#siorc

i am ABSOLUTELY taking asks anon!! i always am 👀

as for siorc! lets go this will be LONG bc ive been thinking about this, for such a long time

modern human relations

siorc are rumoured to be-and really, factually ARE-the most dangerous hanghenfil to humans.

while they're not as physically strong as some other hanghenfil like shifters-they have the unique advantage of incredible coordination in a group, and are the only hanghenfil known to have organised armies.

(basically imagine how organised a shoal of fish moves, then give those fish humanoid form and intelligence and weapons, and theres like 60 of them and theyre all climbing up the sides of ur ship at superhuman speed)

were they not restricted to living by big bodies of water, or the obvious issue that technology doesn't work in the fuckin ocean-they'd probably have given humans an incredible run for their money at being the Top Species

thats why in Present Day humans have an (if somewhat shaky) peace agreement with siorc. siorc and humans trade whatever their main export is (the kingdom faldurs family rules sits on a hefty undersea deposit of gold) and humans don't fish in siorc territory, in return for...not being attacked.

disclaimer to above rule is if humans DO fish (or sail in a way they don't like, honestly) in siorc territory, siorc are within their rights to do whatever they want to them. it's free food bro

old timey human relations

it's not so prevalent anymore, but back when ships were a prevalent form of transport, sailors-or often entire ships- would often go missing in siorc territory

accounts are few and far between, but most have a consistent theme of siorc calls being eerily similar to human singing and chanting. it's still not known if this is coincidental, or intentional mimicry evolved to target humans specifically.

some theorise that the song itself has an entrancing effect on humans due to some kind of magic, but it's unconfirmed.

the sailors lucky enough to escape siorc encounters often described them as ethereally beautiful, and those not attacked by entire shoals of siorc describe individuals as targeting lone sailors, often singing to and holding their face before they're dragged underwater.

this is where rumours of mermaids originate-sailors captivated by the singing but lucky enough to escape alive, would never see the legs of the creatures...what else is gonna be there but a fish tail right

perhaps as a comfort to soothe those who lost loved ones to siorc, a very common rumour is that the kiss of a siorc allows a human to breathe underwater for a period of time.

siorc biology

while their anatomy and biology is mostly unknown to humans, a small amount has been discovered.

their body temperature is naturally lower than humans...cold to touch :(

they get BIG...average height for a siorc is probably around 6 and a half-7 feet. they also live longer than humans and most hanghenfil, averaging out at around 160-200 years. they mature at age 18, but continue to age much slower than humans.

few studies have been done on how well siorc survive outside of water, though it is known that they need to submerge their gills and fins in water at least once every 48 hours or risk a slow and painful suffocation. over 24 hours of dryness and they get unbearably itchy...

there are different subtypes of siorc! they change markings and colour based on biome/water temperature, though the boundaries between types is not as well defined as it once was, with siorc travelling longer distances and mingling with other kingdoms.

royals (bottom row) also look different to common types! they're generally larger, stronger and live up to 270-350 years.

though there are no confirmed live sightings, fossils have confirmed that all types of siorc evolved from a deep sea variant. they were generally larger, stockier, and missing certain features of modern siorc-such as the vocal chords to express advanced speech or full dexterity in their hands

some siorc retain characteristics from their deep sea days, however, like bioluminescence, multiple rows of teeth or...horrifying unhingeable jaws, perhaps

siorc society

siorc all, obviously, live by/in the sea ! (or rarely a large body of freshwater..) some live fully underwater but the Preferred Setup is within access to isolated land. islands are fine but archipelagos are the favourite setup!

they carve out large cave systems underwater and often build structures on islands-these used to be purely for show to lay claim to the land as a status symbol, but are now where necessary technology (generally medical equipment and not much else) or items such as books or paper currency are stored

most (though not all!) live in kingdoms run by a royal bloodline-though if the reigning monarch is challenged, and the fight is won, the royal family is either exiled or executed-depending on the preference. this is a huge rarity, however.

due to royal siorc living so long, royals tend not to take the throne until they are a century old. the heir will usually take this time to train, and to choose their own heir (always a family member, typically their own child though not always!) and train them.

the training of a siorc heir is brutal and rigorous-physically and mentally-starting from age 13 and potentially running for decades. it's common for heirs to drop out of training, and for the trainer to run through multiple heirs in the decades before they take the throne.

siorc are a SUPER proud species, and do not take anything lightly. challenges will always be followed up on, broken agreements or rules will be punished, and should you slight a siorc, revenge is a certainty.