Mermus
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
History
Eons ago, while the creatures of the surface world were still battling it out over which among them would define the dominate evolutionary chain, the seas were inhabited by a race of intelligent blue-skinned humanoids, sometimes called Mer or Merfolk. Many of their descendants would go on to live in the Atlantic Ocean, where they would eventually co-mingle with the survivors of the sunken city of Atlantis to become part of its legendary society. However, many others settled in regions of the Pacific Ocean, where they would grow and develop their own society for many hundreds of years. These were known as Lemurians.
A more violent and ruthless breed than their relatively peaceful neighbors, the Lemurians frequent wars were interrupted only by bouts of scientific discovery, new advances that would better facilitate their ability to battle one another. As such they tended to avoid and defame mysticism in favor of technology, and were able to produce impressive machines even in the deepest depths of the sea. It so happened that in one of these epic conflicts a great deal of ecological damage was done, causing the area around their most impressive city and home to the Lemurians, Kandam, to sink in an aquatic quake. Natural barriers and massive rock walls formed in around it, effectively sealing it off from the rest of the world. Those cut off from the city eventually wandered off, becoming nomadic tribes that finally died off and faded away, seemingly spelling the end of Lemurian society.
But the Lemurians within the city survived, and thrived, and continued to build Kandam into a fabulous work of ingenuity and design within the watery cavern. For over two thousand years they thus remained, until finally advances in Lemurian technology and the sweeping tide of destiny has allowed access to the outside world once again.
Against the advice of his more cowardly brethren, who preferred to cower inside Kandam's city walls, one such Lemurian has decided to take the initiative and explore the outside world. The most current in a long line of military nobility, he is called Mermus, sometimes The Conqueror. As a famed general and warlord of great power and skill, he sees this as an opportunity to expand Lemurian influence and return it to its ancient glory. His desire is for all the sea, and to have it he realizes he must first subjugate humanity, or the "air-suckers," as he calls them, to make his reign complete, as they would surely try to oppose him.
And so, while the bulk of his people wait and wonder in their sunken city, Mermus has set out to explore the surface world. His journey has taken him to the Rogue Isles, where knowledge gained would leave him to believe is the best place to begin gathering power to mount his assault on the world and its people.
Physical Attributes
Mermus is a Lemurian, and although he has no super powers to speak of, he has the same impressive abilities and physical traits of all his species, coupled with hundreds of years of knowledge and experience.
Strength Level
Mermus possesses the normal strength of a Lemurian his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. Under optimal conditions, he can lift (press) approximately 4 tons.
Superpowers
Mermus has abilities which are common to all Lemurians, such as the power to channel and direct the flow of water, so long as he is in a water environment or suitably hydrated. He can also produce powerful sonic emissions which enable the average Lemurian to speak in the concentrated depths of the ocean, yet on land can have a devastating affect.
Paraphernalia
For the use of his travels above water, the Lemurians have constructed several amazing life-supporting apparatuses, called a saturation suit. While simultaneously providing him a lightweight armor with maximum mobility, this suit keeps him completely hydrated at all times, keeping him at full strength even in the arid surface climate. The suit continues to gather and condense moisture in the air to replenish and oxidize his water supply.
Two attributes of the suit aid Mermus in combat. One of these is the ability to release and project water for use in battle. The other, a sonic amplifier, is part of the protective head bubble which lets him better use and control his sound-based abilities.
Weaknesses
Mermus quickly loses his strength when he is outside of water without his suit or otherwise kept hydrated in some way. While he will not suffocate immediately, his biology is not designed to take oxygen directly from the air, and continued, uninterrupted exposure to an open environment may kill him within a span of several days.
Group Affiliations
Mermus holds the rank of High Warlord in the Royal Lemurian Militia. He has no official ties to any surface-world organization at this time.
Trivia
- Despite its power, Mermus' voice tends to sound high-pitched and nasally when filtered through his suit's sound system.
- While not originally meaning to do so, the history of Mermus sheds light on the story of Naireus, another aquatic character.
