Tritons

Tritons are a race of deep-sea humanoids. Most remain in their ancestral home off the Eastern coast of Varonia.

So far removed from other civilizations, Tritons form a homogenous culture steeped in unique decorum and forged in bonds of racial pride. In the past 200 years, efforts have been made by some to integrate with mainland culture in the years following the end of the war.

## History

### Isolationism and Emergence

Ancient history records that coastal civilizations and Tritons interacted often in the past, even working together against a shared threat when the Portent reared its ugly head. As the danger dragged on, however, self-preservation drove their kind to undo all oaths and disappear undersea and protect their own home. Since old times, Triton-kind has followed this precedent of self-preservation. At the start of The Never-Ending War, a strict closed-border policy was enacted after the Councilhead refused to take sides in the conflict. As a part of post-war negotiations drawn up once borders were re-opened, Triton courts requested a process of extradition for unlawful members of their race. Some Varonians are distrustful that their own government's punishments do not necessarily apply to Tritons, even though they walk or inhabit the same land.

## Societal Values

### Family

Tritons value their own legacy, especially when it comes to lineage. While ancestry has an important part to play, their main focus lies with living family members. Parents, Grandparents and Great-grandparents live long enough to see younger generations grow and come of age, making it their duty to pass on wisdom and experiences in order for the future to flourish. Heads of families are given the title of ​Dorsal​, which is passed down to the next oldest nameholder upon death.

#### Marriage and Heirs

A partner from a higher-ranking family bestows their name upon their spouse. After marriage, Tritons are expected to spend the rest of their lives building and caring for a family, whether that means having their own offspring or welcoming in others. A bigger family is interpreted as a sign of happiness. When a Triton retires (usually once reaching a century in age), their children are expected to take over their duties and provide for them through the latter half of their lifespan.

### Death and Duty

Traditionally, death by a sea creature is a solemn and sad event, accompanied by the expectation that a family member of the deceased (preferably their next youngest of kin) will finish off the beast as an act of final requital. Unfinished business is a serious matter to Tritons, hence their emphasis on fostering offspring. Though in modern times death comes more often from natural causes, families still perform final acts for their deceased in order to pay them homage and preserve their own family's dignity. Even Tritons who follow the old currents do not tend to believe in an afterlife. Bodies of the dead are buried on the seafloor alongside the Great Whales in Leviathan graveyards, or enshrined above-water within The Citadel in designated catacombs.

### Martial Tradition

The bones of Triton society were built upon the need for protection against a host of threats native to the ocean depths that they call home. The ​Order of the Silver Trident is a long-standing tradition, serving as the Citadel's main military force. Senior members of the guard are given the title of​ Steward​, and are highly respected members of society.

War and infighting are a foreign matter to Tritons. It is the greatest disgrace to brandish a weapon against another member of one’s race, as deadly force is a measure reserved for dangerous creatures of the sea. This is not to say Tritons all get along with each other. As a substitute for physical conflict,they've perfected the art of passive-aggressive bureaucracy and courtroom battles. Ceremonial duels exist, but they are well-observed and regulated. The goal of a duel is always to humiliate one's opponent in a show of martial skill rather than to harm them.

## Anatomy

Despite common misinformation, Tritons are in fact mammals. They possess a set of lungs as well as gills and are quite comfortable switching between them. Parents give birth to live offspring and are capable of nursing. Unlike some aquatic races, Tritons are hairless and unscaled with a body structure capable of withstanding the crushing pressure of the deep sea.

### The Dual Aspects

There are few differences in build and facial features to distinguish between the different sexes of Tritons, of which there are three: male, female, and intersex. Traditionally, Tritons tend to keep to two genders based on the dual male and female aspects of the sacred Leviathans. These roles reflect mostly in formal self-presentation. For example: male Tritons will often wear lighter colors to reflect the coloration of male Leviathans, while female Tritons usually dress themselves in darker tones. Intersex Tritons only make up about 10% of society, and are expected to adopt one aspect or the other. Because these genders are purely an aesthetic and esoteric expression, it is not uncommon for Tritons of all sexes to assume different gender expressions part way through life.

## Lifestyle

### Life Cycle

Tritons live for an average of 200 years, but reach maturity fairly quickly at around age 15. Their magical inclinations, however, continue to develop throughout their lifespan. Because of the importance of lineage and family-making, a lot of cultural emphasis lies on finding a life partner. Tritons usually marry early, though there is a brief window of early adulthood on which they are expected to experiment with relationships in order to find someone compatible enough to make a lifelong match.

### In and Out of Water

It is a common misconception that Tritons live fully underwater lives. Submerging is much like the Triton equivalent of going outdoors. Even in sub-level districts of The Citadel, buildings have dry spaces with pockets of air.

Tritons communicate underwater using Primordial Aquan: a rudimentary, songlike language with no written form. In-depth conversations occur above water, where it's possible to speak in Emergent Aquan: a language with more nuance.

While surfaced, Tritons don long robes characterized by loose sleeves and accompanied usually by an obi or wrap around the midsection. These clothes are meant to be easily removable, as submerging requires a certain level of dressing-down to allow for freedom of movement while swimming.

Mainlanders are not usually aware that Tritons have inherent bioluminescent patterning across their bodies, which is activated by water pressure at depths of about 2000 meters. These markings are considered a point of physical attractiveness, so sexual relations tend to take place underwater. Silver Trident uniforms are designed to cover the body in order to make knights less of a glowing target for predators.

### Life without Sun

Because of the absence of sunlight, Tritons don't keep to a day/night schedule. The city is always lit and in a constant state of activity.

Though The Citadel imports the majority of its food resources via trade with Merfolk from the Archipelago, The seafloor here is hardly barren. Triton gardens are populated by giant tube worms and soft corals, as well as deep-water species of clams, mussels, crabs and shrimp. Tritons have developed ways of growing non-native flora such as kelp and algae with synthetic light, which helps to replenish oxygen levels.

As far as meat is concerned, Tritons only eat the flesh of creatures that come from the sea. Though this is more of a cultural rule passed down from old times, it stems from practicality. Tritons don't prepare their food by cooking with heat, which makes them susceptible to foreign bacteria and parasites from land-dwelling animals.

## Politics

Every nine years a new ​Councilhead​ composed of Stewards and Dorsals are appointed through a complicated election process: that is, a glorified popularity contest of influential families and figureheads. Two political parties currently dominate the council:

### Traditionalists

Traditionalists​ have a reputation for respecting the old currents. They hold a thinly-veiled dislike for mainlanders and an even more obvious disdain for Tritons who leave the sea to live among them. There are those who worry that integrating with the mainland will inevitably embroil their kind in the messy conflicts of foreign powers.

Their arguments have had significant fuel ever since a scandal occurred a few centuries back involving a group of Varonian adventurers and the slaying of a sacred Leviathan. With over twice the lifespan of a regular human, Tritons tend to be slow to forgive and forget.

Traditionalists hold preservation above all else, especially the preservation of a past way of life.

### Integrationists

Integrationists​ have arisen in response to a host of modern problems, such as population growth and a lack of cultural exchange with other lands. Following steady urbanization and the completion of The Great Barrier, savage sea-life no longer poses the threat that it once did for previous generations. Though Stewards and other spokespeople for the Order refuse to see themselves as obsolete, many others are beginning to consider their old-fashioned priorities to be a misallocation of resources, holding society back from a new and progressive age.

Integrationists put stock in their race’s ability to adapt: the only reason civilization has survived for so long at such remote and treacherous depths.

### Insults

There are words to be wary of when conversing with Tritons, for whom speech is considered a potent weapon.

* shallow​: a term associated with Merfolk and other aquatic species who reside closer to shorelines. Tritons prefer to distinguish themselves from these races.
* dry-foot:​ a very serious slur referring to any land-dwelling races or individuals
* freshwater​: referring to Tritons who live continentally
* fish​: associating a Triton with fish is considered to be the gravest of insults. Likewise, terms such as "shrimp" and "spawn" are similarly unacceptable.