Nereids

Occasionally mistaken for Mermaids, a mythological being, Nereids are an all-female species known as the daughters of the sea. Their legs may merge into a single tail which can be used to great effect in the water. They are the lovers, not fighters, of the Unseen kingdom, relying upon their voices to entrance opponents and prevent conflict.

Nereid Form
Nereids are capable of taking on both a Human and a Nereid Form. In the latter, Nereids look much like the mythical Mermaids. Their human legs are replaced by a tail adorned with scales, and fins adorn both of their arms. Additionally, gills open up on either side of their neck to allow for breathing underwater.

As a Nereid first begins to mature, their tails are silver. In the year following the inital manefestation of the Nereid Form, their scales begin to change hue. This changed hue tends to match their eye color.

At first, a Nereid will transform whenever she gets wet. However, it is possible for one to control her form to the extent that she can remain human under the water and transform while completely dry. It requires diligent practice, however.

Strength
Nereids possess a great deal of strength, which may seem contradictory to their tendency to avoid fighting. However, their strength serves a different purpose: aiding in swimming. This strength, along with their tails, allows Nereids to attain incredible speeds under the water. They are stronger than Norms but not as stong as most Weres.

Beauty
Nereids are among the most beautiful of the Unseen; their beauty only being surpassed by Vampires. Further aiding this is their natural pheromones, which manifests as a natural scent. They are said to smell much like the sea.

Nereids are also low maintenance. Their skin retains a permanent youthful complexion and the growth of their scales eliminates all hair in the area they grow. Thus, they never need to shave their legs as long as they transform regularly.

Siren Song
When a Nereid sings, they are capable of entrancing people and drawing them to her location. This ability is selective, and works on both men and women. With practice, a Nereid can also indiscriminately entrance and draw entire groups of people to her.

Even when not using the Siren power, a Nereid has an excellent singing voice. It has been theorized that some prominent female entertainers may be Nereids due to their incredible ability to sway entire crowds.

Breeding and Manifestation
Nereids are perfectly capable of breeding with Norms, which is the major reason that they are so efficient at attracting men. All children of a Nereid/Human pairing will be Nereids, and nearly all children born of Nereids are female to accomodate this. However, Nereids do rarely give birth to male children.

It is not currently known what the result of a Nereid/Were pairing would be.

At the age of 16, Nereids come into their true nature. During the two weeks preceding this, the child will experience certain symptoms: On a Nereid child's sixteenth birthday, they are guided to a body of water by their mother, where they finally transform into their true form. Female children will come into their true beauty at this point. Male children, however, will become beautiful girls themselves.
 * A heightened sense of thirst. It becomes worse as the 16th birthday draws nearer.
 * Skin on the legs and forearms becomes dry.
 * A unexplainable longing to be in the water.
 * Development of characteristics of beauty, ie. softer skin outside legs and arms, slightly accelerated breast and hair growth.
 * A general ill feeling whenever the child spends time outside of water. Like the thirst, this becomes worse as the 16th birthday approaches. Conversely, they will find that being in the water is incredibly invigorating.

Known Nereids

 * Ashley Martin
 * Janice Martin