Selkes
INTRODUCTION
The Selkes are a seal-like sentient people living in the northern parts of The Shimmering Seas. Their main population lives in the shallower waters along the underwater mountains of what the humans call Brechin Ridge. The Selkes use the word 'Maya' for Mother when referring to the impossibly long and high mountains that are their homes.
They live in five tribes off the coast of Cauldfell. The kingdoms mainly follow the geography of the ridge.
Fo the Grey Kins, a different species of Selkes, look at article of the same name: The Grey Kins.
1 The Tribe of Maya (or the Mother)
The most ancient and most powerful within the five kingdoms. In Ancient times, the Tribe of the Maya ruled over all or most of the other tribes. They mainly inhabit the southern part of the range and are, therefore, the furthest away from the lands of Alven.
2 The Tribe of the Guardians
The Tribe of the Guardians has been designated to guard the Ridge from intruders since ancient times, and they take their job seriously. Their settlements lie in the foothills of the Ridge nearer the coast of Cauldfell. The tribe has been instrumental in keeping the secrets of the Selkes for millennia. No human has ever set foot on the Ridge - as far as the Selkes are aware.
3 The Tribe of the Reds
The Tribe of the Reds is perhaps the most warrior-like of the five. Their name comes from the coral fields the population has settled in. They live on underwater plateaus where the coral grows in abundance. The red coral the Selkes call Watta is traditionally sacred to them. The Selkes' artisanal work with the coral is unparalleled. The Red Selkes have used coral in their art over the centuries: weapons, sculpture, architecture, etc.
4 The Tribe of the Deep
The Tribe of the Deep is the most secretive of the Selkes'nations. The Deep Selkes prefer the penumbra of the rifts and abyss to the more shallow and sunlit waters of the high ridge. Not much is known from the Deep Selkes, except that they worship many gods. They are a very religious society and do not mix readily with the other tribes. Their different dogma has put them at odds with many of the tribes in the past, even resulting in conflicts.
All Selkes have faith in the same gods, which they believe live in the dark parts of the ocean, but the Deep Selkes are at odds about which gods are more important and who are the representatives of the gods in their society.
The Deep Selkes are very insular and none have been known to venture far from the Ridge.
5 The Tribe of the New
As their name suggests, the Tribe of the New was created only 500 years ago. A diaspora of Selkes from the Maya Tribe left the safety of the Ridge and made their home away from the Mother Mountains.
This was a clear departure from the Selke traditions and beliefs. At the time, the tribe was seen as cursed, and no one would have predicted how prosperous the tribe would have become over the last centuries.
The tribe has made its home within the pleasantly kelp-filled hills south of the Ridge. The tribe calls them the Greenfields. This rich environment, a stone's throw from the Cauldfell coastlines, has made the tribe prosperous.
These Selkes are the ones most likely to interfere with human society and are by far, the most forward-thinking of their species. However, they are still viewed with suspicions by the other, more ancient tribes. See: The Change and The Conflict of the New.
Shapeshifters
The Selkes' magic is very specific and powerful; they are, in essence, very gifted shapeshifters.
Selkes can usually take the form of other species.
They cannot take the form of inanimate objects as their anima would get lost in the aethers if they were to inhabit a soulless object.
Selkes are very fond of the human form, which they will use most of the time, albeit with some modifications to suit their underwater lives.
Very few human ships have managed to sail over the Selkes'tribe nations to this day.
On the other hand, Selkes have been known to 'try out' living with humans - which they find fascinating.
However, Selkes, who have travelled around Alven for a few years, tend to return to the ocean life they miss after a while.
ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY
A Selke in its natural form will resemble a thin seal.
Like a seal, they have no hair, huge eyes, leathery skin (albeit pure white) and whiskers.
Unlike seals, their dorsal fins will be extended to become prehensile 'hands'.
Selkes are born both male and female and can choose their orientation at will, even none if this is what they want.
However, because of their shape-shifting nature, an adult Selke will rarely be in its natural form - it is actually thought to be uncouth and backwards to be in your natural shape (somewhat like humans who will not go without wearing clothes).
A Selke will not be able to shapeshift until they reach magical maturity around the age of 10.
They need to follow a strict regime of preparation exercises until then to be able to manipulate their gift properly, and it is not until they are 18 or so that they are fully trained in their magical abilities.
SKIN
A Selke's skin is naturally pure brilliant white, but they will choose a different colour as soon as they can mutate - blues, greens and browns are fashionable at the moment with Selkes from every tribes and nations.
Naturally, a Selkes's skin is leathery and coarse, but they are pretty fond of the softer, bare skin of humans, which they usually adopt.
They also like the long hair humans sport. They also like to display long locks of different colours streaming like ocean weeds around their head.
When underwater, they also sport gills on their neck to help them breathe the rarefied atmosphere of their ocean homes, and they will quickly change 'legs' for fins if they have to travel a fair distance.
In the same manner, they can make their whiskers appear when hunting.
EYE COLOUR
The Selkes will rarely shapeshift their eyes (only in size) as they believe that the eyes are a portal to their anima. As a result, Selkes will all have huge brown eyes coupled with thick eyelashes.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
In their natural shape, Selkes are not as thick as seals but still quite muscular and heavy. When they shapeshift into another species, they retain their mental abilities and anima but take on the physical characteristics of that species.
The Selkes cannot shapeshift into species that are a lot different in size and weight to them.
They can only go as far as being half of their original weight and size.
PERCEPTION AND SENSORY CAPABILITIES
The Selkes, generally, have the same perception and sensory abilities as humans - except from one important point: they do not feel the cold, and live quite happily in the freezing waters of the Shimmering Seas.
When taking human form, they usually keep their blood and regulatory organs to maintain their protection against the cold.
Because of their huge eyes, which can refract light as they enter the water, Selkes have better underwater vision than humans. However, their vision on land is not as good, especially in bright light conditions.
When they shapeshift - unless they introduce modifications - they will have the same sensory and perception capabilities as the species they are impersonating.
LIFE CYCLE
Selkes can live for a very long time (150 to 200 years), and will only produce three to five offsprings during that time.
Selkes choose when and how to become fertile.
A Selke can become male and female depending on how they see their role in producing their offspring.
They will usually also have different partners for each of their offspring - this is done to widen the gene pool and ensure a healthy progeny.
Usually, a Selke will not have another offspring until the one borne earlier is an adult at the age of 18 or so.
Until the offspring is adult, a Selke will normally stay with the same mate, but this is not a fast rule, and Selke will change partners whenever they feel it is the right time to do so.
Selkes' powers will dim down into old age, usually by the time they are 150 years old.
Old Selkes stay well within the confines of their families and clans and are respected and cared for by the community.
An old Selke will learn to take a backseat in the affairs of their family but will try to make themselves useful by helping to look after the young ones, for example. Some older Selkes will be part of the tribe council and fill their days with political and civil duties.
Interesting article - but aren't seals in the wild covered in soft fur, not hairless?