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Merpeople
By alwdda felagund

Merpeople are an elusive race - mermaids and men alike.
They are a popular (mythical) creature to humans, but what you foolish creatures do not know is that we are real. When will you see the truth?
However, our friend Shadow has told us of a few of your kind that truly believe. But as we understand, you are very unknowledgeable about the subject. So continue reading, and I will explain to you what merpeople are truly like.


Physical Appearance

Humans are right about one thing - we are like them, but rather than legs, we have a tail. That is about the only thing you are correct on, however.
First off, our wardrobe. Our females are portrayed as scantily clad, and men not clad at all. This is entirely untruthful. We wear shirts just as you do - made of a waterproof material, of course.
Second of all, our physical looks. All merpeople are quite muscular - you might even describe the mermen as buff. This comes as a result of swimming around all the time - swimming is one of your sports that provides the most of a workout. Our tails are, of course, the strongest part, but our upper body is nearly just as strong. We could easily crush one of you if we took it upon ourselves.
Thirdly, our hair. We usually do not have long hair these days. Mermen shave their facial hair, and all merpeople alike cut their usual hair quite short. It was formerly the style to have it long, but over the centuries our race has come to realize how much more convenient it is to wear it short.
Theres also the color of our skin. (Scale color will be discussed further along.) This is not set in stone at all; it depends on how near to the surface our civilizations live. The lower we are, the paler.
Now that I think about it, though, you may be right about one more thing. We are quite a handsome race. Many a human being has fallen for the foolish mermaids that like to visit the surface every now and then. Bah - I have nothing to do with those fools. I am quite sure you have never seen a merman on the surface, have you? Yes, our sense is marginally quite better than the mermaids. They never do learn.


Mermaids vs. Mermen

In some ways, the different genders of our race are the same. But in many more they are different.
Let us go over the similarities, first. The most important thing is our build and appeal to humans. As we learned earlier, all merpeople are quite attractive and muscular. Another is our hairstyles, which we already know are short. And the last similarity is our temparaments - merpeople are peaceful, caring creatures. Every once in a while there will be a more violent one, but this is rare. We are not a race that likes to go to war.
Now the differences. Firstly is the way we swim, which is one of the best ways to identify one of us from above. Mermaids prefer to swim by doing a wave like motion with their tails, their hands against their sides, and steering mainly with their tail. But mermen use their whole bodies when swimming, for while it tires us more quickly, it helps us to get places faster.
The next difference is our duties in the community of merpeople. Mermaids are the ones on the move, sent off to gather food and such. This is one of the reasons theyre more likely to visit the surface than mermen, because we are the guardians, staying at home to protect the city from intruders, and predators such as sharks.
Another thing to take note of is our capabilities. There are certain things mermen are able to do that mermaids are not, and vice versa, because of the way our minds work. For example, mermen are nearly fearless, but mermaids are more outgoing. Then theres our magical powers, but they will be explained later.
The last main difference is our scale and eye colors. Mermen come in reds, greens, blacks, and browns, while mermaids are blue, orange, yellow, or white. Our eye and scale colors always match each other, except in rare situations where there was a gene mutation. In those instances, the merchild had the tail color of one parent, but the eye color of the other. More about our genetics will be discussed in the next section.


Merchildren

A mermaid normally gives birth to a pair of merchildren, a girl and a boy. But upon their entrance into the world, they are cared for by their father. It is more convenient this way, as the merchildren should be kept as safe as possible, and this is more possible if they can be kept in our cities rather than follow their mothers out into the open ocean.
When first born, the merchildren are a pale, fleshy gray color, with their eyes being a stony blue. But as they grow older, they will take on their true color, which is anywhere between that of their father and mothers color. Hair color is always that of one parent or the other, however. Our hair colors are the same as humans - brown, black, red, or gray.
The merchild is able to swim within an hour after it is born, but other than that, they mature much at the same rate as a human. Something unique to us is that our scales are as soft as our usual skin for several years, during which time they must be cared for very diligently. Childhood is the period during which a mermaid is most vulnerable.


Community and Beliefs

You might be surprised to learn that all mermaids are Christians. Our communities are based on this - a good reason why our communities are more solid than yours seem to be. We are a Christ-centered race.
A merchild is considered an adult once his scales become hard, at about thirteen years of age. At this point he is given the freedom to go wherever he wants, but he is also expected to take the responsibilities of a full member of the city.
We are ruled by a married merman and mermaid, but we are a free people. Our king and queen are chosen mainly for their respect and responsibility; they must not think them better than us despite their position, and they must always do what is best for the city. The only reason they are on the throne, after all, is because the people put them there. Should they fail to be proper leaders, they are replaced with another pair.


Powers

[part unwritten]