The tritons are isolationists partly by choice, partly by societal mores, and partly due to the depths at which they live. The highest point among all of the
Triton Protectorates never approaches any closer than 1,250 feet below sea leveland this is the top of a 200-foot high tower.
Governments
Though the other races seem to think that the triton all answer to one central authority, the truth is three sovereign countries of triton exist at the seafloor, clustering around the
Trench of Lopok. The three settlements each take the names of their central founding cities of
Vuuvax,
Pumana, and
Ahlors. The tritons' methodology and organization of resources is unmatched by any culture of
Serôs or
Faerûn save perhaps the dwarves. Every outpost, town, village, or watchtower is within a half-day's swim of at least two to four other sites. All triton protectorates follow a basic pattern of a central city surrounded by eight trade cities (at the compass points), then a ring of twelve trade towns. Each town or city has two central towers, one for the military garrison and one for the religious of
Persana.
Society
Triton society provides religious rule over all settlements, though the military patrols and controls the waters and regions among the cities and towns. Thus, while tritons are ruled at home by the priesthood of Persana, each of their countries relies on the leadership of the military to survive. Thus, rather than have one primary leader in each settlement, the highest-ranking soldier and priest share secular power equally in the urban area and an eight-to-ten mile perimeter around it.
Hydrothermal vents:
The
Tritons, known for their adeptness in harnessing the deep-sea resources, have a unique and vital connection with hydrothermal vents, where they engage in the intricate process of mineral smelting to create precious resources like
Tapals.
In the depths of the ocean, hydrothermal vents serve as intriguing sources of life and energy. These vents, located near volcanic magma, play a significant role in cycling water while simultaneously enriching it with minerals and superheating it. The resulting currents are exceptionally powerful, making navigation challenging and limiting visibility due to the abundance of metallic and mineral debris suspended in the water.
This extreme environment is home to remarkable variations of common sea creatures, some of them growing to enormous sizes. Tritons, the skilled aquatic denizens of these deep regions, have learned to harness the potent energy emanating from these geothermal vents. They use this energy to smelt metals and craft essential tools, with the most renowned among them being the Tapal, the favored weapon of the Tritons. They create these weapons with the help of
Magma Mephits.
While Tritons exercise caution when utilizing the heat generated by these vents for their metallurgical endeavors, they carefully manage their interactions with these precious resources, ensuring the sustainable production of essential items for their undersea societies.
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