Ventaren – Peter Krausche

Every child on Piral knew that Ventaren, or Mermaids, were just a myth. And yet, no child would ever turn down the chance to hear a tale of these wondrous creatures. But fishermen on the Sea of Ventara claimed the beautiful sea maidens really existed and could lure unsuspecting men to their deaths with their enchanting song.

Little else is known of the Ventaren, except that they are supposedly hermaphrodites who are ruled by a queen. As with the legends of sirens, their song is said to be irresistible to any men of the Selani who hear it. The song of the Ventaren therefore seems to be just as much of a lure to men as the call of the Tinavar is to women.

The realm of the Ventaren is extensive since there are immense underground waterways on Piral. These same sources are also used by the Selani for their water supply. The water around the Ventaren is said to have magical qualities, similar to the Fountains of Malentisa. Also, the water of lakes frequented by the Ventaren tends to be very clear, probably so the aquatic plants from which they live receive enough sunlight for their growth.

Of the many images of Mermaids available on the internet, the paintings by Rodd C. Umlauf seem to best express the contemplative wonder and beauty of the Ventaren. Please click on the images to go directly to Rodd C. Umlauf’s homepage. Rodd has more Mermaid art on his Lake Superior Project page, where you can see full-size pictures of the images used on this website.