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SIRENS
MAGICAL ALIGNMENT: Dark, always following a sin.
LIFESPAN: A siren’s lifespan is extremely similar to that of a human's (70-110 years). Prior to the quarantine, they lived statistically shorter lives, but this was likely due to poaching, water pollution and accidental fishing-related incidents.
APPEARANCE:
Outside of water, a siren appears… a little off, compared to your average humanoid. Although their skin tone and overall structure is usually natural, their eyes and teeth stick out like a sore thumb.
All sirens possess unusual irises and pupils, glassy and round like that of a fish. Their teeth are sharp, yellowish and plentiful, often falling out and replenishing throughout their entire lifespan. Their ears are rubbery and smooth, or even surrounded entirely by dark-coloured frills.
More uncommon or even rare features of a siren include:
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- Gills (while in land form). All sirens possess gills on the neck or sometimes even ribs when submerged, but not all retain them in 'human' form.
- Bodily scales or fins that remain whilst in land form. Again, these traits are usually cloaked.
- Facial fins and scales, most commonly
on the cheeks, whilst in land form.
- A smaller, more containable tail whilst in land form.
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TRANSFORMATION: When a siren enters water, the lower half of their body transforms entirely. From the waist down, a submerged siren resembles an aquatic creature, most commonly a species of shark, though this can vary massively. As well as sharks, a siren’s aquatic form could resemble any dangerous species of fish (lionfish are particularly common), or even octopi or seals (though these are colloquially known as selkies).
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Though a siren's hair is usually a 'natural' colour, this may change upon submersion. Hair may grow to almost twice it's original length, or change colour entirely to something brighter, flashier. This altered hair colour may remain for days or even weeks after submersion.
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Sirens are, almost always, incredibly beautiful in both their land form and aquatic form.
OVERALL BIOLOGY:
A siren’s true biology is in their underwater form, with their upper organs reflecting that of a humanoid, and their lower organs resembling that of the aquatic creature they transform into. Sirens are mostly amphibious, being able to absorb oxygen molecules from both the air and water - they cannot do this in chlorinated water, and must be cautious. Some sirens possess venomous quills, saliva or stingers, depending on the subspecies. A siren’s hair, both in males and females, grows incredibly quickly and requires a lot of maintenance.
DIET: Though the majority of sirens are omnivorous, it is not unheard of for a siren to be an obligate carnivore, meaning they cannot absorb nutrition from plant matter. Sirens, unlike most merfolk, have little to no moral qualms with eating fish.
SLEEP/REST: On average, a siren requires six hours of sleep within a twenty-four hour period, but this is rarely accomplished in one sitting. Rather, they prefer to take two-to-four hour naps to fill this quota.
Underwater, sirens may operate similarly to sharks, needing to keep moving whilst in their sleeping state. Some choose to sleep in tanks, if one is available. It is significantly more comfortable.
ABILITIES:
Like demons, most sirens possess incredibly powerful magic, always related to the use of their voice. The most common is a siren song, a singing voice with an allure impossible to ignore - mind control.
REPRODUCTION:
Unlike humans, siren reproduction ranges widely. Some subspecies birth live young, and some birth soft-shelled eggs. Some birth singular young, and some birth small groups of multiples. Between all subspecies of siren, the gestation period ranges between 9-12 months. They do not have a menstrual cycle.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM: Unlike merfolk, sirens are disproportionately female, and female sirens are usually much larger in water than their male counterparts. Some female sirens may grow up to 15 feet long in their submerged form, making their size incredibly remarkable. Male sirens are far more likely to possess head frills and flashier colours, likely to attract a mate.
CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT:
A siren infant, usually known as a pup, remains in its submerged form throughout pregnancy, and requires regular soaking until around the age of five in order to hydrate. Young pups almost immediately know how to swim, and require significantly more sleep than any other young creature. Much like baby werebeasts, a siren pup will chew almost anything in sight in order to soothe the pain from teething, even other people. Twin or triplet sirens must be separated when left unattended for this reason. By the ages of five to seven, a siren pup will have a full set of adult teeth, constantly being knocked out and regrowing throughout their lifespans.
ORIGIN: Sirens are believed to have
originated from the interbreeding of demonkind and merfolk. When this occurred is unknown, but reports of a siren luring unsuspecting sailors into the ocean span back millennia.
CULTURE: Siren families are often very matriarchal - in the modern world, this means that the family name often follows the matriarchal line. Water is almost worshipped by sirens, as is music. It is simply part of their nature.
