Selchs

Name: Selch, Selchs, Selkies, Sejikie
Deity: Cyres -Ocean goddess and Sel- God of the moon.
Lifespan: Roughly 80 to 200 years depending on their skin.
Procreation: Mostly a female race, they have to be human in order to procreate, shedding their skins in order to come on land. Some of them look for human mates to use as vessels or protection for their children, the sea can be dangerous for such small small things.
Once a fairly rare species, with the eradication of the Northern Sea Company and the Pirate Flotilla, they have begun to restablish their numbers and have several large colonies that have made it onto the City-Ships. 
Organization: Colonies. Each Colony has a Chieftess who is in charge of those under her. They answer to a higher power. Most are women. Melale Selchs are much rarer and held in high regard. The men are beautiful with a much stronger power but It is the women who fight and rule.
They believe that their goddess so loved the moon God that she bore to him the Selchs, and he in turn provided the tides in which to bring them to the shores. Every morning the moon leaves the water to the sky, but every night he returns home.
Legend: Stories of the Selchs are many, ranging from the romantic to horror. Selchs are believed to be the souls of lost sailors, condemned to swim the seas searching for home. Due to superstition, even normal seals are avoided as they are believed to cause enchantment, or death.
Language: They can communicate telepathically when in seal form, and can communicate with other seals that they hide amongst. They can sometimes use telepathy in human form if their power is strong enough. Human languages.
Appearance: Human and seal forms, but they can also half shift if they peel their top skin off, they have a human half similar to a mermaid. This can make communication easier with other races.
In Human Form: Usually beautiful, otherworldly, large eyes.
In Seal form: much like a seal, there are no real markings to distinguish them, though they are bigger than the average seal. They can shed part of their skin to resemble that of a mermaid.
Strengths: 

• Water. They are strong swimmers in and out of skin. They have some power over water in the form of manipulation for attack, temperature and state of water and small healing capabilities with water.
• Their skins can be shifted like armor or soft as feathers. It not only has magical properties of healing and youth, but also of control. If a Selch retains their skin they are independent and can live a long time.

Weaknesses: 

• If their skins are taken, they are bound to who has their skin and must do their bidding. Their lifespan drops to 70 to 80 years. 
• They have an aversion to iron and extreme heat.

History: Not too much is known about the Selchs. They are a warrior species and have participated in many wars as soldiers. They were once quite numerous in population but they have started to be hunted.
Societal norms/mores: Nudity is a thing they are comfortable with. Groups and sleeping together for warmth or companionship happens all the time. When they go off to find a mate, they are often alone. Most other times they are with their Colony.