Tortle (Tor-tul)

Tortles are an incredibly vast and diverse people. They are fiercely independent and are noted for their wisdom and are a kind and tolerant people. Most tortles have the notion of having their houses on their backs, which meant that they rarely feel homesick or the need to lay roots in any single place. They are eager to learn new customs and find beauty in the most ordinary things. Despite spending much of their lives isolated, tortles like to form strong friendships.

Society
Most tortles live a nomadic and isolated lifestyle preferring to travel and separate from their own kind. Often tortles will adopt the societal and cultural norms of a group they fill most welcome in. However they can and have come together to form their own cultural groups and settlements as is the case of the village of Bale on the island nation of Zulon. When tortles do gather in groups its usually to satiate some need or to improve their survival. 
There is not much of the way of social hierarchy or positions of power in a tortle society. Most are content to let their fellows be and do not seek to gain any sort of political power. In these communities the oldest living takes on a role of pseudo leadership either as a tribal chief or head medicine man or wise woman. These "leaders" offer more spiritually guidance and act as spokesperson that can help focus planning of necessary task that are required to ensure a community's livelihood such as cultivating of crops, partaking in trade, and administering care for the infirm.
As for the defense of these communities, each one has a small militia comprised of young and abled bodied hunters and perhaps a few with druidic talents. They do not organize or train nor do they have a "captain" they simply come to the aid of their fellows when necessity demands it. However to mistake their lack of organization for weakness, what they may lack in tactics they make up for in endurance and honed natural survival instincts.
Tortles know of no outcast nor do they exclude anyone or force them to stay. Every member stays within their community purely because they want to and should the choose to leave, they will be welcomed back with open arms.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

The biological differences among groups of tortles are innumerable. This includes shell size and pattern, hight and weight, and even thier sexual dimorphism. These differences very so greatly that some scholars theorize that there are whole different subspecies of tortles that have developed differently dependent on the environment they reside in.
Because of the many different groups and sub groups of tortles is difficult to say how many different species there. However all tortles share some biological similarities.
Tortles are hatched from eggs. The mother will lay a cluch of eggs numbering anywhere from 3-20. She will then burry them in dirt or sand and then leave them un attended. After about 3 to 6 months the eggs will hatch and fully developed torddlers (tortle toddlers) will begin making there way into the world all on thier own. Given their natural vulnerability at this stage many tortles do not see adulthood. In a cluch of 20 maybe 5 will survive.
Tortles are reptilian-looking humanoids with large shells on their backs that are capable of containing their entire bodies. They have leathery skins that varied between olive-green to blue-green hues. The dorsal portion of their shell is usually darker than their skin, while the ventral portion is lighter, usually with yellowish tones.
Although generally poor swimmers, tortles are capable of floating on water and can hold their breath for over an hour. Their high buoyancy enables them to cross swamps, mud, and quicksand with little difficulty.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Tortles were originally discovered on the jungle nation of Zulon and that is where a great number of them reside. However, since thier initial discovery many different groups have been found in the tropical and desert regions of Andoros.

Scientific Name

Mortale Testudinidae

Lifespan

150-200 years

Average Height

5.5 -7 feet

Average Weight

180-300 lbs