Special Thanks

Siren the Drowning is a collaborative effort of the posters on both the RPG.net
forums and Onyx Path Forums. Special Thanks to:

Original Creators on RPG.net, responsible for base ideas on Currents,

Antagonists, Theme and Mood: adria52801674, Leliel, Rangdo,
TheGentlemanOtherwise

Head Writer and Designer: SaulottheGentle

Logo Creator and Support: Yads Dom

Soundboard and Support: Karavolos, Reaper Verse, Belle and Vent0

Creator of Poseidon International for Honolulu: killerclown

Creator of the Supports, Kinks and Comforts System that was used as a base
for Relationships: Pale_Crusader

Chorus Baseline Creator and Support: -metablender

Creator of the Soulmate Merit: amechra

And special thanks to everyone else who helped in the development of this game.

Introduction
Ever since the beginning of time, be it from the birth of a child to the first signs of life on the
primordial earth, the signs of instinct show quicker than the signs of intelligence. A baby nuzzles
to the warmth of its mother’s bosom and learns where to suck, the amoeba learns to move and
absorb whatever comes closest to it. As they grow, they start to learn more from not only bodily
reaction, but from learning from other beings of its kind around. A wolf cub learns to hunt from
its mother and an opossum learns to play dead to trick its predators.

But out of all the animals, there’s but one that stands out above the rest: Humanity. Humanity
evolved in more than just form, but in sapience as well. They formed the ability to think, to
reason, how to chronicle time and create a way to communicate with each other. As a species
they’ve risen to even greater heights than the animals around them with their only limits being
their materials and their own imagination. This had grown to the point that humanity started to
outgrow nature itself, growing more unpredictable than the weather and fluctuating greater than
the seas.

With near limitless potential in their minds and an ever increasing population on the world,
humanity started to do more daring things. They probed at boundaries that were once nature’s
domain, they made things to better their lives and ward away what would kill any other animal.
Despite all this progress, some things began to be left behind. The cost to nature was once
something people recognized and in turn they gave thanks to it and let it heal. But as time moved
on, people started to neglect and ignore nature, becoming only more concerned with their own
lives than those of others. Those who once pointed it out were laughed at and those who tried to
defend the integrity of nature were ostracized, as humanity couldn’t possibly hope to kill all of
nature.

This growth did not come free however. The costs of humanity’s growth came from the world
around them, be it tithes paid in blood over warring nations, the depletion of natural resources or
the exhaust of their efforts damning the world around them. They become blind to this from the
light of their glories and the pride in their hearts.

Humanity is not the only creature to live in the world, nor the only one to feel pain. As the world
around them suffers for their efforts, the animals learn to ingrain fear of humanity into their
minds. This fear easily turns to hatred and savagery, which leads to the many maulings of
humans. The weather changes for the worse, harming humanity as a response for their actions.
The land poisoned by civilization’s pollution and exhausts eventually turns back to harm
civilization as well.

These stories are not new, nor are they unheard of, with wisdom handed down in almost every
folk tradition.. For every civilization and nation built, each have their own stories of how
humanity grew prideful and starting to blight the world around them and how the world started to
bite back. They all end the same way, underneath a tide of water that wiped away the pain and
mistakes, leaving a scant few remaining alive to tell the tale. Most environmentalists today say
that these stories and civilizations were meant to represent a prideful humanity, and if the world
isn’t tended to in turn, then it’s sure to wipe out what threatens it….or more realistically, die and
take everything with it.

Unfortunately, the realistic interpretation is the correct one as of late. The world is slowly dying,
and people either deny it’s happening, know of it but apathetically do nothing about it, welcome
it with open arms or live comfortably on the waste until the end of the world. The few that
remain are those who want the world to survive, those who want to protect both nature and
humanity’s integrity, those who don’t want the world to die under its own weight. These are the
men and women who keep the world in working order, who rouse the lazy, show the denialists,
bring hope to those wanting the end and laying low those who’d ruin the world for their own
gain.

What you hold in your hands is the corebook for a Storytelling game of Survival and Hope.
Siren: The Drowning goes beyond the myth that originated the creature and brings to the table a
“monster” with enough will to bring cities down for the assurance of another day.

A Game Of World Survival

Siren the Drowning is a game about the will to survive and live on in the face of the end of the
world and the impact that a whole group of people can make compared to the scant few. Sirens
are those who have the ability to survive what the world throws at them and the want for
bettering their existence. For a Siren, they know more than any other that the Earth is their only
home, and the damages that are created by anything can be reversed and healed if only they
allowed the time to do so.

What a Siren Isn’t

Working along the lines of the Chronicles of Darkness, Siren: The Drowning twists a classic
creature from the popular culture into a modern and deep take over the old Myths. Sirens are not
simple Merfolk – although they maintain many similarities – they are Nature’s call for help.

A Siren may stay along the rocks waiting for passing ships so she could sink it, but that’s as
much as possiblemuch possible as the chance that she could be hacking a power plant computer
to find out where the ship full of radioactiveradioactivoe waste is going to drop its cargo and
then planning on taking out the ship.

Sirens are as passive as the breaking waves of a stormy sea. They don’t have time to not act, for
every minute wasted is another step down the road to the end, and they are the only denizen of
the World of Darkness that knows how it’s going to end. Because they have seen it first hand in
their Drowning.

Born from the waters that will bring this world down, Sirens witnessed the end of the world as
we know it. The all-consuming waters of the Deluge will destroy this World, and the Sirens
swam for the first time in them, acquiring the knowledge of everything lost. The world’s call for
help brings them knowledge of the size of destruction we have achieved along the years of
existence. Many wounds in the past may not be fixable, but with enough effort they can be made
into scars that detail tragedies and teach a lesson of how not to hurt the world. But only if they
act fast enough.

Theme: Irreconcilable Balance

The world is just one big ecosystem where everything gives to each other to survive. Every little
part must work in motion to keep the whole machine of existence working. But in making so
many advances, mankind’s progress simply made them forget about nature. They’ve begun
taking without giving back, causing damage and fixing nothing. For it’s part, nature refused to be
tamed. They’ve thrown disaster after disaster, destroying what mankind makes with it’s casual
destruction and savage wildlife. But with the damages humanity is making, nature slowly
evolves to become something uninhabitable for everything that lives in it.

Just as land and sea, civilization and nature tear into each other equally, so does a Siren’s nature
do the same. But unlike the Siren, who can reconcile her own harmony, she cannot do the same
to reality and hope to tame either no matter how hard she tries. Most try to simply uphold the
boundary between the two, but there are those who forget one of their natures just to be on a
single side to help it win.

Mood: Survival
The life of a Siren is usually a fight to survive, to continue being able to exist. They fight to keep
a peace of mind, to cling to their relationships and keep up their connections between
Civilization and Nature. Even the Abyssal Currents cling to some notion of the above to keep
some semblance of sanity. Those who wish to avoid the future of the Deluge must work against
it to keep everything they love alive.

Keeping the old alive isn’t the only meaning of Survival for a Siren. A Siren can also adapt and
change. She may make new connections of her own, and to replace the old where they don’t
apply anymore. A Siren who fails to adapt and survive falls into sterility and decay, eventually
becoming a Banshee who can only vocalize woe and despair.
Shallow Ponds and Deep Waters
Sirens have few similarities to the Myths they have given birth. But of course, every lie has a
layer of truth under the surface if you know how to look. How was the Siren myth
influencedmyth was influenced by the Surfaced? This section will try to enlighten how close and
yet so far the myths are from reality.

Sirens lure sailors to the sea to eat their flesh or feast on their life. Only the second part is
true. Sirens feed on the breath of life that humans bear in their souls, not their flesh. A Siren may
lure a sailor to the depths of the sea but more often than not, it’s not for a happy meal.

Sirens need to be near water or must live in water or else they’ll die. Half true, half false.
Sirens have two forms, Diluvian and Human Form. The Human Form is exactly what the title
suggests, which means they can live on land without need for any water beyond what a normal
human needs. Oddly though, without expending Pneuma their human bodies are incapable of
breathing underwater. Their Diluvian form is the form you think of when it comes to the imagery
of a mermaid; a being who is human waist up and fish tail waist down, possibly with more fish
features along their bodies. The Diluvian form can’t breathe on land, and do need water to
survive. So long as the Siren remains in human form and on land, they’re not required to even be
near water.

Sirens have a hypnotic voice when they sing, and they can summon storms to sink ships.
Mostly True. Sirens have been known for controlling the hearts of men, leading them to a watery
grave and controlling the elements. But they can perform so much more than that. For now, just
know that the supernatural abilities of the Sirens manifest through their voice, and they can
perform their powers through anything rhythmic to produce it.

Sirens are easily recognized as part fish part human beings. Mostly true. A Siren’s Diluvian
form is unmistakably supernatural and for the most part, only functional in the water. Unlike the
other supernaturals one can read about, most people tend to remember the Siren’s Diluvian form
for there is no supernatural veiling to protect a Siren.

However, Sirens have two forms: Diluvian Form and Human Form. The human form is a shell a
Siren wears so she can dwell amongst humanity, and they are perfectly indistinguishable from a
common specimen of homo sapiens.

Sirens are Immortal. Part True. Sirens on average have a lifespan of approximately 300 years.
It’s possible for Sirens to extend their lives further through eating the flesh of other Sirens.
Although humans, namely Flensers, can benefit from this effect too.

Sirens don’t exist. Believe what you want, but do note that they can be quite curious when a
certain human catches their eye. Enough to deprive of all your privacy and know your every
secret to get to know you better. You might not want to piss off someone who has access to such
extensive information on you...
Siren: The Drowning’s acronym spells out “S:tD”? Ho ho, very funny. Ha ha, it is to laugh.
Werewolf: the Forsaken gets away with “W:tF” as it’s acronym, so Siren can get away with
“S:tD”.

How To Use This Book

Information on the Surfaced and their stories are split throughout the chapters in this book.

Chapter One: From Murky Depths gives information on Sirens and their culture.

Chapter Two: The Surfacing covers the Siren’s Waters, their social Currents and the Breathless
and Treasured.

Chapter Three: The Antediluvian Symphony gives information on Merits introduced in this
book and on the powers a Siren may invoke.

Chapter Four: Shedding Light on the Depths lists the Abyssal Currents that would antagonize
the Celestial Sirens, as well as the Flensers who hunger for their flesh and the monstrous children
of Echidna who follow her every order.

Appendix 1: The Mundane and Celestial Oceans depicts rules for playing in the water, various
things to take note of while in the water and even underwater combat. The Celestial Ocean
covers the alternate world where the Deluge has already happened, and what a Siren may yet
find there.

Appendix 2: Conditions and Tilts holds all of the Conditions and Tilts shown through this book.

Sources and Inspirations

MANGA
School Mermaid/School Ningyo
School Mermaid/School Ningyo is a good example of the horror that comes with being a
mermaid in Siren.The thought that many people will search you out and chase after you to
consume your flesh to achieve their desires is very much present as the horror present within the
Flensers. However, the fury and vengeance the mermaids would have against those who would
use them is equally present within the Abyssal Current Styx.

FILM
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
Ponyo is a good example of bringing together mermaid themes of love begin to get mixed in
with environmentalism aspects, which makes up the whole of Siren. It shows the fundamental
division between nature and civilization, and when used incorrectly, how they can damage and
kill each other. However, it also deconstructs that, though as a whole civilization or nature may
hurt each other, they definitely aren’t bad as a whole and the possibility of reconciliation
between the two.

Creature of the Black Lagoon and Friday the 13th

Though not pertaining to the Sirens themselves, the horror found within Creature of the Black
Lagoon and Friday the 13th’s Camp Crystal Lake are present in this game. The fear of monsters
lurking in the background, just watching and waiting for vengeance and a moment to strike from
Friday the 13th and the motivations of the Creature of the Black Lagoon, who lashes out
violently when he and his own home are messed with, are perfectly used for the formation of the
Quagmires and the Furies.

Princess Mononoke
Dealing perhaps most effectively with the themes of Irreconcilable Harmony is none other than
Princess Mononoke. This film is perhaps the most direct with how nature and civilization can go
against each other, and how in the end there still can’t be complete harmony.
]
VIDEO GAMES
Mermaid Swamp
Out of all places, a good relationship with someone should have the least amount of horror,
right? However, as Mermaid Swamp features, not all relationships are healthy. Many
relationships a Siren is bound to hold can easily be one sided affairs, or be committed against the
person’s will. Mermaid Swamp’s story also serves as an Inspiration for the Vodianoi, once
humans who were stolen away from underwater and forcibly transformed into something that
isn’t recognizable as human.

FAIRY TALE
The Little Mermaid
In a game based around Mermaids, it’s very hard to make a list of Inspirations that does NOT
include the Little Mermaid. The story is basically the precursor to all mermaids of modern times.
However, this is not just the Disney interpretation, but the original Hans Christian Anderson tale
is taken into account as well. In it, the story remains the same, save that humans live shorter lives
than mermaids do. Mermaids live three times longer, but fade into sea foam should they die. In
the end, the man falls in love with another girl. The sisters of Ariel try to get her to kill the man
so she could at least return as a mermaid, but she can’t bring herself to do it, and instead she dies
in despair.
In Siren, both tales are good inspirations. The Disney version this is a good example of Stability
and the Siren’s attempts at reconciling the two worlds with her Relationships and Touchstones in
mind. Both versions keep the deal with the Sea Witch, which is a good example of a Siren’s
desperation for their Relationships or trying to secure them. The Anderson tale serves as
inspiration for a Siren’s death, and how their relationships can turn out to become their downfall.
But in a revised ending, it also serves as inspiration for what the Siren may turn out to be if she
ascends to something greater.

FOLKLORE
There are many stories of Folklore that can serve as inspiration for Siren both as a whole or for a
specific Current. Almost all mythological denizens of the water are almost always associated
with love, death and madness. The most prominent examples are the Brazillian Iara, who sings
an enchanting song that attracts men. When one comes, she brings him underwater to either
drown them or make them a lover for the rest of their life in her kingdom. The Rusalka, a river-
spirit of Slavic mythology, are said to be the ghosts of young women who commit suicide by
drowning and would drown men who were attracted to them. The nokken, male river-spirits of
Scandinavian mythology, also follow the same modus operandi, although they tend to target
women and attract them by playing the violin. Continuously similar are the morgens of Welsh
mythology. All Waters have at least one of their nicknames as a reference to a famous
mythological water creature, and all Currents have some water spirit or god serving as their
founders.

Lexicon
Sirens have their own words used differently from the way mortals use them, words that only
refer to their society or things pertaining to them. Here lies the Lexicon of the Sirens.

Abyssal Current(s): Currents that deal in dubious methods to achieve their goals, or who selectively
focus on one part of reality to save while destroying the other. Encompasses the Currents of Acheron,
Cocytus, Lethe, Oceanus, Phelegethon, and Styx.
A Capella: A Siren performing Verses without them being codified as Stanzas.
Acheron: The Abyssal Current of Woe. They have decided that neither humanity or nature are worth
keeping up and have decided that it’s better to wipe it all out.
Akashic Record: A Siren’s understanding of the Song. This isn’t as much of a fluency in it, but more of
an instinctual reaction to the Song and how well the Siren in question is attuned to it.
Alteration: An ability available to a Siren in Diluvian Form. Each one has some inspiration to Mermaid
mythology or from marine animals, but they’re all meant to benefit a Siren in some way.
Buoyancy: The Winding Current. They believe that trickery and deceit can win the day in the end.
Castaways: Sirens who do not join a Current.
Celestial Current(s): One of the five ways that Sirens carry out their duties or ways to the natural and
civilized worlds, the most concerned with stopping the Deluge in beneficial ways. Encompasses the
Currents of Conflict, Healing, Buoyancy, Wisdom, and Harmony.
(The) Celestial Ocean: The post-apocalyptic world where everything is seen in through a drowned lens.
It is the main place where the Sirens may interact with the more timely aspects of their existence.
Cocytus: The Abyssal Current of Lamentation or of Dark Wisdom. They deal in occult knowledge that
all sane beings would never touch.
Concert: A group of Sirens working together in performing a Verse to make it’s potency greater.
Concerto Grosso: Two Concerts performing a clash of wills against each other.
Conclusion: The Last Word in a Siren’s Verses. Dictates what action the Siren is undertaking with the
Verse.
Conflict: The Raging Current that believes the best way to protect nature and people are through physical
means or strength.
(The) Deluge: The possible future of humanity and nature where everything is dead and destroyed under
a torrent of water. It refers to the apocalypse that dooms everything.
Diluvian Form: A Siren’s form when taking to water and gained upon Surfacing. They can be changed
with Alterations.
Discordia: The Waters of Brewing Ruin. One of the six oceans where Sirens may Surface at.
(The) Drowning: When a human is dragged under the Celestial Ocean and yet hears the Song. Those
who fail to Surface are known as The Breathless. Those who drown but Surface become Sirens.
Echidna: The Mythical Mother of Monsters. She gives birth to the Vodianoi at the bottom of the
Celestial Ocean in hopes of creating a race to survive the apocalypse.
Flooding(s): Freak effects of nature that occur due to Quagmires, mostly as a reaction to nature being
disturbed.
Freshwater: The Waters of Sapient Breaths. One of the six oceans where Sirens may Surface at.
Furies: Embodiments of nature’s resentment that protect nature and kills anything that attempts to disturb
it. Connected to the Quagmire.
Gardenia: The Waters of Tectonic Movements. One of the six oceans where Sirens may Surface at.
Grotto: A secret haven within the Celestial Ocean where a Siren may find respite from the worries of the
world.
Harmony: The Current of Goodwill. They believe in playing the peacemaker and negotiator between
people and/or nature.
Healing: The Healing Current who believes that it’s best to fix the damages that people make upon each
other.
Introduction: The First Word in a Siren’s Verse. Dictates what or whom the Siren is targeting with her
Verse.
Lethe: The Abyssal Current of Forgetfulness or of Mankind’s Victory. They believe that nothing should
hold back humanity’s progress, and even seek to wipe nature out.
(The) Mute: A catchall term for other supernaturals that aren’t Sirens.
Oceanus: The Abyssal Current of Worldliness, aka of Echidna. They follow the She-Viper Echidna and
her attempts to breed a new race out of humanity to survive the Deluge. They are primarily responsible
for Vodianoi.
Opus: The Middle Word(s) in a Siren’s Verse. Dictates what elements or things in existence that the
Siren is using to affect in a Verse.
Phelegethon: The Abyssal Current of Dark Passions. They seek to indulge in any dark impulses that
humanity brings, so long as it destructive.
Pneuma: A Siren’s Energy. Made from the breath and soul of human beings, it powers a Siren’s Verses
and Alterations.
Polaria: The Waters of Frozen Hearts. One of the six oceans where Sirens may Surface at.
Quagmire(s): A place tainted with nature’s resentment that requires time to heal. Their very nature
causes Floodings and is the foundation for Furies.
Refraction: An attempt of the Song trying to manifest when a Siren performs a Verse or uses Alterations
in the presence of those who may hear the Song, AKA mortals.
Siren: A mortal who Drowns and Surfaces becomes a merperson known as a Siren, who can now use
magical powers and are one of the few forces trying to stop the Deluge.
(The) Song: The metaphysical sensation that speaks to Sirens, Banshees, and The Breathless. It’s what
allows for humans to become Sirens and use their powers.
(The) Songless: Another term for mortals.
Stability: A Siren’s integrity, how well they’re walking between nature and civilization.
Stanza: A codified Verse that has been made easier to use compared to performing verses A Capella.
Styx: The Abyssal Current of Hate, aka of Primordial Darkness. They believe that humanity’s time has
passed and that it’s time for nature to take its course, beginning with humanity’s extinction.
(The) Surfacing: The event when a human being becomes a Siren.
Survivor: A person who failed their Drowning. They do not cause Refraction and unintentionally draw
people to them, giving Sirens a way to feast on Pneuma. Many also serve as inhabitants of the Celestial
Ocean as the remnants of humanity after the Deluge.
Theron: An inhabitant of the Celestial Ocean who are akin to mutated animals.
Trace: A Siren’s ability to read back in time and see events that have already happened.
Treasure(s): Objects of temporal importance, empowered by pieces of the Song and may use a single
Verse to great effect.
Trinket(s): Rare items that embody a person’s soul. Sirens may use this to affect whoever it represents
the best.
Tropicana: The Waters of Bright Passions. One of the six oceans where a Siren may Surface at.
Vaporia: The Waters of Formless Auroras. One of the six oceans where a Siren may Surface at.
Verse: The Siren’s powers. They are stringed together by an Introduction, Opus(es), and a Conclusion to
create an effect the siren wishes to create with the words. Powered by Pneuma and can be codified into a
Stanza.
Vodianoi: The Children of Echidna. Monstrous beings made from a mix of man and marine animals that
serve Echidna and her Sirens as both servants and experiments.
Waters: An Ocean in the Celestial Ocean where a Siren may Surface. The Six Waters are Polaria,
Freshwater, Gardenia, Vaporia, Tropicana and Discordia.
Wisdom: The Current of Wisdom seeks to preserve knowledge for other Sirens to be able to draw upon.