Mermaids

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File:Beckywiki.jpg

Becky the pirate mermaid.

Mermaids are half women, half fish. They can be found in rivers, lakes, and seas all across Felarya. They breathe freely in or out of the water and can even move on land, albeit very clumsily. They are often extraordinarily beautiful, with alluring voices. Their size varies a lot, from a few inches, to a few hundreds feet for some gigantic specimens, such as the legendary Leviathan mermaids. Felaryan mermaids are generally carefree and playful, quite voracious, and the giant specimens represent one of the major dangers for swimmers and adventurers sailing the rivers and seas of Felarya. They use their sweet voices and some illusion spells to charm and attract their prey. If they are in a hurry, they can use their powerful tail to sink a ship and then devour the crew falling in to the water. Some Felaryan mermaids also possess a very long and sticky tongue they can extend to catch prey, much like a frog.

Mermaids and merfolks in general can live in both salt and fresh water. They are extroverted beings, but speak surprisingly little of their life underwater. They are said to have a few large underwater cities in the Topazial sea and they regularly go there to mate or to simply spend time with their own kind. When underwater, mermaids "sing" their messages in a special language whose pitches and tones aren't distorted by water, allowing communication. It sounds a bit like whale song, but more modulated and of a higher pitch, although it also depends on the individual mermaid who sings it. Of course, that language doesn't work above the water. Those songs appear to be just as rich and complex as regular language, with differences in pitch, tone, tempo, and structure helping to convey different, intricate meanings. This also means that mermaids possess extremely precise hearing, and are very skilled at controlling the sounds they produce. It's probably the main reason why mermaids are so famous for their beautiful singing voices; it's simply one of their natural methods of communication.