Quest Failed: Chapter Two - Dev Log #31

Hi there, guys!

So, the votes are in, and it looks like the majority of you are interested in learning more about some of the characters introduced in Chapter Two! I don't blame you of course, considering how little I've actually revealed about a lot of them beyond some teases here and there. So today I'm going to devote the dev log to delving a bit more into a particular character--namely a cheeky minx of a fish whose name alone invokes the ire of the entire fishing community.

Yes, we'll be looking at Marine, the mischievous mermaid~ Something of an outlier when it comes to her kind, she defies the traditional image of what it means to be a mermaid, much to the shame of her sisters. Rather than have long, silky hair that flows majestically while swimming in the ocean, she's chosen to cut her hair short and scruffy--perhaps in an attempt to rebel against everyone's wishes--the more they push, the more she pushes back. And while most mermaids are known for their serene voices and ability to infatuate a man with their songs alone, Marine on the other hand has a loud and abrasive tone that goes hand in hand with her hyper nature, seeming content to simply annoy the fishermen with her boisterous bellowing. (And you really don't want to hear her attempt to sing. If other mermaids were considered elegant with beautiful voices, Marine's would be akin to death metal vocals.)

Repulsed by the prim and proper society in which she was born into, this has naturally led Marine to have a deeper curiosity in the human world, her imagination running wild at what could wait for her beyond the coast in which she finds herself constrained to. While she can flop about on land for a short period, her time is limited before she's forced back into the ocean lest she dry up. Despite this, though, she's still been daring enough to attempt to venture as far as she can, pushing her limits each time before conceding and rolling back to the safety of the water.

And since her exploration in the human world hits an impassable wall due to her own limitations, in turn, she directs her curiosity to the humans that might visit the coast--both fishermen and adventurers alike.

Marine has a tendency to poke her head out of the water and bombard the humans with questions, rapid-firing so many of them to the point that even IF the humans were attempt to answer one of them, they would find themselves drowned out by her incredibly hyper nature.

And given that for successful fishing, peace and quiet is generally required...well...you can imagine how fishermen react to her. Most will attempt to shoo her away, and the few that might indulge her curiosity in the hopes she'll leave after will instantly regret it. Because, giving her attention will just encourage her more. And more. And more. She'll have no limit to the questions tumbling around in her energetic mind.

One might think that simply shooing her away, or ignoring her altogether might result in her finally giving up and diving back into the ocean to leave them to fish in peace...but then they underestimate Marine's tenacity. The more someone ignores Marine, the more...drastic her attempts at catching their attention become. From more light-hearted pranks like splashing them with water, or biting down on the hook and pretending to be their catch, to outright mean-spirited pranks like pulling them into the water with her.

Once in the water with her, depending on her mood, she'll either let them go or drag them under the water for some more 'fun'. Most fishermen that have been pulled under prefer not to say what may have transpired down in the depths of the ocean...having been thoroughly traumatised by Marine's curiosity. There's even reports of missing fishermen in the area, having last been seen in the area that Marine calls her home. Could it just be a coincidence, or...?

Needless to say, the entire fishing community within the region considers her a blight on what was once a peaceful way of life, and have even gone as far as to put up signs in the area warning other fishermen and adventurers not to venture too far onto the coast, or approach the mischievous mermaid. At least, there WERE signs up. But every time a new warning sign is put up, Marine considers it an honour and uproots it, taking it back into the ocean with her--a myriad of signs, pictures and warnings (dedicated to her, of course) decorated across the underwater cavern she calls her home.

Is there any hope of Marine calming down and following her sisters' more elegant, dignified way of life? Probably not. Are more adventurers and fishermen going to suffer at the hands of this curious fish? Probably so. Is young Matt going to experience first-hand what makes this particular Marine a force to be reckoned with? You can count on it! Let's just hope he's been practicing holding his breath!

I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into Marine's character! And of course there's still lots to find out about her, so have no fear~

If there's other characters in Chapter Two you'd like to find out more about as we go along, please let me know in the comments, as admittedly I wasn't entirely sure who I should have put in this dev log, but Marine seemed like a good pick as any to start with.