Bürkhüül

They are steady as a rock and deliberate in their actions. The Bürkhüülare a strange kind in a world of quick wits and fleeting moments. To such concepts, the Bürkhüül are slow and enduring. One would think such a ponderous being would be the first to settle, but alas, they are most often found as wanderers and explorers, forever on a search for the lost homeland of Omgar. The only times a Bürkhüül settles is when nesting and raising young, and in old age, when old bones resist the forever road. Thus the few Bürkhüül settlements hold a mix of the very young and the very old. Bürkhüül parents will only stay for a few months, before leaving the raising of their young to the elders.

Bürkhüül

ability score increase: +3 to constitution and wizdom. -4 to dexterity. You can raise your wisdom to 24 without supernatural aid.

age: Bürkhüül can live to be up to 350 years old, but seldom do.

Size: Medium

speed: 20 ft.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write the common language for your region as well as the ancestral language khushuu.

race features:
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour, if you don't move.
Natural Armor. Your shell provides you a base AC of 16 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You can wear light, medium, or heavy armor, but you gain only half the listed armor bonus. The cost and weight of armor for you is doubled for light and medium armor, and four times for heavy armor. If you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Nature's Intuition. Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
Heavy build. You are not easy to move, others have a disadvantage on strength checks or spell effects that would move you. Furthermore, you suffer twice the damage from falling from heights.
Shell Defense. You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +6 bonus to your 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, take a -10 to perception and can't see to the sides or behind you, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is an action to emerge from your shell. You drop any carried items unless they can fit in your closed fist.
Slow and steady. If you can cast spells above the second level, you roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn't take effect until the next turn, and you must use your action on that turn to complete the spell, while concentrating on the spell you suffer a -4 penalty to AC. If you can't, the spell is wasted, if you do, targets affected by your spell suffer disadvantage on saves against it, and if the spell can be upcast, treat it as one level higher when determining damage.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bürkhüül can withdraw into their shells and can hold their breath for close to an hour if at rest.

Growth Rate & Stages

Young Bürkhüül crawl for a few weeks after birth before learning to walk on four legs. They start to walk upright by their second year. They reach adulthood by the age of 15 and live up to 350 years.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They thrive on a diverse diet of greens, nuts, root vegetables, fruits, and meat. Hatching from eggs, they are severely lactose intolerant.

Biological Cycle

The Bürkhüül can live to the ripe old age of around 350. A few years before their 50th year they feel the urge to find a mate and secure a nesting place. Upon the young hatching, the parents will spend a few months nurturing the young before leaving. They lay quite large litters of eggs, often in the range of 5-8.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The Bürkhüül usually use names with inplied meaning. Male and female names are not distict form one another. Batjargal, Altan, Batu, Chenghiz, Gan

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The main language is Omgi, and they inherently known Aquan

Common Etiquette Rules

If a Bürkhüül deems you worthy for friendship he will often invite you to join him in tea, to reject it is to reject a deeper friendship. The Bürkhüül will hardly blame you unless it knows you do not act from ignorance.

Common Dress Code

A Bürkhüül takes whatever works for them. Having an unusual frame for a humanoid, they are hard to dress, and cannot reach their back. So whatever a Bürkhüül wears will usually be either loose fitting like a cloak or forward oriented for ease of reach.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Upon greeting a fellow traveling Bürkhüülthe common phrase: kherkhen khailt

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how goes the search

is said, usually followed by the answer khailt ürgeljilseer baina

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the search goes ever on

If you have really offended a Bürkhüül, they may utter the vilest curse known to them upon you: tsai deeree süü uugaarai

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milk upon your tea

The Bürkhüül have a special fondness for tea ceremonies and will invite those with a friendly inclination to join in.

Common Taboos

Pooring milk in tea is such a grave sin that a Bürkhüül might not ever speak to you again. You are litterally dead to them.

Common Myths and Legends

The Bürkhüül beleve to all come from the lost island of Omgar, a paradice of peace and beauty where snapperleaf grows wild. Much of their history pertain to finding Omgar again.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Bürkhüül tends to blend well with most species, though they have a special animosity towards Orks who in turn price Bürkhüül for a precious soup ingredient. Generally, though, they fare the best with halflings due to their carefree nature and love lifes simpler pleasures.

Origin/Ancestry

Omgar

Lifespan

Up to, but rarely reaching 350 years.

Average Height

Tortle adults stand 5 to 6 feet tall

Average Weight

450 pounds

Average Physique

Base walking speed is 20 feet.