To r t l e
I caught a big fish.
Now I search for a good friend
To share my lunch with.
—Tortle haikuOYleYfqlgjld]k[gfka\]jYkaehd]da^]$gl]jkea_l [YddYda^]g^Y\n]flmj]&Lgjld]kYj]Zgjff]YjkYf\q [gYkldaf]k$ZmlYkkggfYkl]qÌj]YZd]lgoYdcgflog
d]k$l`]qZ][ge]fgeY\kmjnanYdaklk]Y]jlg]phdgj]
l]oad\]jf]kk$]ph]ja]f[]alkeYfqogf\]jk$hmll]aj
skills to the test, and make new acquaintances.
Life of a Tortle
A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends
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Yn]d]^ll]ddaf_klgja]klgl]ajgץkhjaf&OalafYq]Yj$ l]qgmflgjld]Z][ge]kYfgjhYf$lgm`fglZ]^gj]
it learns to speak and to survive on its own.
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o]Yhgfk$Yf\a^lkl]ajhYj]flkd]^lZ]af\&=Y[`qgmf
lgjld]ak]ph][l]\lg^]f\^gjalk]d^&Ald]Yn]kl]hdY[]g^ alkZajlYf\Õf\kalkgof[gjf]jg^l]oad\]jf]kkaf oa[lgmfl$[Yl[Õk$Yf\]lZq&Oal]Y[hYkkaf
q]Yj$Ylgjld]gf]kalkkmjnanYdkcaddk&Al^gjek^ja]f\- ships with its neighbors while also respecting their pri- nY[q&9lkge]hgafl$Ylgjld]^]]dkYfYdegklgn]jo]de-
afmj]lgn]flmj]^YjYoYq^jgege]Yf\k]]egj]g^ l]ogjd\&AlYl]jkmhalkhgkk]kkagfkYf\]Y\kaflg
l`]oad]jf]kk$j]lmjfafegflkgjq]YjkdYl]joalklg-
ries of its exploits and new skills.
When a tortle nears the end of its natural lifespan, it
k]]ckgmlYeYl]Yf\hjg[j]Yl]k&Lgjld]kdYql]aj]__k fmeZ]jaf_Yk^]oYkgf]gjYkeYfqYkY\gr]f!afY ^gjlaÕ]\[gehgmf\]f[dgk]\Zqklgf]oYddklYlYj]
]Ykadq]^]fkaZd]&A^fgkm[[gehgmf\]paklk$l]qZmad\
one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives
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k`YjafYda^]lae]g^cfgod]_]Z]^gj]l]q\a]&O]f
l][ad\j]fYj]gd\]fgm_lgd]Yn]l][gehgmf\$l`]q
pick up whatever weapons and tools their parents left
behind and set out on their own.
Beliefs
Lgjld]k\gfÌlYn]l]ajgofhYfl]gfg^_g\k$Zmll]q
g^l]fogjkahl]_g\kg^gl]jjY[]k&AlÌkfglmfmkmYd for a tortle to hear stories or legends related to a god and [ggk]lgogjkahlYl]alq&Afl]>gj_gll]fJ]Ydek$ lgjld]kYj]]kh][aYddq^gf\g^=d\Yl$?gf\$DYlYf\]j$ KYnjYk$K]df]$Yf\LqegjY&Afl]?j]qYock]llaf_$ l]qjYnalYl]lgoYj\;]d]klaYf$>`YjdYff$H]dgj$ Hgdlmk$Yf\Kl&;mlZ]jl&Lgjld]kYj]g^l]f\jYoflgl]
Gods of Good in Dragonlance and the Sovereign Host
in Eberron. Among the nonhuman deities, Moradin and
Yondalla relate to tortles most of all.
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Yf\gl]j[j]Ylmj]k&L]eggfakl]]q]g^fa_ll`Yl
watches over them in darkness, and the sun is the
]imYddqna_adYfl]q]g^\Yq&Lgjld]k^]]degklYlh]Y[]
o`]fgf]gjZgl`g^l`]k]É]q]kÊYj]dggcaf_\gofgf
l`]e&L`]qZ][ge]egj]f]jngmkYf\mf]Ykqo`]f
f]al`]jgjZaknakaZd]afl`]kcq&Lgjld]kl]f\lgZ]egkl
uncomfortable underground, where neither the sun nor
the moon is visible to them.
:d]kk]\Yj]l`]\Yqko`]fZgl`l`]kmfYf\eggfYj]
nakaZd]afl`]kcqYll`]kYe]lae]&Lgjld]kg^l]f[`ggk]
km[`\Yqklgd]Yn]l`]aj`ge]kYf\Z]_afYoad\]jf]kk
]ph]\alagf$gjh]j^gjekge]gl`]jlYkcl`]qcfgolgZ]
dangerous.Adventurers at Heart
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ZY[ck&ÊL`]k`]ddkl`]q[YjjqYjgmf\hjgna\]Yddl`]
k`]dl]jl`]qj]imaj]&;gfk]im]fldq$lgjld]k\gfÌl^]]d
the need to root themselves in one place for too long.
9lgjld]k]lld]e]flakhjaeYjadqmk]\YkYcaf\g^eggl$
o`]j]lgjld]k[Yfkg[aYdar]oal`gf]Yfgl`]j$k`Yj]mk]-
^mdaf^gjeYlagf$Yf\ljY\]oal`kljYf_]jkafl`]kY^]lq
of greater numbers. Tortles don’t regard these settle-
ments as places worth defending with their lives, and
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their needs.
Most tortles like to see how other creatures live and
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The urge to procreate doesn’t kick in until the end of a
lgjld]Ìkda^]$Yf\Ylgjld][Yfkh]f\\][Y\]kYoYq^jgealk
native land without feeling homesick.
Lgjld]k]eZjY[]Ykaehd]na]og^l`]ogjd\&AlakY
hdY[]g^ogf\]j$Yf\lgjld]kk]]Z]Ymlqafl`]gj\afYjq&
L`]qdan]^gjl`][`Yf[]lg`]YjYkg^loaf\Zdgoaf_
l`jgm_`hYdelj]]k$lgoYl[`Y^jg_[jgYcaf_gfYdadq
pad, or to stand in a crowded human marketplace.
Lgjld]kdac]lgd]Yjff]okcaddk&L`]q[jY^ll`]ajgof
lggdkYf\o]Yhgfk$Yf\l`]qYj]_gg\YlZmad\af_kljm[-
lmj]kYf\^gjlaÕ[Ylagfk&L`]qeYjn]dYll`]ogjckg^
gl`]j[anadar]\[j]Ylmj]k$`meYfkafhYjla[mdYj$Yf\[Yf
dgk]l`]ek]dn]k^gjq]YjkafY[alq$klm\qaf_alkYj[`al][-
lmjYdogf\]jkYf\d]Yjfaf_kcaddkl`]q[Yfhmllgmk]
o`]fZmad\af_^gjlklg[gflYafl`]ajgץkhjaf_&
9dl`gm_`l`]qkh]f\Y[gfka\]jYZd]hgjlagfg^l`]aj
lives in isolation, tortles are social creatures that like to
^gjee]Yfaf_^md^ja]f\k`ahk&L`]q`Yn]fgafZj]\Yf-
aemklgoYj\h]ghd]g^gl`]jjY[]k&Af^Y[l$Ylgjld]oadd
often seek out friendships with non-tortles to learn new
customs and new points of view.To r t l e N a m e s
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Yj]mkmYddqfgegj]l`YflogkqddYZd]k&A^Ylgjld]\g]kfÌl
like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A
lgjld]ea_`l[`Yf_]alkfYe]Y\gr]flae]kafalkda^]&
Lgjld]k\gfÌl`Yn]kmjfYe]kgj^YeadqfYe]k&
Male and Female Names::YcY$<Yem$?Yj$?mjY$Afa$
Jappa, Kinlek, Krull, Lim, Lop, Nortle, Nulka, Olo,
HdgioYl$Im]]$Im]_$Imgll$Kmffq$LaZgj$MZg$M`gc$
OYZm$P]dZmc$PghY$Qg_