Living Glass
"Living glass! A riddle to ponder, and a miracle to behold. The Tritons make it, or at least they used to. Were you ever so fortunate as to witness the ascent of a Triton Glass-Ship? No, I thought not. Few live today who have seen the thing. It was rare enough before the war, and no one has seen one since. See, the Fish-men can take water, just ordinary water, and work it into a solid substance stronger than steel or softer than silk, and in any shape they please! They make everything they need from the stuff - their spears are unerringly straight and sharp, and their invisible fishing nets are consistently more than twice as effective as human designs. With enough Tritons and enough water, they can produce wonders like their citadel the Lighthouse - may its light guide our steps - or they can weave it into swim-suits that allow men to breathe like fish. There was a time when the Glass-Ships would ferry rich men from place to place, but since the art of their creation was lost, the ships have vanished into the depths."
Utility
There are two general forms of living glass: the rigid, immutable variety colloquially referred to by land-dwellers as Mer-steel, used for building and weaponry; and the flowing, beautiful Mer-cloth.
Mer-steel is used to craft most Triton weapons and armor. Due to the nearly infinite mold-ability of Mer-steel, armor can be forged to fit any body, and easily reformed if necessary. This is useful for Shaper-smiths, who can continually modify the same suit of Mer-steel armor over the lifespan of the warrior who wears it, rather than crafting new ones as the Tritons continue to grow throughout their lives. Armor crafted from Mer-steel is nigh impervious to the bony weaponry or teeth of ocean predators, but is vulnerable to repeated strikes from the metal blades wielded by most terrestrial species. Mer-steel weapons, of which the humble spear is the most widely available, are known for the particularly sharp points to which they are honed, which never dull, and which can cut through nearly any organic material and most stone with ease, though are prone to shatter against metal plates. Skilled Triton warriors are able to manipulate the blades of their weapons during combat, affecting subtle movements which evade an enemy's guard, and strike sinister between the links in their armor. Non-Triton species are capable of using Mer-steel equipment, but will never possess the same affinity to it as Tritons do naturally.
The Triton wonder known as the Lighthouse, which stretches 300 feet into the clouds from its base on the Isle de Sangre, is made almost entirely from Mer-steel. Despite having no internal illumination source, this monument has guided human and Triton navigators alike for as long as either race can discern. Reaching so high into the sky, the light of the sun and moons are captured by the crystalline glass arrays, multiplied and refracted and redirected to every angle of the horizon. During the day, split-rainbow beams streak out, each color in a different direction, painting seven roads of light across the heavens. Under the mystical glow of the two moons, the rainbow roads become a shimmering silvery path.
Regarding Mer-cloth, words like silken and velveteen are oft applied - clumsy attempts by human tongues to describe a miracle they were never meant to experience. Jagged human sounds fall tragically flat of the true ambrosial tenderness of Mer-cloth. The most notable use of this material is in the creation of diving suits for air-breathing species, due to its incredible ability to allow the passage of breathable air through itself, while water and water pressure are repelled. Unfortunately there is no way to insulate these diving suits against the cold of the deep sea, so human divers often equip themselves with cold-weather gear before descending in a Mer-cloth suit. This tends to reduce their mobility underwater, and is a truly disconcerting thing to behold, but does allow them to reach depths of several hundred feet while suffering no ill effects. Equipped with the full-body Mer-cloth garment, a human diver can descend as deeply as their tolerance for cold will allow, or as long as their will can hold out. The mysteries of the deep were not meant for the eyes of men, and demand a toll of sanity to witness.
Mer-steel is used to craft most Triton weapons and armor. Due to the nearly infinite mold-ability of Mer-steel, armor can be forged to fit any body, and easily reformed if necessary. This is useful for Shaper-smiths, who can continually modify the same suit of Mer-steel armor over the lifespan of the warrior who wears it, rather than crafting new ones as the Tritons continue to grow throughout their lives. Armor crafted from Mer-steel is nigh impervious to the bony weaponry or teeth of ocean predators, but is vulnerable to repeated strikes from the metal blades wielded by most terrestrial species. Mer-steel weapons, of which the humble spear is the most widely available, are known for the particularly sharp points to which they are honed, which never dull, and which can cut through nearly any organic material and most stone with ease, though are prone to shatter against metal plates. Skilled Triton warriors are able to manipulate the blades of their weapons during combat, affecting subtle movements which evade an enemy's guard, and strike sinister between the links in their armor. Non-Triton species are capable of using Mer-steel equipment, but will never possess the same affinity to it as Tritons do naturally.
The Triton wonder known as the Lighthouse, which stretches 300 feet into the clouds from its base on the Isle de Sangre, is made almost entirely from Mer-steel. Despite having no internal illumination source, this monument has guided human and Triton navigators alike for as long as either race can discern. Reaching so high into the sky, the light of the sun and moons are captured by the crystalline glass arrays, multiplied and refracted and redirected to every angle of the horizon. During the day, split-rainbow beams streak out, each color in a different direction, painting seven roads of light across the heavens. Under the mystical glow of the two moons, the rainbow roads become a shimmering silvery path.
Regarding Mer-cloth, words like silken and velveteen are oft applied - clumsy attempts by human tongues to describe a miracle they were never meant to experience. Jagged human sounds fall tragically flat of the true ambrosial tenderness of Mer-cloth. The most notable use of this material is in the creation of diving suits for air-breathing species, due to its incredible ability to allow the passage of breathable air through itself, while water and water pressure are repelled. Unfortunately there is no way to insulate these diving suits against the cold of the deep sea, so human divers often equip themselves with cold-weather gear before descending in a Mer-cloth suit. This tends to reduce their mobility underwater, and is a truly disconcerting thing to behold, but does allow them to reach depths of several hundred feet while suffering no ill effects. Equipped with the full-body Mer-cloth garment, a human diver can descend as deeply as their tolerance for cold will allow, or as long as their will can hold out. The mysteries of the deep were not meant for the eyes of men, and demand a toll of sanity to witness.
Manufacturing
Though the tools themselves have never been seen by human eyes, young Triton spawned after the Forgetting share little of the secretive nature of their forebears, and have spoken to their human companions of things lost. The terms "Shaper's Loom", "Current Chisel" and "Cresthammer" have been recorded by agents of the Universitas Omnicia in relation to the manufacture of living glass. No information has yet been gleaned regarding the use of those tools.
Access & Availability
Tritons spawned after the Forgetting have almost no ability to create/maintain living glass. A fated few in the correct circumstances have been taught by the old Shapers how to use their tools and shape the water to their will, but these apprentices are far too few to preserve the artform.
Complexity
While all Tritons possess the ability to manipulate the water around them to some degree, the creation of living glass is only enabled through centuries of practice, and the application of specialized tools. These tools have never been revealed to humans, and most terrestrial races do not possess the necessary lifespan to master the mercurial craft even if the Tritons were willing to impart their secrets.
Discovery
The true origin of living glass has been Forgotten. It is understood that its creation is an extension of the innate Triton ability to manipulate water, but only the few remaining Shapers bear knowledge of the tools and methods used to raise the Lighthouse, or grow Mer-cloth.
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