House Syrinx

The merfolk of House Syrinx call themselves the “true chosen of Vatea,” for their Apasarae are taken from the bony fishes that populate the seas from coast to coast. Syrinx Apsarae include lionfish, sea horses, swordfish, marlins, sunfish, mackerel, tuna, parrotfish — the list goes on and on. The Syrinx are the largest house, and the representatives of Vatea to his own children. Acting as something of a mix between nobles and spiritual leaders, the merfolk of house Syrinx venerate the sea through art, dance, and music. Merfolk of House Syrinx are typical of what people picture when they hear the words “Mermaid” or “Triton” — beautiful, capricious, fish-tailed water spirits who love to cavort but can be deadly when angered. It was the Syrinx who were responsible for legends of helpful sea-folk who would help the wind steer a ship or blow a sultry kiss to a lonely sailor; however, the Syrinx were just as renowned as angry sea-gods calling storms from blue skies to sink a vessel or for singing men to their doom. Most members of merfolk society are Syrinx, and they take pride in their affiliation. Fully as large as the other two houses put together, Syrinx is simultaneously home to the highest and lowest ranking merfolk. Although the majority of “citizens” are Syrinx, so are their leaders, with the other two houses filling the political spaces between. The members of house Syrinx take their responsibility very seriously — a task which they see as being leadership of the world. After all, they are the nobility of the oceans, and the oceans are the “real world” to anyone with any knowledge of simple geography. The current Queen of the Mer, a breathtakingly beautiful lionfish nix named Naomi, belongs to this house. Clearly disturbed by current events, it was humiliating for her to try to enlist the aid of the land-based Kithain, but she could see no other way. This is a very tense time for her — she could suffer the shame of failing all her people, or be raised on a pedestal as the greatest hero the mer have ever known.

Boon: Members of house Syrinx are more regal than other mer, and can even command the creatures of the sea to recognize their sovereignty to some degree. A Syrinx mer may roll Charisma + Survival to exert this influence; she may control one larger creature or one school of smaller fishes for each success rolled.

Flaw: More than any other merfolk, the members of House Syrinx need the water. A Syrinx loses one Willpower point for every day that she does not spend at least an hour immersed in water. Lost Willpower can only be recovered by spending several hours at a time submerged.

Reference

 * CWOD: World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides, p. 75 - 76