Oceanids are a type of fey who travel the coasts, often bringing music and merriment in their wake. They are most well known for their fascination with humanoids and largely take on forms that mimic handsome male members of these races. Oceanids adore beauty of all kinds but personally lack subtlety. They are invariably flashy, dressing in brightly-colored clothing and heavily adorning themselves in jewelry. Oceanids are shapeshifters who typically take forms that are almost physically indistinguishable from male humanoids. An oceanid rarely assumes a single guise for more than a month or two at a time, but he may revisit an identity later on. Many bear minor tells that go largely unnoticed, such as too-green eyes or sweat that smells too closely of ocean brine. Though they may lack “true forms,” oceanids sometimes also appear as creatures akin to water elementals, albeit in a closer approximation of human shapeOceanids spend much of their time tricking and playing pranks upon mortals.

These tricks are usually harmless, but they can be infuriating. A common example of an oceanid prank is to exchange jewelry for other valuable trinkets—items that soon crumble into sand once the oceanid takes his leave. However, some oceanid pranks can turn fatal, often in the form of drownings. In another favorite oceanid prank, the oceanid lures his target into dangerous currents with illusory calm waters. Although some oceanids are indeed malicious, any deaths resulting from their pranks are usually unintentional. Oceanids can be poor judges of mortal swimming ability and lead victims to their dooms in their ignorance. When such a fate befalls an object of an oceanid’s affections, he may become so overcome with grief that he dissolves into seafoam.

Like many fey creatures, oceanids have a fondness for music and are skilled players of lutes, lyres, and other stringed instruments. Many oceanids delight in sharing their expertise with humanoids, and their pupils often go on to become famous bards. Although not always a means of enchantment, some oceanids use their songs to magically attract mortals to the shore. Such lures are often necessary, as oceanids begin to lose their mental faculties if they stray too far inland. However, their intentions for doing so vary: one oceanid may simply want an audience, while another may seek to draw in new victims for his pranks.