Tortle
Capable fighters, good thinkers and endlessly fascinated by the little things. Tortles are good to have around. they see things that we overlook, and that can mean big profit on a quest."
Others could call a life of adventure what many tortles consider a simple life. Tortles are born near sandy beaches, but as soon as they can walk on two legs, they transform into nomadic survivalists ready to explore the outdoors, experience its many wonders, put their talents to the test, and meet new people.
A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and crawls on all fours during the first few weeks of its life. Its parents, who are elderly and on the verge of death, spend what time they have left telling stories to their children. The juvenile tortle becomes an orphan after a year, but not before learning to communicate and survive on its own.
The tools, weapons, and presents left behind by their parents are passed down to a young tortle and its siblings. Each young tortle is supposed to survive on their own. It leaves its birthplace and seeks out its own patch of wilderness in which to hunt, catch fish, and make a living. A tortle hones its survival skills with each passing year. It establishes bonds with its neighbors while maintaining their privacy. A tortle will occasionally have an almost overwhelming need to travel far from home and see more of the world. It takes its belongings and departs for the wild, returning months or years later with tales of its adventures and new skills.
When a tortle reaches the end of its natural life, it looks for a partner and starts reproducing. Tortles lay their eggs (as few as one or as many as a dozen) in a fortified compound surrounded by easily defendable stone walls. If such a compound does not exist, they create one. Before they die, the parents spend the rest of their lives guarding the compound, defending their children, and sharing a lifetime of knowledge. When the kids are old enough, they take whatever weapons and tools their parents left behind and leave the compound on their own.
Tortles believe that they and other creatures are watched over by night and day. The moon is the night's eye, keeping watch over them in the dark, while the sun is the day's eye. When one or both of these"eyes" are staring down on them, tortles feel most at ease. When neither orb is visible in the sky, they grow increasingly apprehensive and uneasy. Tortles are most uneasy when they are underground, where neither the sun nor the moon can be seen.
The days when the sun and moon are visible in the sky at the same time are very blessed. Tortles frequently chose such days to leave their homes and embark on a wilderness adventure or undertake another risky job.
"We wear our houses on our backs," tortles remark. They have all the shelter they need in the shells they carry. As a result, tortles don't feel compelled to stay in one spot for long periods of time. A tortle settlement is largely used as a kind of moot, where tortles can mingle, discuss important knowledge, and trade with strangers in the safety of a larger group. Tortles do not see these settlements as locations worth risking their lives to defend, and they will depart one if it no longer fulfills their needs.
Most tortles like learning about other animals' lives and discovering new habits and methods of doing things. The impulse to reproduce does not appear until later in a tortle's life, and it is possible for a tortle to spend decades away from its natural land without experiencing homesickness.
Tortles have a straightforward outlook on life. It's a magical location, and tortoises perceive beauty in the mundane. They yearn to hear a gentle breeze through palm palms, to see a frog croaking on a lily pad, or to stand in a bustling human marketplace.
Tortles enjoy acquiring new skills. They make their own tools and weapons, and they are skilled at fortifications and constructions. They are awestruck by the achievements of other civilized creatures, particularly humans, and can lose themselves in a city for years, studying its architectural marvels and learning skills they can use to construct forts to contain their children.
Tortles are gregarious creatures who like forming lasting friendships, despite spending a large portion of their lives alone. They have no innate prejudice against persons of other races. In reality, tortles frequently seek out non-tortle connections in order to understand new customs and points of view.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Tortles prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn't like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen times in its life.
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
by Rob Taylor
Tortle Druid
Lifespan
50 years
Average Height
5-6 ft.
Average Weight
450 lbs.
Tortle
Ability Score Increase +2 Str, +1 Wis
Size Medium
Speed 30 ft.
Claws
Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Hold Breath
You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. Tortles aren't natural swimmers, but they can remain underwater for some time before needing to come up for air. Natural Armor
Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal. Shell Defense
You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell. Survival Instinct
You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. Tortles have finely honed survival instincts.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common Tongue and Aquan.
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