Jaromir Mazur
Jaromir Mazur is a merman who owns and operates a campsite in the village of Śmieszne Lasy (Curious Forest), located in the Masuria region of northeastern Poland – a land of countless lakes, dense forests, and rich folk traditions. He is the father of Ilona, the free‑spirited herbalist with whom Sawa forms a deep friendship during her stay. Physically, Jaromir is a memorable and eccentric figure: he is bald, quite sunburned, and rather obese, with a large belly like a drum. He is as short as his daughter and, like her, always goes barefoot. His appearance is that of a jovial, rustic, slightly comical local character. He also suffers from a peculiar affliction: a bad fishing streak has caused him to develop an identity crisis, which manifests in him repeatedly conjugating the Polish verb “to be” (I am… you are…) to himself, a habit that amuses and puzzles Sawa. When Sawa first meets him, he is sitting on a low plastic stool next to an empty bucket, having caught only a few crayfish instead of the pike‑perch he longs for. Despite his odd behaviour, he is warm and generous: he gives Sawa a gift – a local tincture with a blade of grass, which he had originally bought for Aunt Anastazja, believing that alcohol only improves with time. Jaromir’s role is that of a colourful, earthy, and deeply human (or rather, deeply mermaid) character who grounds Sawa’s Masurian adventure in the simple rhythms of fishing, cooking, and contemplating existence. His tail colour is not specified, but as a lake merman, it would likely be a subdued green or brown, blending with the reeds and water‑lilies of his beloved lake.
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