Alnilan

https://dicecloud.com/character/bLkQ3JDyMbj2YetZk/Alnilan

Born to a humble family of sirens, Alnilan grew up with a simple family of four. His mother, Naos (meaning ship), worked as a seaside healer for those on land seeking refuge following the great silence, and his father, Alphard (meaning heart of the hydra), maintained his part in the city guard as defense. The two of them maintained pretty simple lives for him and his sister, Gienah (meaning wing).

Upon his first birthday and getting his first piercing, he also received his name: Alnilan. While often given to a middle child after a newborn was born, Naos and Alphard agreed that Alnilan’s meaning would be more true-to-purpose, in that his ability to both heal and shield without either branch of support being ‘broken’ (i.e a healer not being able to heal themselves) was balanced between the sirens.

Unlike most male sirens, it seemed the duality of his healing and defense also mellowed out his testosterone, making him a lot more level-headed than most other male sirens. Of course, it did prove to make socializing difficult to understand, but eventually he found himself a comfortable and small friend group to get through a lot of his adolescence without abnormalities. It wasn’t until he started being encouraged to explore land that problems arose.

During the terrors of what seemed to be the calm after the storm, those on land seemed to become more and more desperate. They yearned for anything and everything they could get that would help them survive, from supplies to healing. With their healing abilities often being tied to their blood, sirens were high-risk on land for being hunted. While his family did teach him this, he still struggled to not desire to at least travel far enough to see what trees looked like and how warm the sun was from the surface. While he’d kept his promise to not travel too far, that was plenty close enough for some desperate descendants of the great silence survivors to pick him out and beat him down.

For so long as a year and a half, Aln was kept as the healer for this small group of brigands, be it by his blood used in potions as it was when he stubbornly tried to decline by asking to be let free if he healed them all better than ever, or his actual healing, which he devolved to surrender without question in due time. Eventually, though, Alphard and his city guard friends managed to get their prodigy son back home.

Untrusting of landfolk after that, Alnilan often watches for visitors from afar, refusing to leave the city without a parent. Typically, they oblige, though, slowly working his confidence with outlanders more and more. Alongside the help of his parents, Alnilan pressed even further into his faith, begging for a way that those suffering on land could learn to do so without violence. That the stars could fall and the planes could heal. Surely under the twin suns and moon, the stars could find their peace?

While considering himself retired from any level of adventuring after his time trapped, he does feel as if it will prove necessary in more recent days as his visits up to the surface with his mom have started to feel odd as they observe the moon and stars. Perhaps now is time he ventures on his own...

Only he isn't on his own. Upon returning from his time captured, he found himself entrusted with a familiar from his patron deity, made in his likeness. Hura is a little sea dragon that's very skittish and mimics siren expressions very well.

//////////

Siren lore:
-Cannot lie, or else their vocal cords will break. Part of an ancient pact with sailors (keep their voice as long as they did not use it to lie and deceive). Its now known as a curse. Before puberty, they only experience extreme pain beyond any measure. After, it’s permanent. Described as swallowing glass and lava.

-While humanoid in nature, biologically, they have two hearts, two vocal cords, elvish ears, low muscle mass and thinner bones (carried over from aquatic ancestors), fangs, and varying skin tones (any color). They also have a larger hippocampus, which lets them memorize more things than humans.

-By having two hearts, they can process their magic. If one of their hearts is lost, they cannot get their magic back. They can survive with only one heart, though.

-Two vocal cords allows them to harmonize with themselves, vary their range, and do well in mimicry. If they lie, both break.

-They have very expressive ears that sort of swivel around from one point. Up, down, forward, back, what have you.

-Sirens are named on their first birthday and receive a piercing that celebrates surviving long enough to no longer be expected to be eaten by wildlife. This is mostly carried over tradition now.

-Sirens get piercings for multiple life events and details, such as their healing type, when they are married, and factors that differentiate from the norm (i.e one-way healing). These piercings are welded into place and cannot be removed.

-Oaths and vows and promises cannot be broken, as it would still be considered a lie.

-As they can heal themselves, a lot of childhood activities tend to be more violent (i.e playing with projectiles)

-Traditional attire oftentimes includes a LOT of jewelry and lighter attire. Claw-like finger jewelry is often used in place of rings. It’s believed the jewelry helps increase a siren’s ability to heal before self-injuries occur. They also tend to be very pure in material and will often be heavy because of that. They also tend to dress very lightly as they are from near the equator. Nudity isn’t uncommon on hot days.

-When being wed, sirens elect for ‘natural’ rings, cutting their fingers in place of a ring and the other heals it enough to where it will scar instead of fully healing it.

-Marriage is often arranged or beneficial for sirens, proposals on a whim not being uncommon. Dating isn’t much traditional in siren culture, but some do it anyways. It also is taboo to have relations with non-sirens.

-Unlike vampires, their fangs don’t retract. Eating is very particular and a lot of sirens tend to be picky or eat goodberries instead of proper food.

-Often very vocal, with a purr-like hum when happy or chirps when surprised

-Siren legend about a siren that is turned to a worm and can only be a siren again if someone loves him as a worm. A farmer loves him for aerating the soil. Cute story that often may lead to the “would you love me as a worm” question.

-Typically, sirens face consequence if they over heal, including temporary blindness and can even lead to a coma or death.

-Funeral rites believe that cremation or embalming destroys the spirit. They instead are buried by those they love digging their graves and burying them themselves. This most often is a romantic partner or parents if they die young.

-Siren diseases and human diseases don’t often cross over, so it’s uncommon for them to be ill. When they are, it’s quite brutal.

-Half-sirens exist, in which they tend to have varying elements from their parents. It’s more a 50/50 of their traits rather than the potential for meshing as it does in other races.

-Like Alnilan, it isnt uncommon for sirens to distrust other races that can lie.