merfolk
Mythical sea-dwelling humanoids, usually described as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish or dolphin.
Notes in the following sections are based on the accounts of Naylor Scott, who claims to have lived with merfolk from 625-628.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Merfolk are large, semi-humanoid, water-breathing creatures. They're warm-blooded and can also breathe air if necessary.
Genetics and Reproduction
Merfolk reproduce one of two ways: women will either lay eggs into a male's pouch where he will inseminate and carry the eggs until they hatch, then cares for the young. Or women will transform into humans and take human husbands. They bear children as humans would and remain with human society until their children are grown. Often after this, they return to the ocean.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivorous; diet is made up largely of fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures. Seaweed and other sea plants are also common.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The sea caves are filled with small alcoves which house up to five individual merfolk. The merfolk refer to these small groups as ngalov (pl. ngal). Ngal are very flexible and many merfolk don't stay with a single ngalov for more than a few weeks before moving to a new one. The larger community is ruled by a royal family, the Kiim and they mediate between disagreeing factions, decide rules and punish members of the community for breaking rules.
Average Intelligence
Easily as intelligent as the average human; ranges widely by individual. Some are as intelligent as human scholars and others are as simple as the village idiot.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Vision out of water is very poor, which is why the carved language they've left above water is so large. They are capable of finer detailed drawing and scripting underwater. They have excellent sense of smell, able to identify various kinds of fish and water plants several miles away. Speech is tuned for long-distance communication, as their language seems designed to be bellowed through water.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Merfolk suffer from a few parasitic species, including intestinal worms which spread through infected food sources and cause skin lesions, infections and intestinal distress.
Lifespan
70-80 years
Conservation Status
Self-segregating
Average Weight
men: 1,500-2,200 lbs | women: 1,100-1,800 lbs
Average Length
men: 11'-18' | women: 9'-13'
Average Physique
At first glance, merfolk seem chunky or even obese by human standards. This is due to the extensive layer of blubber which insulates them from the cold deeper waters around the sea caves. Beneath this blubber, they are lithe and muscular, stronger by far than a human of similar size. Even sickly merfolk are stronger than a healthy human due to the demands of maintaining their orientation underwater.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most merfolk have dark skin ranging in color from dark brown to almost steel blue and black. Many of them have markings like the stripes on a tiger which help them blend into stands of water plants while hunting. Some of them are mottled, patchy or spotted, usually with black or very dark brown. White markings are very rare but can occur and are usually considered a sign of royalty or a blessing from the sea gods.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
Discovered by
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