Nyaha's Various Ideas and Contemplations

Do you think I should add something like that to the idea or let other people come up with ideas like that on their own? O.o I don't want to get into my habit of being overly detailed.

(Edited out)

Nyaha wrote:

Do you think I should add something like that to the idea or let other people come up with ideas like that on their own? O.o I don't want to get into my habit of being overly detailed.

I think you should at least hint it can be made into something medicinal then let others decide on what that is? I think that'd leave some guidelines but leave it open to interpretation.

jedi-explorer wrote:

Nyaha wrote:

Do you think I should add something like that to the idea or let other people come up with ideas like that on their own? O.o I don't want to get into my habit of being overly detailed.

I think you should at least hint it can be made into something medicinal then let others decide on what that is? I think that'd leave some guidelines but leave it open to interpretation.

That seems like a good plan. I've done that now.

Uhrrp...

Nyaha, being caught in a lake doesn't sound like it's good for the mermaid, and having an elven city around it doesn't sound like it's good for the lake either.

I'm also somewhat hesitant to understand what kind of protection the mermaid's capable of providing. If the lake's big enough to live in, it's gotta be big enough to make her need some time to get to any point of its periferia. I don't know if this is important, but if she needs a mental connection with every chief in every cardinal point, the lake's probably too big for her to do anything else but be there for show: it sounds very unlikely the mermaid's going to be able to protect more than a tiny swath of the coast at a time, and even being a river mermaid won't help her case much against landbased threats. You might want to point out the elves can put up a bit of a fight on their own too.

Alternatively, having the city be placed in an inlet within the lake, or even be built in an island accesible by bridge, would help her be more effective (it'd be sort of a reverse Anko lol). Otherwise, the city ought to be as small as possible, unless you're aiming for a city all around the lake in the first place.

Any of that sounds like it could help?

You have brought up some very good points. I do like the idea about there being an island instead of the town being built around the lake, that's definitely something I'd like to consider. Also, she's not technically trapped in the lake at present day; she can leave if she needs to, of course, and there's always more fish and such being drawn in from the river. To be honest, I was influenced by the Jungle Bowl a little in this idea, but I wanted to put a different spin on it; the protector using the residents for occasional, if not regular, selfish gains.

To be honest, yes I was aiming for a city all around the lake, but after what you've pointed out, I don't see how that'd be as plausible as your suggestion of the island. Assuming that I haven't moved on from the idea already and don't care anymore, I'll give it some more thought and make an adjustment later.

Conducting

Conducting is a very obscure magic art, such because so few people can actually use it to its full extent. At its core, Conducting is using music to manipulate the movements of other people. The music created using the magic of Conducting can act as signals once it has entered the brain through being heard. At a high level, these musical signals can block the signals that a person’s brain produces to move their limbs, robbing them of their volition, and subsequently take the place of these signals in order to control a target’s body. However, the amount of focus, skill, and knowledge that is required to do so is immense, so much so that very few people find the time or motivation to pursue learning the craft. One of the problems with Conducting is that different musical signals are required for different steps of the process, and thus, the ability to play multiple instruments at once, whether by hand or using magic, is required. In order to do so properly, one must be able to think on multiple levels at once - something only so many people are able to do effectively. Added on to this is the fact that on must have knowledge of: their intended target’s biology in order to effectively manipulate them, how to play different musical instruments, how to properly influence the target’s brain signals to avoid things like stopping their breathing, heart pumping, removing subconscious inhibitors and causing the target to crush their own bones; and above all this, the mage must be able to focus well. However, one who has mastered Conducting can be quite a scary force to deal with.

Conducting, like all forms of magic, has its weaknesses as well. The main fact of the matter is that multiple instruments are needed to achieve the full effect. One instrument is likely enough to impede a target’s movements through blocking their brain signals; two can likely achieve full immobility, three can allow for limited control i.e. one limb at a time. Four or more instruments would be needed to achieve proper movement control. Another downside is the mental and physical strain Conducting causes; playing a song to control one person might only be sustainable for up to an hour, pending the mage’s abilities, and may only be consecutively used a maximum of two times before complete fatigue is reached. There is also the fact that deaf people will not be affected, as their brains will not register the musical signals in the first place. Sound frequencies can also pose a problem; instrument sounds that are on frequencies that certain species don’t pick up will not be able to send their signals to their brains, and thus, choice of instrument against certain targets needs to be considered. Mastery of Conducting can be worth it, though. There are a variety of ways to be creative with it, and it tends to be quite useful for spies, especially those that are able to control the direction in which their musical sound is carried.

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I've discussed this idea with a number of people. I think I've got a good amount of detail and invention without it being tl;dr for people. I'm always looking for more feedback, though, so if you have anything at all to say about it, whether it's just "good job"/"looks good", or a nice, in-depth critique!

I hate double-posting, not only because it is advised against here, but also because it kinda shows me that fewer people are interested in commenting on my ideas and giving feedback than I'd like, but that's really here nor there. I got some feedback from Asaenvolk which was very nice and I am grateful for it. Sadly, I seem to have misplaced Mistron Ehrs' bio. I ultimately decided upon being too lazy and unable to remember the details to type it all up again, and have worked her back into the article here. I apparently neglected to mention how she defends the village despite being a mermaid, which I think may have confused some people in the absence of her bio.
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The Lake of Mistron Ehrs

The Lake of Mistron Ehrs is an elven community built around a sizeable lake not located on any currently know map of Felarya, in the northern region of Oloonde Lakeland. The lake is best known for being inhabited by a giant mermaid by the name of Mistron Ehrs, thus the lake’s name. Supposedly, the community first began almost 200 years ago when the mermaid was saved by a group of elven adventurers after she became trapped in the lake due to a vanishing land cutting off the lake's source of water.

The community encompasses the entire lake, comprised mostly of numerous buildings reaching two or three floors off the ground. There are shops, inns, tailors, brothels - it is a completely self-sufficient community. There are also a number of statues commemorating the heroes who saved Mistron Ehrs, made of stone, all around the village; in the area at the southern bank of the lake, there is a statue situated where the heroes were said to have first laid eyes on the dying Ehrs. It features their leader along with his six teammates. It was 42 years ago that the group set out into the wilderness to continue the exploration that they started so long ago. Nobody in the village knows their current whereabouts, not even Lady Mistron.

Due to the luck she experienced in her rescue by the elves, Mistron Ehrs is seen as a figure representing positive karmic energies by a number of people, whether or not they are living in the village. Adventurers may occasionally make the trek out to the lake in pursuit of a blessing of good luck from Lady Mistron herself. The elves, mainly the four chiefs presiding over the southwest, northwest, northeast and southeast regions of the village, which share strong telepathic links with Mistron Ehrs, judge those looking for Mistron Ehrs’ blessing by spending time with them to see if they’re simply good-natured people. Those who the elves deem unworthy, as well as any criminals caught disrupting the peace in the village, be they residents or travelers, are sometimes fed as sacrifices to Lady Mistron. She also demands a sacrifice of an elf volunteer every month or two, claiming that she will be able to better protect the village with the help of their spirit (though this is actually a lie - she simply feels that her saviors wouldn't mind letting her have a small reward for doing such a good job protecting their descendants). Sometimes the individual is very willing, other times, they are elected by their peers against their will. Any elf sacrifices are given pain-numbing herbs to make the ordeal less painful for them, though Ehrs often encourages them to 'keep busy' inside her (to make it more enjoyable for herself, of course).

Mistron Ehrs is proficient in light-based magic, which is what she uses to defend the lake. One of her main spells, known as Piercing Light, allows her to fire large arrows of light that are able to inflict pain on targets without causing any actual physical damage. She also is able to use a spell known as Sunblight, which creates a rather flashy spectacle during preparation that most of the village's elves are able to recognize. After the elves shield themselves from the spell (some occasionally will get caught by it anyway), it will loose a blinding light over the entire village, causing a prolonged but temporary blindness to anyone and anything that sees it. She does have other spells at her disposal in addition to those. Her methods as a light mage often involve persuading threats to leave without causing any permanent harm to them. Due to her protection, the elves that are born in the village are not generally as proficient in magic or combat as other kinds of elves tend to be, and many (not all) tend to rely on Ehrs perhaps too greatly for their own good, but that does not mean they are completely defenseless on their own. If needed by their guardian, they may rally together to drive off threats with their combined might.

The elves living in the lakeside community are somewhat at odds with the Kadyns elves living at the Lake of Souls, who claim that Mistron Ehrs creates falsehoods for self-gain and that the elves and those who travel to the lake are worshippers of a false god. The two sides don't fight physically over the disagreement for the most part; verbal squabbles are much more common. This peaceable quarrel is able to be due to the fact that the residents of the Lake of Mistron Ehrs don't actually worship her or any god which she may claim to represent, they simply help her keep happy in return for the many years of protection she has given them. That isn't to say that many of the elves know of Mistron Ehrs false claims, however...

Devil's Mari

An edible fruit that grows exclusively in Evernight Forest, usually on trees. They are alike in appearance and feel to black mari (balls used in the sport of kemari, hence the name), ranging 10 centimeters to 5 meters in diameter, which, when touched by a living creature, drain their physical energy and use it to expedite ripening, becoming juicier and their taste more intense. This makes them extremely dangerous to handle, as anything more than a minute spent in contact with one would typically be enough to put a human in a coma of exhaustion. In order to handle safely, one would need special protective wear, especially on the hands, magically enchanted to prevent one's energy from being sucked out. When handled properly, they are edible (their skin is tough, and they have a taste best described as a mix of sweet and spicy), as bitten-off pieces of the fruit will begin to die, preventing them from sapping one's life, although a person would usually still feel a little tired after eating. An interesting property they possess is how they react to sunlight; when it shines on them, they begin to spontaneously 'cook', and rather quickly. This not only removes their energy-sapping properties, but also makes them softer to chew and less spicy-tasting. Overexposure will cause burning, however, and eventually turn them into nothing more than black dust.

Oh-ho! Fruit that wants to drain you! I like that one, Nyaha! Though... well, fruits, once plucked, can't really grow. Maybe you could make it ripen instead when it's handled, getting juicier and sweeter as you grow deader?

Good point, and good idea. Updated. Thank you very much!

I love the idea of the Devil's Mari, mainly how it absorbs ones energy and how it is cooked with sunlight ^-^
Gives people more the reason to learn light magic that ties with the sun, and gives the preds an easy way to knock out their prey, just nudge a Devil's Mari tree and hope the fruit hits their prey. XD

I approve of the Devil's Mari, very good piece of fruit! It's like a natural sedative

Death Tea

A brew created by a facetious mage, Death Tea is a very bitter drink that will put a person in a state of suspended life once they have ingested enough of it. For a typical human, one full cup is usually enough, though those with greater body mass may require a little more. Once ingested, the tea quickly spreads through the drinker's body, slowing down all bodily functions (heart pumping, brain impulses, respiration, digestion, etc.) to the point where one could no longer be considered 'alive', but at the same time, they are not completely 'dead' either. Depending on the quality of the brew, one could remain in this state anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, before simply coming 'back to life'. Individuals with high magic potential often have out-of-body experiences during suspended-life state, and a number of mages use the tea to practice astral-projection. The technique is sometimes used by spies as well. Possible side effects include intense headaches and/or trouble moving the limbs upon waking at best, falling comatose and dying of starvation at worst.

I like the idea! I could see a number of applications for it in various plots and it'd make for one hell of a twist as the centrepiece of a story. As it stands though I'm a little unsure as to the reason for its conception. You mentioned the somewhat jocose creator, but I don't see why he'd come up with such a beverage. If all he wanted to do was knock someone out for a bit, why not use a sedative? Or was his cruel prank to make the friends of the imbiber think they'd really died? A little more information on the ingredients of the brew would also be helpful - like if it's made from a specific new plant native to Felarya or from more exotic imported fare. Otherwise you're good to go I'd say!

It was more that he wanted a reason to get out of work, and a new way to relax. I originally wanted the creator to be the adult version of my character Molly, who might be a duty-shirking magiocrat, but she's in the future. :33 Thanks for the feedback, though!

Well, I considered some info on the ingredients - perhaps seeds from the idea just above this one, a devil's mari. I might look on the wiki to see if anything else might be suitable, and if you or anyone else has an idea, please don't hesitate to suggest it.

In case anyone's interested, I made a large update to the Shakala. You can find their bio by going to the index on the first page of the thread.

I like your updated bio of the Shalaka. I think I like the forest tribe and the tribe that lives on that island the most. The mountain Shalaka's could make for some interesting bandit-like encounters. >w> I also like their hair defenses. It's a pretty unique sort of weapon. All in all, a good species.

Sand Mermaids

Sand Mermaids are as the name implies: Mermaids adapted to living in the Akaptor desert. As such, they have the ability to swim through sand almost as if it were water. They achieve this through a number of traits that were developed over hundreds of generations, not the least of which is an innate affinity for earth-element magic every mermaid is born with. Even when untrained, this innate magic power allows any sand mermaid to move the sand from in front of them to around them as they move, creating a flow of sand around their bodies that propels them forward, much like how regular swimming works.

Generally, sand mermaids have tan skin and dark hair, and even the biggest ones only reach up to about 110 feet in length, head to tail fin. A physical trait every sand mermaid should have in common is their fold-able fins, located in pairs on the sides of the head (taking the place of ears) and on the forearms. The ones on each mermaid's head act as their ears, however, they are extremely sensitive to vibration when open, making their hearing better than even most nekos'. When swimming beneath the sand's surface, they open their fin-ears fully, which actually allows them to feel the subtlest of vibrations around them through the sand. This makes up for the fact that they can't see with their eyes under the surface (on a related note, they use their earth magic to keep the sand from penetrating their eyelids). When above the  surface, they usually fold them up to reduce their sensitivity, protecting them from being harmed simply from being spoken to, or by the sound of the wind. However, these fins can also be used to sense moisture from great distances when opened above the sand's surface, which is a great boon in the dry and hot desert, but this makes a sand mermaid extremely vulnerable. As a result, sand mermaids searching for water will seem to flash or flap their ear-fins open and shut quickly any number of times, slowly getting readings on which direction to go. The fins on their arms also fold, though in folded state, they hardly appear to exist, as the outer spine folds over them and allows them to blend in with the arms. These fins serve a much simpler function, which is to push against the sand moving around the mermaid for more mobility.

Sand Mermaids can use their 'sonar' ability as a way to locate themselves in the vastness of the desert. They do this by taking a survey of the 'bottom' of the sand, where it becomes solid bedrock, which is much more lasting and defined than the sand above. Most mermaids are taught where certain 'landmarks' are in the bedrock when they are young; all of this together prevents them from getting lost in the desert. However, in order to do this, a mermaid must swim down deeper in the sand, as each individual's sonar range is only about 1.5 times that of the length of their body. Fortunately, this is not a major problem in any respect, as sand mermaids, in place of having gills and an underwater respiratory system, have extra large lungs, allowing them to hold their breath below the sand for great periods of time (approximately 5 hours for healthy adults). Interestingly enough, sand mermaids are immune to the temporal effects of Akaptor's sand (the reason for this is explained in the last paragraph). The main weakness most sand mermaids have physically is their sensitive hearing; even with their ear-fins foldedf, harsh sounds can still cause considerable harm to a sand mermaid.

As a species, the sand mermaids have no definite way of living. Some choose to prowl the desert alone, doing whatever they well please, while others choose to form small groups of three to five, at least to hunt, but sometimes also to form small communities or families together. In terms of personality, sand mermaids are often quite lax people, hard to rile up or excite. This calmness generally makes them not only decent spellcasters - in terms of using their innate abilities - but also good decision-makers as well. In terms of their diet, sand mermaids are, as their size would imply, predatory, hunting anything from colonies of insects living in the sands, to humans, and, in groups, they sometimes hunt sand whales (on a related note, calling a sand mermaid a 'sand whale' is taken as a major insult, and is a good way to get on one's bad side). Sand mermaids have been rumored to gather and even live within the Buried Palace in Akaptor, entering through doors and windows of the structure far below the sand's surface, and it is rumored further that these mermaids know of many other submerged ruins unable to be perceived, let alone accessed, by most other races!

The concept of how sand mermaids came to be is considered an interesting one by researchers of magic, history, and survivalists alike. According to their history, a small group of river mermaids, the biggest said to have been no longer than fourteen feet head to tail, were  transported via one of Felarya's famous dimensional anomalies, and wound up in a somewhat large oasis located in Akaptor Desert at some point in recent times. In their efforts to survive, they practiced moving around on and through the sand, as they knew what small supply of food that was in and that came by the oasis time to time wouldn't last. Eventually, one of them figured out how to move the sand using magic and taught the rest. However, upon trying to travel from their oasis and push their abilities, they all fell victim to the temporal effects of Akaptor's sands, and wound up stranded far in the past, in a shallow sea that covered the area at that time period. With great determination, these river mermaids braved the past world using their adapted abilities, putting in motion the next generation in the process. Their descendants continued the evolutionary process over centuries, developing extra fins and sensory organs to better suit the desert at it became drier and harsher, even going so far as to trade their gills for greater lung capacity. Their reproduction habits also changed, reducing the number of eggs sand mermaids lay to no more than one per insemination, in order to both prevent overpopulation, and to reduce the stress of feeding for a family in the food-scarce areas of the desert. Typically, a pair of sand mermaids will care for their egg, both before and after it hatches, until the parents feel that their offspring will be able to survive on his or her own. Due to the process of surviving the travel to the past, sand mermaids today are immune to the temporal effects of the sand, allowing them to move freely throughout any part of the desert.

that's a great idea ^^
Well thought off and nicely explained.
the theme of swimming through sand is always a powerful one I think, that make imagination runs. I really like a lot the part where they map the land through the underground relief. Clever trait here
I would imagine they would have something like prominent eyelids, in order to seal off completely their eyes when they "dive" ?

Wondefully written, and an interesting idea! Iv never been overly fond of the whole desert equals ocean theme. But you've given the sand mermaid some really well thought out traits that make them pretty beleivable! I really like the flapping of.the ears to sense water idea and their use of earth magic to facilitate "swimming" through the sand. Their density scanning sonar ability is a pretty neat one as well. I wonder if in their mapping of the desert floor if they have ever found any buried ancient ruins .

I've made several additions the the Sand Mermaids. If it's tl;dr to you, I'll sum up the changes:

-Mentioning of the Buried Palace: sand mermaids frequent the location, and likely know of many other buried ruins,

-Sand mermaid reproductive rite: similar to sea turtles, sand mermaids lay their eggs deep beneath the sand's surface. Only the few newborns able to learn how to use their innate abilities quickly and make it to the surface before they suffocate are raised into adulthood,

-Sand mermaids' weakness to harsh noises and sound-based weaponry,

-Sand mermaids' immunity to the temporal effects of the desert and,

-Changes made to their history to explain the previous point: the river mermaids who originated as the first mermaids in the desert were transported to the past by the sand, survived, and gave rise to the sand mermaids of today through eons of evolution, surviving the extinction of the 'beasts of the past'.

Sand Mermads have been updated as per a criticism from EvilGenius. The only point changed was their reproduction habits - rather than laying many eggs beneath the sand and creating a struggle-for-survival effect from birth, they will instead only lay a single egg at a time and care for it, both before and after it hatches, until they feel that their offspring will be able to survive on his or her own.

I'm going to overlook the actual science of evolution, so that I can respond to the other parts of your idea.

Love the use of sonar for pathfinding and hunting. It's a popular ability of subterranean sand-dwellers in fiction, such as the Sandworms of the Dune series. When searching for food, is their sonar used to find the general location of prey, with their eyes being used to pinpoint a meal once they surface, or can they find food 'blind'?

It makes sense for them to reproduce in limited numbers not only for the sake of having fewer mouths to feed and fewer mouths to drain the already scarce resources of the desert as you mentioned, but also because fewer eggs means a smaller nutritional and energy drain on the mother.

Their knowledge of buried ruins makes them ripe for use as information peddlers in stories, leading adventurers to possible treasure (or, more likely, into the mouth of a cunning sand mermaid who could convince a person to bring a tasty group of people into the desert, as opposed to the single snack less intelligent predators might get).

I do wonder if it's necessary for them to have a second pair of lungs as opposed to, say, a gill structure that allows them to either keep sand out of their lungs or simply filters it out, allowing them to breathe under the sand. I'm not sure if such an ability would be more or less believable. Whales after all do need to surface to breathe, and mermaids are probably more like egg-laying mammals than fish.

Where do they sleep? You don't have to add this to your entry (nor of course do you need to respond to any of my ramblings) but since they have to breathe regular air (for now), do they sleep fully exposed to the elements, or with just their head, or even just their mouths and noses above the surface? I assume that, like sandy deserts on Earth, it gets to below-freezing temperatures at night, so minimizing exposure is a good idea.
Maybe they're nocturnal, or sleep for multiple short periods throughout the day? By being nocturnal, they could more easily catch prey, since most animals prefer to move after dark and avoid expending lots of energy and water during the hottest parts of the day. It would be easier to see and catch moving prey with sonar as opposed to stationary creatures, which would make less sound for obvious reasons.

Why do they have tan skin and dark hair? Since they're often below the surface, these traits are less likely to be selected for their properties in reducing sun damage, as you would see in people living in high-sunlight environments. Do they spend enough time above the surface that evolution has selected for these traits? (I know, I said I was going to overlook realistic evolution, but I like getting into the science of things.)

Overall a solid, well-described idea that seems like it would fit well in the Akaptor Desert. My complaints or suggestions are small things, not trying to address any glaring flaws.

To answer you in order, because I always try to answer those who comment on my work...

They (or most) do have the ability to find food using sonar alone, especially food that is fully submerged in the sand with them, like other sand-burrowing species of animal, for example. They don't necessarily need to see their prey with their eyes to locate them, although they may need to use their eyes to get a good idea of what or who they're dealing with.

Thank EG for that one. He helped me put that part together.

Again, EG beat you to that. XD I'm currently doing an RP with him where my first sand mermaid OC led his OC to the Buried Palace in exchange for food and water.

I had imagined them closer to that, too. Though your alternative does interest me. I plan on thinking about the pros and cons of sand-filtering gills...The main issue is the pseudo-realism of having regular gills meant to filter out water evolve into something that can filter out solid mass like sand. I'm not sure about the plausibility of that.

I hadn't thought of that, actually. If I had to choose from the suggestions you've given, I'd say most of them take short-ish rests throughout the day and nighttime, to reduce the amount of time their bodies need to go without food. Although to be honest, I think my logic is flawed, so I might change my mind. As for how they sleep, just having their heads, or noses above the sand would make the most sense, but that presents the issue of what if their air intake gets covered by a sand dune while they sleep? Or would that be a non-issue? Of course, here would be a great benefit of having sand-filtering gills - they'd be able to sleep deep under the sand as long as they want, using the tightly-packed sand to keep themselves warm through the night and conserve energy for the daytime. The point is, I just don't know. XD

In my mind, the reason for their general colourization was always to help them be less noticeable in the sand, more than anything. This would work for them especially well while they sleep, if any part of them had to be above the sand's surface. And if they need to spy on their prey from a distance with their eyes, their colourization would allow them to stay hidden more easily. And if that's not reason enough, well, being the desert would mean they would be exposed to sunlight on a frequent enough basis for their skin to be permanently tanned, I think. And I felt dark hair went better with tan skin than light hair did.