Selkies
Selkies are shapeshifting creatures, able to remove their seal skins to become human. They can return easily to human form by putting their seal skins back on again. Selkies commonly frequent the land, often with sexual motives. Sometimes the humans involved will not be aware that their lover is a selkie and will find that they vanish without warning to return to their seal form. Humans have also been known to hide the pelt of a visiting selkie to prevent them from returning to the sea. They are common to colder northern seas and are bathed in a myriad of legends and poetry surrounding their existence and practices.
Appearance: In the Sea, Selkies appear as normal seals and are visibly indistinguishable from non-selkie seals. When they shed their skins, they become humans, usually dark haired and olive-skinned, and striking with sensual features and expressive dark eyes.
Personality: Selkies are, by turns, charming, playful, alluring and engaging. They are also tricksters who will play pranks on each other as much as they will anyone. As their most obvious ability is being able to shed their skins for a human form, their curious natures often drive them onto land for periods of time. Folklore abounds with fishermen stealing the skins of female Selkies and making them their wives. While Selkie wives may be dutiful and devoted, their hearts truly belong to the sea and they will always seek a way to return eventually. Male Selkies can be aggressive and assertive, a little like Tritons. They delight in seducing women whose hearts have been broken, and answer the "Call of Seven Tears." That is when a broken hearted woman may shed seven tears into the sea, and it may call a male Selkie to her. These affairs are usually brief, but fulfilling, even healing. Selkies do firmly believe that often the fastest way to get over someone is to get under someone else.
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Strengths: Selkies see well in Low Light and dim waters. They can shed their skins once per day to walk on land. Unlike other shapeshifting Mer, they do not become progressively weaker as time pases, so they can stay out of the water longer, leaving the sea for up to 5 days at a time. However, their hearts do belong to the sea and they will inevitably return there, and must do so in order to survive. Selkies are insightful creatures and have an instinctual understanding of the nature of people. They can seem almost preternaturally empathic at times, which can help them communicate with other mer while in seal form. 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. Selkies live slightly more than the average human, 100-150 years
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Weakness: Selkies are air breathers, and must surface frequently in order to breathe, at least once every 3 posts. The nature of their shape change leaves behind a seal skin that must be hidden from prying eyes. If their skin is stolen or destroyed, they cannot return to the sea and become fully seal. They have difficulty seeing in very bright light. While Selkies can usually understand the spoken word while in Seal Form, they cannot speak it, and must be in human form to communicate verbally.