Tortle

The Tortle are an ancient, amphibious people with broad, scaled shells and deep-set, contemplative eyes. Neither fully terrestrial nor truly aquatic, they dwell along the tangled coasts, flooded caverns, and mist-choked deltas of the world—places where land meets water and silence runs deep.

Tortle society values patience, memory, and balance. Though slow to act, they are meticulous in thought and unwavering once committed. Many Tortle communities are built around sacred hatcheries or quiet groves, where elders pass on wisdom in spoken song and etched shell-script. Though peace-loving by nature, the Tortle are far from helpless. When threatened, they become unyielding guardians, retreating only when the land itself calls them elsewhere.