Mermaiden
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Mistress of Moisture! | |
| Mermaiden | |
| Player: @SusieBot | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Controller |
| Security Level: | 20 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Larri |
| Known Aliases: | n/a |
| Species: | Mermian |
| Age: | 18 |
| Height: | 5' 6" |
| Weight: | 120 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Violet |
| Hair Color: | Violet |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Citizen-in-exile of Mermia |
| Occupation: | Research Assistant, Super-Hero |
| Place of Birth: | Mermia, South Pacific Ocean |
| Base of Operations: | Independence Port, Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Lorrk (Father), Marri (Mother), Marrik (Brother), Malla (Sister) |
| Known Powers | |
| Water Control, Weather Control | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Amphibious | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
Background
For millenia, the undersea republic of Mermia has remained concealed beneath the waters of the South Pacific. Its origins have been lost to the waters of time, but the myths of the Mermians indicate that they are descended from the ancient Greeks. A Greek alchemist, Mermiones, discovered a potion that would grant the drinker the ability to breathe water. It is believed that he and his followers, cast out of Athens for "dark magic", consumed their potion and migrated into the sea, founding an undersea civilization. Combining their expertise in alchemy with rapid evolution due to the drastic change in environment gave rise to the Mermians, and their extraordinary range of abilities.
Larri of Mermia was born sixteen years ago to Lorrk, a scholar, and his wife Marri. The eldest of three children, Larri was headstrong and adventurous, ranging outside the boundaries of Mermia and exploring the deeps. In time, she encountered the boats of surface-dwellers, and was fascinated by the men she saw aboard.
This obsession was forgotten when Lorrk became deathly ill. The illness (possibly poison by a jealous colleague) did not respond to medical treatment, and it appeared that Lorrk would meet an untimely demise. Determined to heal her father, Larri did the unimaginable -- she violated the Mermian taboo against contact with the surface world, and undertook the month-long journey to acquire medicine from the surface world. Larri's mission was a success, and her father was saved, but the evidence of her transgression was unmistakable. For her crime Larri was banished from Mermia, cast out into the ocean depths.
For two years, Larri travelled the ocean depths, and had innumerable adventures. She was captured by Sharrak reavers, and kept as a slave in their camps for several months. In a battle with a kraken off the coast of California, she lost her left hand, and nearly died of the wound. Her trials in the undersea wilds were many, but as she had these adventures, she grew stronger and more self-reliant.
Deathly ill from an infected eel bite, Larri cast herself onto the beach in Talos Island in front of an astonished husband-and-wife team of marine biologists -- David and Roberta Keen. The two took the girl in and, over the course of a month, befriended her. Larri proved to be a quick study, and began to learn English (mostly through watching TV).
Inspired by the news reports of heroes in Paragon City, Larri applied for a work visa and a hero's license. Using the unusual powers granted by her Mermian heritage, she battles evil in the streets of Paragon City as Mermaiden, the Damsel of the Deep!
Personality
Mermaiden is friendly and outgoing, eager to learn about the surface world. But beneath the effervescent exterior, she harbors a core of rusted iron -- when survival is at issue, she is as grim and cold as the North Atlantic. Her year of hard living in exile have given her unrivaled strength of will.
Mermaiden can be a bit self-conscious about her unique appearance and unfamiliarity with the surface world. Her English is not perfect, and she tends to speak very quietly (sound carries more easily underwater, requiring less volume).
Powers
Water Control
All Mermians are hydrokinetic -- they can manipulate water at will, forming it into shapes and even transforming it from one phase of matter to the other. The origins of this ability are unknown. Mermaiden uses these abilties to create swirling columns of water to trap foes, or chilling blocks of ice to freeze them. She will often travel by surfing on a self-contained wave.
Mermaiden requires water to utilize her powers, though even the ambient moisture in the air may be sufficient. However, canny villains have foiled her abilities in the past by de-humidifying their bases. For emergencies, Mermaiden carries a canteen full of water. In dire straits, she can even use the water in her body (or the bodies of her enemies) to her advantage, though for an amphibious Mermian, this can be both dangerous and exhausting.
Weather Control
An extension of their hydrokinetic abilities, Mermians can control the weather to a limited degree. This is largely accomplished by changing the temperature or phase of ambient moisture, or by moving water particles in concert to generate wind. These abilities can only be used on a very local scale, though Mermaiden claims that her people have banded to divert storms and tidal waves in the past.
Abilities
Amphibious
All Mermians are amphibious, able to breathe air through their nose, or water through gills concealed behind their ears. The republic of Mermia is comprised of both air-filled chambers and submerged chambers, and the Mermians move between them with little concern (using their hydrokinetic powers to keep water from flowing into airtight chambers).
In addition to their water-breathing abilities, all Mermians are excellent swimmers, able to keep pace with dolphins and other swift sea creatures. Similar to these creatures, Mermians can "breach", using their superior velocity to launch themselves from the water to a height of several yards.
Mermians, like their human ancestors, are omnivorous. Their diet consists largely of algae-based foods and fish.
Trivia
Costume
Mermaiden's costume required little work -- it's one of those costumes that just worked from the gitgo.
Some notes:
- While I toyed with giving her a chest emblem, it just didn't work. Less is more! Less is more!
- The pants are scaled, in an obvious Aquaman homage. The top is supposed to be scaled as well -- unfortunately, there is no such option for tops with skin. Le sigh!
- I love the hook hand for aquatic characters (I started using it with the Oceaneer, an early experiment in aquatic characters). A female hero with a hook hand is pure awesome.
- Mermaiden's color scheme is inspired by the Sea Urchin from Freedom Force. The blue skin with green clothing was a gimme, but I struggled with hair color. Sea Urchin saved the day, demonstrating that purple hair really works with blue and green!
- In an ideal world, Mermaiden's belt would be formed into an "M" in the front. Another nod to Aquaman.
Other Trivia
- For a couple of years, I have been trying to come up with a good, aquatic-themed character. I think I've finally nailed it.
- Mermaiden is obviously inspired by Aquaman. She is distinctly not inspired by the Sub-Mariner. Namor sucks!
- The character was walking a fine line of getting deleted until I came up with the name "Mermaiden". It absolutely rocks that '60s, early Silver Age name flavor (if I do say so myself). I have not been so pleased with a name in a long time (for a good year or so, all of my character names have been way too obvious).
