Mermaid

The Mermaid is a humanoid liminal race with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish.

Living beneath the sea, mermaids are protected from the interference of the other land-based races and as such have been free to establish their own civilization beneath the oceans of the world.

Physiological Attributes

 * A mermaid's body is covered in a slimy film that prevents their skin from drying out and prevents bacterial infections.
 * Due to being unable to walk, due to their tail, Mermaids most commonly use wheelchairs to get around dry land.
 * Mermaids have gills, but can survive on land as long as the air they are breathing is moist.

Eel Mermaid
Mermaids with long bodies like the lamia. Unlike most mermaids, they have no trouble living on land. Because they produce even more mucus than standard mermaids, they have trouble wearing most clothes. Their massage techniques utilizing their mucus are highly advanced, and their mucus possesses cosmetic properties as well, making them popular among other mermaids. They have a tremendous amount of stamina and often stay up all night, making them sleep-deprived most of the time.

Fresh Water Mermaid
Unlike standard mermaids which reside in warm ocean waters, these mermaids regularly travel from rivers to oceans and back again. These stoic mermaids never give up their journey regardless of any fierce rapids or waterfalls that may stand in their way. Because of this, the have slim and fit bodies. Their colors are more muted than those of standard mermaids.

Shark Mermaid
Mermaids with sharp teeth and the lower body of a shark. Shark mermaids are entirely carnivorous, a rare trait among the predominantly omnivorous mermaids. Their personalities are wild and aggressive. In the past they engaged in pirate-like activities, but more recently they have begun to abstain from piracy. Like sharks, the skeleton in the lower bodies is made of cartilage, making them very delicate. They are mentally weak, as well.

Members

 * Meroune Lorelei
 * Meroune's Mother

Trivia

 * One of The Eight Brothers is dating a Mermaid girl.
 * Mermaids have been known to trade for jewelry with the land-based civilizations.
 * Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid is popular among young mermaids, about a mermaid's doomed love. Influenced by this story, more than a few mermaids nurture a powerful yearning to fall in love with a human man like the mermaid in the story.
 * Water with chlorine, like in a public swimming pool, is toxic to merpeople if they breath it in long enough. The effects can be reversed with time spent rinsing themselves with clean water.
 * While merpeople naturally live at cold ocean depths, they are also perfectly fine in warm water.
 * If exposed to cold weather without proper clothing, their slime coating will cause them to become quickly chilled.
 * According to an ancient Japanese legend, mermaid flesh may grant immortality if eaten.