APKALLU: Triton

Colored version. I can pretend it's been a sketch, but I've been on it for three days, and there's a lot to do if it's to be the initial cover or poster for the first Cycle (entitled "The Triton") of Gustavos' story.
An improved version of this original idea, featuring proeminent characters as they apear by the closing of the initial story-arcs of the Apkallu Mythos.

This is the story of a young man, who finds the mythical Scissor Staff in a fateful event: as in a protest against a human-and-animal-alike testing enterprise, on charges of having to do with the weapons industry, it soons turn out to be a riot, where police forces descend upon the populace with its already known violence. Stranded off-bounds with some two unknown people, the solitary teenager soon find "his place" on the world (or so he believed). One person who accompanied him is killed by security forces in his front, the other, kind of an experienced direct-activist, leave them behind. Digging deeper and missing for two days, he is led to the Staff through a chain of strange micro-organisms he believes only he's capable of seeing. If the scenario couldn't get weirder, before he touchs the uncharted artefact, he's attacked by an eel-like being, falling unconscious.
Once awaken, he finds himself as a water-breathing creature with blue skin and in a shape he never saw before - as a Triton. Speaking in an archaic version of his own language, the "voice in his head" (who claims to be the mythical Odysseus) tells him about their state of symbiosis, that they should work together to keep the world "out of harm" and find their own destinies. Decided to keep such power to shift between the two forms, the young makes bond with the strange entity and returns to civilization. Once there, he'll make sure these will be his greatest vacations of yet. Planning to perfect the activism in service of environment and animals where all the others failed, he takes matters in his own hands, even if viciously. But then, the enemies, plotting and much more he uncovers makes this just a small step into a greater role he has to play...

The images in the background:
on the left:
United Nation's chief for Security, the former San Brandonian General, Wagner K.  - He's kind of a main antagonist behind those who gave orders to the enterprises involved in the rise of Triton. He's known to be raising in the army ranks without bureaucracies, since originally he was just a far-right bounty hunter. His main concern is to keep the Orient country of Haijian on trail with UNA, however it seems unlikely since their economical and technological advantage. As so, he appeals to all means necessary (on law) to deal with their common enemy, the Triton.
A caped Triton - who seems to be Miredrinn's true boss, with his concerns being the return of the missing Tritons and Minotaurs to their original home-world. He claims ownership over both the Triton's Scissor Staff and the "gift" he means to Miredrinn use in order to manipulate the Triton's actions (not explained as of yet, he seems to bnefit somehow from the Triton making UNA and Haijian attacking each other)
Haumia Tribe's Shaman and his followers - who find in the Triton's first actions a manner to make heard the native people of Aoateroa in front of the secular state of Zealandia. Once believing in the Minotaur, the latter turned back on the Tribe and seized its secret grounds, where was guarded the Staff. The staff being there so present for a young to claim seems, at this point, chance or luck. Working together with the Triton, they might find if there wasn't a bit of anything other than fate on the event, as well as claiming freedom for a tribe who's disappearing each day that passes, with kidnappings and assassinations out of its reserve".
Tritons Odysseus and Asclepius - both mentors to the young Triton, separated in centuries of living between each other. They have different opinions on deeds and fate of the Young, but as teachers of his abillities they do their best.
Miredrinn the Minotaur - One of the remaining Minotaurs of Tredius, who seemed to inherit a fortune from his family's long story of traffic (of weapons, drug, people) and of slavery. Since his ancestors were tricked by humans, it's up to him survive in the dirty deals of the economists. He is fearless and has much of a resolution and sense of humor. He develops on the Triton a feeling of camaraderie and his wish for revenge upon the colonizing humans, who did nothing but copied the power-bases of the Minotaurs. Despite living in shadows and cloaked, he has earned a lot of goods from the "Western World", but his time is running up. The triton seek alternative ways to mine even his ally's work, since it has to do with slavery. Before he himself create a power-base, though, the Minotaur teaches him all he knows about the Mafia and the piracy that's still running under the law.

on the right:
Some Molochians, including latter rival Nicholas "Niklas" - a confused and feeble man that was Gustavos' colleague in the exchange program and had kind of a role to be played in the same events that left him with the staff. His path, however, led him to an unofficial recruitment in an almost suicide squad to take down "the terrorists". His killing of all his team-mates to claim their weapons just proved his worth upon the Molochians, who made him one of their own. His work now was to mine the deeds of the Minotaur (a loose-end), which ends up having him facing Triton (unknowingly to him, the same Gustávos), who constantly mocks him since he knows Nicholas' life. His path just gets darker as he tries to understand the Triton and end up with some powerful relics, and as well after the UNA, in crisis, lose territories to an entirety of growing fascist forces in Minoica. His international services, however, are no simple spy-working for the UNA, but for some independent cryptocrats... In other words, he's always been a pawn, a lapdog. But after some punches in the face, he became a powerful one.
Aquacantlus as in his glaucean form with heavy Stribog Armor - in actuality one who used to be Triton some centuries ago and then understand Gustavos' dependence to powers like no one else. After a strike from Molokh, he claimed Odysseus' Kratozoa and tested the young to see if he was worthy of the power. That leaves Gustavos with a grudge against him, but he's also caring of the young in the sense that he sees on him the hopes he placed on a long time ago. Not just a mentor, but as well as Gustávos' most trusted "gateway" to ancient history, he uncovers Asclepius, Hunapu and Lumen Draconis (and later, Svarog) to guide and help the young Triton against enemies he couldn't face alone.
Lumen Draconis, resurrected Templar Knight - who has a story of coming and returning time to time to face his arch-enemy Draconis. Doesn't understand the young Triton and his grudges and vice-versa. Gustávos can't explain how the zombie knight keeps up his belief even when it was his faith that drove him to his current 'cursed' state. Even though they clash on the path of morals, they have common enemies and that's enough to make them respect one another.
Dazbog the Arsonist from Lithuania - yet another from the ranks by Triton's side whose reputation and actions twists between as almost antagonical to his (Triton's) own. Former nationalist of the far-right, he was as well as a separatist in some time before. The Triton uses political speech to bring him nearer to Anarchism, to end up making him believe in kind of a promised "Pan-Slavic Nation". As a natural born pyrotechnician, he was of great use to the extreme-right parties of the East. But when he has a choice to do things his own and get away from the shadows of these organizations, he and the Triton establish manners to build rural communities in places seemingly abandoned. His "connection to nature" is also shared with the Triton. He's a power to reckon with, and helps the Triton getting the Minotaur's slavery out of use (and as well of acquiring weapons to the never-ending riots in Minoica).
Draconis the Fire Lord - a recurring enemy that has heard of the Triton's first attacks on Haijianese Coast and often receive report from his co-opted troops on Eastern Europe about the deeds of such an enemy. When not even his Vampire elite army gets to defeat him, even losing some of its comrades to it (they are all controlled by him in some way, so some get 'freedom' from his control when facing the Triton's Daimobia), he plans manners to get him down by himself. Their meeting, at the same time having chance to fighting his eternal rival Lumen Draconis, only makes him acquiring a bitter grudge against the Triton, since they disagree on too much and are, at the same time, much alike.