a Selkie will often become depressed with some resorting to drowning themselves in the ocean.
Some Selkies, especially females, have fallen in love with surface dwellers and had children with them. These new spouses, fearing that their lover will leave them, will often steal the Selkie's coat and hide it. Unlike those who are trapped on land alone, Selkies who have children tend to be happier but still yearn to return to the sea.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Selkies are visually similar to Merfolk, although their lower half is that of the mammalian seal or sea lion. Their upper half, inversely, is that of a normal human. Selkies are capable of travelling on land through a spell which transforms their lower half into a "coat." This practice gives them human legs for however long they desire.

Genetics and Reproduction

Selkies give live birth.
The children of a Selkie and another humanoid will have the appearance of the humanoid until they reach the age of twelve. After this point, they will transform into a Selkie upon touching seafoam. Those who do not touch seafoam within a year will not transform. These untransformed Selkies often become obsessed with the sea, leading lives as fishermen or sailors. Otherwise, they lead a life as the species they appear to be.