Mermaids in the Southern Reach

 Mermaids  

-A lone mermaid = dreamy, mythical, titillating, bewitching.

-An infestation of mermaids that stalk a ship, silently stare at those on deck and multiply exponentially in number every hour  =  Terrifying.

     

Photo courtesy of Peter Pan, 1924, (Silent), Paramount Pictures.

Mermaids in and around the waters of the islands of the Southern Reach, Awa Nikko, and Nebulith have an almost unnatural obsession with metal!  They can taste and detect it in the water and are drawn to large quantities of almost all metals from miles around.   

A mermaid will feverishly try to remove any metal from a person, beast or thing in the water through use of their hands or simply gnawing it free with razor sharp teeth without regard to the subject’s life, limb or condition.  Persons who find themselves in mermaid infested waters are advised to immediately remove any and all metal weapons, items, armor and ornaments to prevent injury.  Of course, the scent of rarer metals in the water serves as a concentrated attractant.  Mermaids will swarm in a frenzied-mass anyone in full metal chain, scale or plate armor that enters infested waters.

Mermaids have the ability of vocalization, but do not speak any known language of man, instead they speak in a series of ultra -high pitched screeches, whines and clicks  (think Darryl Hannah in Splash!) which may be heard up to half a mile underwater even through the pounding surf.  

They are mesmerized by floating metal (ship and boats) and have been known to silently stalk ships while carefully observing and noting the metal visible on board both above and below the waterline while relaying information back to their underwater colony.  When enough mermaids are present, they will set upon the boat.  Prying, gnawing and taking every metal nail, fastener, casting, joint etc in sight.  The removal of a boat’s structural metals combined with collective weight of hundreds, if not thousands, of mermaids clamoring up the sides and on to the decks has caused more than one boat to lose its integrity, and quite simply and completely be pulled under the waves.

Mermaids in a stalking pattern will cause all other wildlife (above and below water) to scatter, rendering the situation as unnaturally quiet.

Mermaids in heavily trafficked human waters have been observed mimicking limited basic human speech and/or use their human attributes to attract, persuade, and unburden those that are visibly laden with metal.  Mermaids are ambivalent to those without any visible metal. 

GM Notes.

-Metal in reasonable volume may be used as an attractant or decoy by players when encountering mermaids.  Ie Dropping a metal ship anchor or throwing a suit of plate mail overboard will sufficiently divert mermaid attention for 1D4 hours. (Possibly allowing passage or escape of person boat.) 

- A new, large infestation of mermaids at a locale may indicate something of note (getting through the infestation is another story!)

Nebulith Mermaids

-Mermaids fear and will flee the approach of Izumi, the Seasnake Medusai……..   However, also out of fear, all mermaids in audible range will heed the call of Izumi…… if so commanded.  Izumi…… speaks their language, or probably more accurate, they speak Izumi’s…….. language.