Miengu (Island of Fog)

A jengu (singular) is a magical creature from the Island of Fog book series 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. The mysterious miengu were freshwater merfolk who could adapt and live in saltwater. While appearing beautiful and innocent, they were truly vile, evil creatures who gained power through feeding on negative emotions like fear, sorrow, shame and rage, not to mention the terrified screams of drowning sailors. They would swim through portals to Old Earth were they would sit on rocks and lure mariners to their doom like the sirens of Greek mythology.

Like humans, centaurs and elves, miengu live in villages and towns. Each village is overseen by one jengu. The laws of their community are possibly very strict. Miengu who break the laws are tortured and killed so the rest of the village can feed off the negative emotions.

Personality
Miengu are cold, wicked beings. They go to great lengths to cause chaos and misery so they can feast upon it and they enjoy their wicked work. They will even torture and kill one of their own to feel the "buzz" of anger, sadness, despair and misery. Rage is their favourite meal. They seem to get a twisted enjoyment out of causing strife. Even if threatened, the chaos that occurs around them brings a smile to their faces. Whenever there is an opportunity to cause some havoc, a jengu is sure to spot it and expose it.

Physical Appearance
Miengu look like mermaids but they are much more otherworldly in appearance. Their skin is covered in scales and they have gills on the sides of their necks. Their lips hide piranha-like teeth and their whole bodies glow. Their long hair is black. Their eyes are pitch black with no whites or irises. They dress in a mysterious fabric which adapts to a creature's shape and provides warmth.

Even with the glamour miengu still appear sinister but they also appear strangely beautiful, attractive and mesmerizing. Without the glamour miengu are absolutely hideous and grotesque. Their long hair becomes an oily mess, their limbs become thin and skeletal and glimpses of their bones can be seen. Their teeth become dirty, their faces narrow and pointed.

Powers and Abilities

 * Underwater breathing: Like mermaids and humans, miengu have lungs and can breathe air. They also have a set of gills on their necks which enable them to breathe underwater like fish. The transition from water to air is uncomfortable as a jengu has to empty out all the water in the lungs.
 * Adaption: Miengu can adapt and live in salt water.
 * Telepathy: Miengu communicate underwater via telepathy. This is the ability to read minds and project thoughts and words into another's mind.
 * Air bubbles: Miengu can breathe giant bubbles full of oxygen which enable others to breathe.
 * Glamour: Miengu possess a glamour even more powerful than the mermaid's spell. The miengu's glamour makes them appear strangely alluring and enchanting. The form of the miengu depends on the observer. For example, men see female miengu as mesmerizing while females would see them as ordinary. Women with ill feelings towards the jengu would see her as she really is, a hideous monster. Though only a theory, the elder jengu once said that her kind may be capable of greater power as well as loose their dependency on negative feelings if they stopped wasting their energy on maintaining their stunning glamour. It is unknown if this is true or if it is even possible to turn off a glamour without the power of a phoenix.
 * Enchantment: The miengu's glamour clouds the minds of men and women. They can't help but be attracted to the miengu. Their stunning appearance has lured many men to a watery grave. Even if a jengu's horrible personality is discovered, if a person were to look upon the jengu's gorgeous glamour, the spell would make him think of reasons to justify not harming or punishing the creature.


 * Healing: Miengu have the power to heal all illnesses. However, they cannot make this badness simply disappear. They can only transfer a disease into another creature via touch. By touching a sick being, the jengu absorbs the illness. She can pass it on to someone else. However, the new occupant must be big enough like a pig, dog or cat to hold the illness or the disease will flow out and infect all who are near. The miengu cannot heal physical wounds like cuts or broken bones.