Atrus

Atrus's first skin

## Personality

Atrus is a very curious triton, taking inspiration from the world around him for his writing. Due to the conditions he was raised in, he may come off as strange to people upon first meeting them, typically due to his unusual biology when compared to other tritons. Atrus takes a lot of pride in his work, often times spending days in his home while writing. He wrote an entire book within his first week of being in Oracle.

## Traits

Atrus is highly Intelligent and (with his people anyway) very charismatic.

Due to him being a Hadal Triton who is used to feeding by opportunity, he has extremely fast reflexes (provided he's submerged)

He is an extremely fast swimmer, most of the time, all people see, if anything at all, is a red blur in the water.

He is very curious and can often be seen asking people about their past experiences to see how he can interpret them onto the pages of his books.

Atrus's hair and some spots on his skin are bioluminescent, glowing blue in the dark.

Atrus has retractable, needle-like teeth.

## Strengths & Weaknesses

Despite believing the ink and quill is mightier, Atrus is very dangerous with a sword (provided he's in water of course). When not in water, Atrus prefers to avoid confrontation, trusting his wits rather than his prowess in combat.

Atrus cannot take a hit very well as he's not used to it, typically he would outswim whatever is after him.

Atrus is above average strength for a triton when in water, but being away from the water saps his energy almost entirely.

Atrus's eyes are incapable of adjusting to light as his kind typically spend their days in the depths of the ocean. Any light source is blinding to the triton as a result.

The heat of the sun is a major hindrance to him, he will often times pass out if he spends too much time in the sun.

## Early Life

Atrus was born in the Abyss of Vilheim, a place where the sunlight cannot reach. Any light is scarce and fleeting. To most, it’d be quite the terrible place. Regardless, the hadal tritons had adjusted to and even embraced the oppressive darkness. Entering a symbiotic relationship with some microorganisms, causing their hair to glow a vibrant blue in the dark in order to attract prey… food is scarce in Vilheim, of course. Atrus was born to the noble house Winslow. He lived a pretty peaceful life, all things considered. He eventually took to writing fictional stories about different worlds and whatnot, taking inspiration from old legends amongst his people, his favorite being “a world without water”. He was intrigued by the very concept, and in turn, wrote about it. His books sold very well and he made his already rich family far more wealthy.

## Recent Life

Atrus was off exploring the depths when a massive creature, hitherto unheard of, destroyed his home, leaving naught but scavengers left. Atrus was devastated. What little remained of his people set off to find a suitable home, one safe from the creatures that destroyed his once great city. Atrus set off, searching for anywhere his people could settle down. Eventually he felt sunlight on his skin for the first time. He washed ashore on a small Island. He was shocked to realize that the legends of a world with no water were more than just legends. He was met by a kind Elf who granted him hospitality and showed him how they lived. Atrus was intrigued, eager to know more. After he said his goodbyes, he set off to find more landmasses to explore and document for his writing, eventually doing what he could only describe as “crossing a veil” and stumbled upon another beach, one with more creatures he had never seen.

## Present Life

He studies the land of Oracle, taking inspiration for his writing from its citizens and kingdoms alike.

## Notable Relationships

Aerial - an old friend from outside of Oracle, he first met them on a remote island, they were the first non-triton he ever saw. He was delighted they were the first person they ran into in Oracle as well.

Auric - Atrus met the dragonborn while catching salmon to eat, upon seeing the dragonborn fishing, he immediately struck up a conversation that led to a business partnership. Atrus considers the dragonborn a friend as a result.

Venia - Atrus met the queen of leafton whilst exploring solstice beach. He was pleased to meet another triton. Atrus enjoys trading stories with the triton and wishes to learn more of the land she holds sovereignty over.

## Fun Facts

- Atrus is inspired by another writer character with the same name from the Myst series

- Atrus's character design is based off of a deep sea anglerfish

- Atrus speaks with a slight lisp due to his teeth being hidden within his gums most of the time.