Racial Abilities
Abilities Some of these abilities were discussed in the different species section but the following is an overview that all Merfolk should be aware of.
​
Split Tail: The ability of the Mer to take landform (legs vs. tail). This ability is done through an enchanted item that allows the person to have the ability to take land-form. When splitting tail this should be done in a post not just *boom* now you’re in Mer (or lander) form.
A word of caution: If you lose your enchanted item (or it is stolen) your character would be locked in their current form. If that is lander form the character would grow weaker over time. Choose wisely who knows about your enchanted item and how accessible it is to the general public.​​​
​
Song: Even the most lackluster of mer can sing. A mer’s voice is alluring, it can sound like the sweetest tune one has ever heard or the most haunting and terrible, but either way they draw one in and captivate. They are nearly flawless and beautiful for a reason, this helps amp up the allure making them hard to resist. Using these two traits a mer can often sway or compel a lander to the Mers favor. Many a tale speak of merfolk singing sailors to them only to lead them to their death. Some mer’s also share the gift telepathy and can communicate with each under waves or peak into the thoughts of others. Empaths are also common, able to sense the emotions and feelings of others beings especially those of the sea.
Mermaid Kiss: Mermaids were often known to take human lovers and have the ability to grant underwater breathing for a limited amount of time via a kiss. This should be role played out as the Mermaid/man granting this ability. Stealing a kiss from a mermaid/man would not grant this ability.
Siren’s Gift: All Sirens are infected with a disease called Sirenum. They can be born with it, or can be infected later in life through the bite of a Siren. Infection through a bite is intentional, meaning a siren must intend to infect their chosen victim. This leads to an incredibly slow and painful progressive change process. Only Humans and Merfolk may be infected this way. Both parties MUST agree to this change OOCly. Healers of the shoal *may* have the cure for sirenum that would reverse the painful transformation if done within a short respectable amount of time (ie 24 hours).
​
Curing Sirenum: Sirenum can be passed on to males and females intentionally via the bite of a male or female siren. There are a few ways to cure it. An afflicted character who eats a pinch of heat root within two hours of a siren’s poisoned bite can reverse the effects. This is at the consent of the player of course if you wish the cure to work. If you want to leave it to fate, why not try rolling the dice? A remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric can also cure the affliction, provided the character receives the spell within three days of the siren’s poisoned bite. The only other way to remove the affliction is to cast remove curse or break enchantment on the character during nightfall. Characters undergoing this cure are often kept bound or confined in cages until the cure takes effect.
​
Maelstrom: Tritons are also known for their tempers. They are usually showy, cocky and narcissistic, they get along without anyone who strokes their egos, but their tempers are renown, as violent and thunderous as a sea storm. They are known to sometimes go into blind rages called the maelstrom. When in this state of mind they are very hard to stop or tame. Merfolk move out of the way to avoid the change of injury or death. The best way to take a triton from maelstrom is the potent song of a siren.
​
Call of the Seven Tears: Male Selkies can answer the "Call of Seven Tears." That is when a woman sheds seven tears caused by a broken heart into the sea, a Male Selkie can sense it and track to the woman if they choose to.
