Bastian's Song [Complete--Editing]

Clan Guide - Reference

If you are reading this for a book club or contest, then please ignore this chapter and go to the prologue!

There are many different clans in the world of the merfolk, and most of their names do not share linguistic roots. So here is a simple guide to help you figure out who is who, without spoiling anything:

Naiad

This clan is the one that our main character, Prince Bastian, is from. Most of them live in their city, Nereus, but some of them travel the oceans as merchants. The Naiads are ruled by their king, who has the title Triton.

For reasons related to the prologue, only a merman can be the Triton, and the position is inherited. If the line is ever broken, then the sibling or a child of a sibling would be next to be crowned.

Naiad tails are often gemstone colors, with the majority somewhere along the blue spectrum, though there is good variety.

Undine

The Undine clan live to the North of the Naiads. They are ruled by a group of three mermaids who are collectively called the Sirens. Each Siren is a powerful sorceress and only the best can attain the title. For cultural reasons, only mermaids can hope to become Sirens.

If a Siren ever leaves the Undine for any reason, such as marriage into a different clan, then she must renounce her title. A contest is then held among the eligible mermaids of the clan and the winner takes up the mantle of Siren.

Most Undine have silver tails that have soft feathers spread throughout.

Selkie

The Selkies hail from the coasts to the West of the Naiads. These merfolk are the closest to human settlements and love to spend their time on shore as much as they do in the ocean. They carry with them a magical seal skin that gives them their tails and they remove these in order to gain legs that let them go up on the shore.

Selkies are the most nomadic of the mermaid tribes, and they govern themselves with a loose council of merfolk that are generally elected from within their small traveling schools. Even the Selkies don't know who all of the council members are since they change as the need arises.

Their tails are often greens and browns.

Wata

This is the most secretive of the mermaid clans. Their leader is their goddess--Wata--who never leaves her home. All of her worshipers are devoted to her and stay with her in her hidden city. Only a Wata who has renounced their goddess, or been exiled, will ever leave the city. The only exception is when their goddess orders one of them to represent her in the outside world.

Their tails are often white or red.

Atlantean

This tribe mostly keeps to themselves because they are not considered "true" merfolk by anyone else. Their past is sordid and many of them display mutated forms with much more variation in appearance than any other clan.

No one knows who rules these odd folk, or if they even have a ruler. Very few of this clan are ever spotted outside their home--the sunken city of Atlantis--because of how despised they are by the other clans. The exception is when a major change that could affect all clans happens.

Their tales are often muddied and multi-colored.

Selach

A barbaric tribe of merfolk whose tails resemble those of the shark. This tribe does not participate in trade or treatise with any of the other clans. Their leader is the strongest of their kin, and fights for the leadership position are often to the death.

Their tails are akin to shark tails and are often gray in color, with rare ones being white or black.

*** As of June 1, 2018 — this book is officially completed! However, this is the first draft of said book. Therefore, it is my goal to hammer out revisions to grammar, plot, and flow before the end of summer. With that said, this book may be edited while you read it, and I'm sorry for that, but I want to put forth the best version of this book and I'm sure you want to read the best version, so thank you for your patience.