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Description
This is a commissioned piece (posted with permission) of a trio of Felaryan giant, deep sea mermaids, done by the talented *Autumnology . I saw her own mermaid, Nerin, in her journal and loved the colorful design, so I asked her to design and draw with the three seen here.

In this picture, we have the three sisters, (from top to bottom) Iarae, Talise, and Meriel, frolicking near the sea floor. They are playing a simple game of chase, with Iarae holding a piece of luminous seaweed for the others to try to snatch. Barely visible in the gloomy background is an adult whale, which should give some indication of the size of these giant mermaids - around 200 feet from head to tail.

Art by *Autumnology .
Abyssal mermaids by ~omicron-xd5 .
Felarya by =Karbo .
Everything else is my fault.

The three sisters do not appear in any stories I've written thus far, but I do have ideas for one or two in the future. The next commission involving these three mermaids can be found here: First Visit to the Surface.

Their species is a larger cousin to the abyssal mermaids (also known as flash mermaids), another deep ocean dweller. They typically inhabit zones at the bottom of the ocean, but nearer the coast than their deeper diving brethren. They do not often travel to the surface, preferring to spend most of their time in the ocean depths, where the light of the sun never penetrates.

All of their communication occurs via three methods. At close range, they use their intricate set of photophores for signaling and simple exchanges. These same lights are also used to indicate mood, as well as to lure, mesmerize, and even stun their prey during hunting. At longer range and for more involved conversation, they use a form of telepathy. They are reluctant to use this method with anyone other than close friends due to the openness of the interaction. Lastly, they can literally "sing" communication over vast distances. The sound is not unlike whale song. This type of communication is typically only used to give out warnings or to announce important information across a wide area. The problem with using this type of communication is that it can easily draw unwanted attention in the form of other predators. Underwater, sound travels over vast distances in ways that even experienced predators cannot fully predict.

They are powerful, speedy swimmers with incredible endurance. If something catches their notice, there is little chance of escape should they decide to give chase. Smaller beings know to seek cover in crevices and caves when they are out on the hunt. By nature, they are more inquisitive than voracious, but when a 300-foot long, potentially hungry predator is bearing down, it is best not to assume they are friendly.

One interesting method the mermaids use for detecting the presence of prey in the darkness of the deep is via echolocation. When hunting, or in areas they are unfamiliar with, the mermaids will send out high-pitched pulses of sound. To most creatures, these pulses are undetectable. If they are heard at all, they resemble very short, sharp clicks - typically several in rapid succession. Using this ability, the mermaids can easily navigate even the most treacherous undersea caves flawlessly. They can determine an object's size, range, bearing, speed, and even specific features in some cases. Some of the mermaids' prey have developed specialized means of thwarting this method of hunting. One type of gulper eel in particular coats itself in a thick layer of goo that has sound-absorbing properties.

Surface dwellers know little about what goes on in the deep ocean areas these creatures inhabit. They do not pose much of a threat to ships or swimmers simply because they so rarely visit the surface. There are stories of sailors having met, conversed telepathically with, and survived encounters with these strange mermaids, but these tales are few and far between. As some pessimists have said, it may also be the case that there are far more encounters with these mermaids than have been reported, but in most cases the unfortunate sailors do not live to tell of the experience.

If you'd like to comment on, or the picture in the artist's gallery, please do so here:

Description
This is a commissioned piece (posted with permission) of a trio of Felaryan giant, deep sea mermaids, done by the talented *Autumnology . I saw her own mermaid, Nerin, in her journal and loved the colorful design, so I asked her to design and draw with the three seen here.

In this picture, we have the three sisters, (from top to bottom) Iarae, Talise, and Meriel, frolicking near the sea floor. They are playing a simple game of chase, with Iarae holding a piece of luminous seaweed for the others to try to snatch. Barely visible in the gloomy background is an adult whale, which should give some indication of the size of these giant mermaids - around 200 feet from head to tail.

Art by *Autumnology .
Abyssal mermaids by ~omicron-xd5 .
Felarya by =Karbo .
Everything else is my fault.

The three sisters do not appear in any stories I've written thus far, but I do have ideas for one or two in the future. The next commission involving these three mermaids can be found here: First Visit to the Surface.

Their species is a larger cousin to the abyssal mermaids (also known as flash mermaids), another deep ocean dweller. They typically inhabit zones at the bottom of the ocean, but nearer the coast than their deeper diving brethren. They do not often travel to the surface, preferring to spend most of their time in the ocean depths, where the light of the sun never penetrates.

All of their communication occurs via three methods. At close range, they use their intricate set of photophores for signaling and simple exchanges. These same lights are also used to indicate mood, as well as to lure, mesmerize, and even stun their prey during hunting. At longer range and for more involved conversation, they use a form of telepathy. They are reluctant to use this method with anyone other than close friends due to the openness of the interaction. Lastly, they can literally "sing" communication over vast distances. The sound is not unlike whale song. This type of communication is typically only used to give out warnings or to announce important information across a wide area. The problem with using this type of communication is that it can easily draw unwanted attention in the form of other predators. Underwater, sound travels over vast distances in ways that even experienced predators cannot fully predict.

They are powerful, speedy swimmers with incredible endurance. If something catches their notice, there is little chance of escape should they decide to give chase. Smaller beings know to seek cover in crevices and caves when they are out on the hunt. By nature, they are more inquisitive than voracious, but when a 300-foot long, potentially hungry predator is bearing down, it is best not to assume they are friendly.

One interesting method the mermaids use for detecting the presence of prey in the darkness of the deep is via echolocation. When hunting, or in areas they are unfamiliar with, the mermaids will send out high-pitched pulses of sound. To most creatures, these pulses are undetectable. If they are heard at all, they resemble very short, sharp clicks - typically several in rapid succession. Using this ability, the mermaids can easily navigate even the most treacherous undersea caves flawlessly. They can determine an object's size, range, bearing, speed, and even specific features in some cases. Some of the mermaids' prey have developed specialized means of thwarting this method of hunting. One type of gulper eel in particular coats itself in a thick layer of goo that has sound-absorbing properties.

Surface dwellers know little about what goes on in the deep ocean areas these creatures inhabit. They do not pose much of a threat to ships or swimmers simply because they so rarely visit the surface. There are stories of sailors having met, conversed telepathically with, and survived encounters with these strange mermaids, but these tales are few and far between. As some pessimists have said, it may also be the case that there are far more encounters with these mermaids than have been reported, but in most cases the unfortunate sailors do not live to tell of the experience.

If you'd like to comment on, or the picture in the artist's gallery, please do so here: