Nerevyn
A semi-aquatic species, once wholly ocean-bound. The Nerevyn have evolved to walk on land under specific conditions. Some believe it to be a curse and to some, a blessing. They are often referred to as mermaids by mortals, but many are insulted by the term. Shaped by monstrous tides, shipwrecks and droned magic, the Nerevyn are survivors, predators, and mystics all at once. While others see those who come to the surface as beautiful, the Nerevyn see themselves as powerful.
Appearance
Appearances vary wildly depending on a Nerevyn's native depth. Some have a classic fishtail, while others have long, scaled tails resembling deep-sea beasts. Some are bioluminescent, have fins shaped like ribbons, or any other feature seen in sea creatures. Skin varies from flesh-tones to deep blues, iridescent silver, coral pink, or the ghostly pale shades seen deepest in the ocean. Eyes are often large, with vertical pupils that glow faintly in the dark. Hair may be solid or multicolored, translucent, or seaweed-like.While on land, some retain their "otherworldly" traits, like scales on legs, webbed hands or feet, etc.
It should be noted that not every Nerevyn has gift of an aquatic and terrestrial form.
Half-Nerevyn, like the full Nerevyn, have an appearance based on where they are born. For those born on land, they will primarily have legs and more of the mortal parent's features. Those born in water are more likely to have the opposite.
Habitat
Different variants of Nerevyr are found in different aquatic zones.- Thalassyn are a deep ocean variant of Nerevyn. Coloring is often darker. The Thalassyn bloodline holds the strongest, oldest magic.
- Caeryn are the shallow, reef dwellers. They are vibrantly colored, playful, mischievous things.
- Mirevyn are an adaptable group found in brackish water or lake hybrids. Often the most solitary of their kind.
- Myriads are also known as abyssal sirens. They are rare, albino, and completely blind. They feed on memories and souls.
- Seraveth are the river dwelling Nerevyn. Uncommon and do not stay in the same place for long. It may be another name for a wandering Nerevyn, on a journey to a new life.
- Nymirae are the freshwater Nerevyn. They tend to be found near sunken structures in lakes that they treat as sanctuaries. They are considered the most gentle of the Nerevyn. Known amongst their species as the healers.
Traits
All Nerevyn are gifted with the capability of echolocation, a haunting voice that can disorient or mesmerize, and a host of magic. All may control water in various forms with different outcomes (healing, harming, etc.). Some Nerevyn are capable of illusory magic. Rarely, they may summon storms, manipulate the tides, or summon sea creatures.Their dual-form is controlled with magical anchors (tideanchor in the common tongue)- a living relic such as a scale or a pendant that is tied to their soul. If separated, they will revert back to their dominant form if exposed to water.
A Nerevyn's true form is always visible in the water's reflection- no matter what illusion or glamor they wear on land.
The Nerevyn are tied to lunar cycles and the tides, in turn. This is not always conscious, but their strong emotions may affect weather or currents.
History and Lore
Long before flame lit the world and wind touched the ground, the ocean stirred with breath. From the endless deep rose Viraelle, the Seamother. She was not a god of form, but a pulse, a harmony. Where her song kissed the currents, the first Nerevyn were born. Early Nerevyn were unbodied, tide-spirits that flickered like phosphorescence and pooled into the trenches. In time, Viraelle grew weary of her isolation. She sang a new verse- and the unbodied solidified. They grew bones, tails, names and a voice to join hers. This was known as the Shaping, the birth of the Nerevyn people.As land rose from the sea and mortal kingdoms took form, ships began to cut across the ocean. The mortals, unware of the sea's memory, dredged the deep, polluted her sacred waters, and slaughtered her songbeasts for fuel, food, and riches.
At first, the Nerevyn simply watched. Then, they warned the mortals. Then, they sang.
It was too late. The Nerevyn launched an assault upon the surface of the ocean in what became known to mortals as the Drowning War. Harbors were pulled beneath the waves. Whirlpools broke fleets of ships. The Stormsong swept across Arethil. But the Nerevyn were not all unified. Some believed in coexistence with mortals and refused to kill. Civil conflict erupted beneath the sea. These wars ended not in victory, but in collapse.
After the wars, the Nerevyn fragmented into drifting castes and regional enclaves, each adapting to different waters- oceans, lakes, rivers. This is how the Nerevyn remain today.