Sirens and Rusalki

by Subjectivesloth

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Sirens

Sirens are the alluring fey beings of the sea. Known for their common tactic of luring ships into rocks or perilous storms, they are feared by sailors. They charm and intoxicate their prey into doing their will, which usually involves that prey drowning in the sea. Their fey blood is used well in the enchantments and songs they use to control their targets, and also lends them a carefree comfort in their grim actions.

Sirens, to the dismay of most of their victims, almost never form relations with humanoids, as the siren's main source of food is that of drowned creatures, seasoned heavily with the salt of the sea. The only way sirens can reproduce is with other beings of the feywild. There is, however the Rusalki, a different kind of siren that is formed when a siren's magic forces a person to drown themselves in the sea. The twisted fey charm chokes them after death and transforms them into a more feral siren.

Rusalki, while driven by instinct, are still innately related to their siren and while under no charm or control, they feel a connection that drives them to help their siren, as if they were friends.True fey sirens will sometimes create rusalki intentionally in order to help guard them should some sailor resist their charms, but others can occasionally be created accidentally.

Image: Siren by Wings33

Siren

Medium fey, any chaotic alignment

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
  • Speed 20ft., swim 40ft., fly 40ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 18 (+4)
  • Condition Immunities charmed
  • Senses passive Perception 11
  • Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Amphibious. The siren can breathe air and water

Fey Ancestry. Magic can't put the siren to sleep.

Carrying Voice. The siren's voice carries magically on the wind, allowing it to be heard clearly from up to 500 feet away, through any surface except those made from lead or dimeritium.

Siren Magic. The siren is immune to the song effects of other sirens and the shriek effects of rusalki

Actions

Multiattack. The siren makes two attacks with its claws. It can replace one of those attacks with a wrap attack, or a siren song.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Tail Wrap. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be restrained as the siren wraps it in its tail. While the target is restrained, the siren can choose to squeeze the target for 1d6 bludgeoning damage as a bonus action on each of its turns. The target can repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, being released on a success.

Siren Songs. The siren sings one of the following magical songs

1. Song of Attracting. All creatures that can hear the siren must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be forced to move toward the siren using any means they possess, disregarding danger in their path.

2. Song of Infatuation. All creatures that can hear the siren must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by a minor charm, creating doubt in their minds when attacking the siren. All affected creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls that target the siren until the end of their next turn.

3. Song of Love. One creature that can hear the siren must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the siren for up to 1 hour. The charmed creature regards the siren as a lover that is to be obeyed. Although the target isn't under the siren's control, it takes the siren's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. Each time the charmed creature is harmed by the siren or its allies, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a successful save. Otherwise the effect lasts for the full duration or until the siren dies, is on a different plane of existence, or ends the effect with a bonus action. A target that succeeds on a saving throw to resist this effect is immune to the siren's Song of Love for the next 24 hours.

4. Song of Madness. All creatures that can hear the siren must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become irrationally enraged. Affected creatures immediately use their reaction to make a single weapon attack against the closest creature to them that isn't the siren. If a creature cannot reach any others with its weapon, it is unaffected.

5. Song of Pain All creatures that can hear the siren must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 thunder damage and be deafened until the end of their next turn as the sound of this magical song wracks their ears.

Rusalki

A rusalka is similar to a siren in appearance, though they tend to be much less friendly. When outside of water, the rusalka appears as a beautiful woman with a fish-like tail, similar to a mermaid and lacking the siren's wings. However, when submerged in water, the rusalka's true form shows: that of a horrifying skeletal visage, and a chest of decaying flesh pierced by elongated ribs, forming a natural breastplate of sorts. The claws of the rusalka are their most deadly tool, overgrown bones stretching from where fingernails once laid.

Rusalki are created when a siren causes a humanoid to drown with its charm and does not devour it, infusing the dead body with seawater and fey magic. Though rusalka are not fey themselves, some of the magic that changed them remains within them, allowing them to enchant their voice similarly to sirens, but in a much more vulgar form. The pained shrieking of a rusalka can cause horrific pain or terror in others by virtue of their magic sound.

When created, the rusalki have an innate unexplainable bond with their siren creator, causing them to trust and protect them. Rusalka are sometimes used deliberately by sirens to guard them or their homes, but just as many are created by a body being lost in the waves before the siren can find and eat it. Rusalka devour the flesh of creatures drowned in the sea for sustenance , and normally share meals with their siren if they have one. Because the rusalka is little more than an empowered corpse, it is driven mainly by instinct. When alone they hunt near small beaches, where they can use their false appearance to lure in prey before mangling them with their claws.

Rusalka

Medium undead, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
  • Speed 20ft., swim 50ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1)
  • Skills Perception + 5
  • Saving Throws Str + 6, Dex + 6
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
  • Senses passive Perception 15
  • Languages understands Common, Elvish, and Sylvan but can't speak
  • Challenge 6 (2,300)

Amphibious. The rusalka can breathe air and water

Aquatic Appearance. The rusalka's appearance changes when it is not in contact with seawater. Any part of the rusalka that is submerged in seawater reveals its true form, while any parts outside of water look like the features of a beautiful woman.

Siren Magic. The rusalka is immune to the song effects of sirens and the shriek effects of other rusalki

Actions

Multiattack. The rusalka makes three attacks with its claws. It can replace one of those attacks with either a tail slap attack, or a shriek.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.

Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Shrieks. The rusalka expels one of the following pained cries laced with fey magic:

1.Biting Shriek All creatures that can hear the rusalka must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 6d6 thunder damage.

2. Terrifying Shriek All creatures that can hear the rusalka must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the Rusalka for up to 1 hour. The creature can repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, ending the effect on a successful save.

3. Paralyzing Shriek The rusalka focuses its voice on a single creature, forcing it to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is paralyzed until the end of its next turn, as the shriek's magic immobilizes its body

Image: Kim Myatt

Image: Siren by Wings33, DeviantArt

Siren Traits

Your nature as a siren has a variety of benefits owing to your fey origins.

  • Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2
  • Age. Sirens mature to adulthood over a period of 6 months, wherein they grow from the size of a large tadpole into their full, semi-humanoid bodies. A siren's appearance never changes with age, and they can live for up to 1000 years.
  • Alignment. Sirens love the open sea, the ocean breeze, and the freedom to do whatever they wish. They tend toward chaotic alignments
  • Size. A fully grown siren can easily be 7 or 8 feet long, tail included. When taking the form of a humanoid, they resemble the size of average humans. Your size is Medium.
  • Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  • Fey Ancestry. Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
  • Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.
  • Carrying Voice. When you speak, you can choose to carry your voice magically on the winds. All creatures within 500 feet of you can hear your words as if you were speaking directly into their ear. This voice can penetrate some thin surfaces, but can't pierce any depth of stone, metal, or lead.
  • Siren Song. You can use your action to lace your voice with powerful fey charms. Choose one of the following effects:

Song of Love. Choose a creature within 120 feet that can hear you. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for up to 1 hour. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + Your proficiency bonus. The charmed creature regards you as a romantic partner, and takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. Each time the charmed creature is harmed by the siren or its allies, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a successful save. Otherwise the effect lasts for the full duration or until the siren dies, is on a different plane of existence, or ends the effect with a bonus action.

Song of Pain Up to 3 creatures within 120 feet that can hear you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 thunder damage and be deafened until the end of their next turn. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + Your proficiency bonus. The damage increases to 3d4 at 6th level, 4d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 16th level.

Once you use either Siren Song effect, you can't use this trait again until you finish a long rest.

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