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Selkie
A Selkie is a shape-shifting sea creature that sheds the skin of a beast form to walk on land with the use of an object called a talisman. A Selkie can be born from other Selkies or turned from a Human.
Selkie
A Selkie is a shape-shifting sea creature that sheds the skin of a beast form to walk on land with the use of an object called a talisman. A Selkie can be born from other Selkies or turned from a Human.
Selkies appear to be normal Humans when they are on land and can run the gamut of human appearances just like Humans do. However they typically still retain the instincts and heightened senses of their beast form as a Human.
Outside of their talisman, Selkies do not have any markings that distinguish them from humans.
Selkies have two forms, their human form and their beast form, that they can transform between at will by shedding the skin of their beast form into a Talisman and donning their human form. These forms are permanent and the ones the Selkie will have all their lives.
Selkies appear to be normal sea creatures when they are in their beast forms in the water. They can be larger or smaller than their animal counterparts in the wild, but the size is never drastic enough to cause alarm if an Unaware Human were to spot them. They also retain their human-level intelligence and skills of their human form as their beast.
A Selkie's beast form can be of any aquatic or semi-aquatic animal that lives for half of its life or more in the water. This includes all marine mammals, SEMI-AQUATIC TETRAPODS, and most seabirds. A Selkie's beast form can't be from an extinct species.
There are some creatures that can be considered either a Shifter or Selkie and can go either way. If you are unsure whether the animal you picked would be considered a Shifter or a Selkie, please reach out to Staff!
Beast forms of a Selkie are Player Choice. You are free to say they pass through bloodlines, or they can be completely random.
Selkies are generally healthy creatures with a small level of rapid healing ability - they don't heal as fast or as easily as other creatures, such as Werebeasts, but they can still heal wounds or injuries with a short recovery period. Illnesses and diseases are rare, and when they are afflicted, they recover fast.
Selkies can communicate with others when in their beast forms. Other Selkies, as well as Shifters, Phoenixes, Dragons, and Unicorns, understand the beast as if it were spoken language being used.
For other Supernaturals and Humans, Selkies can communicate through a mild form of telepathy. They can send images, impressions, feelings, and basic commands to others; they can't send thoughts as pure speech.
Selkies have access to a branch of magic called Sea Magic.
In addition to their shapeshifting abilities, Selkies are water elementals known to control both water and the weather. This is called a Selkie's sea magic, as the sea is what gives them their magic as well as their beast form.
The level and power of their sea magic differs from Selkie to Selkie. There are currently no restrictions on the scope of water elemental magic the Selkie is able to perform using their sea magic.
The Shift is the term used to describe both the act and the process from going between the Human form and the Beast form. When Selkies shed the skin of their beast form to walk on land as a human, their skin transforms into an item called a Talisman.
Selkies can shift at will through the use of their talisman. To shift back to their beast form, a Selkie just needs to submerge themselves in water with their talisman. A Selkie can't shift at all without their talisman.
The talisman can be anything, and can even change its appearance over the course of the Selkie's life. The talisman is often a wearable item so the Selkie can keep it close and on their person at all times. Most commonly in the modern era it is jewelry or clothing, but it can also be a fur blanket or coat.
Selkies must keep their talisman safe, because the talisman is the source of their magic and their ability to return to their beast form. Talismans act like ordinary items, so they can be damaged, broken, or destroyed.
A damaged or broken talisman will eventually heal itself and the Selkie will recover their magic and their ability to shift. However, if a talisman is destroyed, a Selkie will eventually waste away and die.
While Selkies hail from all corners of the globe, they are magically bound to the water. All Selkies feel most at home near a body of water that has access to the ocean, where the connection to their sea magic is strongest.
Talisman Possession
Because a Selkie's sea magic rests entirely within their talisman, if they lose their talisman or their talisman is taken from them, Selkies are completely powerless. As an unfortunate side effect, it also puts them completely under the control of the person who possesses it.
The level of 'possession' the talisman holder has over the Selkie is Player Choice. This can be anywhere from trapping a Selkie in their Human form by not giving the talisman back, to compelling the Selkie to act as a slave to the talisman holder at risk of death if the talisman is destroyed, to literal compulsion to do the talisman holder's bidding, to total mind and body control.
A Selkie can also be forced to use the water elemental powers of their sea magic at the will of the talisman holder.
Talismans can be taken and used in this manner by any species, including Humans and other Selkies. The Talisman Possession doesn't react differently to the different species.
Talismans can be surgically attached to the Human form to prevent Talisman Possession, but they can't otherwise be damaged in order to do it. For example, the talisman can't be turned into ink to be tattooed to the body.
The Besotting Bond
Selkies do have the ability to form a bond with another person called a 'besotting'. The nature of this ability is legendary enough that it has even made its way into Human folklore.
Traditionally, for a Selkie to become 'besotted' to someone, it requires a person to pick up and return their talisman. Because a talisman is so precious to a Selkie, and because they are powerless when someone else possesses it, occasionally the sea magic within the talisman can choose to bind the Selkie to that person for doing such a charitable act.
On FMRP we do not have any rules or restrictions on besotting. This is considered optional for the species. Players can choose to use it for plotting purposes or ignore it, go traditional with it or do something completely different. The bond can be whatever you desire, something like a Mage's Familiar or a Vampire's Thrall, or something totally different. All avenues are open to you!
Selkies have a longer than average lifespan due to their magical connection to the sea. The average Selkie lives to be around 300 years old.
Selkies age at the same rate as Humans until they are in their twenties, and then age more slowly for the rest of their lives.
Selkies have the ability to shift between their two forms from birth. They have access to their sea magic from birth as well, but Selkies do not master control of the water or the weather until they are considered adults.
While a Selkie doesn’t need to be helped through their turning or shown how to transition or survive, as some figure it out on their own, they have pack-mentality and often crave the comfort of others. It’s much easier if the Selkie has the help of others of their kind.
Humans can be turned into Selkies one of two ways: a soul-bond with sea magic, and a Selkie Talisman Ritual.
A Soul-Bond is formed by the sea magic claiming the soul of a Human in its waters. The sea magic calls to any Human souls that can be tempted into the bond.
While it can happen randomly to any Human who swims in the waters, it is more likely to happen to those who are unhappy, lost, or have broken souls where magic can more easily find its way into the cracks.
At that point, the Human need only go for a swim and submerge in the water. The Human will then find themselves trapped, unable to surface, until they are transformed into their new beast form.
They are stuck as their new beast form until they can somehow find their way back out of the water. When they leave the water, they return to human form with their new talisman and they have become a Selkie.
The other option is a Selkie Talisman Ritual. The talisman is the source of a Selkie's magic and is their connection to the sea.
If a Human has a talisman from a Selkie, and enters any body of water large enough to submerge in, the magic will immediately seize hold of the Human and transform them into the beast form. When they emerge from the water they will have their own talisman in addition to the one they entered the water with.
Selkies can only be created by being born a Selkie or turned from a Human. Once someone is born or turned a Selkie, they will always be a Selkie. There is no way to become a Human or a different Supernatural creature.
Selkies can have children with the following species besides themselves:
The child of a Selkie and another species will always be the species of one of the parents.
Example: The child of a Selkie and a Shifter will either be a Selkie or a Shifter. There is no such thing as a 'hybrid' species.
Selkies can tell other supernatural species apart through a combination of scent signatures and magic signatures. Neither ability is particularly powerful, but Selkies are tied closely enough to their beasts and magic that they can use a combination of both to suss out another supernatural species.
