Triton
the Merfolk
the Fishmen
the Children of the Waves
"Stronger than men? Undoubtedly, oh sir, assuredly. Have you any idea the magnitude of pressure that compresses the body as an animal descends to the abyssal deeps of the sea? Sir. When you dive, your body undergoes a pressure equal to one atmosphere for every 32 feet of water you go down, that is one kilogram for each square centimeter of its surface. Do you know how many square centimeters you have on your body? About 17,000. And since atmospheric pressure is in fact slightly more than one kilogram per square centimeter, your 17,000 square centimeters are at this very moment undergoing a pressure of 17,568 kilograms without your realizing it! And the only reason you are not crushed is the air entering your body with an equal force. The inward and outward pressures are in perfect equilibrium, they cancel each other out, and so you can bear them without discomfort. But it is not the same underwater, for the water surrounds you but it does not enter your body. There is no equilibrium! So at 32 feet you would be subject to a pressure of 17,568 kilograms; at 320 feet, ten times that pressure, namely 175,680 kilograms; at 3200 feet 100 times that pressure, or 1,756,800 kilograms! In other words sir, you would be pressed as flat as if between the plates of a hydraulic press! But the triton, we suspect they descend at least 12,000 feet to scare up the most valuable whales, and yet they suffer no more than the whales themselves do! 12,000 feet - 19,149,120 kilograms of pressure! Now I see, you begin to comprehend how brutally strong they must be to live as they do so deep beneath the sea. We have no idea of their limits, either - they are tight-lipped about such things. They tend to...clam up? Very well, I do apologize, it wasn't a very funny joke, but my point remains! Might they walk unlit paths in the hidden cathedrals of the deepest ocean trenches? I suspect we will never know. The sea does not welcome us as it does them."
credit for water pressure explanation due to William Butcher's translation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne
--Dr. Pierre Aronnax, during a discussion of triton physiology, 1089th year of Enlightenment
credit for water pressure explanation due to William Butcher's translation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne
Basic Information
Anatomy
Triton (true species name indecipherable to terrestrials) are a sapient race of bipedal fish. Their basic morphology is comparable to most terrestrial sapient species - bipedal skeleton with two arms, hands with four fingers and opposable thumbs (albeit, with webbing). Two eyes, a nose and a mouth all located on the head.
At this point, the similarity to land-dwelling species ends. Beyond the basics of form and function, triton physiology is vastly different from any creature born above the waves. Beyond the various organs only useful to aquatic species, ie swim bladders, collapsible lungs, gills, the skeletal structure is also notably distinct. Whereas humans have a rib-cage, triton have solid, chitinous chest plates. Their bones are much denser, making them much stronger but also heavier. This is of little significance in the freedom of the water, but on land the triton find their heavy bones a hindrance. Beyond this, many triton subspecies have exoskeletal armor or shell plating across their chests, backs and limbs.
At this point, the similarity to land-dwelling species ends. Beyond the basics of form and function, triton physiology is vastly different from any creature born above the waves. Beyond the various organs only useful to aquatic species, ie swim bladders, collapsible lungs, gills, the skeletal structure is also notably distinct. Whereas humans have a rib-cage, triton have solid, chitinous chest plates. Their bones are much denser, making them much stronger but also heavier. This is of little significance in the freedom of the water, but on land the triton find their heavy bones a hindrance. Beyond this, many triton subspecies have exoskeletal armor or shell plating across their chests, backs and limbs.
Genetics and Reproduction
Females who have reached sexual maturity produce several thousand eggs, which are deposited once every twenty-five to thirty years in calm, deep water, most usually in a culturally significant location such as a particular undersea cave, the precise whereabouts of which are a strictly kept secret. The eggs are tended and guarded by the Midwives, a stoic caste of obstetric nuns who live entirely for the care of the eggs and newborn fry.
Males take part in ritualized underwater duels to determine those with the right to pass on their genetic material. The winners of the duels are then sacrificed, and the genetic material needed to fertilize the eggs is gleaned from their blood by the unseen triton midwives. Three champions are sacrificed in this way for each thirty-year cycle, and their genetics passed on to thousands of newborn triton.
It takes another seven years for the eggs to gestate, during which time they are vulnerable to changes in temperature and pressure, and are naturally preyed upon by opportunistic ocean predators. The triton midwives fanatically safeguard and maintain the eggs as they mature. When the time comes for the eggs to hatch, they do so in one massive spawning event. Within the space of an hour or two, the eggs will all hatch, usually numerous thousands. The brood will be given one shared name by the midwives as they hatch.
Males take part in ritualized underwater duels to determine those with the right to pass on their genetic material. The winners of the duels are then sacrificed, and the genetic material needed to fertilize the eggs is gleaned from their blood by the unseen triton midwives. Three champions are sacrificed in this way for each thirty-year cycle, and their genetics passed on to thousands of newborn triton.
It takes another seven years for the eggs to gestate, during which time they are vulnerable to changes in temperature and pressure, and are naturally preyed upon by opportunistic ocean predators. The triton midwives fanatically safeguard and maintain the eggs as they mature. When the time comes for the eggs to hatch, they do so in one massive spawning event. Within the space of an hour or two, the eggs will all hatch, usually numerous thousands. The brood will be given one shared name by the midwives as they hatch.
Growth Rate & Stages
After seven years under the watch of the sentinel Midwives, the grape-sized eggs explode into life, and infant triton, known as 'fry', are nigh unrecognizable as the sapient creatures they will grow into. The larval stage of the triton life-cycle presents much like a pollywog - a globular body with a laterally-flattened tail, perhaps a centimeter or two in length. The triton will spend almost three years in this form before their bodies truly begin to develop. Thousands of the fry will not survive this stage, but thousands more yet will prosper.
During their fryhood, the infant triton will be cared for by the Midwives, their every need tended to with unwavering vigilance. Despite this, many of the fry are still destined to die. Their tiny bodies are extremely vulnerable to changes in temperature, pressure, or disease. The Midwives duty is to preserve as many of the young as possible through this first terrifying year, until their bodies enter a sort of stasis, similar in many ways to that of the caterpillar as it enters its chrysalis. This is when the triton ability to manipulate the water around them develops, and the infant triton use it to ensconce themselves in a tiny bubble of still water. This stillness allows their bodies to morph without interruption, and at this point the bones form and the young triton's bodies grow rapidly. They will spend about six months in this state, after which their bodies will have become humanoid in form, though still quite small.
Triton who have just left their still-water cocoons are usually about the size of a five-year-old human child. It will take about 100 years for them to grow to be the size of an adult man, usually about six feet tall, and after this their growth rate slows even further. To be clear, the growth rate slows, but it does not stop. Triton continue to grow throughout their lifespan, meaning that the larger a triton is, the longer it has lived. The largest known triton was nine feet and six inches tall when she died, and said to be over 750 years old.
During their fryhood, the infant triton will be cared for by the Midwives, their every need tended to with unwavering vigilance. Despite this, many of the fry are still destined to die. Their tiny bodies are extremely vulnerable to changes in temperature, pressure, or disease. The Midwives duty is to preserve as many of the young as possible through this first terrifying year, until their bodies enter a sort of stasis, similar in many ways to that of the caterpillar as it enters its chrysalis. This is when the triton ability to manipulate the water around them develops, and the infant triton use it to ensconce themselves in a tiny bubble of still water. This stillness allows their bodies to morph without interruption, and at this point the bones form and the young triton's bodies grow rapidly. They will spend about six months in this state, after which their bodies will have become humanoid in form, though still quite small.
Triton who have just left their still-water cocoons are usually about the size of a five-year-old human child. It will take about 100 years for them to grow to be the size of an adult man, usually about six feet tall, and after this their growth rate slows even further. To be clear, the growth rate slows, but it does not stop. Triton continue to grow throughout their lifespan, meaning that the larger a triton is, the longer it has lived. The largest known triton was nine feet and six inches tall when she died, and said to be over 750 years old.
Ecology and Habitats
A triton is most comfortable in saltwater, at depths of 300-500 meters. Their ability to survive in deeper water is limited only by their need for sunlight, which prompts them to remain within the lighted reaches of the seas. Without the chance to absorb sunlight, triton physiology begins to suffer after about thirty days. The condition of "whitescale" (as it is known to humans) afflicts those who stay too long in the abyss, causing a lack of pigmentation in scales and fins. Symptoms similar to malnourished humans begin to affect them, and their ability to tolerate other species deteriorates. Other than this, triton are largely immune to the debilitating effects of deep water. Like many deep-water species their musculoskeletal structure is very dense and strong, allowing them to descend to depths of over 3000 meters without suffering any ill effects, and their collapsible lungs deflate as they descend preventing decompression sickness.
In defiance of their dependence on the sun, the triton wonder named only as "Deephome" exists somewhere deep beneath the surface of the sea, in the range of 1000 meters deep. This gleaming, crystalline metropolis floats in the perpetual darkness of the impenetrable ocean depths. A glowing beacon of light, beckoning to all the bizarre and fearsome dwellers of the deep waters. The triton's breathtaking citadel would not exist without their mastery of the enigmatic technology they use to form water into a solid substance humans call "living glass". By way of thousands of living glass spires which reach up from the depths, into the light, their city glows from within; golden as the sun crosses the sky, and silver as the moons race their way toward the morning. At least, this is how the city has been described by the triton themselves. No land-walking race has ever witnessed the city, so its existence is often questioned by those prone to doubt the more fantastic or miraculous facets of reality. The current condition of Deephome, vis a vis the Forgetting, is unknown.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Triton are primarily fishermen and will generally eat anything that comes out of the sea, with the notable exception of crabs, lobsters, and most other crustaceans, which are considered taboo in triton communities.
Using their exceptional speed underwater and their ability to manipulate water, a team of four triton can gather enough fish in a day to feed another three-hundred. They are also fond of many varieties of seaweed, and shellfish like oysters and clams, and cultivate vast undersea farms to produce these delicacies for their large population.
Using their exceptional speed underwater and their ability to manipulate water, a team of four triton can gather enough fish in a day to feed another three-hundred. They are also fond of many varieties of seaweed, and shellfish like oysters and clams, and cultivate vast undersea farms to produce these delicacies for their large population.
Biological Cycle
As a slow-blooded, long living species when compared to humans, the triton life-cycle seems more ponderous, more patient. Their lives begin with an extended gestation period, followed by a long larval phase and an agonizingly slow growth rate beyond that to attain the bipedal morphology of their adult bodies. Sexual maturity is reached after roughly 100 years of life. The average triton lives, as far as human records have been able to discern, about six-hundred years.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Triton intelligence is generally equal to humans, though their understanding of sea life and water travel are far superior.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Underwater: the visual and olfactory capabilities of a triton while underwater are comparable to most sharks. Their ability to hear underwater is precise and accurate, and those with the training to do so are capable of navigating and hunting via echolocation.
Terrestrially: on land, the triton's natural abilities are dampened, other than their eyesight which improves marginally. Their hearing is still orders of magnitude more sensitive than a humans, and as such the noise of human cities is often overwhelming. Triton who dwell among the surface races tend to make their homes near the outskirts of settlements, greatly preferring any dwelling with proximity to a natural body of water.
Terrestrially: on land, the triton's natural abilities are dampened, other than their eyesight which improves marginally. Their hearing is still orders of magnitude more sensitive than a humans, and as such the noise of human cities is often overwhelming. Triton who dwell among the surface races tend to make their homes near the outskirts of settlements, greatly preferring any dwelling with proximity to a natural body of water.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Triton fry are named en mass at the time of their birth, one shared name is given to the entire school by the Midwives.
Triton names are not reproducible outside of an aquatic environment, so those who live among terrestrial races often take a nickname. Notable examples include: the Fisher King; Captain Pike; Calypso
Triton names are not reproducible outside of an aquatic environment, so those who live among terrestrial races often take a nickname. Notable examples include: the Fisher King; Captain Pike; Calypso
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
The triton have, by their own account, ever been a musical people. All triton love to sing, and their underwater choirs can be heard for leagues around beneath the surface. The triton have invented several instruments which can be played underwater, their true names of course in the inscrutable triton language, but those known and named by humans include the "coralhorn", the "herringbone lute" and the "drum-shells".
Since the time of the Forgetting, the songs written and sung by the triton are akin to funeral dirges, lamenting their many cultural and historical losses. Even to humans the melodies are heartbreakingly morose, and those within earshot might find themselves wiping away an unexpected tear, or sighing with more sadness than they knew existed in their hearts.
Since the time of the Forgetting, the songs written and sung by the triton are akin to funeral dirges, lamenting their many cultural and historical losses. Even to humans the melodies are heartbreakingly morose, and those within earshot might find themselves wiping away an unexpected tear, or sighing with more sadness than they knew existed in their hearts.
Common Taboos
Triton find the consumption of certain foods unbearably disgusting, notably crustaceans such as lobsters.
History
Human knowledge of triton history is divided between incomplete and unreliable accounts from before the age of Enlightenment, and data gathered by the Universitas Omniscia in the millennium since. From pre-Enlightenment eons, what is known is that the triton constructed the Lighthouse in response to the fledgling Aaronic Empire's offer of a truce circa 3722 of the Jantine Era, which has remained steadfast and unsullied in the nearly two millennia which have passed since it was raised.
Prior to this, human/triton relations were unfriendly and territorial, often culminating in bloodshed. In a rare act of considered diplomacy, representatives of the major terrestrial races - humans, elves, and orcs - offered to the triton a truce. If the fish-men remained beneath the waves, the oceans would be considered their domain, inviolable and forbidden to creatures of the land; and likewise the land would be left to the land-walkers, and denizens of the deep would have no place upon it. So began a great segregation, and human knowledge of the triton people enters a long, stagnant drought, as the fish-men kept true to their word and weren't sighted above the surface of the sea until nearly five thousand years later.
It was not until the 762nd year of Enlightenment, during the Universitas' fruitless experiments on the Lighthouse that the Triton Schools emerged from the abyss. When tiny pressure cracks appeared in the surface of the living glass tower, it was only a matter of days before a large host of triton warriors appeared with the dawn on the nearly non-existent beach of the Isle de Sangre. The triton king appeared in person to decry the human meddlers, and forbid any further modification of the venerable beacon. The king's name was unpronounceable to any of the terrestrial races, so with the king's permission they bestowed him with the title "Volturnus" after the ancient sea diety, which the king found acceptable. When the Universitas representatives conceded, Volturnus first wept with gratitude, then threatened the full wrath of the sea and its protectors if the lighthouse were damaged deliberately again. The triton host sang a song of peace, then departed into the sea once more.
Soon after this, triton envoys began to appear before terrestrial governments, seeking trade and progress. Over the following centuries, small societies of triton surface dwellers began to cultivate in coastal areas. During this time, triton became a common sight to fishermen and whalers, and even began to work alongside them from time to time. Triton engineers made improvements to ship design and many medicinal secrets were shared. The mind-boggling living glass ships, which humans referred to as "triton tears" due to their teardrop shape, began to appear from time to time, carrying exotic goods from the deep sea or distant continents.
As the Whalers' War began, the triton population in Brigands' Landing began to shrink, as the naturally peaceful triton people retreated from the city which had become a naval fort. The ghostly triton tears vanished into the deeps, and were not been seen for decades. Only a handful of the boldest and hardiest triton remained by the time the war had reached its tenth year; massive, ancient warriors who had settled on the coast centuries before the first keel had been laid in DeVries' shipyards. Their permanence had long since earned those triton the title of "Anchors" amongst the Brigands, and it was the steadfastness of the Anchors which ensured Brigand's Landing was not swept away by the currents of war.
During the harshest, bloodiest period of the conflict, when the Imperial Navy was directionless and impotent against the Whalers' decentralized tactics, bold raids were launched on Brigands' Landing, attempts to cripple DeVries' shipyards or scuttle docked ships. Shortly following the initial raids, Azar Ibn-Alhad employed the Anchors as a sort of home guard. The triton sentinels set up a perimeter near the mouth of the port, through which no Whaler ship ever passed unscathed. Triton supremacy in a naval theater became undeniable, and the Whalers soon learned that the defenses of Brigands' Landing were not so easily breached. The Anchors would lie in wait, beneath the waves, drifting silently until Whaler ships were sighted. As their prey approached, the triton warriors would swim up from beneath, laying waste to the Whaler ships with living glass hooks and mysterious, underwater explosive devices, the true nature of which were never revealed by the Anchors. Only one of the Anchors was ever killed, and only because he chose to attack a Whaler ship by climbing through a hole he had ripped in the keel, from there attempting to engage with the Whalers themselves who, desperate as cornered beasts, fought savagely and managed to mortally wound the triton. The Anchors' duties were eventually relieved after the construction of Jamey's Chain, though a number of the Anchors chose to continue their vigil, as they reportedly considered it "good sport".
It was around this time during which the triton cultural tragedy known as The Forgetting began to occur. Little is known to humans regarding the cause of the Forgetting, but it has resulted in the total inability of newborn triton to manufacture living glass. The Triton Schools have been devastated by the loss of their ancient cultural knowledge, which included not only the secrets of living glass, but also hunting methods, medicines, ancient songs, and the physiological training necessary for triton to employ echolocation. It is suspected that the true breadth of the knowledge lost may include the full cultural history of the triton people, as they keep no written records.
Following the war, few triton have returned to the Landing, as the resuscitation of the whaling industry has horrified and infuriated them as a species. Though there is no true sign to suggest this, many fearfully await the reappearance of King Volturnus, and the eruption of the Second Whalers' War.
Prior to this, human/triton relations were unfriendly and territorial, often culminating in bloodshed. In a rare act of considered diplomacy, representatives of the major terrestrial races - humans, elves, and orcs - offered to the triton a truce. If the fish-men remained beneath the waves, the oceans would be considered their domain, inviolable and forbidden to creatures of the land; and likewise the land would be left to the land-walkers, and denizens of the deep would have no place upon it. So began a great segregation, and human knowledge of the triton people enters a long, stagnant drought, as the fish-men kept true to their word and weren't sighted above the surface of the sea until nearly five thousand years later.
It was not until the 762nd year of Enlightenment, during the Universitas' fruitless experiments on the Lighthouse that the Triton Schools emerged from the abyss. When tiny pressure cracks appeared in the surface of the living glass tower, it was only a matter of days before a large host of triton warriors appeared with the dawn on the nearly non-existent beach of the Isle de Sangre. The triton king appeared in person to decry the human meddlers, and forbid any further modification of the venerable beacon. The king's name was unpronounceable to any of the terrestrial races, so with the king's permission they bestowed him with the title "Volturnus" after the ancient sea diety, which the king found acceptable. When the Universitas representatives conceded, Volturnus first wept with gratitude, then threatened the full wrath of the sea and its protectors if the lighthouse were damaged deliberately again. The triton host sang a song of peace, then departed into the sea once more.
Soon after this, triton envoys began to appear before terrestrial governments, seeking trade and progress. Over the following centuries, small societies of triton surface dwellers began to cultivate in coastal areas. During this time, triton became a common sight to fishermen and whalers, and even began to work alongside them from time to time. Triton engineers made improvements to ship design and many medicinal secrets were shared. The mind-boggling living glass ships, which humans referred to as "triton tears" due to their teardrop shape, began to appear from time to time, carrying exotic goods from the deep sea or distant continents.
As the Whalers' War began, the triton population in Brigands' Landing began to shrink, as the naturally peaceful triton people retreated from the city which had become a naval fort. The ghostly triton tears vanished into the deeps, and were not been seen for decades. Only a handful of the boldest and hardiest triton remained by the time the war had reached its tenth year; massive, ancient warriors who had settled on the coast centuries before the first keel had been laid in DeVries' shipyards. Their permanence had long since earned those triton the title of "Anchors" amongst the Brigands, and it was the steadfastness of the Anchors which ensured Brigand's Landing was not swept away by the currents of war.
During the harshest, bloodiest period of the conflict, when the Imperial Navy was directionless and impotent against the Whalers' decentralized tactics, bold raids were launched on Brigands' Landing, attempts to cripple DeVries' shipyards or scuttle docked ships. Shortly following the initial raids, Azar Ibn-Alhad employed the Anchors as a sort of home guard. The triton sentinels set up a perimeter near the mouth of the port, through which no Whaler ship ever passed unscathed. Triton supremacy in a naval theater became undeniable, and the Whalers soon learned that the defenses of Brigands' Landing were not so easily breached. The Anchors would lie in wait, beneath the waves, drifting silently until Whaler ships were sighted. As their prey approached, the triton warriors would swim up from beneath, laying waste to the Whaler ships with living glass hooks and mysterious, underwater explosive devices, the true nature of which were never revealed by the Anchors. Only one of the Anchors was ever killed, and only because he chose to attack a Whaler ship by climbing through a hole he had ripped in the keel, from there attempting to engage with the Whalers themselves who, desperate as cornered beasts, fought savagely and managed to mortally wound the triton. The Anchors' duties were eventually relieved after the construction of Jamey's Chain, though a number of the Anchors chose to continue their vigil, as they reportedly considered it "good sport".
It was around this time during which the triton cultural tragedy known as The Forgetting began to occur. Little is known to humans regarding the cause of the Forgetting, but it has resulted in the total inability of newborn triton to manufacture living glass. The Triton Schools have been devastated by the loss of their ancient cultural knowledge, which included not only the secrets of living glass, but also hunting methods, medicines, ancient songs, and the physiological training necessary for triton to employ echolocation. It is suspected that the true breadth of the knowledge lost may include the full cultural history of the triton people, as they keep no written records.
Following the war, few triton have returned to the Landing, as the resuscitation of the whaling industry has horrified and infuriated them as a species. Though there is no true sign to suggest this, many fearfully await the reappearance of King Volturnus, and the eruption of the Second Whalers' War.
Common Myths and Legends
Few triton myths have survived the Forgetting, but rumors of a creature referred to as the Leviathan are repeated too frequently to be forgotten. Triton children stories while gathered around the soft cyan glow of lumoslug lamps, of a creature that lives in the lightless caverns deep beneath the ocean, a great serpent that preys on whales. No human records or evidence of this creature exist, but as this particular triton superstition has remained while most others were lost in the Forgetting, the Universitas Omnicia has taken note.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
At an individual level, most triton find humans annoying, loud, and overly concerned with wealth and status. As a species, since the construction of the Lighthouse there have been no pogroms or other conflicts, and little notable prejudice from either side, though the human tendency to fear things that are different does cause a general reticence among humans to engage triton directly. Most humans alive today have never seen a triton, rare as they have become over the course of the Whalers' War, and those that have are almost exclusively among the population of Brigands' Landing. Politically the triton remain neutral, preferring not to involve themselves in affairs that occur above the surface of the sea.
Scientific Name
Piscis Sapiens
Lifespan
500-700 years
Average Height
6 - 7 feet
Average Weight
385–635 kg
Average Physique
Robust, muscular and durable; suitable for diving to great depths
"They have many things to mourn, child."
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