Tortle
Below the long-reaching plateaus of Manafiq, are deep and winding ravines that have stood since the dawn of time. This is the home of the Tortles, who know it as Old Shell, as they believe their lives take place above an ageless and enormous tortoise.
Tortle society gravitates around their mining. They are believed to have discovered Shards and were the first to use it as a more formal way of currency to replace bartering. As such, Tortles live semi-nomadically, undertaking en-mass migrations around the Old Shell when an Arcanum vein runs out. Old mine sites are never totally abandoned, however, instead taken over by older Tortles who seek a new hearth. Many of the Tortle settlements that dot the Old Shell were once mining sites. Tortle society has garnered an oligarchy-like structure, where debt collectors and proprietors retain most of the control over everyday decisions and livelyhood. Tortle Lords have international know-how, as they often collect debts from any wild races who dare enter the financing arena. It is not uncommon, then, for Tortle Lords to speak most if not all Wild Race languages and for them to be surrounded by interpreters and servants of many different races. Their power strictly resides on the amount of Shards they own, rather than control over terrain, which means a Tortle Lord will commonly migrate out of a mine when its vein runs out. This lends newer settlements a sense of autonomy and a culture of self-reliance that is often difficult to uproot when Tortle Lords wish to claim ownership of its resources.
Tortle's have a long history with the arid flora of their land, and have extensive knowledge on which plants and bushes offer the most survivability. Many Tortle's rarely even drink water, gaining their substinance from the cacti. The Tortles mostly live under the ground floor, in the canyon labyrinths that wind for miles. It is however a typical tradition to come out into the sun for at least once a day (almost a religious tradition). It is considered 'good for the soul'.
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