Terise lives on the shore of The Keening Sea (28.21) where she sets up a feast to lure travellers.
Terise was not always so, once she was the heiress to Steadfast (20.13) but her scheming younger sister had poor Terise sold off to slavers. On their journey southwards, the slavers were set upon by Tharaxes the Blue Death (20.24) and scattered, leaving Terise behind in the hope that the dragon would indulge his taste for maidens. But the dragon flew on, leaving Terise to struggle out of her bonds and attempt to reclaim her freedom but all she found was the Keening Sea. She was able to slake her thirst with its waters but hunger gnawed away at her.
Crying into the Sea’s uncaring waters and thinking that all other gods had abandoned her, Terise prayed to Chimalia (29.14.14) for deliverance from starvation. Barely had her lips stilled when a great shining fish from the depths rose up at her, jaws gaping wide. Not knowing if it was her doom or her deliverance, Terise was swallowed by the fish. But that was not the end of her and soon she rose up from the water, the body of the fish having replaced her legs and long fleshy growths ending in orbs of light flailing from her head instead of hair.
Chimalia answered her prayer and Terise found that she had the ability to summon food of nearly any kind, but she found that she retched up any food that she tried to swallow and that she hungered for only one thing: the flesh of thinking beings. Now she hunts them by laying tables of food upon the beach in hopes of drawing hungry travellers. If they approach close enough, her light-bearing tentacles lash out and draw them into her wide unhinged jaws.
Terise feels incredibly remorseful about her eating habits and will attempt to apologize with her mouth full and ask for news of home. After eating her fill (she does try her best to not kill more than she can eat), she will try to make amends by providing magical food, information or any other form of assistance until the pangs of hunger return. She is not stupid however, and although her skin has been greatly toughened by her transformation, she will not be lead into obvious traps.
Hooks
- Are there any other mermaids about?
- Is there any way that Terise can be helped?
- What happened to the slavers?