Syreni

[clouds just clouds]

Syreni
sigh-ren-"e"

_{Region of Origin:} Calder

Basic Biology:
Out of the water, they take on the appearance of a human being though minor differences can be detected. Their eyes tend to be larger than human's, and they tend to have longer and thinner arms and legs, but this does not make them weak. Most syreni are seen as elegant; their movements are fluid and easy. Most of this could be because they are used to being in water. An overweight syreni is rare because it takes a lot of energy to move through water. Most syreni tend to be lean and all syreni have the ability to transform their legs into a fin, or a fish’s tail.

These tails appear much like a fish’s own tail, and just about any pallet can exist. This tail can take on the shape of a clown fish’s tail or any other kind of fish. Dolphin fins, whale fins, and shark fins have been found. Tails that resemble a seal or an octopus are nonexistent. The hair color of a syreni tends to match his/her fin, or take on any natural color while the eye color of a syreni can be any color. The pupils of a syreni often can give away their hydration level. The larger the pupil, the closer they are to dehydration. When syreni are out of water, they need about twice the amount of water that humans do. Infant syreni tend to need more water than their adult counterparts, which means that it is rare for children syreni to try out their legs until they are adults.

Dehydration is a serious problem with syreni. It is worse than the common cold. A syreni can easily die if they don't keep themselves hydrated. Under water, syreni don't need to worry about staying hydrated. Syreni have the option to choose when and where they can transform. They can be completely submerged in water and still have two legs, but this doesn't grant them the ability to breathe underwater for as long as they please, though they can hold their breath for an extremely long time the average being about two hours. When syreni are out of water and still have their fins, they can still breathe, though they dehydrate dangerously fast in this state.

Most syreni are not susceptible to common pandemic diseases such as AIDs and such. They are, however, susceptible to the common cold and flu that are primarily caused by dehydration. As a syreni nears their four hundreds, it has been reported that many of them may develop cancer at this stage in their life.

All syreni develop certain traits from their fish counterpart. For an example, a syreni with a dolphin tail can use echolocation. These traits don't seem to develop until a syreni is a lot older. A syreni isn't completely done developing until they are around a hundred years old, but they are considered young adults around fifty years old. Other physical traits are common, like a horn from a narwhal. There are also disadvantages to this as some syreni may develop bad eyesight, depending on their fish counterpart.

Male Biology:
Male syreni tend to be larger and more muscular. While all syreni are lean, males typically appear with more bulk than their female counterparts.

Female Biology:
Females tend to be leaner and smaller than males and because of this, they are often seen as being more agile and quicker than the typical male.

_Lifespan: 400-500^YRS

General Behavior:
Syreni tend to be mediators. They prefer to negotiate rather than fighting. Though, as soon as they are hit, they tend to hit back ten times harder with everything they’ve got. They tend to hold grudges for a very long time, though syreni of younger generations tend not hold the same anger as their elders. It has been noted that many syreni share a common dislike for mixed races and often would prefer not to mingle with them. Most syreni do not like to harm the environment and dislike pollution.

Many syreni traditions are passed down orally through song. Syreni are open, friendly creatures and feel no shame to singing publically, only because it is so important to their culture. In a syreni city, if one syreni starts singing a traditional song, other syreni may join in. Even if syreni sing a lot, this does not mean that all of them are good singers.

Usual Habitat:
Syreni tend to live in the water or, in places near a body of water. While it is quite common to see large cities composing of a large syreni population but it is not uncommon to find them on the coasts of other lands. They integrate easily with other races. It is extremely rare to see a syreni in Letha as fire and water don't mix.

Aliment:
Most syreni do not eat meat. Syreni that are linked to creatures that do eat fish, like sharks or dolphins, often do eat fish. A syreni's diet is quite vast, but they tend to stay away from red meats. Bread is a luxury as it’s hard to consume bread underwater and is often a savored delight. Nearly all syreni believe in natural foods.

Basic Social Structure:
The syreni are a very organized race. They have a single ruler that organizes things within a race and a right-hand man that serves as an ambassador. These are appointments made by the previous leader and right-hand man. Whoever the leader sees fit to lead the race, be that a poor young woman or a son, becomes the next leader. Below the leader, all syreni are about the same.

Family Life/Gender Roles:
When a female gets pregnant, she often takes care of herself. It is up to the mother whether or not she wants the father to be involved. Syreni do not mind having physical relationships that don’t involve any feeling and when accidents occur, such as a pregnancy, the couple may decide to split or remain together. Because it is hard for a female syreni to get pregnant, more often than not, the father will take up the responsibility of raising the child.

Procreation:
In order to reproduce, the syreni must have legs. In a sense, genitalia "disappear" when they have their fins. When the female is pregnant, it is completely fine for her to transform. Even still, it is extremely hard for a female to get pregnant. The best time to conceive a child is around the new moon. The worst time to conceive a child is around the full moon as conceptions around the full moon are more likely to end in a miscarriage.

Race mixes with syreni are quite possible, but often lead to mishaps in the race. More often than not, the child loses the ability to transform completely. They either can't transform at all and look human, they have scales on their legs, or they can transform but not completely. This is often the reason why syreni dislike mixed races.

Childbirth and Childcare:
Syreni pregnancies are relatively quick as they last about six months. When the child is born, the child must either be kept in water or in a specialized tank for the first month. The first month, the child has a white and almost transparent tail. They sleep most of the time and wake only to drink their mother's milk. After the first month, the child can be taken out of the water but will need a lot of water and milk from their mother. By now, their tail is starting to show signs of their fish counterpart. Their fins will be fully formed when the child reaches two years of age. A child will not try their human legs until they are around sixteen years old and this process usually occurs on a new moon. No child is born on the full moon.

Magic and Abilities:
Syreni can hold their breath, in human form, for two hours. While they possess no magic, they make up for this in physical abilities. When they first get their legs, syreni can be quite clumsy, but as they grow older, they are able to master the use of their land legs. They often have great and natural ability when it comes to combat.

Legends and Folklore:
The new moon and full moon are sacred to the syreni. It was said that on the new moon, the fish wanted to explore the land, so Ren gave them legs but he warned them that they must return to the sea on the full moon or the sea wouldn't take them back. The new moon represents new life and new beginnings. It is on the new moon that the children first gain their legs and new life is conceived. On the full moon, all syreni return to the sea. The full moon represents fulfilment of life and often older syreni will decide to permanently return to the sea. This means that they transform fully into the sea creature their tail depicts and are never heard from again.

The ability to transform fully into their counterpart is sacred and seen as the most ultimate act to syreni. It shows true power and a true fulfilment of life. It is rumored that if syreni do not transform on a full moon, they will lose all ability to transform and all existence of their fish counterpart. Most believe that transformation on the full moon is forced, but none dare to try to fight against it.

History:
Syreni were tribal and mighty warriors who held great power. They were often misjudged because of their strong assets in water and were believed to be terrible creatures. But, they have songs of heroes who rid the lands of terrible monsters. Syreni, even today, are often warriors. It is rare if a syreni does not get some training in combat.

They had lived in Calder since the beginning of its creation. It was the isoke who had introduced them to the modern world. While some parts (mostly near the isoke borders) can be very high-tech, most of the land is in a very slightly less than modern age, and some parts are still more tribal.

Syreni have always been and always will be the mediators between the isoke and skritek conflicts, unless they are attacked.