Syren

Syren Creation Lore

"...As Dagon receded into the murky depths of The City to study all the writings he had found a storm blew far far above on the ocean's surface. During this time the other gods had made their creations and some had prospered and advanced at great speed. One such race were the elves. Elves while being creatures of the forest had started expanding to the sea. They had a rudimentary navy and some port towns. From one of these towns a small caravan of merchants were sailing to another settlement. The ships caught up in the storm were pushed far out to sea and soon all but one vessel sank. This vessel was a prison ship, traveling with the caravan on one leg of it's journey to the capital with war criminals aboard. Low on supplies and consisting of only a handful of elven wardens to try and keep the peace, the vessel soon fell to disarray and eventually destruction. The ship was devoured by the sea, burning even as it sank into the Deep Waters. The monsters drifted down, down, down to the very depths where Dagon resides. Dagon felt their presence and saw that they still had life, although it was quickly slipping from them.

Dagon decided then to test the magiks he'd found in The City on these puny creatures. Dagon gave them gills and fused their flesh with the that from many different fish until they no longer resembled the organisms thet once were. Soon he grew bored of his tests and expiraments on these creatures and cast them out of his abyss. Their minds had become warped and twisted from the tortureous experimentation, their bodies craved flesh, but they had no luck catching fish even as they swam to the vibrant shallow waters. Starving they washed ashore on a small island little more than a rock and began crying, which carried across the water and sounded eerily like the saddest, most haunting song. Their voices echoed across the sea for miles and miles. They cried out for days until eventually a ship came. The sailors aboard this ship were entranced by the haunting melodies and fell zombie like into the sea. As the sailors ploped into the ocean all these beasts could think was 'FLESH'. In their ravenous hunger they morphed. Their beautiful faces became that resembling the fish that they had been fused with. They swam towards their prey with speed and ferocity. They feasted on the shipmen that had fallen into the water. The sailors that watched broke from their trances and became sickened and horrified. The sailors tried to save their men who fell overboard to no avail. The rest of the crew narrowly escaped with their lives as the water around them turned red with the blood of their crewmates. The blood dyed the translucent white skin of these monsters red. The souls of these monsters were sullied by the heinous act they had committed.

They retreated to the depths of the ocean, where they circled each other warily. Each was starved, but there was very little food to be found in the Deep Waters where they had been abandoned. They sang instead, driven by the memories of what had brought them food in the first place, and were rewarded with another ship not long after. The sea, turned angry and violent with the malevolent creatures that dwelled below, tossed the ship this way and that until it was destroyed. The monsters swam eagerly to the new prey laid out in front of them, devouring hungrily. As one of them approached the body of a young human, it suddenly sensed that the human was not dead. With a great curiousity overriding the hunger that drove it so mercilessly towards the human, it gathered the mortal into it's arms. Instinctively, it began to sing a different song, and the human body began to convulse in its arms. Bubbles burst forth from its mouth as it gasped and instantly began to choke. The other monsters, curious, drew nearer, and slowly began singing the same song that the first sang. The lament rose in power as the body convulsed and began to change. A creature swimming nearby, a colorful shrimp, was drawn in by the singing as well. It scurried too close; in a moment, it was drawn into the circle, claws waving wildly as a ghost current scooped it up towards the body. The first monster to began singing plucked it from the water and held it in one palm, examining it before looking closely at the human.

It was dying. The singing of the others was sustaining it in a hellish, painful existence, but the human's soul was leaving it quicker than the singers could revive it. The first tightened its grip on the shrimp, feeling the vitality in it as it flailed in it's fist, and was struck with the memory of their creation. Slowly, carefully, the monster pressed the mantis shrimp into the chest of the human. At first, it struggled wildly, but a soft glow began to emit from it and sink into the chest of the human. The shrimp was drained of it's color and life, and as the other monsters began to sing louder and louder, the human began to change. It began to take on aspects of the shrimp, and it drew in a gasping breath, then another, glowing red eyes flying open. The other monsters trailed off in their macabre song as the first released the human body. They watched in silence as it transformed, until it became like them.

Something in their minds comprehended that they had retained some of the magik used on them by their creator, Dagon. A plan was hatched. Angry and spiteful, the monsters hated Dagon above all else, for their hellish existance. Now, they had a means to create an army, and to destroy those who had forsaken them..."

(written by Xarzar and Shepard)

Additional Lore

The Isolation of Sylwa

The Cult of the River Goddess (coming soon)

The Eldar

The original Syrens, 7 monsters of various races that were transformed by Dagon in cruel expirements. They are revered as gods by the rest of the syren population; however, they are more akin to kings and queens and are nearly immortal. While they retained a small bit of magik within them, the only powers they retained are the Calling, which can only be performed on a full moon; the ability to pull life force from one being and meld it into another to create a complete life; and telepathic communication with the Syrens. While syrens do not have to answer to any one god, they can pledge themselves to the service of one particular god that matches the Sorrow in their heart. The Eldar are contained within Chamenos and cannot leave, as the cruel experiments conducted by Dagon have left them weak to the point where they can only survive in very deep water.

Antheris- rage. Originally a human, patroned by a bull shark. A blindfold covers his eyes, but the rest of his face can be described as beautiful. There is something cold and off-putting about him, a cruel twist of the lips perhaps, features almost too sharp. He is pale, a glowing monument in a sea of darkness. His hands look as if they were dipped in blood up to the elbow, the deep crimson a stark contrast to his alabaster skin. His teeth are sharp and dagger-like, and he has multiple rows of teeth in his mouth like his patron.

Senra- sorrow. Originally an elf, patroned by a marlin, and the twin sister of Sylwa. A female figure; four burning, golden eyes peer out of a face otherwise obscurred by shadows. She is tall and willowy, her hair always moving as if there was a gentle current about it. There is a gaping hole in her chest, and at least one of her eyes is weeping at all times. She has a spined fin that runs down her back, as well as two golden strips that run down the lengths of her arms.

Iotherra- terror. Originally a Saurus, patroned by an angler fish. A gaunt, emaciated figure with mottled gray skin. The skin around his mouth and jaw has been flayed away, exposing long, cruel daggers for teeth. Shackles are clamped around his arms and legs, and the rattle of chain can be heard with every move he makes.

Calsarr- destruction. Originally a Bugbear, patroned by a squid. A hulking, massive figure, tears mar his mottled grey and blue skin where muscle has grown too large and now bulges out. Thick, heavy braids trail down his massive back; upon closer inspection, they are tentacles twisted together, the same mottled grey-blue of his skin. Where there should be eyes are instead clumps of scar tissue smoothed over the sockets, and the tattered remains of a bugbear sleeve can be seen hanging from one arm.

Roh'en- chaos. Originally a goblyn, patroned by a Mantis Shrimp. Smaller than the other eldar, with skin colored in patches of sickly green, bruise yellow, and toxic purple and stretched over a skeletal frame. Huge, golden eyes fill a small face, and compete for space with a cruel cheshire-cat smile full of dagger-like teeth. Their nails are long and sharp, and their cruel cackle heralds their arrival to any place. They seems more unbalanced than their kin, and it is unknown if they are unable to finish sentences because of a mind that moves too fast for their mouth to keep up, or simply because they do not possess the ability to finish a complete thought. The chaos magic that Dagon used to create Roh'en is the same chaos magic that destroyed the lizard homeworld, and sometimes causes tension between Iotherra and Roh'en, which can sometimes split into small skirmishes between their faithful.

Yuvaros- Betrayal. Originally a gnoll, patroned by an eel. A skeletal, hunched figure, with a hound’s snout perpetually drawn back in a snarl and slick yellowed skin. His collar cuts into his throat, preventing him from speaking even to his fellow Eldar. His left eye is missing, a long, terrible scar drawing down from his brow and ending at his jaw. The socket is left empty and exposed, although if one looks closely it sometimes seems like there is something moving within it. He is taller than the other eldar except for Calsarr.

Sylwa- loneliness. Originally an elf, patroned by a piranha, and the twin sister of Senra. Sylwa is the only freshwater god among the Eldar. A slim figure with mottled blue-green skin and long, dark hair done up in multiple braids, with beads and other trinkets from sacrifices made by the cult dedicated to her added into her hair. She has four completely red eyes that peer out of a face dominated by a large mouth full of sharp teeth. Her pupils are narrow slits that run vertically. She has black burn scars all across her body, a reminder of when she was forced to abandon the sea. Despite the too-full mouth of teeth, her expression is often described as heartbreakingly sad by the few syrens who have seen her.

The Cult of Sylwa

Sylwa, the freshwater god of the syren pantheon, has a cult that is widely practiced by the villages that live along the rivers she inhabits. Once a year, the villagers will gather and select a person they consider "pure hearted" or pure of soul. They abandon this person, tied to a platform, and leave them there with trinket sacrifices to what they call "The River Goddess." Plagued by loneliness, the sorrow these sacrifices face draws Sylwa to them, and she takes them to turn them into syrens. The villagers believe that they are appeasing the River Goddess with these sacrifices, but do not realize that they are just aiding her in the creation of the army she will use to destroy these villages.

Syren Creation

Syrens can originate from any race, and any gender. Ancient syrens, known as the Eldar, dwell in the heart of the Syren city called Chamenos. They feed off of the world's sorrows, buried deep in the hearts of those who walk the land. Trapped in their realm beneath the ocean, the Eldar can muster very little power; however, their powers wax and wane with the cycles of the moon. When a full moon rises over a stormy sea, the Eldar send out the Calling. The Calling can only be heard by those who harbour deep Sorrows in their hearts; Sorrows are any strong, negative emotion such as wrath or fear that can consume a person. The Calling is used to lure hurt souls to the oceans. The victims embark on a journey that leads them to the deep waters, where storms inevitably sink their ships. Before the victim can drown, the Eldar send the Syrens out to harvest them, drawing them into The Void where they offer the victim a second chance at life so long as they swear an oath to fulfill one task: wipe out those who had forsaken them and banished them to their watery prison, and destroy all who dared forget them. If the oath is taken, the Eldar gift the victim with the patronage of a sea creature to restore the life lost in the process of drowning. Bands are burned into the victims' forearms to seal the oath-taking, and then the victim is sent back into the world equipped to fulfill their dark oath.

Patronage

Syren patrons can be pulled from any sea-dwelling creature, excluding mammals. While the Forgotten Ones select the patron for each individual victim, the victim's personality and dominant traits or special skills are often taken into account so that the patron compliments the victim. Most victims will exhibit traits derived from their patron fish; examples of this include Shepard, who's patron is an angler fish and has such retained her control over light to draw in victims, and Sky, who has gotten shark scales and teeth from her shark patronage. While rare, it is possible for a syren to receive or exhibit no traits from their patron.

Racial Traits and Signifiers

Syrens are most easily identifiable by the scales painted on their face. Scale pattern varies from syren to syren, and color is determined by the individual but usually ranges from light blues and lilacs to navy and dark purples. The neck is darkened from the top of the throat and fades down to the collar bone, and is generally a darker hue of the primary facial scale color. Some syrens also have scale patterns on other parts of their body, however this is a rarer seen trait.

Bands of chosen color on the arms, called oathmarks, mark the arms of each Syren. Each starts out with one band on each arm, while additional bands (up to 8 total on each arm) can be earned through completion of trials in service to a specific god.

Syrens are extremely aggressive towards other non-syren races. However, they recognize their distant relationship to Deep Ones, and the aggression between the two races is more of a friendly rivalry than anything.

All syrens are carnivorous scavengers. Food is scarce to find in the deep waters, so they generally eat the bodies of those that die before they can be converted into a syren. While on land, they also practice this trait; however, they will kill and eat fresh food if they can. Syrens will not, however, kill one another for consumption. The number of victims the Calling is able to attract correlates with the number of syrens that exist, and to kill one of their own and reduce the amount of victims they can draw to the Eldars is seen as a grave insult and direct affront to the Eldar. They will only consume one another if they die of other reasons.

While they aren't particularly picky on food sources, syrens favor eating bugs as a delicacy or snack, and will often go out of their way to hunt khepri if given the chance.

Syren Trials

While the Eldar accept all lost souls as their Children and regard all syrens equally, there are special trials that each Syren may complete to further their skills in service to the Eldar. There are 14 in all; 7 combat and 7 A&S/Service trials, with one trial in each category being dedicated to a specific Eldar. Completion of each trial earns a syren another band on their arm, and completion of all 7 combat trials or all 7 A&S/Service trials earns the syren a special title in recognition of their achievements. These trials are sacred to the syrens; however, non-syren individuals who are curious about the trials can view the requirements below and approach a Syren to officiate for them.

Syrens who complete all 7 A&S trials are given the honorary title of Keeper. Syrens who complete all 7 combat trials are given the honorary title of Guardian. Syrens who complete all 14 trials are given the honorary title of Architect, and are part of the honor guard to the Eldar.

Keeper Trials

Guardian Trials Antheris’ Rage: 30 minute endurance barrel with weapon(s) of choice. Breaks longer than 30 seconds are not permitted, however the triallee may appoint someone (their aquarium handler) to give them any support they may need such as water, a quick smoke drag, or emotional support. Emotional support and encouragement from the crowd is permitted. Triallee has to field their own opponents and confirm their list with their assigned Overseer two hours before their trial begins. OPPONENTS MAY ENTER OF THEIR OWN VOLITION AT ANY POINT DURING THE BARREL.

Senra’s Sorrow: Combat archery trial against 7 opponents. The triallee must face off against 7 different opponents consecutively. Injuries received from arrows reset every 3 opponents or upon death. If the triallee dies, they must restart the round against the opponent they lost to. Triallee has to field their own opponents and confirm their list with their assigned Overseer NO LATER THAN two hours before their trial begins.A list may be handed over anytime before that time limit.

Iotherra’s Terror: The triallee must spend an entire day of an event fighting with only a spear and dagger.

Calsarr’s Destruction: The triallee must spend an entire day of an event using only a red weapon, no exceptions allowed (such as tournaments or sparring pits). They must break 10 shields with their red over the course of the day.

Roh’en’s Chaos: The triallee must partake in a 2 v 3 rotating pit. The Triallee will always be on the team of 2. Every time the team of 2 wins, the partner rotates to the enemy team and the triallee gains a new randomly selected partner while the rest of the enemy team rotates out. If the team of 2 loses, all 4 triallees are replaced with 4 people from the line. Every time the triallee dies they are handed a random weapon set. The triallee must win 7 rounds consecutively for the trial to end. Triallee has to field their own opponents and confirm their list with their assigned Overseer two hours before their trial begins. OPPONENTS MAY ENTER OF THEIR OWN VOLITION AT ANY POINT DURING THE BARREL.

Yuvaros’ Betrayal: The Triallee must partake in a 7-man ladder barrel. The triallee must defeat one opponent before they can advance to fighting the next opponent. Each rung is best 2 out of 3; if you lose 2 out of 3 you are knocked down a rung. If you win 2 out of 3 you advance. Triallee has to field their own opponents and confirm their list with their assigned Overseer NO LATER THAN two hours before their trial begins.A list may be handed over anytime before that time limit.

Sylwa’s Loneliness: The triallee must fight with a single blue weapon for an entire day of an event. (Please do not break your knuckles by hand blocking.) Triallee MUST WEAR SUFFICIENTLY PADDED GLOVES.

KEEPER TRIALS

Antheris’ Peace: Solo complete 1 full set of Syren Garb (Top+Bottom)

Senra’s Joy: Complete 7 tokens of an acceptable medium (cloth, leather, metal, etc) dedicated to each of the 7 Eldar

Iotherra’s Courage: Enter a Syren themed piece into ANY A&S competition OR Judge an A&S competition

Calsarr’s Wonders: Head a Volunteer Department at an event (3+ days) OR Plan a large activity for one event (THOTmas, Glad pits, Pub Crawl, Tavern, etc.)

Roh’en’s Balance: Build one legal weapon set (Sword&Shield, Polearm, 10 Arrows, etc)

Yuvaro’s Gift: Run one class at an event of any subject

Sylwa’s Acceptance: Volunteer for AT LEAST 1 shift every day of an event (3+ days) MUST BE CONFIRMED BY EVENT STAFF AND OVERSEER

Trivia

The chaos magic that Dagon used to create the first syrens is the same chaos magic that attacked and destroyed the Lizardfolk's cities, causing the syrens and the lizardmen to be mortal enemies.
Very rarely, syrens will recognize a non-syren "paragon," an individual they feel embodies one of the Eldar. It is a high honor to recieve, and one not lightly given.

Known Syrens

Harlock patroned by a Beta (Siamese Fighting Fish).

Blossom patroned by a Neon Tetra.

Calidriel patroned by a Mosasaur.

Feena patroned by an Octopus.

Sabine patroned by a Nautilus.

SILVER patroned by a Blind Cavefish.

Frost patroned by a Nudibranch.

Lord of Sand (Sand) patroned by an Atlantic Ghost Crab.

The Forgotten Ones

These are Syrens lost to time and the sea. Rumor has it that they are still floating around out there spreading the word of their creators, working as solo agents for the day the Reaping occurs.

Forgotten Syrens

Shepard The Harbinger

Blue Phoenix of the Mahd Wy'ry

Voss The Obstinate

Former Syrens