Miengu

The miengu( singular; jengu) are a sinister race of merfolk who inhabit freshwater lakes, though they can adapt and live in saltwater. They, along with the mischievous mermaids, inspired the myth of the sirens.

Behavior
Miengu are cold, wicked beings. They go to great lengths to cause chaos and misery so they can feast upon it and they enjoy their wicked work. They will even torture and kill one of their own to feel the "buzz" of anger, sadness, despair and misery. Rage is their favourite meal. They seem to get a twisted enjoyment out of causing strife. Even if threatened, the chaos that occurs around them brings a smile to their faces. Whenever there is an opportunity to cause some havoc, a jengu is sure to spot it and expose it.

Physical Features
Miengu look like mermaids but they are much more otherworldly in appearance. Their skin is covered in scales and they have gills on the sides of their necks. Their lips hide piranha-like teeth and their whole bodies glow. Their long hair is black. Their eyes are pitch black with no whites or irises. They dress in a mysterious fabric which adapts to a creature's shape and provides warmth.

Even with the glamour miengu still appear sinister but they also appear strangely beautiful, attractive and mesmerizing. Without the glamour miengu are absolutely hideous and grotesque. Their long hair becomes an oily mess, their limbs become thin and skeletal and glimpses of their bones can be seen. Their teeth become dirty, their faces narrow and pointed.

Society
Like humans, centaurs and elves, miengu live in villages and towns. Each village is overseen by one jengu. The laws of their community are very strict. Miengu who break the laws are tortured and killed so the rest of the village can feed off the negative emotions.

Dwellings
Miengu live in dome-shaped dwellings at the very bottom of lakes. It is unknown if these round homes are carved or formed naturally. Rusty red crabs cover each dome like moving roof tiles. The entrances are rounded and very low, keeping the air they create in their caverns for land dweller visitors from escaping. The miengu also use the caverns and caves that surround their lake. These are usually used for prisoners and storing their torture tools. At least one miengu village as a cave with magical rock where they farm magically enhanced silk worms. The miengu harvest this silk to make enchanted clothing or "smart clothes".

Relationships with other Species
Miengu are very mysterious and their neighbors know next to nothing about them. The miengu hold no love or compassion for humans and only see them as vessels of sadness and grief. They had no qualms about using their powerful glamours to mesmerize sailors and lure them aground so they could absorb their fear. They will tolerate humans and trade with them if they have something to offer the miengu. The best example is Molly. With her gorgon gaze and frightening appearance, Molly inspires more fear in the miengus' criminals and prisoners, giving the rest of the species a better meal of negative emotions.

Though not proven, miengu may have a rocky relationship with mermaids. When Simone entered their village, the miengu looked upon her with disdain. While this anger may just be directed at Simone due to Jolie's hatred towards the woman, true mermaids have claimed that the miengu's terrible ways ruined the reputation of all merfolk. This is an obvious lie due to the mermaids' mischievous nature and suggests that the two species do not look upon each other in a favourable light.

Powers and Abilities

 * Underwater breathing: Like mermaids and humans, miengu have lungs and can breathe air. They also have a set of gills on their necks which enable them to breathe underwater like fish. The transition from water to air is uncomfortable as a jengu has to empty out all the water in the lungs. It is unknown if the miengus' lungs are strong like mermaids' to hold air for longer and serve as a backup system if their gills are damaged or if their lungs are just a way of breathing air like humans.
 * Swimming and agility: A jengu's powerful fish-like tail is built for powering through the water with incredible agility and grace.
 * Adaption: Miengu can adapt and live in salt water.
 * Pressure resistance: Some lakes are very deep and miengu may need to be resistant to pressure like many fish in order to cultivate the bottom of such lakes. As they can live in the seas, they may be naturally adept at diving to to depths no human could withstand.


 * Telepathy: Miengu communicate underwater via telepathy. This is the ability to read minds and project thoughts and words into another's mind.
 * Air bubbles: Miengu can breathe giant bubbles full of oxygen which enable others to breathe.
 * Glamour: Miengu possess a glamour even more powerful than the mermaid's spell. The miengu's glamour makes them appear strangely alluring and enchanting. The form of the miengu depends on the observer. For example, men see female miengu as mesmerizing while females would see them as ordinary. Women with ill feelings towards the jengu would see her as she really is, a hideous monster. Though only a theory, the elder jengu once said that her kind may be capable of greater power as well as loose their dependency on negative feelings if they stopped wasting their energy on maintaining their stunning glamour. It is unknown if this is true or if it is even possible to turn off a glamour without the power of a phoenix.
 * Enchantment: The miengu's glamour clouds the minds of men and women. They can't help but be attracted to the miengu. Their stunning appearance has lured many men to a watery grave. Even if a jengu's horrible personality is discovered, if a person were to look upon the jengu's gorgeous glamour, the spell would make him think of reasons to justify not harming or punishing the creature. An influx of magic will increase the strength of their enchantment, allowing them to charm monsters into protecting them out of instinct and even nearly hypnotise those who know about the ways of the miengu.
 * Healing: Miengu have the power to heal all illnesses. However, they cannot make this badness simply disappear. They can only transfer a disease into another creature via touch. By touching a sick being, the jengu absorbs the illness. She can pass it on to someone else. However, the new occupant must be big enough like a pig, dog or cat to hold the illness or the disease will flow out and infect all who are near. The miengu cannot heal physical wounds like cuts or broken bones.

Known Miengu

 * Jolie(shapeshifter)
 * Romili
 * Old Merali

Island of Fog

 * Lake of Spirits
 * Roads of Despair
 * Chamber of Ghosts
 * Prison of Despair(mentioned)

Island of Fog Legacies

 * The Unicorn Hunters(mentioned)

Short Stories

 * Trading Magic