Tritons (Island of Fog)

Tritons are magical, aquatic creatures of the sea who appear in the Island of Fog book series by Keith Robinson. One appears in Castle of Spells. Not much is known about them as only a scrag shapeshifter has been seen.

Origins
A mysterious being known by some as a "Goddess" grew displeased with Earth and the humans' warmongering. She decided to create a whole new world where humans would have to learn to share the land with equally intelligent beings, and hopefully learn empathy and cooperation.

On this "New Earth", all humans and mundane animals were conjured instead of developing through evolution. The Goddess created many unique beings and creatures beyond anything science could produce. These were the creatures of our legends and folklore. Tritons are relatives of mermaids and like them, they usually live in the wide seas and oceans of New Earth. While they lack the magic of enchantment, they are very powerful creatures who Simone describes as a scourge. Their symbol and greatest weapon is an ordinary conch shell.

Castle of Spells
While Hal hides in the scrags' laboratory, he finds the stolen blood samples. He begins to wash away the blood of dangerous creatures and replacing them with harmless magical creatures like dryads and brownies. He comes across the triton blood sample. Thinking it was just a merman and thus no threat to anyone, he leaves it be. Hal falls asleep and wakes up after other scrags received their blood samples and became shapeshifters. The one who picked the triton was a scrag named Gruel.

Later in the courtyard, Queen Bee barks at the scrags to transform. Gruel tries to use a triton's powers via a conch shell but he couldn't summon the magic. After Hal and Simone dive into the sea, Gruel is thrown into the water where the triton's instincts kick in and he transforms. Using the conch, Gruel summons a terrible storm that washes Simone away and destroys a couple of houses, killing three people. Hal in dragon form escapes into the sky.

Hal is sucked underwater by the triton's waves. Gruel, on the back of a scrag hippocampus shapeshifter, summons a current to ensnare Hal. The triton breaks his melody occasionally to breathe, causing the current to weaken enough for Hal to breathe fire, frightening the hippocampus into fleeing and distracting Gruel long enough for Hal to catch him in his jaws. Without the conch, the triton was left powerless. Before Hal could take Gruel inland, the scrag hippocampus slams into him, allowing the triton to escape and for the scrags to vanish into the depths.

To stop Gruel, Simone seeks the aid of some mermaids near Brodon. The mermaids apprehend the inexperienced triton before he can cause anymore destruction. After Queen Bee's defeat, her scrags are captured. While the rest are brought to prison, Abigail notices the absence of the triton shapeshifter. Miss Simone assures her that the triton's time with the mermaids will have him begging for prison.

Physical Appearance
Like other merfolk, tritons are a hybrid of fish and human with a humanoid upper body and an aquatic lower body. A triton's tail is truly unique as it splits into two fish tails. Unlike mermaids, tritons are very ugly with facial features resembling a goblin. Rows of spiny fins adorn the sides of their arms and tails. As a triton, Gruel was covered in silvery scales with a silvery-blue tail. It is unknown if a triton's coloring varies from individual to individual.

Powers and Abilities

 * Underwater breathing: It is unknown how tritons breathe. They may breathe both water and air like the miengu, just air like mermaids or just water like a fish.
 * Conch shell: Tritons are capable of wielding powerful magic but they need conch shells to channel these powers. By using conch shells as trumpets or horns, tritons can wield their magic over the sea. This power is within the triton, not the shell. The conch's music is just needed to channel their power.
 * Water and weather manipulation: Water responds to the tritons' music and will do whatever they command. They can create surges of water capable of grabbing and pulling creatures as huge as a dragon below the waves, use water as a shield and drag creatures in a cage of liquid. Tritons are capable of creating waves big enough to destroy towns.
 * Aquatic fauna control: Triton music can control the minds of any weak-minded sea creature such as krakens. Their magic overrides the animals' instincts and forces them to obey the triton's commands and serve his goals.