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The Merpeople[1], also known as Water Spirits in ancient tales by humans,[2] are sentient, magical creatures with fish-like tails from the waist-down, whereas their upper half resembles that of a human. They inhabit bodies of water, and can be found all over the world.

Story[]

Main Canon[]

The exact origins of the merkind race were largely unknown, though they were known as the legends of which dated back to the late 2nd or early 1st Millenium B.C.E.

Mermaid Council

Mako's current Mermaid Council (as of mid-2010's)

They also created a special type of ring, called a Moon Ring, that allowed them to amplify their magic, and increase the potency of their various spells.

The mermaids across the seas had since honored the Full Moon in a ceremony, which was reserved for the initiated mermaid members of their respective pods in the possession of a Moon Ring.

During the Shang Dynasty, a Chinese Mermaid of the Eastern Pod fell in love with a land boy. Another pod heard of this and punished the mermaid and her pod by casting a spell to turn the land boy into a Water Dragon, capable of permanently stripping a merperson of their magic and transforming them into a human being, and of killing merpeople. The Chinese mermaid used the Jiao Long Bracelet to undo the spell on her lover and return him to his human form.[3]

Eons later, around the 11th Century C.E[4], an army of mermen carried the Trident in battle and behaved in a destructive manner and seized the Mako Island from the Mako Pod.[5] During this time, an unnamed merman (Zac's ancestor) built a chamber on the island with the intention of siphoning the island's Moon Pool's Moon Water, thus the life of every mermaid of the Mako Pod.[6] The merman who built the chamber fell in love with a mermaid and decided not to activate it, and instead found ways to invoke peace and stop the war once and for all. Since only a member of that merman's bloodline could activate the chamber, no other merman had been able to use it since then, and it became a lost ruin.[7]

Eventually, mermaids from each of the five oceans defeated the Merman Pod by drawing on the powers of the oceans and locked the trident away in the Trident Cave with one of the kinder mermen's help. After this, mermen pods were disbanded, and from then on, all mermen were to be given up by their mothers to be raised on land in human foster families with the use of a forbidden Legs Spell.[8] After the war had been won, the island returned to the ownership of the Mako Pod. At some point, Nerissa's ancestors moved to the Northern Hemisphere and became members of the Northern Pod. However, there were some cases where merman hatchlings remained with family and some where they are raised by foster parents. Unlike the "human" world, the mermaid world is a matriarchy, so mermen do not have the same power that human men do in the human world.[9]

The merman who built a Merman Chamber and his mermaid lover then became a royal line of merpeople who ruled the seas and ensured peace between mermen and mermaids after ending the previous war between them. Ondina mentions that the royal system was abandoned by mermaid centuries ago.[7]

In early 1700s, a young Irish mermaid named Eva used her abilities to save those around her from a comet that was later named after her. Once the comet's eventual impact was repelled, she disappeared, and her true fate remained unknown.[10]

In the 1950s, humans Louise Chatham and her friends Julia and Gracie visited Mako Island on the night of a full moon. They entered the Moon Pool under the moon's light and were transformed into mermaids. Soon after, Gracie's lover Max Hamilton learned of their secret. The three of them would experience various hardships as a result, including Julia revealing her secret to the human Karl, who attempted to expose them to the rest of the world.[11] Later, Gracie grew increasingly frustrated with the challenges being a mermaid brought and longed to be human again; at some point in 1957, the Moon of Fifty Years occurred, and she entered Mako's Moon Pool, permanently removing her magic and reverting her to a human state once more. Soon after, she would leave behind Max, Louise, and Julia forever.[12]

Around the 1990s, the powerful Northern mermaid Nerissa had two children: Mimmi, a mermaid, and Zac, a merman. An equally powerful mermaid named Aurora threatened the Northern Pod and later redirected her threat to the Eastern Pod. Fearing for their safety, Nerissa travelled to Australia where she left the older Mimmi with the Mako Pod, where she performed the Tailless Spell to lock infant Zac's powers away and left him in the care of the human Blakely family. She then joined the Eastern Pod and fought alongside them for an unspecified amount of time. Nerissa eventually confronted Aurora alone, and during the battle, Aurora overpowered her and turned Nerissa into a Water Dragon. She forced her to destroy the Eastern Pod by stripping its members' tails and magical powers, turning them permanently into human beings. Seeing no way to defeat the dragon, its remaining members (including a child Weilan and her elderly grandmother) were forced to flee to the mainland of China, and eventually the pod split.[13] After this, Aurora put Nerissa into a deep sleep that would last for the next few decades.[3]

In the late 90s, a nine years-old Isabella Hartley entered the Moon Pool in a set of sea caves at the Irish coast, and was transformed into a mermaid with powers over water like Gelidkinesis and Substanciakinesis. Later, she found a crystal at the bottom of the pool, tied it on a string, and wore it as a necklace.[14]

In 2006, humans Cleo Sertori, Emma Gilbert and her new friend Rikki Chadwick get stuck on Mako Island on the night of a full moon. They entered the Moon Pool by the land entrance, when all three of them entered the water, the full moon became aligned with the pool and they were transformed into mermaids, each gifted with one individual power over water with Cleo gaining the power of Hydrokinesis, Emma gaining the power of Hydro-Cryokinesis, and Rikki gaining the power of Hydro-Thermokinesis.[15] Soon after, Lewis McCartney learned of their secret, following by Zane Bennett who was onto them after he almost drowned. A few months later, they temporarily gave up their powers by being in the Moon Pool under the Lunar Eclipse and successfully managed to deceive Dr. Linda Denman and her team and get them off their trail after they discovered that they are mermaids, and wanted to exploit their abilities for scientific research and fame.[16] After several months, in 2007, on another full moon, all three girls accidentally get moonstruck. Under its spell, they swim to Mako Island. The Moon Pool enhances their powers due to the Elemental Moon and gives them new powers, while Cleo gains the power of Aerokinesis, Emma gains the power of full-fledged Cryokinesis, and Rikki gains the power of Pyrokinesis and Electrokinesis.[17]

Few months later, Charlotte Watsford intentionally became a mermaid after becoming aware of her grandmother's past. For some reason Charlotte gained all of the powers, Cleo, Emma and Rikkia had.[18] However, Charlotte's life as a mermaid didn't last long and during a fight with Emma, Cleo, and Rikki a month later, she was deprived of her tail and her powers were taken by the Moon of Fifty Years, in the same way as her grandmother Gracie.[19]

In 2008, now a teenage-girl Isabella Hartley arrives at the Gold Coast when Emma Gilbert left with her family to travel around the world. After meeting Cleo, Rikki, and Lewis, they quickly became friends.[20] However, they had to face a Water Tentacle that was originally believed as an enemy, but later, they discover it only wanted to warn them that the Comet Eva was on its way towards Earth, and its destiny was in the mermaids' hands. Bella discovers what the comet was named after, a mermaid named Eva who created the original Tower of Light that could stop it again. However, Sophie Benjamin, Will's sister, Ryan Tate, a geologist, and Zane Bennett were trying to become wealthy by stealing the crystals from the moon pool. The Moon Pool of Mako Island is destroyed, but despite its destruction, the Mako Pod, Cleo, Emma and Rikki survives it. Cleo, Rikki, and Bella re-create the Tower of Light and repels the Comet Eva.[10] Between 2009 and 2012, the Moon Pool in Mako Island becomes active and is completely repaired, with its magic totally functional again.

By 2013, a pod consisting of over a hundred Southern mermaids lived in the waters of Mako Island. When Sirena, Lyla and Nixie are charged with guarding the Moon Pool during the Full Moon Ceremony, Zac Blakely fell into the pool by accident and restored his merman self. When the pod found out what happened, they blamed the girls for breaking the rule and cast them out while the rest of the pod fled to the South Pacific where they joined another pod.[21] To correct the problem, the girls broke the rule of using a Moon Ring to go on land,[22] and later the one that forbade singing the Enchantment Song.[23]. They then encountered Rita Santos, a mermaid of the pod who had long since found new life on land and asked her to complete their training.[24] In the end, Rita deemed them worthy of having Moon Rings.[25]

Rita teaching the girls how to create a storm

Rita teaching the girls.

With Zac Blakely being a merman, after he returns the Trident to the chamber he becomes a temporary member of the little pod formed by Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla. While Rita doesn't share their adventures, she is considered part of their pod due to her involvement with the girls in guidance and training.

Despite Zac's heroic feats in destroying the Trident, Mako's Mermaid Council still thinks him as an enemy, and not even Sirena could change the minds of two mermaids of the Mako Pod, Ondina, and Mimmi, Zac's sister. Lyla and Nixie leave Mako with the rest of the pod searching for a new home, as all of their efforts in trying to remove Zac's powers failed. Sirena is welcomed back into the pod, however, three months later, unbeknownst to its Mermaid Council, Ondina and Mimmi obtain legs for the first time, and the latter concoct a potion that amplifies the Full Moon to fifty, thus exactly creating the bottled effects of the Moon of Fifty Years to deprive Zac of his powers permanently during the latter's seventh Full Moon since regaining his merman self. However, as Zac was never human, the potion doesn't work and instead of him losing his tail, it was Evie, his girlfriend, that was, unintentionally to her, transformed into a mermaid by going after him.[26]

The Canadian Mermaid was recorded by two humans singing the Northern Pod Enchantment Song, and the video was soon after posted online, then removed later the same day. Sirena saw it and was enchanted and sang it to David before Mimmi and Ondina sang the Counter-version song which broke the enchantment.[27]

After Erik, another merman arrives in the town, the Trident stone was still functional, and he activates the Merman Chamber after the stone takes away Zac's powers. Erik wanted to drain the magical Moon Water from the Moon Pool, thus the life of every mermaid of the Mako Pod, with the exception of Evie, since she was, by then, a human-turned mermaid and by unknown reasons completely immune, ultimately stripping the Mako Pod's source of magic. Fortunately, they were saved by Zac Blakely, who was finally recognized by the entire Mako Pod as a hero.[28]

On the same night, Nerissa, still a Water Dragon, began experiencing dreams of her now grown-up children, Zac and Mimmi. These dreams awoke her from her slumber, and the first thing she saw upon awakening was Weilan. Afraid of the dragon, Weilan fled from China to Australia the following month[13] and Nerissa followed, sensing and wanting to see her children.[3]

Zac and his girlfriend Evie were followed by Nerissa to the Moon Pool in Mako Island the following month, where the latter is deprived of her tail and abilities by the Water Dragon's cold fire.[29] One month later, Mako's Mermaid Council creates a powerful storm using their Moon Rings in the same place in an attempt to defeat the Water Dragon, while Mimmi uses the Jiao Long Bracelet to break Aurora's spell and set Nerissa free before she could be killed. On the following day, Weilan gets her own Moon Ring from Veridia as a parting gift, and Weilan decides to return to Shanghai to restart the Eastern Pod, and Ondina decides to go with her.[3]

Mermaid Adventures[]

Mermaid Adventures Among Fishes

Mermaids in mermaid adventures

Emma Gilbert, Cleo Sertori and Rikki Chadwick go out to a diving trip at Mako but they soon get stuck on the island. The girls wander towards a glowing cave and get trapped in there, they find it impossible to escape without swimming. Before they can leave, the pool with the full moon transform each girls into mermaids.[30]

Physiology[]

Main Canon[]

Mermaids and Girl Mermaid in Moon Pool

Mermaids Mimmi, Ondina, Evie and Sirena in the Moon Pool

Merpeople are known to be warm-blooded beings, and can be seen by an thermal-detecting equipment even if in invisible state.[31] When they catch deadly Fish Fever, mermaids and mermen are known to sprout a set of gills and webbed fingers, but as long the poison remained in their system.[32] Once cured, the gills were to disappear, and an infected merperson would be healthy again.

Mermaids have long orange-scaled tails and often wear orange-scaled tops (that are implied throughout the series to actually be part of their bodies). Their tails are covered in scales that end in a classic dolphin-shaped fluke. They also have a short dorsal fin running along the backs of their tails from their waists to a little more than halfway down their tail.

Mermen have long blue scaled-tails that ends in a fluke that differs to that of mermaids. They also have a short dorsal fin running along the backs of their tails from their waists to a little more than halfway down their tail.

Erik Merman

Merman Erik on the shore

Merpeople native from the sea do not have a human form by conventional means, although they have the ability to give themselves one casting the Legs Spell via channeling the power from the Moon or via using a Moon Ring. Natural merpeople can have some difficulty getting used to walking at first when they obtain legs for the first time, but could become accustomed to it with a lots of practice. Since they never had a human form before, their bodies would be completely naked when they obtain legs for the first time, and they would need to wear clothes in order to blend in with the human world.

However, the Legs Spell is not permanent; just one drop of water turns a merperson with the Legs Spell back into their natural true self, only for them to regain their human form when they dry off (in what is known as Limited Transformation). Body fluids such as tears and saliva, despite containing a high percentage of water, were insufficient to make a merperson transform.

Water is much more than a merperson's home; it can help heal or revive them. However, this only applies to certain illnesses or injuries as it takes more than water to heal a merperson who is struck by the Moon Ring or the power of the Trident. Merpeople who remained in the sea do not get sick.

A Moon Ring can be used to help heal a merperson from certain injuries or traumas.

Notably, during Limited Transformation, a merperson's current clothing in human form disappear which only reappear when they return to their human forms. Their hair keeps its natural length, but any hair-ties, headbands, hair clips or hairspray, along with their clothes, disappeared. When their bodies are completely dried off, their hair returns to whatever hairdo it was in. As shown when Emma was trapped in mermaid form due to a full moon, if any additional clothing is added to them, it vanished upon them returning to their human form as opposed to being still on them; while not confirmed, it was possible they will return upon another transformation, or they simply ceased to exist, and permanently vanished.

Certain magical and mystical objects and artifacts, including the Moon Rings, the Trident, and the Jiao Long Bracelet, remained intact, and still on the body of a merperson during a transformation, presumably due to their unique, magical nature. However, the crystals vanished between forms, and they would only reappear upon returning to whatever form a merperson was at the time when they recently turned.

A merperson's tail was also very strong, as exemplified when Emma saved Zane Bennett by smashing in the steel door on Miss Chatham's boat, or when Nixie broke the frozen surface of the pool in the Grotto without seemingly much effort, and being physically harmed or injured in the process. Their upper bodies, specifically their arms, were also as strong; being able to drag themselves back to water or onto land, despite their heavy tails. For example, Zac was able to pull himself onto a tall pier out of the water without the use of knees to help pull himself up following his first transformation since regaining his true self and magical powers.

The transformation also occurred when merpeople were exposed to snow or ice, but since merpeople that were born in and inhabited the seas of the South Pacific lived and were raised in warm and cozy aquatic conditions and weather, and, generally, never interacted with snow, they would also develop a specific and dangerous type of rash and become feverish, as there was no snow in the regions of the South Pacific. The only way to cure an afflicted merperson was to apply a dried seahorse powder onto the affected part of the skin, and it were to immediately disappear, and an afflicted merperson were to regain their physical health again. Northern merpeople from snowy climate were naturally immune to Snow Rash. Human-turned-merpeople were also likely immune to Snow Rash. In addition to it, Northern merpeople born and raised in icy waters were likely resistant and immune to the cold and low temperatures because of their natural aquatic habitats around Canada and the Arctic Circle, completely protected from the cold or hypothermia.

Merpeople were able to use hair dye, but if it was applied in their aquatic form, it vanished upon drying off.[33] However, physical injuries sustained in one form, at least a scratch from toxic rainbow coral, remained in either forms.[32]

A merperson's respiratory system was able is not explained. Though they were shown to be able to hold their breath for more than at least fifteen minutes at a time if needed, with no noticeable discomfort, but would eventually need to breathe again, and would get unconscious if the time period extended over past those time.

A merperson's natural predators were orcas, whales and giant squids. Rita used these as examples of why a merperson would require a certain power if they ever came across them.

Reproduction[]

It is unknown how merpeople reproduce. As mermen are banished to land when they are young and most mermaids both have not seen them for a very long time and are very scared of them, they do not seem to be required for mermaids to produce offspring, implying that it can be accomplished either through magic or unique physiology where the parent(s') sex is insignificant. As mermaids are the only ones depicted as having children, it is unknown if mermen can reproduce on their own as well, with or without magic.

Young merpeople are referred to as "hatchlings", hinting that they are hatched from eggs (though not confirmed) that are most likely laid by parents, if not magically created without need for laying. Merpeople's possible incubation period is unknown.

Mermaid Adventures[]

The mermaids have different colored, glittering tails, and they often wear accessories in their hair that match their tops, as well as silver or gold armbands on both of their arms. They can also speak non-aquatic languages (such as English) underwater, and communicate with sea creatures fluently without having to speak a different language, and their biology otherwise seems the same as it is in the main canon.

Culture[]

Although considered as the same creature, mermaids and mermen have different behaviors. Mermaids are determined to learn more about their powers and master to control them, instead of gaining more. They even have Mermaid School, which teaches their young how to use their powers and using them wisely. They live in pods and are never alone, and aren't really as solitary as mermen (although Lyla is considered a loner, but isn't that solitary and cooperates with the other two). Mermaids usually travel with or hang around in groups of at least two or three other mermaids.

Mermen, on the other hand, are left by their mothers to be raised on land by humans in a adoptive human family, most likely to hide from the mermaids after losing the war to them, which explains why mermaids mentioned that mermen haven't been seen for a while. Originally, both mermaids and mermen lived in groups or pods, but after the great war that happened between mermaids and mermen, mermen no longer lived in pods in the sea. They are described as solitary and territorial. They are also described as power-hungry by the mermaids, and would do anything to obtain power. Zac does not really have this typical mermen behavior, but upon seeing the Trident for the first time, he becomes obsessed with obtaining it. He also believes that he is destined to possess it after he falls into a Moon Spell but then snaps right out of it the moment he touches the Trident for the first time. Unfortunately, after being betrayed by the mermaids, Zac comes to see them as corrupt, trouble-making, selfish, devious, and power hungry; though his girlfriend Evie is an exception as she's a cursed human. He doubles his efforts to get the Trident and denounces the mermaids as his enemies, vowing to claim vengeance on them for all the trouble they caused him. Later, as the mermaids make many unsuccessful attempts to strip Zac of the Trident, he even goes so far as to try take Mako from the mermaids after he mistakenly believes that they are calling in reinforcements to attack him for the Trident. All of this causes Zac to inadvertently recreate the war between mermaids and mermen and nearly finish the task the mermen of the past began.

Mermaids and mermen who fell in love with human beings were punished and even permanently banished from their respective pods by the elders of their pod's Mermaid Council, if reported to them, as it was an unbrekable rule that resulted in them being an outcast unless the conditions of their return had been met. For unknown reason, mermaids and mermen that were born and raised in the sea appeared instinctively terrified of cats, but this fear could also be conquered, as was the case with Rita and her cat Poseidon.

However, this view was not shared by all mermaids and mermen, and some may be fascinated by the land, and even were known to fall in love with its people just like Sirena, Ondina, Rita and Mimmi did.

While fearful of land people over the risk of exposure, natural-born mermaids and mermen simultaneously viewed themselves as inherently superior to and looked down upon them. These supremacist views were even extended to humans transformed into merpeople by the power of the Moon Pool, whom they have been known to refer to as "half-merpeople" (in contrast to them being "real merpeople"), despite the former, generally, not being actual half-lings to be referred as such, and it might just indicate that they referred to a human-turned's origins, rather than actually being "half-merpeople".

Mermaids from the past used to play an ancient game similar to tug-of-war, where a mermaid was allowed to utilize any power she possessed to pull a human ship to her side. Real ships were used in the past, but like the siren song, it was likely eventually forbidden.

On their birthdays, mermaids and mermen of the pods gave gifts rather than received them; opposite of land people. Their mothers were known to raise them, but if she had a son (who happened to be a merman), she was forced to give him up to adoption to be raised in a foster human family on land. Mimmi was raised by her mother, but at some point she was forced to give her to the Mako Pod until her disappearance. Sirena's only known family member is her sister Aquata, but no other relative as a mother was mentioned, while Nixie, Lyla and Ondina's family were never mentioned. Pods even accepted and raised mermaids and mermen from other pods like Mimmi, who was a Northern mermaid raised since a young age at the southern Mako Pod, and the Mako Pod even eventually accepted Mimmi's younger merman brother, Zac, when he proved his worth to them.

According to Ondina, mermaids and mermen shared the secret that bound them together, and that mermaids and mermen who were a part of the same pod felt like siblings towards one another, even if they might had no biological relations.[3] This statement was confirmed as Nixie and Lyla stated that Sirena was like a sister to them.

A merperson's knowledge was limited to the creatures and regions of their native ocean areas of habitat. Mimmi was unaware that penguins are only native to the Southern Hemisphere, despite the fact that she was able to actually talk with them.

Mermen and mermaids were also able to use human languages, such as English, and presumably Chinese, as a form of communication.

Pods[]

Main article: Pod
Mako Mermaid Pod

Mako Pod

There existed a number of pods of hundred of mermaids and formerly mermen worldwide, while the Mako Pod consisting of over a hundred. On full moon nights, mermaids all around the world honored the moon with a ceremony. According to Ondina, the Northern Pod was described as having the knowledge of some of the best spells and potions known to merkind, and its members were all, generally, depicted as very powerful and dangerous, even across the globe. Each pod had its own Council of Elders, with Veridia as the Head in the Mako Pod, that was in charge of governing, and enforced the laws and rules for the pod to follow.

Some of these are:

  • It is forbidden to Sirens sing their enchanted songs (exclusive only in the Mako Pod, as it is unknown if other pods allow mermaids to use their ability).
  • It is forbidden to reveal themselves, to associate with or to fall in love with land people.
  • It is forbidden to cast the Legs Spell, whether by the Full Moon or by using a Moon Ring.
  • It is forbidden to let human beings go through metamorphosis in an active Moon Pool.
  • It is forbidden to swim too close the shore or where they could be seen.
  • It is forbidden to reveal their powers to humans.
  • When a merman hatchling was born, a newborn was to be given up to foster human families on land with the use of a forbidden Legs Spell. (abolished in the Mako Pod)

If a member broke one of the rules of the pod, their Mermaid Council were to strictly punish the merperson by permanently banishing them, if reported, and they will be forced to live without their pod. Despite this, a Mermaid Council had the power to lift a merperson's banishment, welcoming them again if the conditions of their return had been met.

Mermaids of the pods used and channeled the Full Moon as a source of magic and power. They were known to create Moon Rings out of blue gemstone to help increase the potency of their magic, and can use them to accomplish many complex feats and spells, as the rings possessed potent healing and destructive abilities.

Hatchlings were forced to undergo a rigorous training before they were allowed to be initiated into the pod, and received their own Moon Rings. They were known to attend the classes at the Mermaid School led by wise, powerful teachers that taught their students to use their powers correctly and to be sensible in the difficult choices made through mermaid life.

Diet[]

Mermaids and mermen lived on a seafood diet, but they were able to eat land food as sustenance. However, many of them think land food and drinks disgusting, and preferred to eat prawns, seaweed and drink only sea water instead. A human-turned merperson will still prefer land food, however, he or she can eat or drink anything a merperson native from the sea can, like raw fish and sea water. A full moon can also warp a human-turned's mindset into being free-spirited like a natural mermaid and give them insatiable cravings for raw fish. Also, the Northern Pod had invented a delicious marshmallow, which can be eaten by both humans and merpeople.

As mermen are raised on land by human foster families, they are accustomed to survive on a diet of land food just like their adoptive parents or human siblings. Zac notably started binge-eating prawns for breakfast after his merman self was restored.

Moon Pool[]

Main article: Moon Pool

Moon Pools are unique pools that possessed the rare ability to turn a regular human being that entered its waters in its active state into a merperson when the Full Moon passes over, resulting in the fledgling's own first metamorphosis, and granted specific magical powers over water and the weather. They are the source of merpeople's magical elemental abilities, and their lives and magic are linked with a specific Moon Pool of a different pod, meaning if it is deprived of its powerful, magical moon water, mermaids and mermen will perish and die along with it if the destruction of their source of magic was not resolved in time. Human beings that undergo a certain "Metamorphosis" are given a special relation with the Moon Pool itself that turned them, and are susceptible to all of its effects, except its partial destruction.

The two known Moon Pools are located on Mako Island, approximately 50 km off the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. and in the Irish coast in a set of caves. Although not confirmed, there may exist other Moon Pools across the globe, including somewhere off the coast of China. These Moon Pools are known to have turned Gracie, Louise Chatham, Julia, Isabella Hartley, Cleo Sertori, Emma Gilbert, Rikki Chadwick, Charlotte Watsford, and Evie McLaren into mermaids, and broke the Tailless Spell on a natual-born merman, Zac Blakely.

On special occasions, based on the Moon's phases and the planetary alignments, all Moon Pools around the Earth can react magically to these phenomena and affect merpeople in a variety of ways, and it was still unknown if their sea-born counterparts are completely immune to all of these following:

  • The Lunar Eclipse: During the event, any human-turned-merperson that entered the waters of a Moon Pool in its active state were to be temporarily reverted back into a human being, and stripped of their magical powers for a period of twelve hours. After this period, the Eclipse's effects on a bewitched merperson will wear off on their own, and the abilities will be fully restored.[16]
  • Elemental Moon: During a rare planetary alignment, that presumably referred to the planetary conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter[34], the moon will increase the water-affiliated powers of any human-turned-merperson, granting them weather and elemental abilities, based on their own pre-destined regular abilities, if they are in the waters of any active Moon Pool during the event.[17]
  • The Moon of Fifty Years: Once at every fifty years, all the planets of the Solar System occur in a perfect conjunction with the moon, which created and unleashed great natural and mystical forces upon the Earth and its Moon Pools. During it, any human-turned-merperson that entered the waters of any active Moon Pool were to be permanently reverted back into a human being, and stripped of their magical powers as a result, and it is still unknown if they can undergo metamorphosis again after their human self is restored, though it seems unlikely.[19] There also existed a potent potion that used the power of fifty moons to replicate its effects on a bewitched merperson at other times.[26]
  • Comet Collision: When a comet comes within range of collision with a Moon Pool, the pool itself undergoes changes. The known effects are only proven in the Mako Island Pool, but historical data can suggest similar effects in the Irish Pool. These are as follows:
    • A rise in temperature in the air and the water of the Pool and surrounding cave.
    • A tentacle generated to warn nearby merpeople of the impending danger.
    • The ability to display a projection to merpeople of the events to come in order to warn them.
    • The power to magnify the powers of any merperson in order to help divert the course of the comet.

Sirens[]

Main article: Siren

Sirens are gifted sea-born mermaids with the ability of Siren Singing. They are known to lure and attract sailors away to their watery graves with their beautiful enchanted songs.

Powers and Abilities[]

Main article: Merpeople Powers
33

Mimmi, Ondina, and Weilan using their powers

Any Moon Pool across the Earth in its active state was able to turn a human being that entered its waters into a merperson, when the full moon was up. The recently-turned merpeole were also granted the specific regular, water-affiliated powers, that were presumably unique to a fledgling's own inherent personality, history, and native area. When two or more people entered its waters at the same time, the Moon Pool granted them individual powers as it chooses, seemingly based on the fledgling's own inherent personality, and the area in which the specific moon pool was located, but if only one human being entered it in its active state, they would receive all of the regular powers granted by a specific moon pool, that could later be enhanced to greater levels of strength, and elemental and weather-related abilities. It can be guessed that different Moon Pools across the globe will give different water-affiliated powers.

When mermaids and mermen left their native pods, their powers become linked with a specific Moon Pool when they are accepted as part of their new pod. It happened to Mimmi, who's known for leaving her native Northern Pod as a hatchling to come live in warmer waters around Mako since then. Mimmi's brother, Zac, as a merman, could not live in a pod of female mermaids and was left with the Blakely family on dry land instead before he was eventually accepted as part of the Mako Pod. The seventh full moon cycle in the life of a hatchling or a human that recently went through metamorphosis was believed to trigger sudden escalations of merman powers, creating a special type of connection between a merman and the Moon Pool that served as the source of their metamorphosis, and magic. It was not known whether this cycle was truly cyclical, and could be repeated more than once in a merman's lifetime.

Natural Merpeople Abilities[]

  • Limited Transformation - Is only natural ability to transformed humans. When a merperson is completely dry, their tails transform into human legs. For sea-born mermaids, this is known as the Legs Spell, and sea-born mermaids can perform it when the Full Moon is up, or even in daytime if they are in possession of Moon Rings. Ten seconds after touching water or by being exposed to snow or ice, they will revert back to their true forms. A long orange tail with a matching top for mermaids and a long blue tail for mermen. Only Moon Rings remain in both forms as they are magical themselves.
  • Enhanced Breath - Merpeople are able to hold their breath without any discomfort for at least fifteen minutes before needing to breathe— however, they will end up unconscious if the time period extends over past those minute.
  • Enhanced Senses - Merpeople may have slightly enhanced senses suited to life underwater due to living in the sea. To sea born mermaids, land people smell horrible, even the average hygienic human emits this smell but only mermaids can detect it. However, they can get used to the smell. By smelling Rita's supply of squid ink, Lyla could identify where the species of squid came from. In H2O: Mermaid Adventures, mermaids have the same range of hearing as dolphins. With this they can hear things humans cannot but their human half allows them to hear sounds cetaceans can't.
  • Endurance - Merpeople are able to swim for days without exhaustion, something which no human has the stamina to do. They can also dive at depths no human could withstand, and Rikki took advantage of this to become a famous treasure hunter.
Mako Mermaids Speed-Swimming

Speed-Swimming allows all merpeople to swim at incredible speeds

  • Speed-Swimming - It's the ability to swim at an incredible speed, and as such, their bodies is encased in bubbles because of the incredible high speed.
  • Aquatic Adaptation - Depending on where they are born and raised, merpeople may be resistant to certain elements in that area. Northern merpeople may be resistant to low temperature as they swim in cold, icy waters like the seas around Canada and the Arctic Circle. The Canadian Mermaid wasn't suffering from the cold or hypothermia, even though she was swimming in an area where the temperature was very low and the humans, she attacked were dressed in thick clothing to keep warm, further implying the low temperature and merpeople's cold resistance. Despite this, all merpeople are resistant to the cold of the depths even if they are from the Southern hemisphere.
  • Siren Singing - A musical/voice-related magical ability that allows a Siren to put boys and men into an irresistible, hypnotic trance in which he will follow them wherever they go. Only mermaids can have this ability this ability can't be learned and only merpeople native from the sea have it, except when under the Moon Spell in the case of transformed mermaids.
  • Zoolingualism - Some sea-born mermaids have the unique ability to understand and speak the language of sea creatures (for instance, dolphins and whales). It is unknown if the ability can be learned, but it is unlikely. Nixie, Sirena, and Rita are known for demonstrating this ability with dolphins, while Mimmi also speaks dolphin, humpback and blue whale, and northern penguin. In H2O: Mermaid Adventures, the main characters gain the ability to speak with all sea creatures, including cetaceans, cephalopods, fish, marine reptiles, and crustaceans.
  • Moon Spell Control - The Moon Spell Control is an essential skill that every sea-born merperson has to learn to master properly, as it lets them survive the Full Moon's spell without letting it control them. According to Sirena, merpeople native from the sea learn it when they are hatchlings. For this reason, they need to learn to concentrate on letting the moon's magic flow through their bodies rather than resist it, thus can walk or swim freely when the Full Moon is up. However, over time, they would grow immune to its effects, like the others.
  • Extended Lifespan - While merpeople do age, their lifespan is far longer than that of humans. Weilan once stated that due to Ondina's personality, they would become friends only in "a couple of centuries", which indicates merpeople can live for at least a few centuries. It's unclear if this applies to human-turned merpeople as well, though it likely does, as they appear to be biologically identical to naturally born merpeople. Like all other merpeople traits, this slower aging is suppressed by the Tailless Spell; thus, merpeople affected by the spell grow old at the same rate as humans.

Merpeople Magic[]

Mimmi Using Moon Ring

Mimmi using her Moon Ring

Main article: Merpeople Spells

Merpeople possessed a natural gift for the art of spell-making, and using ingredients found in nature for the making of potions with supernatural properties and effects. They were known to utilize potions to perform feats that were, generally, not being able to be performed via solely their magic powers for a variety of purposes, including a form of self-defense, amplify their own natural powers and increase the potency of their magic, and neutralize anything, including other spells.

Lewis McCartney found a book, "Mermaid Mythology" that held a recipe for a Mermaid's Potion that could give mermaids the power to grant wishes. It may have possessed more potions like the wish-granting spell.

The Water Dragon's Cold Fire is the only known magic that can strip a sea-born merperson's powers and abilities.

Mimmi Using Jiao Long Braclet

Mimmi using the Jiao Long Bracelet

Moon Rings are a huge part of mermaid magic and every mermaid is taught how to use one and all receive a ring after they finish Mermaid School. Moon Rings are a vital part of a mermaid's survival as merpeople use them for healing what potions cannot, enhance the natural world for camouflage, grant them human form, and amplify their inherent magical powers. With their rings, mermaids can cast many spells. Mermaids can also craft other magical items like the Jiao Long Bracelet. This has red stones, implying mermaids have altered the magic of the stones for a specific purpose. Rita mentions that only a mermaid can wear the bracelet.

Weaknesses[]

  • Allergic Reaction - Mermaids seem to have an allergic reaction to a certain substance of aftershave, which cause their powers to blow uncontrollably when they sneeze. Mermaids also had an allergic reaction to a formula that Lewis created to allow them to get wet while in human form, without transforming. The allergic reaction however only manifested as red spots all over their bodies when mermaids were in their human form. Besides this, Lyla, upon being asked by Dr. Blakely of what sort of allergies she has, she calmly responds with: "Only kelp spores in the Atlantic."
Ambergris

Ambergris

  • Ambergris - Is an old substance that at one point in time was used to make beauty products such as ladies perfume. It comes from the intestines of a whale and it can be used to attract mermaids. Zane Bennett finds some old ambergris which Nate later tries on. The smell from the ambergris makes him stink but it also makes him literally irresistible to Cleo, Emma, and Rikki.[35]
  • Dehydration: As stated by Sirena, the merpeople can die from drying out. Despite being able to cast a spell on themselves to walk on dry land, they need regular swimming sessions in order to stay healthy and avoid death from water deprivation, i.e, staying magically concealed for too long and/or avoiding water. It is implied if freshwater would hydrate a mermaid/man the same way saltwater normally does.[36]
  • Distraction: Preventing a merperson from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective. Since most spells must be activated in a unique way and take time to take effect, merpeople are vulnerable to being subdued before their completion. Additionally, certain spells may require prerequisites (e.g., select items, tools, and/or special events) during their casting, and therefore they can't be invoked on mere whim.
  • Emotions - Like all living creatures, a merperson's magic was subject to the influence of their emotional state, and may fluctuate according to them when untrained. For example, during her Moon Ring lessons with Ondina, Evie had a general trouble in mastering its various spells, and the lessons often went terribly wrong, due to Evie's impatience.
  • Enchantment Song - Male merpeople (also known as mermen) are susceptible to a Siren's enchanting lullabies, like the entire malekind itself. There also existed the Northern Song, which when sung by a Northern siren, it was able to enchant mermaids from others pods as well, however, Northern mermaids themselves were apparently immune to its enchanting tune. It was unknown whether Northern mermen were immune to the Northern Song, or not, though they were most likely not. In order to reverse the Northern siren's enchanting song on an afflicted victim, one was required to sing a counter-version of the original song in order to break the enchantment.
Emma Infected With Fish Fever

Emma with Fish Fever

  • Fish Fever - Is caused by a strange, rainbow-colored coral which houses a poison that affects merpeople, causing them to be overexcited and hungry for seafood, but the more the poison seeps into their system, the more ravenous they get. For Emma, her orange scales turned white and scales even appeared on the skin, her hands became webbed, her nails turned black and later into claws, her skin became more monstrous; her neck sprouted a set of gills, her hair started to turn green, her eyes turned yellow, and she made monster-like noises. Fortunately, she was later cured when Lewis sprayed an antidote developed by Laurie on her.
  • Moon Pool's Magic - Every merperson is magically linked with the specific Moon Pool that served as the source of their metamorphosis, and magical powers. If a Moon Pool is ever destroyed or being deprived of its Moon Water, all merpeople linked with said pool will perish and die with it, unless said pool would eventually be restored before all of them could die. It is still unknown if their human-turned-merpeople counterparts are completely immune to it or not, based on the 2008 and 2014 destruction of Mako's Moon Pool. Furthermore, based on the Moon's phases and the planetary alignments, all Moon Pools around the Earth can react magically to these phenomena and affect merpeople in a variety of ways. It is unknown if this extends to merpeple native from the sea, and even hybrids, or not.
    • Unmetamorphosis - Merpeople were also susceptible to the natural reaction of any active Moon Pool, based on the lunar phases and the planetary alignments, which could be used to affect them in a variety of ways in the event where they entered the waters of their native Moon Pool in its active state during these celestial events. For example, when all the planets of the Solar System occur in a perfect conjunction with the moon, any merperson that was once a human and entered the waters of any Moon Pool across the globe in its active state during the event were to be permanently reverted back into a human being, and stripped of their magical powers as a result, and it is currently unknown if they can undergo metamorphosis again after their human self is fixed, though it seems unlikely. There also existed a very potent potion that channeled the power of fifty moons and could be used to replicate its effects on a bewitched merperson at other times. There also existed other lunar and planetary occurrences that could be used to affect a bewitched merperson's powers, such as lunar and presumably solar eclipses. Also, during a Lunar Eclipse, any human-metamorphosed-merperson that entered the waters of any active Moon Pool during the event were to be temporarily stripped of their true self and magical powers, and reverted back into a human being for a period of twelve hours. After this period, the Eclipse's effects would wear off on their own, and a merperson's true self and abilities would be fully restored by then. It is unknown if sea-born merpeople are immune to the effects of the Unmetamorphosis, but they're most likely not.
  • Moon Spell - The Moon Spell is the reaction of the Full Moon in every merperson. They can fall under this spell by standing outside on a Full Moon night, by looking directly at the Full Moon, or just by its dangerous reflections on glasses, mirrors and liquid-filled bowls. Once the Full Moon sets, the spell will be lifted. An active Moon Pool can even protect a merperson of the Full Moon's influence. It is revealed that merpeople native from the sea learn Moon Spell Control when they are hatchlings. However, over time, they would grow immune to its effects, like the others.
  • Mortality - Despite their extended lifespan, merpeople are still mortal, as they still do age and eventually die.
  • Sickness - Merpeople don't get sick, unlike humans. However, they can be infected if they come across a sick land person and can spread it to other merpeople as well. The symptoms involve oozing heat from out of their bodies and breathe fire whenever they sneeze. Rita Santos invented a remedy for such situations after coming across such occasion's multiple times. Mimmi, being inexperienced with such situations, tried to concoct a potion, but it only worked temporarily, after which the sick merpeople will feel cold and eventually sneezes snow.
Snow Allergy

Sirena and Lyla with Snow Rash

  • Snow Rash - Mermaids and mermen native from the South Pacific, such as of the Mako Pod, will be infected and contract a type of skin rash after physical contact with snow. It was followed by several negative symptoms and prevented merpeople from using their powers to warm themselves. A merperson who tries to use his/her power will only generate cold and lower the temperature. The only way to cure Snow Rash is a Dried Seahorse Powder that Rita contains stored within a silver seahorse. To heal, the dust must be sprinkled on the affected part of the skin, and it will immediately disappear. This is because they live in warm and cozy weather, and under normal circumstances never come into contact with snow: Northern merpeople are immune to Snow Rash.
  • Trident's stone - The Trident was capable of detecting mermaids, even if in invisible state, by glowing when one was nearby, and draining the strength out of mermaids. It was also able to siphon merman's powers right into the stone.
  • Water Dragon's cold breath - A water dragon's cold breath was able to permanently revert a bewitched merperson, no matter if they were native from the sea or not, into a regular human being, and remove their magical powers with no known cure.[37] This magic also prevented a bewitched merperson from re-undergoing metamorphosis in an active Moon Pool itself, and repelled certain magical anomalies from bewitching them again, rendering their human self permanent.[38] The cold fire was the only known magic that could strip a sea-born merperson's powers and abilities, and was still unknown if they were completely immune to all of the Full Moon's special lunar and other celestial occurrences on an active Moon Pool itself, unlike their human-turned counterparts who were known to be susceptible to all of them.[16][17][19]

Known Merpeople[]

Mermaids[]

Transformed[]

Natural[]

Undetermined[]

Other[]

Mermen[]

Natural[]

Undetermined[]

  • Nerissa's merman ancestor †
  • Unnamed Ancient Kinder Merman †

Note: † = Deceased

Trivia[]

  • Louise Chatham once implied that different lunar phases and other celestial occurrences were to affect a bewitched merperson in a variety of different ways.[16] Max Hamilton once explained to Lewis McCartney that once a human-turned-merperson was bewitched by the power of fifty moons in an active moon pool, their mermaid form and magical powers were removed permanently.[19]
    • It was unknown if merpeople native from the sea were completely immune to these lunar and celestial occurrences on an active Moon Pool itself, but they were most likely not.[26]
    • However, it was implied that only the specific Moon Pool that served as the source of one's metamorphosis was able to revert a bewitched merperson back into a human being permanently, as was the case with Gracie, and Charlotte.
  • The dangerous reputation of the Northern Pod may have been inspired by the legends of dangerous, wicked mermaids which are most common in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Just like in the legends, mermaids native to the sea have a slight streak of vanity and often comb their hair with seashells.[39]
  • Merpeople native to the sea tend to be given names with meanings that relate to water in some way (such as Rita), including literal translations to "water" (such as Aquata), or relating to mythological figures related to it such as deities (such as Neptina) and spirits (such as Nixie and Ondina). They may also be named after celestial or weather phenomenon (such as Aurora), pretty things (such as Jewel), or colors associated with the sea (such as Veridia).
  • Since natural mermaids avoid being seen by humans, they dive fully clothed into the water; former humans like Cleo, Rikki, Emma, Bella, and Evie prefer to wear swimsuits so they can enjoy the beach in private before swimming.
  • According to early concept art for Mako: Island of Secrets, mermen were originally going to remain bipedal like humans, with legs covered in scales and large webbed feet to act as flukes instead of the singular cetacean-like tails mermaids have. The style of scales seen in the concept art also have them resemble reptiles more than fish, unlike mermaids.[40][41]
  • According to Rita Santos, water (more specifically saltwater) is the essence of a merperson's spirit.[4] It can heal or cause damage, according to what they could do with their hydrokinetic power which is very common among the merpeople.
  • Currently, as of Reunion, there was never made any physical debut and appearance of a male human-turned-merman, as Zac Blakely was revealed to be a natural-born merman, and specifically native from the Northern Pod.
  • Cleo, Emma, and Rikki are the first known human-turned Southern mermaids to appear in the either of the H2O/Mako Mermaids Universe, despite the metamorphosis and actual of Gracie, Louise Chatham, and Julia pre-dating the current trio by fifty years.
  • Eva was also believed to be a mermaid, though her actual fate, origins and source of power remained unknown.
  • Sirena, Nixie, Lyla, Aquata, and Maya are the first known natural-born Southern mermaids to make the physical appearance.
  • Mimmi was the first known natural-born Northern mermaid to make an official appearance.
  • Weilan was the first known natural-born Eastern mermaid to make an official appearance in the final season of Mako Mermaids.
  • Mermaid tails are twice as long as human legs; due to their tails needing strong muscles fot swimming fast and against the strong ocean currents.

Gallery[]

Main article: Gallery: Merpeople

See also[]

References[]

  1. Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 2: Episode 05: Bad For Business
  2. Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 3: Episode 15: The Legend of Jiao Long
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Homecoming
  4. 4.0 4.1 Moon Ring 2
  5. I Don't Believe in Mermaids
  6. Discovery
  7. 7.0 7.1 Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 2: Episode 21: New Orders
  8. A New Tail
  9. Jonathan M. Shiff's interview
  10. 10.0 10.1 Graduation
  11. In Too Deep
  12. The Gracie Code (Part 1)
  13. 13.0 13.1 A Visit From The East
  14. Revealed
  15. Metamorphosis
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 A Twist in the Tail
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Stormy Weather
  18. And Then There Were Four
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Unfathomable
  20. The Awakening
  21. Outcasts
  22. Getting Legs
  23. The Siren
  24. Meeting Rita
  25. Decision Time
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 The Seventh Cycle
  27. The Siren (Season 2)
  28. The Chosen One
  29. The Way of the Dragon
  30. The Secret of Mako Island
  31. Seeing Is Believing
  32. 32.0 32.1 Fish Fever
  33. Red Herring
  34. Lewis implied it when he referred to the planetary conjunction of Venus with the moon, along with the fact there was a real-life occurrence around this date
  35. H2O: Just Add Water: Season 2: Episode 15: Irresistible
  36. Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 1: Episode 03: Meeting Rita
  37. Turning The Tide
  38. Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 3: Episode 09: Reversal of Fortune
  39. Mako: Island of Secrets: Season 1: Episode 05: Blizzard
  40. https://www.facebook.com/jmbfx/posts/pfbid0FdrPW8MkprxHarW6QgDMk78FdWuPasYM6eLz7moD4hopWnby3jXmntHwDbrQCEk5l
  41. See these three images
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