Tortle

For centuries, the people of Xhorhas and the Dwendalian Empire believed tortles to be a hoax concocted by Concordian hucksters. In truth, tortles are an ancient and long-lived people who dwell within the jungles and along the beaches of the Menagerie Coast. Most tortles who journey far from the coast begin to feel pangs of homesickness, which can develop into a depression.
Tortles are almost unheard of beyond the sunny shores of the Menagerie Coast.

Basic Information

Biological Cycle

A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, old and near death, spend what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns to speak and to survive on its own.
A young tortle and its siblings inherit whatever tools, weapons, and gifts their parents left behind. Each young tortle is expected to fend for itself. It leaves the place of its birth and finds its own corner of the wilderness in which to hunt, catch fish, and get by. With each passing year, a tortle hones its survival skills. It forms friendships with its neighbors while also respecting their privacy. At some point, a tortle feels an urge to see more of the world. It gathers up its gear and travels, returning months or years later with stories of its exploits.
When a tortle nears the end of its lifespan, it seeks out a mate. Tortles lay their eggs (numbering as few as one or as many as a dozen) in a fortified compound. If no such compound exists, they build one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives guarding it, defending their offspring, and sharing their knowledge. When the children grow up, they pick up whatever weapons and tools their parents left behind and set out on their own.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Tortles prefer non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. Tortles don’t have surnames or family names.
Male and Female Names: Baka, Damu, Gar, Gura, Ini, Jappa, Kinlek, Krull, Lim, Lop, Nortle, Nulka, Olo, Ploqwat, Quee, Queg, Quott, Sunny, Tibor, Ubo, Uhok, Wabu, Xelbuk, Xopa, Yog