Sirens

Habitat: The Sea
Dimensions: Child Size to Human Size
Diet: Omnivore
Rated Danger Level: 4
Divine Favour: Waterbearer is a unique and rare gift that can be won or purchased on World of Legends. This allows them to develop features of a siren in order to live underwater.

It appears that Sirens originate from Greek mythology. The half-woman, half-bird use their alluring singing voices to lure sailors to their ultimate demise. They first appeared in Homer's Odyssey and since then have continued throughout Christian art of the medieval era as dangerous temptations embodied by women.

As previously stated, sirens first appeared in Homer’s Odyssey, however Homer didn’t provide a physical description of the creature; that was left to the readers’ imagination. It wasn’t until the 3rd century BC, when Apollonius of Rhodes in Argonautica described sirens in writing as part woman and part bird.

Regularly depicted in art as human-headed birds by the 7th century, speculation suggests that these creatures may have been influenced by the ba-bird of Egyption religion. Though, early Greek art portrays Sirens as large birds with women’s heads, bird feathers and scaly feet with later depictions shifting to show sirens with the upper body being human and lower body having bird legs with or without wings.

The origin of Sirens in World of Legends, starts with the island of Okleinheim. It is still unknown when exactly Sirens came to inhabit the waters near the island. Ancient documents, including fossils, show how Okleinheim sirens haven’t changed from their original appearance;

Since the origination of Sirens in Okleinheim, evolution has taken the toll to contract a variety of species and subspecies. All having similarities and differences with the belief that all Sirens stem from the originals.

The seas of Isilendor are home to around seven different types of Sirens that we know of. Consisting of four different clusters the academic group had based on their common origin. There is no geography in relation to these clusters, as Sirens can travel far and wide to find the appropriate conditions to live and increase their population.

The clusters of Sirens are:

1. The Sirens of Akasuna and Braitheld; the most populated.
2. The Yal’Esso of Eldathren; the most unique species.
3. The Delvic Abyssal (most dangerous) and the Eldathrean Syrael; common evolutionary origins.
4. The Delvic Havnor; the most secretive and unknown.

These are closest and most similar to their ancestors from the Okleinheim sea despite inhabiting the sea furthest to Okleinheim. They do differentiate in size, rarely surpassing a metre in length, and presumably from the change in temperature, develop brighter colours. The Oaris Siren has a bigger variety in tail shape, pattern and colour. Often known for scales or coloured patches of skin along their upper body, as well as having fins on their arms.

Found in the Southeastern region of Akasuna, the Sameho Siren, one that’s quite different from its ancestral counterpart. Sameho Sirens are carnivorous and incredibly fearless predators of the seas. Their tails can easily be mistaken for a shark’s tail, it aids them in speed when swimming. Often covered in spiky scales all over their body, not only the lower part. They are less human-like as their skulls have adapted to predatory life.

Within the depths of the vast Sea of Braitheld is where the Mhara Siren resides. Being so close to the Okleinheim Sea, there are plenty of similarities to the most ancestral sirens. They are similar to Sameho Sirens; being carnivorous but are more sentient compared to the terrifying predators. Physicality wise, Mhara Sirens have the upper body similar to their progenitors but have a lower body similar to sea mammals. These sirens differentiate in several populations due to being the most populous species.

The Yal’Esso Sirens are creatures that live in the coastal sea and reefs of the Eldathrean tropical islands of the inner and outer Eldathrean Sea. Roughly the size of a cat and having the lower body of a crustacean and a humanoid upper body with very thick hair-like structures. They breathe oxygen through special pores on the chitin of the tail and have peculiar teeth and eyes.

These Sirens are very different from all the others. The Syrael is one of two species that belong in the clades of the Southern Eldathrean Sea. They aren’t much different from regular sirens; long tails similar to one of a sea serpent and a fin that often continues on their back and upper body. Speaking of the upper body, it’s much more feral despite maintaining its humanoid features; Big yellow eyes, webbed ears, incredibly sharp teeth and razor-sharp claws.

The most unexplored waters would be the Western Delvic Seas as they are the deepest and most dangerous in all of Isilendor. Creatures that inhabit these waters need to have more intelligent strategies to survive and thrive, including sirens. Abyssals very likely come from a population of Syrael Sirens that left the warmer waters to move north. The skin of their fin and upper body can be dark grey, green or more commonly blue. Baring serrated teeth and claws with blind, vestigial eyes. Instead of hair, they have intricate fins with small regions that light up to attract their victims into darkness.

Havnor, also known as Mother of the Ocean, is always represented as having the lower body of an octopus, while the upper body of an older woman. It’s unknown the age of this creature being similar to certain dragons, if it’s population only consists of female sirens or at least female-presenting sirens or if it’s a mixed population. Only females have been encountered and documented.