Tudo (tu·do)

Tudo are native fauna of the Suns' Divide Desert that facilitate travel and survival in the harsh desert wasteland. Outsiders often refer to the creatures as Great Tortoise, Sand Tortoise, or Glass Tortoise, due to their close relationship with the more common shelled reptilian found in more quaint locales of Vandarel and notable attributes that the Tudo possess.
Tudo are famed for two attributes, which are immediately identifiable to even a casual observer. First, Tudo grow to enormous sizes during their long lifespan. By the age of 30, they are size of a well bred and well fed war horse. By the age of 50 most Tudo are the size of small hut. By the age of 75, a fully mature and adult Tudo will tower at least 14 feet tall and weigh between 7,000 and 15,000 stones.
The second famed attribute is a Tudo's shell. The shell of a Tudo expands with the growth of its body and often takes on odd dimensions and textures due to the weather of its native habitat. A Tudo's shell grows outwards the more time it spends within the Divide, as its shell is buffeted by the powerful winds of the Divide's magically infused sand storms. Furthermore, many Tudo shells are polished to a mirrorlike sheen by the forces and friction of the vicious sand storms. At maturity an adult Tudo's shell will extent at least three to four feet to the sides of its body and the mirror polish of its shell will be able noticeable across the dunes as it reflects the light of the twin suns, even through the cover of the Obfuscation.
These famed attributes have resulted in many Tudo being domesticated by local tribes and others who brave the Suns' Divide Desert. The strength and size of the Tudo lends it to being used as a beast of burden, pulling wagons and carts laden with supplies and people. During storms, the Tudo provides refugee to its handlers under its shell. The large beast is able to retreat to the depths of its shells while its handlers erect shelters that specially designed and built to be attached and anchored to the elongated sides of the shell. Myth and rumors further claim that the mirror shell of the Tudo is able to absorbed some of the magical energy of the Divide's famous and deadly storms, possibly weakening the storm so that it is easier to survive and imbuing the Tudo with magical attributes. Tribal wanderers of the Divide claim that a Tudo's shell will suffer no illusion, and that the mirror shell of the Tudo will reveal any lie, magic or otherwise.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Female Tudo regularly lay eggs in clutches of 10 to 20 eggs, each roughly the size of a King Ball. The Female Tudo will bury these eggs, in hopes that a male Tudo discovers and fertilizes them. The eggs will then gestate for one year before hatching. The juvenile Tudo will then spend at least 10 years underground hunting for food and water and slowly developing their shell.

Growth Rate & Stages

• 1-10 Years - Juvenile - Most of its life is spent underground where it digs through sand and rock hunting for plants, roots, and water. During this time the Tudo will slowly develop its shell. At this stage of life it is nearly blind.
• 10-15 Years - Child - The Tudo emerges from underground with a well developed shell that can protect it from sand storms and predators. It is able to procure food from both underground and above ground. During this time its sight develops.
• 15-30 Years - Young Adult - The Tudo continues to grow, it body and shell expanding.
• 30-50 Years - Near Maturity - The Tudo continues to grow. It shell takes on a magical aspect depending on what type and how many storms it has been exposed to.
• 50-75+ Years - Full Maturity - The Tudo reaches its apex of size in both body and shell.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Tudo feed on desert plants and roots, often digging into the ground to find them. Tudo have been known to go for three months without foot and water, following a particularly large meal or drink of water weighing up to 1/10th of its weight.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Tudo navigate by sight and smell. Most Tudo can smell underground plants and roots, as well as sources of water. Often after a sand storm the Tudo will dig for its next meal and drink, providing sustenance to both itself and any accompanying the Tudo.

Scientific Name

Tudoilium

Origin/Ancestry

Tortoise Reptilian

Geographic Distribution

• Suns Divide Desert