Mermaids of The Aaron Isles

Hello again, everyone. I've been thinking quite a bit lately about what I could bring to the table--what kind of RP I might be able to offer to you to play. It didn't take long before I had the idea of dusting off the kit for an RP that lasted an entire year on another forum. Naturally, I don't expect to repeat that kind of success, but the idea is sound and I think Mermaids of The Aaron Isles might just hit it off here.

Now, using the original OOC, I'll try to relay the some of basics. It might be a little patchy, but shout out if any of this interests you and I'd be happy to discuss any questions you might have. (^^)



Thousands of miles from the nearest landmass, straddling the equator in the lonely center of Okeanos—the Great Ocean—lies the Aaron Archipelago. It is a place of unspoiled beauty and natural wonders, both above and below the waves. These tiny virgin isles, so isolated from the rest of the world, have sheltered the last generations of four families of Mermaids: Tide Water, Sea Fire, Moon Scale, and Dark Fathom. For them, the warm waters around the Aarons are both a paradise and a sanctuary. Dangerous reefs, fast currents, and miles of rocky boat-eating shores have kept all but the most intrepid or foolhardy humans at bay. Indeed, humans have for centuries been the greatest threat to the survival of mermaids as a species, hunting them to extinction in most of the world's seas and oceans for their flesh and blood, which are a delicacy and a potent "cure-all" elixer respectively. The clans which inhabit the Aaron Isles now make up the vast majority of the surviving population. Several others rumored to be hiding in isolated pockets around the globe, but efforts to reach them have to date been fruitless.

It wasn't until recently that Mermaids were discovered to be intelligent and self-aware by a young marine biologist named Ian Hackett. Ian had been an expert in the study of mermaid communication, which was only limited to high pitched squeaks, shrieks, squawks, and chirps. His often mundane research, involved the study of live, captive specimens in holding tanks. One in particular, "Flower" as her aquarium placard read, had been Ian's favorite. It was the second day of summer when Flower spoke to him. In his mind.

Astonished, Ian quickly discovered that mermaids could communicate telepathically. Not only to each other but to as humans as well--a breakthrough by Flower. It seemed that for all the years she had spent in captivity, Flower had been trying to find the correct mental wavelength that would allow her to reach out to her keepers.

News of Flower's sentience was met with shock and disbelief by the general public, who flocked to her exhibit to find that her powers of speech were all too real. Hearing her long and tragic history, a grave realization began to dawn. For ages, the assumption that mermaids were little more than glorified fish had given humans little cause for guilt over the slaughter they wreaked upon them. Now the truth had been made known, and the weight of hundreds of years of genocide proved crushing.

Events began moving quickly. All harvesting of mermaids and the trafficking of mermaid products are outlawed by several prominent nations who's newly established conservation efforts are lead by the Republic of Zaftra. The Zaftran Oceanographic Society was soon commissioned to begin an in depth study of all known mermaid clans, with special emphasis on those inhabiting the Aaron Isles.

Plans are made for a one year expedition to the distant islands, lead by none other than Dr. Hackett joined by his long time friend Louis Warrick, captain of the frigate turned research vessel Elysian Sojourner. Their goal is to make contact with the local clans and attempt to establish diplomatic relations with them. No longer just a scientist, Ian has been made humanity's first ambassador to merkind. It is a prestigious, and at times overwhelming, honor.



So then, our story would begin with the Sojourner's safe arrival in the Aaron Islands. More on that later. Now I think it time I detailed the stars of our story, the mermaids themselves. (^^)



Vital Statistics

Length: 7-10 feet. (About 2-3 meters.)

Weight: 180-220 pounds. (About 13-15 stone; 82-100 Kg)

Coloration: Bright and vivid. Varies depending on family group.

Sexual Maturity: 13 years.

Breeding Season: Late spring to early summer.

Gestation Period: 4-5 months.

Number of Young: 1-2, rarely 3

Breeding Interval: 5 years

Typical Diet: Small shoaling fish, squid, shrimp, crabs and other invertebrates. Will occasionally take prey as large as sharks and marble tuna.

Lifespan: 130-150 years. Severely reduced if kept in captivity.

Current Global Population: Estimated at less than 8,000 individuals.


Profile Overview
Sleek, muscular and beautiful beyond compare, the Mermaid is the apex predator in tropical waters the world over. Capable of sensing the slightest movements in water and able communicate with one another telepathically, they hunt cooperatively in large family groups called Clans. Naturally, all mermaids are female, and give birth to live young in secluded lagoons by means of parthenogenesis. Though mermaids are a long lived race, and rapidly grow to adulthood, their breeding cycles are slow. This, coupled with centuries and over zealous fishing by humans for their meat and blood, has by and large decimated the once thriving mermaid populations of the world's seas and oceans. The few clans that remain are faced with extinction, but are the sole hope for the survival of their people.

Habitat
Mermaids could once be found through out the world’s oceans. At present though, the few remaining clans have made their home in the warm shallow waters surrounding the isolated island chains of the tropics, far from their only real predators: Human begins. They especially seam to favor coral reefs in close proximity to active volcanic islands, given the abundance of fish and other prey animals in these areas.

Clan Structure and Activities
Every clan is governed by a matriarch, who is often mother or grandmother to the majority of other clan members. Her authority over the others, and their trust in her, stems from the matriarch's knowledge and experience, especially concerning the acquisition and distribution of food. Moreover, it is the close bond between family that keeps a clan strong.

Every clan, and every clan member, is unique—distinguishable from all others by the colors displayed on the tails of each mermaid. Each has her own subtle pattern rendered in her clan’s colors. These markings, combined with other human-like traits, mark a mermaid as both an individual, and as a member of a larger family that may be 100 strong or more, once even reaching into the thousands in better times.

Daily life in a mermaid clan alternates between hours of playing, hunting, and resting. Sisters and younger clan members will often become exuberantly playful. During these sessions of play social bonds are reinforced, as well as helping to discover the strengths and weaknesses of each individual, vital for cooperation during hunts.

When searching for prey, the clan will split into several teams of 5-10 and fan out into long lines to sweep the area for fish. Depending on the size of the clan, these hunting ranks may stretch up to several miles, with members keeping in constant telepathic contact as they scan the waters together with pods of dolphins who act in the same role as hunting dogs on land.

Having found a sizable shoal of fish, the hunting groups will herd it towards the surface by circling swiftly around and under the shoal, forcing the fish to bunch closer together and offering little chance of escape. Trapping the shoal just below the surface, the mermaids and dolphins alike take turns plunging through the swirling mass of fish and picking off a meal.

When a mermaid leaps clear of the water, she can spot the signs of her kin feeding up to several miles away. The most visible sign by far is the flocks of sea birds that descend to snatch up surfacing fish. If food is plentiful, several clans may share hunting grounds, or even coordinate their efforts.

When not playing or hunting, mermaids will spend hours sleeping or dozing in the sun, either in extremely shallow water or stretched out on smooth wave-beaten rocks. This has lead to the myth that mermaids are cold blooded or that they some how derive energy from the sun. While they do indeed enjoy sunbathing, this is viewed by scholars only as simple rest and relaxation.

Breeding
Few hard facts exist to enlighten us on mermaid breeding processes, but they are believed to be parthenogenic. Meaning that though all members of the species are female, they are able to bear fertile offspring and their eggs do not require fertilization in order to develop.

All adult mermaids will enter into a form of estrus at the same time every year; late spring into early summer. Yet only a small percentage will actually become pregnant. Exactly why in unclear. However, it’s been suggested that mermaids may actually be able to induce conception at will during estrus, or conversely “skip” estrus all together if so desired.

We now know that is in fact possible for mermaids to interbreed with humans. For reasons unknown, many mermaids actually seem eager to couple with a human mate, perhaps out of an instinctual desire to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring. It has also been theorized that this inter-species breeding may be a factor in how entirely new and unique clans are formed.

Once a mermaid has completed a pregnancy, successful or otherwise, she will not conceive again for up to five years. However, this cycle does not appear to apply to human coupling, which is another possible explanation why human males are so desired for the purposes of reproduction. It makes sense, though, that given their steep decline, mermaids would perhaps consciously or unconsciously resort to the quickest means of restoring their overall population. Especially since all studies of mermaid and human coupling conducted in laboratories have consistently resulted in multiple births, several of which bore little or no coloration that resembled their mother's. Thereby reinforcing the theory that entirely new clan genomes are the end result when mermaids manage to breed with men.

Research into this matter is still ongoing...


And there you have it! I'll later detail the specific traits of each of the Aaron Clans, but first:
Any feedback at all?

dayum.
Count me in.

Thanks, Q! I'll be working on a CS guideline later, but for now here's a very important briefing on the Clans of the Aaron Isles! Enjoy. (^^)

• Tide Water - They are the most sociable and out going of all the clans. They are inquisitive, playful, and somewhat promiscuous as well, sporting shades of blue and green as their signature clan colors. Their culture is one of freedom and festivals that celebrate the beauty of the sea, but Tide Water can also be a little sneaky and manipulative when it comes to politics. When they decide they want something, they are very eager in their pursuit of it. Especially if that something happens to be human mating rights. Tide Water maidens are very hopeful indeed that negotiations with their new human ambassador will ultimately yield them such.
  
  
• Sea Fire - As you can probably guess, Sea Fire's markings consist of hot colors ranging from yellow, to orange, to red. And naturally most of them have something of a temper, but they are brave and virtuous with the strongest warrior tradition of any other clan. They don't fancy humanity as much as Tide Water, but they don't quite fear them either. They receive the news of the human ambassador with mixed feelings, cautious optimism as well as an equal amount of prudent suspicion. Sea Fire's biggest fault is that they are very prideful, and do not respond well to insults, genuine or perceived.
  
  
• Moon Scale - The pale, silver-streaked mystics of Moon Scale like to keep a low profile. They are very shy and fearful of human contact, but they are fascinated by all kinds of man-made objects, which they collect almost obsessively from the sunken ships that are scattered around the islands. One has even been made into a kind of clan palace to house their matriarch, a mermaid sorceress of great power and fertility that seems to resonate through her people. Half of all the mages in the Aaron Isles belong to Moon Scale, and are often appealed to by other clans seeking Moon Scale's blessing on expectant mothers.
  
  
• Dark Fathom - Last but certainly not least. They hate humanity with a vengeance, having been forced to flee from their home range ages ago. The time spent wandering the barren void of the open ocean had a transformative effect on the maidens of Dark Fathom. They became, stronger, faster, meaner. Over several generations they adapted to hunting in the cold and crushing depths near the sea floor and began to develop venomous fangs with which to kill prey as large as whales. Being so twisted by their time in exile, the black-tailed Dark Fathom maids did not acclimate well with the other clans when they arrived in the Aaron Isles several centuries ago and are not well liked. Though their presence is unwelcome, not even Sea Fire as the wherewithal to try to evict them.
  

And lastly, I've also made this map. Can you guess who lives where?

Spoiler:

Oh snap. I <3 you, Rocky. Count me in again. I'd rather be a scientist again if you don't mind, but if you need some mermaids, I'd love to play some from Sea Fire.

Oooo. Mermaids! Sounds fun! Sign me up.

I'd love to be a mermaid, except I'm a guy and I'm not sure how that would work out. I suppose I could always be a lesbian mermaid, except I'm not sure that even exists since they don't need partners to breed other than human males on occasion. Maybe I would be better suited playing a human male...

I could play both Human male and Mermaid.. XP

Although I'd play some Moon scale.

Heh, yeah. I know playing a mermaid isn't exactly a guy thing, but it can be done. This RP is such that you really can have more than one role. Hell, you could have a human and mermaid character, with human's being from the Sojourner and a mermaid from any of the four clans. Mostly, folks tend to stick to one of the other but you're free to choose whatever suites you. You may even be a mermaid matriarch if you like, with adjoining NPCs, from Tide Water, Sea Fire, or Moon Scale. You're free to join Dark Fathom, but I have something special in mind for who leads them. A secret villianess... :3

Glad to have you back Kaelyn! Think you might get your feet wet this time? It's a whole new game. No telling what might happen. The story never comes out the same way twice, you know?

So! Here is the CS Format. Enjoy. (^^)

Name: (I hope not to see any mermaids named Kathy or Samantha. Flex your tongue and get creative!)
Species: (Mermaid, human, other: i.e. elf, dwarf, etc.)
Age: (Anywhere within reason.)
Clan: (Mermaids only of course. Tide Water, Sea Fire, Moon Scale, or Dark Fathom.)

Job: (Your non-mermaid character's role as a crew member of the Elysian Sojourner. Scientist, deck hand, etc. OR could it be you're part of a crew of mermaid poachers? More to follow on that later.)

Stature: (Your mermaid character's status within her clan. She might be a mere scout, or maybe a mage, or even the matriarch herself if you're up to it.)

Appearance: (For sailors this could be anything. No uniforms since it's a civilian endeavor not matter what side of the law you're on. Mermaids will be displaying their clan's colors as well as any markings that may set them apart, i.e. scars, fin notches, spots or stripes as well as jewelery.)

Personality: (Requisite effort.)
History: (Requisite effort.)

ALSO! Let it be clear that no mermaid is going to be topless! I'm afraid you'll have to put up with the fuss of the standard issue seashell bra. It adds detail as well as dignity! (^^)

Name: Keiruk (kay-rewk)
Species: Mermaid
Age: 80
Clan: Moon Scale
Stature: scout
Appearance: Pale grey, with silver streaks along the sides of her tail.
(picture later)

Personality: Keiruk is quiet and shy of humans. Often enough,she will use her appearance that will hide her from predators or humans. It's a disguise to make her seem dead.
Since she is a scout, she is not much for fighting. To compensate, she is a very fast swimmer and great at executing camouflage.

History: Keiruk has never been able to have contact with humans. Usually the ones she sees have already drowned, or on passing boats. Keiruk's mother as kidnapped by the Dark Fathom, and was never seen again. She is presumed dead.
For this, Like everyone else, Keiruk hates the Dark Fathom.
--------
Note:
I can have like some kind of cloak thinggy or a linen cloth thing over a shelled bra, right?

--

Name: Leon Moretti.
Species: Human
Age: 32
Job: Deck hand
Appearance: He is 6 feet tall, with a muscular build. Leon has dark blonde hair, with a bit of stubble on his chin.
He has a long linen shirt on that used to be white and common brown baggy pants.

Personality: Leon can be quite the father figure at times, but he's seen his share of mermaids. He's gotten close, and even made a few friends, but he has no desire of a romantic relationship. It's not like he believes it's wrong, he just prefers human girls.

History: Leon was once a black smith, This also dealt with helping carry the supplies and new equipment from the ships to the 'Iron stag' which was the facility he was working at.
Talking with the shipmates, he heard stories about the mermaids. One day, he was waiting for the ship to arrive when he had spotted a mermaid. He quickly made friends and he was eager to talk to the mermaid about the stories he had heard. Everyday, when Leon would go to retrieve the shipments, the mermaid was there.
However, when the Mermaid told him to meet her that night, she had told him that she was in love with him.
But Leon, regrettably had to decline. He was unable to get passed the whole tail thing.

Oh yes, I think I might even risk just jumping on in! No need for that tentative trying it out crap, 's like ripping off a bandaid or whatever. xP I'm gonna make a few crew members, it looks like everyone else wants to be a mermaid, which is fine with me! I'll have a CS up tomorrow or monday.

I think I want to make a crew member and maybe a mermaid. I'll have a profile up tomorrow when I get the chance and can thik straight