River Heralds

{{Tribe
 * tribeRace=Triton
 * hasSetting=Ixalan
 * inRegion=Great River
 * hasDescription=Wind roars in a destructive cyclone, waves rise high into the air before smashing down, and vines and branches reach and grab as the shamans of the rainforest work their magic. The people of the waters, the River Heralds, wield the raw force of nature in their effort to protect their world from disaster. Living in peace and harmony with the natural world, they seek to preserve its delicate balance and drive the invaders away.

The River Heralds are a collection of small nomadic tribes that were the dominant inhabitants of Ixalan before the rise of the Sun Empire. Their strength was once great enough to drive the Sun Empire out of the interior and close off the golden city, but their numbers are now greatly diminished. They live in harmony with the land, and their shamans wield powerful nature magic to control the elements of wind and water, which they use to protect themselves from the harsher aspects of life on Ixalan. Now the River Heralds dominate the deep interior islands and jungles, the winding rivers, and much of the sky.

Shapers of Nature
The River Heralds have lived in peace and harmony with the natural world for as long as they can remember. It's not that they lack the knowledge or skill to build cities and develop technology; rather, they have deliberately chosen to live as part of the natural world, partly in rejection of the path they watched the Sun Empire take long ago.

The magic of the River Heralds' shamans is focused on controlling wind, water, and their jungle environment. They strive to maintain a peaceful coexistence with nature, not to conquer it or defy it. They are called Shapers for the way they alter nature around them—changing the currents of wind and water, calling up storms and floods, and bending branches and vines. As they move through the jungle, they adapt it to fit their needs - and then return it to the way it was, leaving no trace of their passing, just as a pebble dropped in water leaves the surface unchanged once the ripples have passed.

The power of the Shapers is so great that even a small band of River Heralds can stand against a much larger force of Sun Empire or Legion of Dusk soldiers. They redirect rivers to thwart intruders, call up banks of fog, summon enormous waves to wash away their foes, create huge vines to destroy ships and fortresses, and direct the winds to lift them into the air or send flying opponents crashing down. They also summon elementals - living creatures formed from water or tangles of jungle growth.

Sources of the Nine Rivers
To outsiders, the various bands of the River Heralds present a unified front, determined to keep intruders away from the rainforest interior and ensure that they do not find the golden city. In fact, while they share this common goal, the merfolk bands are in constant competition with each other for primacy and control of the richest territory. A merfolk band consists of about a dozen individuals, led by a shaman called a Shaper. The Shapers are respected elders and leaders who guide the decisions of their bands and lead them on their migrations—and into battle against intruders. Each Shaper has a single apprentice at any given time. Should a Shaper die, the apprentice takes over leadership of the band. If a band grows too large for its territory to support, the apprentice takes a portion of the band away to form a new band and claim a new territory.

By merfolk reckoning, there are nine tributaries to the Great River that dominates the interior of Ixalan. The headwaters of these nine rivers are considered the prime territory, and the shamans whose bands control the sources are the most respected. The shamans are known by the rivers' names: Tishana, Kumena, Pashona, Vuhana, Mitica, Notana, Falani, Tuvasa, and Kopala.

Elemental Totems
River Herald bands use carved pillars of jade to mark and protect their territory. From a distance, these totems seem like squat blocks with a hint of humanoid features in the ornamental carvings. When intruders trespass on the lands they are set to guard, though, blue or green light begins to shine from inside the totem, spilling out from cracks formed where separate pieces of jade begin to move apart. Soon the totem fully opens, releasing the elemental energy stored inside. An elemental guardian—a living creature formed of swirling wind, streaming water, or viny growth—takes shape around the totem core. These are powerful guardians, but creating them takes a great deal of work for both the crafting of the jade and the working of magic to bind the elemental spirit to the totem. Thus, they are too few in number to serve as an effective barrier to the armies of invaders now making their way into the River Heralds' territory. }}