The Devil's Hand myth

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"Once there was a mighty queen of the deep sea she had dreamed She sought to see the devil below where dangers prowled the ocean cold
She'd not made it to darkest depths when something reached out to catch 'twas a silver hand that pulled her down she saw the devil with its iron crown
No one knows what she saw inside for when they asked all she did was sigh Bound to never wander again because of that cursed devil's hand
Swim too deep and you'll be stuck too and never again see the beautiful blue"

The Devil's Hand, a seafolk legend song

Origin

The song originates from two sources: The legend of the merfolk queen Telirik, and the many stories of Tempest cursing those who seek her lair. Queen Telirik was one of the few merfolk queens to ever be confined to a throne, as nearly all seafolk are nomadic by nature. The story, which has been passed down for generations, goes as follows: Queen Telirik was plagued by visions and wanted to find their source, so she sought out Tempest's lair. No one knows what happened to her, but shortly after she returned, she was stuck ill by a sickness no healer could cure, and never recovered, left paralyzed from the waist down. She died only a few years later, and her throne lies unclaimed. Tempest is the ancient goddess of storms and the sea, and is often personified with a silver hand representing the clouds. Throughout the song, "Devil" refers to them in place of the seafolk word Tukra, meaning Tide Mother. Tempest is a vengeful goddess who punishes those who seek her for their own gain, and is often blamed for any disasters that happen at or by sea, whether they are floods or whirlpools.
The song is often sung to young seafolk children, mainly merfolk and siren children who live in the open oceans, as a warning to not stray too far from their parent's side. As cross-cultural contact between landfolk and seafolk becomes more common, this song, with some changes, has become a common song to hear on the coast of Kessix. In Iksand and Civiel, the lyrics often change to refer to the famed pirate Captain Theodosia and her crew.