Mermaids (Island of Fog)

Mermaids are among the many magical creatures featured in the book series Island of Fog by Keith Robinson.

Origins
A mysterious being known by some as a "Goddess" grew displeased with Earth and the humans' warmongering. She decided to create a whole new world where humans would have to learn to share the land with equally intelligent beings, and hopefully learn empathy and cooperation.

On this "New Earth", all humans and mundane animals were conjured instead of developing through evolution. The Goddess created many unique beings and creatures beyond anything science could produce. These were the creatures of our legends and folklore. Mermaids were created to inhabit the seas of New Earth. Beautiful and enchanting, their lovely appearance hid a dark sense of humor. Mermaids loved nothing better than to sink ships and lure mariners to their doom. They, along with other magical creatures, sometimes traveled through portals to Old Earth where they started our myths and legends of mermaids.

Castle of Spells
To stop an evil triton shapeshifter, Simone seeks the aid of some mermaids near Brodon. The mermaids apprehend the inexperienced triton before he can cause anymore destruction. Simone finds Hal and a lamia shapeshifter named Lola who are being attacked by a simurgh shapeshifter. Four mermaids use their song to mesmerize the simurgh, allowing the others to escort the shapeshifters away to find the scrag dragon. The mermaids bring Hal to the scrag's hiding place, a half-submerged shipwreck the mermaids caused years ago. The mermaids eagerly watch to two dragons fight.

Later on the beach, after Mayor Priggle's murder, the mermaids return and start to sing. Their song enchants all the males on the beach, except the scrags in the castle who couldn't hear it over their own shouts, screams and roars. The girls manage to get the boys to focus enough to defend themselves. The noise of the battle blocks out the mermaids' song so they disappear into the depths with the triton prisoner.

After Queen Bee's defeat, her scrags are captured. While the rest are brought to prison, Abigail notices the absence of the triton shapeshifter. Miss Simone assures her that the triton's time with the mermaids will have him begging for prison.

Forest of Souls
A steamer dragon possessed a watery-green gem shaped like a teardrop the size of a human palm. The dragon explains the story behind the gem. According to the tale, there was once a mermaid who fell in love with a ship's captain. Instead of luring his ship onto rocks as mermaids like to do, she warned him off. As a result, she was banished to the depths of the sea while other mermaids sank the ship. She still cries glass tears to this day, a reminder of true love.

Physical Appearance
Above the waist mermaids have the heads and torsos of beautiful human women while below the waist a mermaid has a fish-tail with a spectacular tail fin. In addition, they also have webbed hands. Without their glamour, mermaids lack their incomparable beauty and appear plain and ordinary. Under the glamour, mermaids appear gorgeous and lovely. Their appearance is more vivid and their skin bears a strange luminescence. The enchantment manifests as an aura, a strange light or energy. They dress in robes woven from shimmering seaweed.

A mermaid's fish-like tail is smooth and elegant and ends in a gigantic, vertical tail fin. Shimmering, greenish scales cover them up to their stomachs. Their large fins are translucent and full of vibrant shades of blue and green. Mermaids vary greatly in appearance with no two being the same but they all possess an enchanting beauty.

Personality
Miss Simone describes mermaids as silly, childish and irresponsible. They are mischievous, unreliable and have no regards or cares for humans or other creatures. Though not evil, they love causing havoc for sailors and do not care if they sink their ships and drown the passengers. They have no qualms about drowning people and they find wrecking ships hilarious.

Mermaids cannot be controlled. While a mermaid shapeshifter like Miss Simone can convince them to help for short periods of time but eventually, they will grow tired of their task and start causing trouble. Mermaids also possess a temper. Miss Simone loses herself to her mermaid instincts when she is angered, implying a mermaid's rage is powerful.

Powers and Abilities

 * Enhanced Lung Capacity: Mermaids cannot actually breathe underwater but they can hold their breath for vast amounts of time like dolphins and seals. They can stay underwater most of the time and only have to surface for a minute to replenish their air supply. Their voices aren't distorted by the water, allowing them to converse perfectly when submerged.
 * Waterproof: When mermaids surface, all the water flows off their heads, leaving their hair, but not their skin or scales, completely dry.
 * The conch's call: A mermaid's sense of hearing is attuned to the sound of a conch shell. Mermaids can hear its call over vast distances, even across the boundaries between worlds.
 * Glamour: The glamour is the source of a mermaid's great beauty. The spell can only be temporarily broken by the rebirth of a phoenix but the mermaid cannot turn it off herself.
 * Enchantment: A mermaid's face casts a spell over all men who see her. When she appears, every man's gaze is drawn to her. While mermaids cannot break or even weaken the enchantment, they can strengthen it if they wish. At its zenith, the enchantment will draw all males towards the mermaid. They don't even have to see her, they just feel a powerful urge to go in her direction. Once they look upon her, the spellbound men cannot help but stare and admire the mermaid.
 * Eternal Youth: The enchantment possibly keeps mermaids young as well as beautiful, at least skin deep. An adult Hal wondered if she ever aged and Travis thought she looked surprisingly beautiful for a woman in her fifties.
 * Siren song: A mermaid's voice possesses powerful magic. Like the mythical sirens, a mermaids' melody clouds the minds of listeners and draws them towards the mermaid, no matter what obstacles lie between them. The haunting serenade distracts men from their work and lulls them into a submissive state. When two or more mermaids sing together, their notes combine, enhancing their magic, increasing its power. Mermaid magic grants their music greater supremacy and all other sounds seem to fade, making the singing the prevailing sound. Yet the spell can be disrupted if their is enough sound and loud noise to keep people from hearing the mermaids. Goblins and females are immune to a mermaid's song.
 * Mermaid's Rage: When mermaids are angered, their rage affects the world around them. The ground seems to tremble as if an earthquake is approaching, fire and flames flicker as if disturbed by a draft and an ice cold wind blows fiercely around them. Nearby creatures feel a sense of unease in their stomachs. In this state they seem to emit powerful vibrations, sometimes strong enough to almost knock two twelve-year boys off their feet. Water also froths and bubbles when they are attacking. According to Simone, mermaids can do much worse if they try. they can raise tidal waves and sink small boats.
 * Sonic Scream: When angered, mermaids emit a very powerful scream capable of easily shattering glass and causing intense pain to the eardrums. It is so loud and painful that it forces enemies and potential predators to quickly flee.