Merrows

Appearance: They are usually long limbed creatures, with large eyes and skin ranging from gray to tan to blue that camouflages with their surroundings. As time has gone on and this has become less necessary, their skin has changed to more vibrant blues, though the original colors remain. They are very human in appearance, though they have flat, fin like feet and webbed fingers. They also have gills on their necks and sharp, shark-like teeth. They have no body hair to help with being more aerodynamic. They are double jointed in the knee to allow for more powerful strokes when swimming.  

Merrows are aquatic creatures, living in the ocean. They are a mixed species, born from one Selkie parent and either a Mermaid, Siren or Sea Witch. These Merrows are considered first generation Merrows. They can also be born from two Merrow parents. These are considered second generation Merrows, whether they have had only one generation of Merrow parents or ten.  

As they are a mixed species they only live a short time compared to their parents, living only a short amount of time, from 60-70 years. This has made it hard for them to establish any real community within Elocia. Very often there will be a surge in population before it quiets down. There are a few smaller populations with a steady amount of Merrows, but these are few and far between. 

Merrows, like their Selkie parent, rely on a sealskin to be able to exist underwater. Any Merrow born on land is simply considered a human as they are usually never bonded with a sealskin which prevents them from ever attaining their water breathing form. 

Merrows born below water are immediately bonded to a sealskin as without it they would quickly die. They are kept wrapped in the cloak until the point where they are ready to move around in which it is then wrapped around their shoulders like a cloak. 

Whatever “form” they are born in will most likely be the one they remain in as the transformation process between the two of them is very painful. It is not unheard of for first generation Merrows who are born in the human state to be given out for adoption to human parents. These children usually grow up to have a crippling fear of water as whenever they go into any form of water they feel the pain of the attempted transformation that is impossible without the cloak. 

When Merrows who are born underwater mature and stop growing they get their cloak specially formed to fit their head so that it is less likely to fall off or to be lost. A very real fear for parents is their child’s hood falling off and them drowning.

Their main population is found in Enea, but they have smaller populations scattered throughout. They prefer to keep to themselves in small communities. As they are a short lived species they, like many other short lived species, tend to live in a lower income bracket as they cannot get the work experience that longer lived species can get. 

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