Selkie
The year was 51 OtO during the double eclipse when I saw every human and every seal born with a caul. This had never happened before. What this means is there was a new species born into the world. They call themselves the Selkie. They can change between human and seal. It seems the caul is the key, but I do not know how it works.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A selkie, depending on the form they are in, appears like your typical human or seal. That is to say, four limbs, one head, two eyes, two ears, one nose. They have long hair whether masculine or feminine while in human form. This is because they never cut their hair.
The colour of their hair ranges from blond to black. They have light blue or bright green eyes in both forms. Their skin colour ranges from pale pink to black as night. This is due in part to the type of seal they are in their seal form, and in part to their human heritage.
Genetics and Reproduction
They can reproduce with both humans and seals. Gestation length depends on the form they are in when they become pregnant. In seal form the gestation can last anywhere from forty to forty-four weeks, yet while they are in human form it is thirty-six to forty weeks. The young are carried in their womb until they give birth to live young.
Growth Rate & Stages
Infancy
Seal born
Selkies born in seal form are considered infants until about four to six weeks when they are weaned from their mothers.
Human born
Those born in human form and raised by their human parent remain infants until about two years. For those who are adopted and raised by seals they are infants for six to eight weeks.
Toddler
Seal born
Those born or adopted are "toddlers" or juveniles for about a year. During this time they stay close to their mothers learning to swim and hunt.
Human born
Those who have stayed with their parents are considered toddlers for about a year. Once they have their seal skin they tend to head to the water and are lost to their parents. The selkie parent, if they know where the skin is, will give it to the toddler in order set them free from being trapped on the land.
Young
Seal born
This stage is included in the toddler stage.
Human born
Selkies who have yet to find or receive their seal skin and are raised by their human parent are considered young until they reach puberty. This happens roughly at twelve years of age, give or take a couple of years.
Adolescent
Seal born
Males are considered adolescent for five to seven years, while females take four to eight years.
Human born
Adolescence lasts for roughly six years. They are considered adults between sixteen and eighteen years of age.
Adult
Seal born
For these selkies, adulthood begins when they are fertile.
Human born
Not many selkies raised on land achieve adulthood. If they have not gotten their seal skin by this time, they are likely to develop severe depression and dehydration.
Ecology and Habitats
Selkies are a semi-aquatic species. They need to spend a lot of time in the water. That said, they can spend a significant amount of time on land. They will always live near a large body of water where other seals can be found. They have a strong tie to their environment and live in balance with the local ecosystem. They will travel to where food is plentiful in order to allow the area to recover.
When they are on land they prefer to find a rocky island where there are few humans. This is because humans are dangerous to selkies and seals. These islands will become their mating grounds. Sometimes the islands will have crude huts used by selkies who have mated in human form until their young are ready to move from land to the water.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Selkies live on a diet of fish and crustaceans. These foods are necessary to build the fat levels for insulation. They also eat seaweed for the iron and digestive reasons.
Biological Cycle
Once a year, selkies will spend time on land to molt, shedding hair and skin from the previous year. This means spending between a day to a week without wearing their seal skin. While their skin is off selkies are in human form and vulnerable to being captured. They will usually stay with other seals during this time to protect themselves and the seals from predation.
Mating season happens in the spring for those who are seal born or in seal form. While in human form female selkies are fertile on a monthly basis, while male selkies are always fertile. Female selkies rarely spend more than a week in human form if they can avoid it.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Selkies can be found along most coastlines of Corrigenda and large bodies of water where seals can be found.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Selkies can sense hormones in the water up to a mile away. This lets them know when there are members of the opposite sex nearby. During seal mating season, selkies who are human born avoid the area until they are ready to join in.
They have hyper sensitive whiskers that can sense the vibrations of fish, allowing them to hunt in dark and turbid waters. Their whiskers also inform them about the size of the fish. They can sense these wakes even while they are moving. Their whiskers also give them a sense of when a predator is near.
Civilization and Culture
History
The year was 51 OtO, the moons Gautama and Ciará blocked the light of the sun, when a young child was born on a fishing vessel, with a caul covering her face. Her parents, thinking she was dead, tossed her overboard into the sea. They watched in horror as her body hit the water and shifted into a seal. She swam away and her parents never saw her again.
Meanwhile on the beaches seals were being born and they entered the water with their cauls still covering them. When the water covered them, their cauls seemed to dissolve, or rather meld with their bodies. As the moons shifted and the light of the sun began to hit the surface of Corrigenda again, no more seals were born with cauls that day.
Since then, Selkies have spread across Corrigenda. They live by large bodies of water anywhere seals can be found. Selkies spend the majority of their lives in their seal form, only removing their seal skins to become human once a month.
Common Myths and Legends
The legends state that the only way to marry a selkie is to steal their seal skin from where it is hidden while they are in human form. When this happens the selkie is tied to the one who has their skin until they can retrieve it and return to the sea, or it is returned. If the skin is stolen, the selkie will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Once they have their skin back, the selkie, will return to the water without a moments hesitation. This means leaving their children behind as well.
A selkie in captivity will do everything in their power to protect a young selkie. This means they will hold onto or hide the child's seal skin until they reach an age to safely survive on their own in the water.
These legends always act as a reminder to respect the water and those you love. For both can turn on you in an instant without warning.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
A selkie can be helpful or harmful, just like the waters in which they live. They have been known to rescue drowning fishermen when the water gets choppy due to storms. There are stories about selkies luring people to their deaths in the water.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
Their average lifespan is forty to sixty years
Average Height
Selkies in human form range from five feet to six feet four inches.
Average Weight
Seal form: This varies from fifty to one hundred pounds
Human form: Usually between one hundred ten to two hundred forty pounds
Average Length
Selkies in seal form range from four to twelve feet in length.
Average Physique
Selkies, while in human form, are extremely attractive. Their alluring nature is almost supernatural.
Geographic Distribution
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