It took years for the mermen to find the ideal place to settle.
And several hundred years later, an underwater city was built around a central tower. The sea was teeming with life and provided for the needs of the relatively small community.
Due to the growing population, with fewer victims falling prey to various predators, the need for additional housing arose.
And so the city-state of Atlantis grew over the years, at the expense of its surroundings.
After another hundreds of years, the population had increased so much that the entire seabed was covered with houses, and nothing remained of the coral.
Food shortages arose, and patrols were formed to venture outside the city limits in search of food.
When daytime patrols proved insufficient, night patrols were established. But even these returned more often without food than with it.
Grumbling arose, and the Trident was expected to come up with solutions. The three brothers gathered in the throne room and broadcast their proposal via brainwaves.
These were received by the rest of the population who had gathered in a cave provided for that purpose.