Brinemaidens
Brinemaidens, sometimes cynically referred to as "Boobfish," are deadly marine predators that dwell in temperate coastal waters. The origin of their human-like upper torso is debated: some insist it is a specialized adaptation to lure seafaring and shoreside men to rescue what might pass for a drowning woman in fog or darkness, while many sailors insist that Brinemaidens not only feast on men but also mate with them, depositing their infants ashore to be raised by lonely widows. When these mute dark-eyed girls reach puberty they return to the seashore, wandering listlessly on the beach until the transformation takes hold and they disappear with the tide. Researchers seeking the truth behind the ecology and life cycle of the Brinemaiden typically get an all-too-close exploration of their digestive tracts.

Freesailor pirates make use of Brinemaidens in their trials at sea. Petty criminals that are unwary or tire too quickly on the mile or so swim back to shore will often be overcome by Brinemaidens who would otherwise avoid armed men. Those accused of serious crimes are unarmed and bound, essentially serving as a free meal for the Brinemaidens and gory entertainment for the rest of the crew.

Brinemaidens, though widely feared by sailors, are also subjects of a sort of reverence as embodiments of the fickle and dangerous nature of the sea. In addition to the stories of shipwrecks becoming grisly banquets, there are also the occasional returns of sailors who crewed a ship wrecked far from shore, inexplicably alive and babbling incoherently of rescue at the claws of a maiden of the deep...