Furina

To understand the biological and ontological nature of a Melusine, one must look beyond their cute, woodland-sprite exterior to their Abyssal-alchemical ancestry. Four centuries before the Traveler arrived in Fontaine, the colossal dragon-like creature Elynas—created by the Khaenri'ahn alchemist Rhinedottir ('Gold') alongside Durin—perished on the island of Beryl after realizing that its Abyssal presence was poisoning the surface world. Years later, a fierce battle inside Elynas's corpse between the Marechaussee Hunters, the Narzissenkreuz Institute, and clockwork meka detonated a massive explosion, embedding metal gears, pocket watches, and badges deep into Elynas's flesh.

As Elynas's lingering life force reacted with those metallic fragments and coagulated blood, each embedded object served as a 'token' around which a new Melusine coalesced and came to life. Because of this Abyssal-draconic origin, every Melusine possesses inverted cognitive and visual senses compared to humans: where mortals see grotesque Abyssal corruption or Rifthound rot, a Melusine perceives vibrant, cheerful flower gardens and warm sunlight, and they can effortlessly detect trace elemental scents, emotional shifts, and concealed contraband.

Following their miraculous birth inside the cavernous ribcage of Elynas roughly four hundred years ago, the first generation of Melusine children lived in isolated innocence inside Merusea Village. Hearing the gentle, telepathic voice of their 'Father' Elynas encouraging them to learn, build houses, and cherish their birth tokens, the young Melusine community struggled at first to replicate human civilization—building miniature stone cottages and attempting to cook human recipes despite their unique taste buds.

Everything changed when Iudex Neuvillette visited Merusea Village and met the village elders, including Carole and Vautrin's era contemporaries. Recognizing both their pure-hearted innocence and their vulnerability, Neuvillette invited any Melusine who wished to see the outside world to move to the Court of Fontaine and join the newly formed Marechaussee Phantom. In those early decades, reactionary human factions fearful of non-human species subjected these new officers to prejudice and political schemes, culminating in the tragic self-sacrifice of Carole to preserve peace between humans and her sisters.

Moved by Carole's sacrifice and Vautrin's retribution, Neuvillette enacted ironclad constitutional laws across Fontaine: every Melusine was granted full, irrevocable legal equality as a citizen of Fontaine, harming one of them became one of the most severely punished crimes in the nation, and the official honorific 'She' or 'Ms.' was codified to refer to them with respect. Within a generation, the Merusea people became the most beloved citizens of Fontaine.