Concerning Tortles in the Golden Empire
Perhaps one of the least populous humanoid races within the Golden Empire, Tortles remain equally elusive and enigmatic, but not out of fear of discovery or distrust of others. Tortles are simply solitary and tend to stick with their own kind, reproducing slowly and lacking the prerequisite internal drive to build something grand or lasting, instead enjoying the simple pleasures of life, existing in harmony with their surroundings and enjoying the pleasant company of friends and family. Such as it is, a tortle's life rarely involves danger or adventure, and they are notoriously amiable. If presented with conflict, a tortle will remove themselves from the scene or region, picking up their homes if necessary and moving on to greener pastures.
While most races have an origin story, the product of some great god bestowing life in their image upon the planes, tortles lack a historical narrative of their creation. Some joke that they were not created by any god but sprang up from nature all on their own, a jest shared by both themselves and outsiders. There is some truth in this, as ludicrous as it may seem for creatures to suddenly become something out of nothing, since tortles fit in so well with their surroundings, requiring no clothing, able to eat almost any plant or animal in the wild, cooked or fresh, and are as equally comfortable in the water as they are on land.
Though they have never had a large population, over the many centuries the number of tortles within the Golden Empire has slowly dwindled to a single clan in the Kalagar Swamps, a green and wet region with many fish, birds, and water-dwelling plants. No more than three hundred tortles are presumed to exist, and no official census has been taken in many decades. The tortles themselves care little for official records, but they have noticed a decline in their own numbers and have taken careful steps, almost uncharacteristically given their passive nature, in preserving their species. It's become customary to arrange marriages in order to prevent family ties from becoming too close, and while it's not always the best course of action for the individual, the last tortle clan has uniformly accepted the need for such a rule. Tortles who violate this rule become unofficial pariahs, finding themselves on the fringes of the community and missing the normal social routine afforded to others. This to a tortle is perhaps the most terrible torture, for they as a race need the nourishment of conversation and company.