Sea Serpents, sometimes referred to as Saltwater Mermaids, are no more like the legends around them than the
Werewolves . They get their name from early accounts claiming they had snake-like features. In recent years, there have been claims of skeletons discovered that resemble giant lizards, but evidence points to these being a hoax.
Sea Serpents are the one magical group that once lived openly. They tend to be drawn towards oceans and other saltwater bodies, and used their magical workings to improve sea navigation. They attempted to help early sailors, sometimes even by calming the seas or bringing in a wind. When others were unable to explain the way that Sea Serpents did this, they declared them evil and shunned them. The Sea Serpents eventually faded into the background, making most people think they had died off, or had merely been a myth to begin with. Many sailors, however, are still wary of them, and hold to the taboo to avoid the
kelp forests where Sea Serpents are said to live.
Training
Sea Serpents primarily use a form of temperature magic to manipulate the weather--heating and cooling the water and air to change the currents--but they are also excellent sailors and navigators. Sea Serpents learn their gifts from their families, and in small, local schools where students of all ages are usually taught in the same class. They study history, math, and literacy alongside astronomy, geography, and sailing. They learn to build their own boats, make maps, and navigate using the stars. Though Sea Serpents are not against newer technology that assists navigation, they believe it is important to be able to navigate without such devices, in case a need arises. They also learn temperature magic and how to cast it. Most Sea Serpents have a coming of age ceremony that involves taking out a boat of their own making, but I have not been able to learn what exactly this journey entails. Advanced Sea Serpents also learn to complete other magical workings, channeling different types of magic through objects, which are placed using the constellations as a guide. This ability to channel other magics has long taunted Scavengers, who believe it to be a safer and more humane way to accomplish the goals of tinctures and blood magic, but many of their texts are written in a language which still eludes us.
Structure
Sea Serpents have no top-down structure with leaders to whom they all answer, but they share a common history and belief system which unites them. One of those beliefs is equality. All people are part of the larger community and none is more important than others. Because they live in such small communities, Sea Serpents often have a full democratic system, in which even children take part.
Location
Sea Serpents usually live in small, coastal communities nearby larger towns, the inhabitants of which often believe that the Sea Serpents are a religious group with a strict code. This explains why their children do not attend larger public schools, and why many of them keep to their small communities. It is not forbidden, however, for Sea Serpents to participate in the larger communities around them. In fact, they are often encouraged to. In many small ways Sea Serpents try to ensure the success for the larger communities they are a part of, and areas near Sea Serpent communities often flourish. Sea Serpents also try to assist the natural wildlife around them. They cultivate varieties of kelp, which serve as an important part of the local ecosystem, and attract other wildlife which make up much of the Sea Serpent's diet. These kelp forests also indicate their location to other Sea Serpents and, because of common sailing taboos, help to keep unwanted eyes away.
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