Selkies

🍄 Overview

The Selkies are a race of fae that can shapeshift from seals to humans at will by removing or putting on their seal skin. Selkies are one of the only races of Fae that give birth to their young (not make them out of magic) and they are very closely-knit and family oriented communities as a result.

The Selkies enjoy colder climates, and always live in the ocean or in settlements near the ocean. Communities primarily exist in the Spring, Autumn, Summer and Winter Duchy on the coast. They cannot live in the Darkwood due to the environment and the fact that it is inland. They cannot live in the underwater Duchy as they cannot stay underwater for more than 2-3 days.

🍄 Appearance

A Selkie’s appearance is based on seals. As mentioned, they have two forms: a full seal form, and a human form. The seal form is self explanatory, there is no distinction between them and a non-Fae seal except that they are sometimes larger. 

Design Guidelines

• Selkies have large, black eyes (pupil and sclera) and long eyelashes.

• They wear their seal skin tied around their body as a cloak or tied around the waist.

• They adorn themselves with kelp, seaweed, rope, seaglass jewelry, shells, pearls, and driftwood ornaments.

• They have medium to long wavy or tangled hair. Brown is the most common hair colour. It can be partially tied back with rope or kelp, but they like to wear the majority of it free.

• They have pointed, sharp teeth.

• Selkies hair colour is akin to a seal - it can be anywhere from white, to tan, to grey, to brown (always neutral colours). 

• Selkie skintones are humanlike but always on the darker side. They tend to have scars, and thick body hair.

• They are generally very curvy. Men are usually stocky with a bit of pudge around the stomach and limbs.

• They cannot have tattoos, but they can have markings/spots/rings like a seal around their faces and limbs.

Selkie Adoptables

Clothing

• Selkies primarily wear their seal skin as their outfit of choice. They are never separated from their seal skin. They may pair this with a rough pair of cotton pants or a tunic if they wish to wear more layers. This is rare though, as Selkies do not care for ‘respectability’ (nor does the rest of the Fae realm for that matter) and they have high resistance to the extreme cold. They do overheat easily in warmer climates. 

• Their armour is almost 'barbarian-like' in design - raw bits of leather, animal furs, belts and buckles roughly sewn together. They are resourceful and make it out of whatever they can find, and keep repairing it until it disintegrates.

• If they wear extra clothing, it is often made of rough, cheap cotton in brown hues.

🍄 Birth, Life and Death

Birth

Selkies give birth to live young, and there is a bit of cultural pressure to have children to continue the seal clans.

They give birth as seals. They are pregnant for about 11 months, and the average age difference between children is 3-4 years.

Selkies have close-knit families, give birth to their live young, and often live in exclusive Selkie communities away from large cities. They are very family oriented as a result. Communities will often have 2-3 breeds of seal as part of the genetic makeup of the tribe, to avoid inbreeding.

Life

Selkies can live up to 150 years old. They age much like humans do - their hair turns grey and wiry, they form wrinkles and they lose physical substance. For every 1 human year, they age 1.8. So at the end of their lives at 150 years old, they have aged like an 80-90 year old human.

They willingly adopt Selkie children, but not other races. This is because other races are not built for a hybrid land-sea life like they are.

Death

When Selkies die, their bodies are returned to the sea to be consumed by other sea creatures or broken down by the ocean. This may sound gruesome, but Selkies consider it important to return the Selkies' bodies back to the ocean in order for another creature to make use of what it can - therefore supporting the cycle of life and the health of the sea.

Selkie bodies will be adorned with driftwood and shell necklaces and wrapped in kelp. Then they are taken to the deep ocean and family members will all together hold the body afloat in a circle, and then let it go, allowing it to drift away into the waves, while the group sings a mournful melody to say goodbye.

🍄 Selkie Customs & Culture

Personality Traits

• Selkies are reclusive, helpful, pragmatic and practical. They make the most of what they have and use every piece of it. They are resourceful and can create tools and weapons out of anything they find. They have an innate connection to the sea and become unhappy if away for too long.

• They are family focused and intensely loyal to their loved ones. Each member of the family has to be useful and learn how to survive in the ocean as quickly as possible though. Selkies do not do well being alone.

• Selkies are also known to be flirtatious and curious around other races. Because they live so far from large civilisations, they often are amazed by new technology and urban infrastructure.

Your Selkie should have a few of these traits but certainly doesn’t have to have all of them. Please feel free to put a unique spin on it.

Romance, Marriage and Offspring

Romance

A Selkie will mate and pair primarily to produce strong and healthy young pups. They can form romantic or sexual relations, but they are a pragmatic people and so establishing the next generation is always the priority over feelings.

It is a bit taboo to have inter-racial relationships.

Marriage

Selkies sometimes marry. They can marry for love if they're lucky, or as an arrangement made for good genetics. 

Offspring

Selkie give birth to live young, and building families is important in their culture.

Miscellaneous

• Selkies primarily eat raw fish, squid and seabirds. They don’t like cooked meat at all. Fruit and mead and milk is a huge treat for them.

• Selkies love for the sea is paramount, and they will pine for the sea if away for too long. Selkies never live in large cities or townships for this very reason. They do frequent the Underwater Duchy, but have to return to their communities every few days for air as the Underwater Duchy is deep in the ocean.

• Selkies can breathe underwater for 2-3 days at a time and then will need to breach for air.

• Selkies become lethargic in hot weather and are prone to overheating.

If you have questions about Selkies, please ask them in the helpdesk channel on Discord!