Mermaids

In many stories, mermaids play an unimporant background role and little is known about them- their appearance, whereabouts and their culture remains unknown. In this story, mermaids are important species who know their place and have their entire underwater realm.

History
Mermaids descend from elves. Somewhere long before the beginning of time (before the first Era) they were banned from the Elven cities to the deep, dark ocean. It was at the time of a great famine, when many elves died from starvation. The reason for some elves being banned at that time was the fact that, unlike ordinary elves, they didn't mind hunting, eating meat and even eating human flesh to stay alive. After being banned, slowly they managed to adapt to the rough life in the sea. From eating fish all the time, they began to look like fish themselves; over the generations they grew a tail that would wash off when going out the water, and on again when returning.

Mermaidian Culture
The culture of mermaids is quite remarkable. Mankind names their realm the Land, whilst mermaids call their realm the Ocean. Mermaids also have, like humans, different countries: the Seven Seas. Each sea has its own ruler and laws.