"If the Gods of Chaos can have servants to do their work in the mortal realm, why not Manann? Triton is the very picture of Manann, and is clearly a manifestation of his akin to the Greater Daemons of Chaos. Now, my son, let me tell you of Saint Olovald..."
The demigod Triton in all his might.
Triton is lord of the sea, a wild, powerful demi-god in the shape of a man with the lower body of a fish who can control the elements and tame the monsters of the deep to his will. He seems to bear great ill-will to all the seafaring mortal races of the Known World, but especially to the Dark Elves for their enslavement and mistreatment of the creatures of the sea.[3a]
History[]
"Triton is probably the last of his race, one of a near-godlike host of beings who once fought monsters for control of the seas. At the dawn of time it was Triton's people who taught us everything we know of the oceans. That the Druchii have taken those teachings and twisted them for their own dark ends angers him above all else."
Most of his kind have passed on from the Known World, and Triton himself is perhaps the last to linger on. He is old beyond telling -- perhaps as old as the world itself -- and has little to do with the affairs of the short-lived creatures who traverse the seas in their fragile constructions.[1a]
However, certain of these creatures have earned his displeasure and felt his wrath; though slow to anger, once enraged his is the power of the sea itself, smashing to pieces anything that stands against him.[1a]
The Elves know something of his heritage, and it is believed that much of their sea lore was passed on to them by Triton and his kin many, many centuries ago. Although he recognises and has some respect for Elves, he is largely disinterested in the affairs of Dwarfs and Men. He has no affinity with Orcs, Skaven and the forces of Chaos, and he actively hates the Dark Elves for what they have done to the Sea Dragons, Kharibdyss and Helldrakes.[1a][3a]
Triton unleashes his wrath upon a ship of the Old World.
Triton bears a resemblance to the winsome Sirens that are occasionally glimpsed darting about the islands of the Tilean Sea. Triton is a bearded giant with the bottom half of a fish. He carries a trident and wears a pointed crown; where these items came from is unknown. Triton is rarely seen, but the few extant sightings of him range all over the seas of the world. It is believed that he can control the weather and also several of the monsters of the deep. His hatred for the Dark Elves is legendary, though he is rumoured to have attacked the ships of other mortal races as well.[2b]
Whilst he is undoubtedly monstrous, there are signs that Triton is more than a mere beast. He bears accoutrements in the form of a spiked crown, and a vast trident capable of impaling the hull of the largest ships. Both items are made from a strange metal that is as hard as iron, and incorruptible as gold. Where these artefacts can have come from is a mystery -- no worldly forge is large enough to have produced them.[3a]
Triton is master of several mysterious powers, able to control the elements and tame the monsters of the deep. His abilities share common ground with the practice of Sea Magic and the miracles performed by priests of Manann, the god of the sea. Yet despite such evidence of intelligence and sophistication, Triton has never been known to communicate with mariners. Whilst he does make arcane utterances when conjuring his spells, if he speaks a language, it is not one recognised by Elves or wizards.[3a]
A faction amongst the Loremasters of Saphery claim that Triton dwelled within the ocean before the coming of Chaos during the Great Castatrophe, and that he taught their own forebears the skills of sailing and navigation. They say he was once smaller, but communicative and cooperative. When Chaos entered the world it altered Triton, causing him to grow greatly in size and strength, but robbing him of either the ability, or the inclination, to speak.[3a]
Another theory has it that Triton was unaffected by Chaos, and that his reticence is due to the great offence he takes at the temerity of sailors who plunder the seas for food and whale oil. Triton does seem to bear some affection for the creatures of the ocean, as evidenced by the history of hostility he has shown towards Dark Elves, whose subjugation of the beasts of the sea seems to rouse his ire.[3a]
To the Men of the Old World, Triton is believed to share some relationship to Manann, though folktales and apocryphal testaments have it that he is variously the sea god's son, brother, avatar, first follower, or divine servant. The Elves suppose the matter is not so simple, for the Druchii honour Mathlann, the Elven deity whose domain and nature share a great deal with those of Manann, as earnestly as do the seafarers of Cothique, and still Triton bears them murderous resentment.[3a]
Trivia[]
Triton is likely based on the god of the same name from Greek mythology. The son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, Triton was usually represented as a merman, with the upper body of a Human and the tailed lower body of a fish.
Miniatures[]
