Triton

Triton

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(native, water)

CR

2

Environment

Any oceans

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of tritons

Source: Bestiary 2, pg(s). 270

Tritons are a benevolent aquatic race found in oceans across the world. Though they originated on the Plane of Water, they long ago migrated to Golarion and are now a native race.

Appearance

Tritons are comparable in appearance to merfolk, but with two scaly finned legs instead of a fish tail. They are athletic in build and covered in silvery scales that shimmer blue and green in the light. Older tritons may have parasites like barnacles or coral growing on their bodies, but they wear them as a mark of pride. Their hair is white, blue, or green. Most tritons are the same size as humans, but a handful grow twice as tall; such giant tritons are regarded as heroes of their people.

Habitat and society

Tritons are capable of walking on land, but they are slow and clumsy, vastly preferring the mobility granted by their native salt-water environments. They are self-appointed watchers of the sea, patrolling the waves with the help of dolphins and other aquatic beasts. Tritons hate evil sea monsters like alghollthus, krakens, sedacthys, and ulat-kinis, and have waged many wars against such creatures.

Tritons live in underwater cities, usually built around volcanic vents for the heat and abundant food. Their homes are sculpted from stone or grown from living coral. They are distrustful of outsiders, especially surface-dwellers, but usually have a few dry, airtight buildings set aside for visitors.

A militant race, tritons gather into strong aquatic cavalry units to patrol against their enemies. They build relationships with other aquatic races (such as tidepool dragons, and aquatic storm giants) for the mutual defense of the sea. Though they regard surface-dwellers as trespassers beneath the waves, tritons are quick to change their opinions if they witness an air-breather performing acts of courage and welcome such heroes with open arms. They are known to manufacture specialized magical items (such as the powerful horn of the tritons) to assist them in the defense of their territories.

On Golarion

Although tritons can be found in nearly all of Golarion's oceans, they are particularly common in the Arcadian, Embaral, and Okaiyo, as well as the Inner, Shining, and Songil seas. They are also minority populations in the unusual River Kingdom of Outsea (where they were staunch allies of the merfolk against the sedacthy), as well as the aquatic nation of Xidao between Minkai and mainland Tian Xia.

They prefer to live near shorelines and in the shallows of these waters, disliking the dark depths. Triton communities often form alliances with local athamarus and merfolk, but remain bitter rivals of alghollthus and their former ulat-kini, kraken, and sedacthy servants.

Though most of their kind migrated to the Universe, small kingdoms of tritons still exist on the Plane of Water.

Notable tritons

See also: Horn of the tritons and Category:Triton/Inhabitants

• Saltbeard: Divine servant of Gozreh

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.