Mermaids

Mermaids are magical creatures of the sea with a human upper body and a fish tail instead of legs.

Description
Mermaids live beneath the waves and oceans of the world. So far, only mermaids have been seen but mermen are implied to exist. Groups of both mermaids and mermen are known as merpeople or merfolk.

Mermaids do not appear to have kingdoms and are dispersed across the oceans. Coral and Nastia Nautica may be the only mermaids in their particular ocean. It is unknown if mermaids have queens but mermaids seem to have authority in the underwater world. Nastia has deadly sharks for pets and henchmen while Octavious the octopus willingly serves as Coral's butler and bodyguard. Sea creatures also look to Coral to resolve disturbances in the underwater world.

Sea witches are mermaids who learned how to cast spells. While not all humans have the ability to become witches and wizards, all mermaids have magical powers but not all become sea witches.

According to the Greater Greensward Gazette, merpeople hold and olympics called the Mermolympics or the Merpeople Olympics. It is held every two years, lasts for two weeks and anyone who can breathe underwater is allowed to participate. Events include speed swimming, shell surfing, shell sledding, magical seahorse riding, mother-of-pearl hunting, seaweed and dancing competitions.

Personality
Like humans, dragons and fairies, the nature of mermaids vary but most are kind, good-natured and benevolent. They have a soft spot for romance and help those they come across. However, as shown by Naustia Nautica, mermaids can be wicked and selfish and even bloodthirsty.

Physical Description
Mermaids are very beautiful creatures similar in appearance to water nymphs with green-tinted skin and an enchanting beauty. Instead of human legs, a mermaid has a long, slender fish-like tail. Shimmering fish scales cover them up to their waists but Nastia Nautica has scales up to her collar bone. While fish-like in appearance, mermaid tails are more similar to dolphin tails in shape and movement. Their upper bodies are dressed in clothing made of seashells and seafoam. Mermaids vary incredibly in colour which can range from blues, greens and purple to gold, red and silver.

Powers and Abilities
As creatures of the water, mermaids have the ability to breathe underwater but they are able to breathe air with equal ease. Mermaids can live comfortably at the bottom of the sea. Mermaids are skilled swimmers and can glide through the water with effortless grace. They can swim faster than dragons and most sea monsters. Like many magical creatures, mermaids can understand the languages of all animals.

Mermaids can manipulate water by waving their hands. They can use the force of water to carry them over sharp rocks and terrain too difficult for their tails as well make the waters rise to pull them or others into the ocean, summon water spouts and blast orbs of hardened water capable of stunning a dragon. However, mermaid magic can only hold water in the air for so long. If it remains afloat for too long, the water trickles out of the spell until there is nothing left. Mermaids also possess beautiful voices and their singing can enchant people, distract them from their work and lure their ships aground. If a mermaid chooses too, she can learn how to cast magic spells though their magic will always have a nautical theme.

The Frog Princess
Emma describes how when she was a child, she looked into the bowl her aunt Grassina got from Coral the sea witch. She saw Coral swimming by her castle. Coral saw her and swam into her castle in fright.

Dragon's Breath
Emma and Eadric travel into the magic bowl which is a window into the ocean. They meet Coral and her friends in her castle. The mermaids offer Emma some mother-of-pearl to break Haywood's curse but they actually needed the translucent hair of Pearl's mother, Nastia Nautica. Pearl agrees to help them but warns them about her mother's wicked ways and deals. Nastia agrees to give them a lock of her hair but only if they get her the magic pearl guarded by an ancient sea monster.

Known Mermaids

 * Coral
 * Pearl
 * Pearl's two older sisters
 * Nastia Nautica
 * Starr
 * Marina
 * Sandy
 * Kelpia

Trivia

 * Mermaids get sick if they stay too long in freshwater.
 * Mermaids are possibly related to water nymphs since they both have green tinted skin and powers over water. Sheldon mistook a nymph for a mermaid when he didn't see her legs.
 * Like humans, mermaids have schools.