Homo Seirenes

Siren

Origin

Greece – 4BC

Sirens were the handmaidens of Persephone, given the ability to grow wings by Demeter to fly around the world searching for Persephone when she was taken under their watch. When Persephone was not found, they were granted the ability to pass between the mortal realm and the Underworld, creating the full avian form later to be known as the 'Harpy Form'. Finally, once Demeter no longer had use for them, they were given to Poseidon who granted them tails to protect the waterways.

Culture

The world's siren flock is a matriarchal society, as sirens are only female. The eldest of all sirens is the grand matriarch and historian. She holds all the records of the ancient days as well as the roster of all living sirens. When she dies, the title and responsibilities are passed to the next oldest siren. Matriarchs are often in contact with descendants of Oracles to help aid them in protecting their flock.

Sirens are all named after bodies of water, representing their connection to the sea god Poseidon.

Appearance

All sirens, dating back from their first recorded appearance in the myth, are known for their unique beauty.

Their hair is a fine silver golden color that darkens with age; younger sirens' hair may often look a whitish blonde, while others more golden.

Their eyes are a muted gray with a purple ring around the iris. This purple ring expands to cover the whole iris when a siren is using her male mental manipulation ability. As a siren ages, the gray is diluted with purple; older sirens have fully purple eyes while middle-aged sirens have varying degrees of purple-gray shades. This discoloration does not affect their male mental manipulation

When a siren is in 'Harpy Form' their features turn dark – their hair and wings turns black, their skin takes on a gray color with a silver sheen, and the whole of their eye turns black – which gives them an added boost of strength, speed and agility in an almost berserker-like fashion.

Abilities

• Increased strength, speed, and agility
• Accelerated healing
• Male Mental Manipulation – the ability to persuade men into performing any act a siren desires. The siren must have eye contact with their subject and their wording must be precise. When this occurs, the purple ring expands to cover the entire iris. This ability affects supernatural creatures as well as humans, as long as they are male, and only affects one male at a time.
• Song – when a siren sings in the tongue of the Underworld, she has the ability to manipulate singular as well as multiple males. Females can be subject to control by a song if the siren is practiced enough, though the control is significantly weaker.
• Growth of wings to aid in flight
• 'Harpy' Form
• 'Aquatic' Form – growth of tail
• Communication with the spirits via use of a modified – by an oracle or a descendant of one – blue quartz stone
• Passing through worlds by calling on the spirits of ancient sirens through a modified blue quartz stone, often fashioned into a ring. Most sirens do not do this as passing through worlds is extremely painful
• Blood bonds – bonds created by the used of using a werewolf blood to heal a siren or vice versa

Weakness

• Henbane in any form
• Mountain ash – Exhibits control over supernatural creatures.
• Wings – inhibit movement even with increased abilities, and if they are broken at the base healing is almost impossible without blood sharing
• Molting – bi-annual process in which old feathers are shed for new ones; extremely painful
• Love – as sirens are known primarily as creatures of the underworld, their love lives are doomed to be difficult. Sirens' love is absolute and any betrayal, denial of reciprocation, or death of loved one could potentially break their spirit and – in extreme cases – kill them.