Syren

The Syrens (alternatively written as Sirens) are a population of aquatic people who reside in the oceans around the world, said to have originated from the waters around Minami. They are highly territorial and isolated from the rest of the world due to language barriers. In history, female syrens were said to seduce sailors and cause shipwrecks, among other forms of bad luck. However, recent findings indicate that such seduction is linked to powerful pheromones unique to the syrens. Humans have referred to them as mermaids and mermen in the past.

Biology
Although syrens have similar biological structures, they vary slightly in coordination to the region that they reside in. The skin of syrens found near colder regions tends to be thicker, for example, to accommodate the relatively colder waters. Their skin is a mix of humanoid and scales-like patterns, coming in a variety of colors. According to researchers, beauty is based on the colors and complexion of the syren's skin. Syrens are classified as mammals, since they possess all of the characteristics of mammals with the exception of a slightly different respiratory system.

Due to spending the vast majority of their time underwater, syrens rarely come above the water's surface, despite claims by the sailors of past history. To a syren, going above surface without proper equipment would be the equivalent of a human submerging himself in water without an air supply. They breathe underwater through gills found on their necks, producing oxygen in the process. Unlike fish, syrens can "inhale" the water, eliminating the need to constantly swim in order to circulate water through the system They also have a layer of clear film over their eyes to prevent distortion by water, allowing them to see clearly in their environment. However, this layer requires constant moisture, or else it can crack or break, directly affecting the syren's ability to see underwater.

A syren's elongated ears are utilized for echolocation, allowing him or her to navigate dark caverns and locate other objects without the need for a light source. This has led to the surface myth of the beautiful singing of syrens: in reality. The syren "song" was commonly described as being both mysterious and beautiful, naturally attracting the curiosity of those who never heard it before.

The primary difference between male and female syrens, besides the presence of mammary glands in females, is their muscular structures. Males tend to develop muscular frames faster than females, as well as grow larger than their female counterparts. Other than their muscles and size, males and females appear similar to each other, which may have led to inaccurate observations between genders at a distance to the sailors that managed to catch a glimpse of a syren.

Habitat and population
They reside in all of the oceans around the world, though commonly populating regions close to continents to take advantage of the continental shelves. They prefer elevated homes, allowing for better protection against deep water threats like the kraken. However, not all reside upon the continental shelves: some live in the open waters. They are usually categorized by their location in the oceans and by which continent they reside by, if applicable.

Taxonomy
Deep: Syrens that reside in the open waters are categorized as deep. They are further categorized by their ocean basin home. Deep syrens typically have thicker skin and they tend to have duller scale colors.

Continental: Syrens that reside on a continental shelf. They are further categorized by the continent that they reside closest to and/or the oceanic region. Continental syrens tend to be more colorful, and are more common than deep syrens.

Aside from the types described above, syrens have been speculated to reside in the polar regions of the world. However, none have been discovered as of now. If these syrens did exist, they would be named in accordance to their polar regional home.

Culture
Syren culture remains highly unknown to humans and other sentient races of the planet due to linguistic barriers and their territorial nature. As such, it is dangerous to send any expeditions to syren societies. However, syrens have been reported to save surface dwellers from drowning, returning them to land.

Some syrens that were identified as capable of utilizing madō were recorded to have held some sort of special position within syren society, referred to collectively as shamans. These shamans' higher social status may relate to their innate ability to utilize supernatural forces. Other syrens appear to be akin to inventors within the syren society, such as the Craftsman, focusing on the advancement of syren technology.

When scientists stumbled upon a ceremonial procession of syren, they speculated that the syrens have a hierarchy similar to a royal family. The first syren to be caught and kept within captivity, was confirmed to be a member of a royal family, due to notable elegance of the captured syren's tattoos.

Language
"The sound I heard was piercing, yet there was something sweet about it. My mind drifted off while I attempted to determine what this sound I heard was. The splashing of water told me that I was not alone in my wonder."

- Anonymous sailor, AD 1655 Syrens are incapable of speaking like humans. Instead, they utilize high pitched wailing, akin to certain species of whales, with the release of pheromones that are unique to the syrens. The combination of the two produces a unique form of communication that other races are incapable of emulating. Syren pheromones are so powerful, and exotic in some cases, that human sailors were said to be seduced by them, causing catastrophes at sea.

Due to the syren's unique language, it is difficult to phonetically transcribe the language into a surface written language system. Because of this, most, if not all, organizations dedicated to syren research have no established representative language for the syrens. Some scientists believe that it is an impossible task to decipher the syren language and that the language barrier would ultimately prevent syrens from being truly integrated into modern society. However, scripts of the syren written language have been photographed and identified. Despite this breakthrough, it remains difficult to decipher due to the lack of information about the syrens themselves.

Society, government and politics
Syren society appears to have a complex hierarchy, complete with a royal family. However, little else could be determined.

It is speculated that syrens have an international capital, which was named Atlantis by scientists, after the legend of a great city that disappeared in the aftermath of a massive flood.

War
Syrens rarely go to war with each other, if they do at all. However, they are armed with a variety of polearm weaponry, including tridents and yari. These weapons appear primitive, though none have been obtained for research purposes. It is assumable that the weapon holds a special meaning in syren culture.

Like humans, syrens fight in groups, utilizing teamwork to take down foes. This is especially important in the openness and elevation possible with water.

Behind the scenes
The syrens were inspired mainly by the sirens and merpeople of the real world, as well as genuine analysis of mermaids. The syren spoken language is based off of the fictitious species falleen's ability to seduce humans while the written language utilizes the Tolkienian Tirion Sarati font, translated from the combined language conversions provided by the House Maerdyn translator and the Saurian cipher language.