The Scotia Sea occupies a cold, dark region of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, adjacent to the Bellingshausen Sea. Its name derives from the vessel Scotia from the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, having nothing to do with Scotland itself, though most mermaids speak either German or Swedish, reflecting the influence of explorers like Eduard Suess and Otto Nordenskjöld. Despite the harsh conditions, the sea teems with surprising abundance of food, with over a hundred species of fish found there.
Queen Macy Jakobson rules this realm as a usurper, having ascended the throne through a coup orchestrated with the help of Harriet Rebane, a former assassin from the Ross Sea. Macy’s parents were slaughtered years ago during a war with the Scotia Sea, and she survived by hiding behind a curtain when she was seven—many believe that trauma caused her later insanity, though those who know her recognize it as post-traumatic stress rather than true madness. After being imprisoned for insanity while her sister Maud became a pawn of the enemy, Macy staged her coup and proved herself a skilled ruler, far better than her sister.
The small community of barely three hundred residents possesses surprisingly high-quality medical care, as demonstrated when Jet Mir was hospitalized there for an allergy to a specific type of algae. The population’s striking physical characteristics—black hair, fair skin, prominent cheekbones, emerald eyes, and dark green snake-like tails—reflect their adaptation to the cold waters. Both men and women apply translucent, fatty cream to shield their faces from cold water and air, while the scarcity of vegetation makes the color green hold immense symbolic value, reflected in the country’s color palette.
Leave a Reply