Triton

Tritons were an outsider race native to the seas but hailing from the Elemental Plane of Water.

Description

Tritons were a humaniform race, notable in their many underwater adaptations that render them visually distinct from other humanoid races. Their skin was most commonly a deep-blue, but had also been known to appear as pearl, light green, or in rare cases, other mutant colors. Their hands and feet were webbed, and they had minor dorsal fins that run from their mid-calf and end at their ankles. They were notably shorter than humans, averaging around five feet tall.
Triton hair tended to be dark blue or dark green, and were worn in the form of long, flowing ‘manes’. Triton men typically cut their hair around five inches past their shoulders, braiding it to keep it out of their eyes. While triton women occasionally followed this rule, they have also been known to let it flow free. Triton hair did not grow within two inches of the base of their pointed ears, giving the appearance that it had been shaved there. When heading into combat, they often bound their hair into styles such as tight ponytails, so as to maintain visibility. They were also known to weave pieces of coral or metal into their hair for emergency use as bludgeons.
Triton eyes typically seemed to vary between brilliant shades of green or blue. If seen in standard lighting (typically within 200 feet of the surface of the sea or near a typical torch), their eyes appeared similar to a human’s. In dim lighting, their pupils expanded greatly to allow for better sight in the dark, sometimes turning the entire eye black. Their eyes also possessed a nictitating membrane, which protected them from sudden changes or flashes in light. All of this allowed for them to have normal vision even up to depths of 1,000 feet under the sea, though the triton were known to be able to safely swim down to 3,000 feet.
Tritons were a very proud people, with many biases and preconceptions as a result of their way of life. Having spent centuries protecting the world from supposed great evils under the sea, they believed they were entitled to a certain amount of fealty and respect from other races, something that was rarely acknowledged due to the lack of awareness many people held for the triton. Their isolation from the rest of the world also left them ignorant of the grand achievements of other civilizations or struggles the rest of the world has dealt with. When they were aware of such things, they considered them minor compared to the triton’s attempts to protect the world.
Despite this, the triton were a noble and kind-hearted people who valued the world and other races. Their arrogance aside, they would readily sacrifice themselves to protect others, willing to fight and die for the other races of the world. They harbored a sense of guilt over allowing the evils of the Elemental Plane of Water threaten this world, and felt a need to make up for this crime. The fact that their name, ‘Triton’, translated to ‘guardian’ in their language is an example of their heroic nature.

A triton representative on land

Society

Triton settlements were built in a very orthodox, logical manner that stems from a characteristic orderliness. Triton protectorates started with a single garrisoned outpost, which took the form of a central tower surrounded by additional buildings or caverns to provide more space. There were then four more outposts created sixteen miles from the center tower, in each of the four cardinal directions. More outposts were then created, in sets of four, to create a grid-like pattern, ensuring that each settlement was within a half-day’s journey of each other. These protectorates ended up being composed of a capital city, a ring of eight trade cities, twelve farming villages, and twenty-four outposts guarding it all. These cities reached no higher than 1,250 feet below sea level.
The triton made regular use of hydrothermal vents to smelt metals and produce valuable weapons and armor. However, continued exposure to the mineral-rich waters could make them ill, so they limited their interactions with them.
Triton society was somewhat unique in Hui Kūokoa as it remained largely unaffected by the organization of the country. They maintained a culture very similar to tritons who lived outside of it, excepting for the addition of democratic representatives who were sent to the surface for debates.

Religion

The triton were a theocratic society, where all triton had ties to the church of their creator-god, Polū’ele, known as Buluug in Primordial. All that non-tritons knew of his worship was that it placed a great deal of focus on craftsmanship and guardianship, with the triton having created great cities in his name. Polū'ele's priests were known to work readily with those of other faiths, if such an arrangement would benefit the triton, something that Persana would do himself.
Polū'ele's priests had many responsibilities in triton life. They were known to administer justice in court, act as architects for undersea cities, and even lead others in battle.

Relationships

Tritons had good relations with giant sea horses, hippocampi, and sea lions, such that these creatures would hark to a summons by the sounding of a conch shell horn. They were uneasy around dolphins, who would invade their space without care and often would try to break down the triton’s aloof attitude. The triton also domesticated twilight turtles, a species of black-and-purple aquatic turtles which glowed with bioluminescence, while also acting as a pack animal.
Triton had a number of sapient allies. In Hui Kūokoa, tritons were allies of the other major races dwelling there, sharing their religious worship with koalinths.
Despite their xenophobic attitude, the triton rarely killed outsiders without reason. Instead, their preferred method of dealing with intruders depended on the quality of the individual, which was tested in a triton court. Those deemed innocent awakened the next day on a nearby shore, while the guilty were stripped of their belongings and set adrift ten miles from the nearest shore. This practice was called leaving them “to the fate of the seas”.

Player Race Features

• Ability Scores. Choose any +2; choose any other +1.
• Size. Medium.
• Speed. 30 feet, swim equal to your walking speed.
• Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
• Control Air and Water. You can cast fog cloud with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the gust of wind spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the water walk spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
• Emissary of the Sea. You can communicate simple ideas to any Beast, Elemental, or Monstrosity that has a swimming speed. It can understand your words, though you have no special ability to understand it in return.
• Guardian of the Depths. Adapted to the frigid ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character. Most triton of Anakara speak Kūokoan, owing to the presence of triton in Hui Kūokoa. Tritons from outside of Hui Kūokoa tend to speak Primordial.