The society of wandering swimmers

Many strange tales are told about the wandering swimmers. We will try to keep fiction and fact separated and stick to just the facts.
What we tell you here may sound strange to some people as this information is first hand information. We have spend time with the Tritons and Aquatic elves that make up the wandering swimmers society. Most know that Tritons shun the surface dwellers, but when we where fighting the Sahuagin near the north area, they where more then willing to help us in our battle and to welcome us in their society.
Many believe that the wandering swimmers have fixed locations where they live in underwater castles and caves, but again here is a misunderstanding, they do honor the "wandering" part in the name of their society and travel far and wide with their boats.

The society of wandering swimmers has no fixed place or island where it is settled. Much more is it a group of vessels that travel is larger or smaller groups. Most seem to sail in the northern area or near the northern end of the central part of Teolin, though they are spotted often enough in any other areas as well. For this reason we can not tell you how long it would take to travel from one side to the other side.
Traveling is typically done with ships that are known as Dwellobecks. Still not many will ever meet these wanderers as the shun contact with the surface dwellers.

Political situation

The wanderers as they often call themselves, have no real political structure in their society. Small groups may grow larger and then break up again. The only stable group is a family group, that shares a single vessel. Usually such a family consists of four to fourteen members, often having more then two generations on a ship.
If multiple ships join together to form a village or even town, this village or town will recognize the most powerful sorcerer among the Triton members of such a group as the leader.
A family who does not approve of the ruling of such a leader, simply leaves the group again.
As a whole the tritons that are part of this traveling community seem to feel no need for a political structure.

Crime and Justice

As most wandering communities have no stable structure, these groups also have little or no system to prosecute crime.
Still this does not imply one could just "borrow" any thing one needs. This feeling seems almost inborn in the Triton community.
If a larger group of ships has gathered, justice is enforced by the leader of the community or by someone appointed for the task. It would not be the first time that you can look for a very long time for that triton, as they sometimes just leave again, without telling anyone.

Magic

Tritons have their own inborn magic which resembles the magic sorcerers use. This also is the reason that often Tritons are sorcerers, as this comes natural to them.
Often elves have found a home in their society as well, so they tend to hold wizards in high esteem as well.
Divine magic is not so common, but not a reason for fear or prejudice in their society.

Revered gods

Tritons revere Njord most of the time and his clerics choose two of the following domains: Air, Good, Water. As most will understand, Njord and Poseidon often have their rows, as both of them feel the sea is their "turf". In general, nobody is bothered by this, as the sea is a big enough place to find a quite place to fight.
Njord is a god that is not revered anywhere among land dwellers in Teolin, that is why on the pantheon page, you will find no information on this god.

Main population

The society of wandering swimmers is build up of tritons mainly, however around ten percent of groups of more then five ships, will be aquatic elves. Really large groups, in general thirty ships or more will also have two to five woodland elves or high elves on the ships.
Tritons tend not to want to meddle with surface dwellers and so they ask the aquatic elves or land dwelling elves to handle their business with other surface dwellers.

Economy

The ships all form independent economical units that live from what they harvest from the sea. There is little trading, just for objects that are not found in the sea.
Most often they sell fish or other simple products if they need the gold to buy something. In general it is impossible to buy anything else from these travelers.



The Teolin Setting
Copyright 2001-2005 Ylorea's Adventuring
Last update 04-12-2002