Bardic Desert Tortle

Bardic Desert Tortles are a nomadic people inside the Saunderlin Waste. They travel on the back of a massive Rockback, or desert tortoise, and are referred to as Torres. Building there homes and entire village like an apartment complex into the hard shell of the tortoise. Torres are a completely community oriented culture, with everyone sharing the responsibility for the village's success or failure. Children are raised as a group, and the entire community is dedicated to each other.

Nomadic

Unlike other Saunderlin Desert Tortles, the Torres have forsaken the ancestral home of Ea to wonder the desert on the back of their giant rockback Tor, following the song and dance that called them away from society. Relying on their music and dance to convey their history, and the magic of Ea to sustain their village, the Torres can sustain themselves without the need for trade or craft and have devoted themselves to their art. As their power grew it intertwined with their performances, allowing them to defend their rockback from the dangers of the Saunderlin Waste, especially the kan, the decedents of Kandamare the great serpent that is always hunting Ea and her children.

Hospitality

Torres are accepting of any travelers that find their way to Tor, but have little interest in trade, instead accepting payment for what they can provide in the form of stories, songs, and dance. Even without, Torres will gladly accept a traveler into their village as long as they would like to stay, but most travelers find their lack of an economy or defined social hierarchy disconcerting and will generally leave to seek their fortune elsewhere whenever the group makes its way near the city of Ea.

Leadership

Torres have a Songleader for each day, that starts a village wide song each mealtime. They are not chosen or elected, a tortle will just feel the need to share their song that day, and as such becomes that days song leader. The few matters that are important to the Torres are discussed by all adult members of the village, and voted on by everyone.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Female Torres usually choose names related to music (Ex. Melody, Pulse, Tempo, Forte...)

Masculine names

Male Torres usually choose names related to dance (Ex. Slide, flip, wave, shake, step...)

Culture

Art & Architecture

Torres build only into the shell of the rockback Tor. Using their magic to create hollowed out areas in the shell for shelter.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Every day for each meal, the Song Leader will lead the entire community in song, simultaneously building up the magic to produce the food and water for the tribe, while building unity, and letting everyone know it is time to eat.

Coming of Age Rites

When a Torres comes of age, they choose an identity and name, something that speaks to their pursuits and character. This identity is meant to guide them in adulthood.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Funerals: When a Torres dies, they are carefully cleaned and removed from their shell, their body is buried in the sand. Memorials: Every cycle of the moon, the Torres have a day of memorial for any tortles lost since the last cycle. The community mourns together as a single group, playing the favorite songs of the lost, and weeping for their loss. Afterwards, the name of the lost tortles are never spoken again, their art becomes part of the community their shells are used to create instruments for the community, and they are never mentioned individually again. Instead Torres refer to all the lost collectively as The Shells.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Beauty is in the art of the Torres, not in their physical form. A beautiful singing voice might attract that talented dancer, or that graceful ballet may catch the eye of that euphonious lute player.

Courtship Ideals

As musicians and dancers perform together, they will try and find a good artistic match, the stronger the performance they have when combined indicates the better pairing, courting couples will practice together until they feel they are perfectly in sync. When they are ready, they will perform together for the community to show their commitment. The better the performance, the stronger their relationship is seen by the group.

Relationship Ideals

Torres usually pair up with someone opposite their artistic style. Dancers, whether male or female, generally pair with musicians and vice versa.