Triton (/ˈtraɪtʌn/ TRY-tun)
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Tritons are notable in their many underwater adaptations that render them visually distinct from other humanoid races. Their skin is most commonly a deep-blue, sometimes in pearly, light green, or in rare cases, other mutant colors. Their hands and feet are webbed, and they have minor dorsal fins that run from their mid-calf and end at their ankles. Triton hair tends to be dark blue or dark green and worn in the form of long, flowing ‘manes’. When heading into combat, they often bind their hair into styles such as tight ponytails, so as to maintain visibility. They are also known to weave pieces of coral or metal into their hair.
Triton eyes typically seem 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 appear similar to a human’s. In dim lighting, their pupils expand greatly to allow for better sight in the dark, sometimes turning the entire eye black. Their eyes also possess a nictitating membrane, which protects them from sudden changes or flashes in the light. All of this allows for them to have normal vision even up to depths of 1,000 feet under the sea, though the tritons are known to be able to safely swim down to 3,000 feet.
Basic Traits
Ability Score Increase: Strength, Constitution, and Charisma scores each increase by 1.Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet and Swimming speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: See in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Amphibious: Can breathe air and water.
Control Air and Water: Cast fog cloud with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, one can cast gust of wind with it, and starting at 5th level, wall of water with it can also be cast with it. Once a spell is cast with this trait, that spell cannot be cast with this trait again until a long rest is finished. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for these spells.
Emissary of the Sea: Aquatic beasts have an extraordinary affinity with tritons. Tritons can communicate simple ideas with beasts that can breathe water. The beasts can understand the meaning of their words, though this trait cannot be used to understand the beasts in return.
Guardians of the Depths: Resistance to cold damage.
Language: Speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.
Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters
Additional Information
Social Structure
Triton society is a patriarchal feudal system that consisted of inherited noble titles. In addition, the military and priesthood share a great deal of power, with the priesthood ruling over citizens at home and the military ensuring the survival of the communities. Their rule does not extend past their own protectorates, as each protectorate is a sovereign nation independent from the others.
Triton settlements are built in a very orthodox, logical manner that stems from a characteristic orderliness. Triton protectorates start with a single garrisoned outpost, which takes the form of a central tower surrounded by additional buildings or caverns to provide more space. There are then four more outposts created sixteen miles from the center tower, in each of the four cardinal directions. More outposts are then created, in sets of four, to create a grid-like pattern, ensuring that each settlement is within a half-day’s journey of each other. These protectorates end 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 reach no higher than 1,250 feet below sea level.
Tritons make regular use of hydrothermal vents to smelt metals and produce valuable weapons and armor. However, continued exposure to the mineral-rich waters can make them ill, so they limit their interactions with them.
Tritons are a theocratic society, where all triton have ties to the church of their creator-god, Persana. All that non-tritons know of Persana’s worship is that it places a great deal of focus on craftsmanship and guardianship, with tritons having created great cities in his name. Persana’s priests are known to work readily with those of other faiths if such an arrangement would benefit tritons, something that Persana would do himself. Persana’s priests have many responsibilities in triton life. They are known to administer justice in court, act as architects for undersea cities, and even lead others in battle.
Some tritons claim the god Eadro as their creator. These communities usually have a more significant druidic population than the air-breathing races, tending to their aquatic environment and protecting it from harm.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Tritons spread across the world’s oceans and establish protectorates to watch over deep-sea trenches, portals, undersea caves, and other locations where their enemies might lurk. With their foes banished to the deepest reaches of the sea, tritons settled in to watch for any sign of their return. Over time, the tritons extended their stewardship over the seafloor from their initial settlements and built outposts to create trades with other races. Despite this expansion, few folks know of them. Their settlements are so remote even merfolk and sea elves rarely encounter them.
Despite rarely finding Tritons on land, they can be found around the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars, in which their major protectorates are established. One of these famous underwater realms is Serôs.
Tritons are also known to be courtiers and servents in the palace of the marid Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari, the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls, the power seat in the Elemental Plane of Water.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Most triton names have two or three syllables. Male names typically end with a vowel and the letter s, and female names traditionally end with an n. Tritons use their home protectorate as a surname, with the name formed by adding a vowel followed by a “th” to the end of the protectorate’s name.
Female Triton Names: Aryn, Belthyn, Duthyn, Feloren, Otanyn, Shalryn, Vlaryn, Wolyn
Male Triton Names: Corus, Delnis, Jhimas, Keros, Molos, Nalos, Vodos, Zunis
Triton Surnames: Ahlorsath, Pumanath, Vuuvaxath
Major Organizations
The most well-known triton-founded organization is the Dukars. The Dukars, through a mysterious ritual, use coral implants in their skeletons that cause magic to flow through them. The Dukars are divided between the Lorekeepers, who strife to preserve history, and the Peacekeepers, who keep the peace and gather knowledge. Their numbers consist of many races, with some claiming they count storm giants, great whales, dolphins, koalinth, and ixitxachitl among their ranks. The organization disappeared due to an unknown conflict six hundred years ago, however, bringing an end to their 8,000-year long campaign for peace. They remain, but only in small numbers, with their goal being to maintain the fragile alliances in Serôs.
Tritons are also said to have an order of paladins known as the Order of the Crimson Shell, whose purpose is to destroy the sahuagin and put an end to their cult, the Jaws of Sekolah, as well as the terror it spreads.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Tritons are 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 believe they are entitled to a certain amount of fealty and respect from other races, something that is rarely acknowledged due to the lack of awareness many people held for the triton. Their isolation from the rest of the world also leaves them ignorant of the grand achievements of other civilizations or struggles the rest of the world has dealt with. When they are aware of such things, they consider them minor compared to the triton’s attempts to protect the world.
Tritons rarely killed outsiders without reason. Instead, their preferred method of dealing with intruders depends on the quality of the individual, which is tested in a triton court. Those deemed innocent awaken the next day on a nearby shore, while the guilty are stripped of their belongings and set adrift ten miles from the nearest shore. This practice is called leaving them “to the fate of the seas”.
Despite this, tritons are noble and kind-hearted people who value 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 harbor a sense of guilt over allowing the evils of the Elemental Plane of Water to threaten this world and feel 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.
Most triton worship their creator-god, Persana in the Asathalfinare pantheon while some of the more druidic-aligned tritons would worship Eadro from the same pantheon instead.
History
Tritons are said to be created long ago when their patron god Persana created them out of magically treated water from the Elemental Plane of Water. It is believed that they are ‘cousins’ of nereids, sharing common ancestry.
Centuries ago, the triton fought a number of elemental evils within the Elemental Plane of Water. These evils--such as the krakens, the sahuagin, and much more--were eventually defeated, and forced into the Darkest Depths, a dark and crushing part of the plane. Eventually, the triton noticed that their enemies were strangely silent, leading to an investigation of the Darkest Depths. There, they learned that their enemies had fled into the Prime Material Plane.
The tritons, feeling guilty for allowing this to occur, decided to pursue their enemies. Triton volunteers, skilled in weapons and magic, were sent into the Prime Material Plane to seek out these evils. The first recorded appearance of the triton in Toril was in −106 DR, near the end of the Seventh Serôs War. The triton suddenly appeared from the deepest trenches of the Sea of Fallen Stars, where they struck at the morkoth Theocracy of the Deep Ones, forcing the morkoth to retreat back into the depths. From then on, the triton would keep balance between the shalarin and the morkoth, making a home on the ocean floor. The triton would continue to play an active role in Serôs, creating three new protectorates in the area: Ahlors in −91 DR, Vuuvax in 12 DR, and Pumana in 165 DR. These protectorates acted as sovereign city-states, separate from one another.
Why go on an adventure?
- Maybe you are chasing down the nemesis of your order?
- Are you an emissary sent out from your protectorate on a secret mission?
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