The Merfolk were a race ruled by King Neptune. They look physically half human and half fish. Female merfolk are known as mermaids (or sea maidens) and males are known as mermen.
Background[]
There are legends about mermaids everywhere in the world. They are semi-human beings that are human from the head to the waist and fish below, but at times the mermaid is allowed to take the entire form of a human being. There many stories of mermaids--all of whom are said to be extremely beautiful--marrying human men. Sometimes the mermaid remains on land with her husband, thus losing her magical powers. At other times the mermaid is able to bring the man to live with her under the sea, preserving his life with her magic. There are also similar stories about mermen but are far less common than the fables of the sea maidens.[1]
Merfolk, especially mermaids are not the most talkative of folk, and some are even less so (a few are even mute).[2] The mermaids of Kolyma sun themselves there, and sing the songs that capture people's souls and haunt them always with liquid melodies and the rhythm of eternal tides.[3]
Known Merfolk[]
- Graham met a mermaid who was sitting on a rock along the west coast of Kolyma. He gave her a bouquet of flowers in acknowledgment of her beauty, and she called forth a sea horse to carry Graham to King Neptune. Neptune gave Graham the key to the first of the magic doors.
- When Graham made his final crossing of the Northern Sea to Mordack's castle, he was escorted by another mermaid. Her name was Pearl.
- King Neptune is the king of the merfolk, and appears as a merman.[4]
Behind the scenes[]
A mermaid (and merman) is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Depending on the stories they maybe magical in nature or even having supernatural divine god-like/spiritual powers.
Although in King's Quest universe with exception of Neptune (who is a known 'god'/immortal being) who uses 'divine' powers, mermaids themselves are not necessarily shown to all have 'magical' or supernatural powers. But they do consort with creatures that are magical in nature such as the Magic Seahorse (which can allow human mortals to breath underwater). Although 'music' is considered its own form of 'magic' by some, it is how ever something all beings are capable including all humans (and is fairly mundane).
Mermaids (unofficial)[]
See Mermaid (unofficial) and Mer-people for merfolk in the fan games and fiction.