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bignightcat ([personal profile] bignightcat) wrote in [community profile] monstrousfiling2024-03-08 06:45 pm

MER

Mer are highly varied aquatic hunters known for being flashy and gregarious.
[example species: all aquatic creatures]

✧ MANDATORY ✧
✦ Feeding: Energy [via drowning and/or fluid draining.]
✦ Gills somewhere on the body to facilitate underwater breathing.
✦ Skin, scales, fur, or texture/patterning of their animal inspirations on the arms, back, and legs.
✦ Webbed fingers and toes.
✦ A set of fins somewhere either as ears, on the arms or legs, etc.
✦ Water form. Mers legs become a tail that can be any length and resemble any aquatic creature. This change is not controllable, but the level of water required is up to the player. They are very agile and quick in water in this form but struggle to move with it while on land. They must be dry and out of the water source that caused it for a few minutes for this change to revert.
✦ Sharper senses underwater. Their sight, hearing and smell function better underwater than humans on land.
✦ A need for water. Mers grow thirsty much faster than others and weaken if they are out of water for more than a few days at a time. A bath can alleviate this discomfort but they prefer to swim in open natural water.
✦ Water magic. Mers can conjure and control water, either using a source near them or sacrificing their own if none is available. This does not extend to water-based substances like paint, coffee, blood, etc.

✧ OPTIONAL ✧
✦ Travel form: Mers can turn into a mundane aquatic creature to move more quickly and stealthily at the cost of being more vulnerable.
✦ Water type sensitivity. While mers can swim in all waters, some may develop a preference for a specific type (typically saltwater). This ranges from simple preference to significant hindrance or weakness.
✦ Sharp teeth and claws.
✦ Scales, fur, etc on any other part of the body.
✦ Additional fins as ears or on any part of the body including dorsal fins. These may appear only in water form if desired.
✦ A tail present in land form.
✦ Venomous barbs, claws or spines in their fins that cause pain and paralysis.
✦ Bioluminescent spots or patterns.
✦ A soothing singing voice that can charm humans, also useable underwater.
✦ Cold resistance.
✦ Selkie pelt. Mers may magically remove their "pelt" or "skin" to make themselves appear more human, with only a few small tells (such as sharp teeth, tapetum lucidum, etc). This also prevents them from going into their water form, and allows them to be more comfortable on land for a longer time. Any damage to the pelt is done as if it were still the mer's body, however, and if the pelt is stolen, the mer cannot return to their water form and will not be able to feed.
✦ Hoarding instinct. Mers may feel compelled to gather gems, shiny trinkets, or other precious objects to them.
✦ Schooling instinct. Mers may feel swimming along with others very soothing.

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