Telgar/WorldTortoise
World Tortoise (level 5 Familiar and level 2 Manse)
If anyone could explain how the World Tortoises work, they would certainly be among the greatest minds of the Second Age. Though they do not in fact carry the world on their backs, they do carry something almost as impressive. The shell of a World Tortoise is one of the most amazing natural substances in Creation, as it grows in response to the thoughts of the World Tortoise. From their shell, the Tortoises can shape almost anything they wish. World Tortoises are vast creatures, weighing hundreds and hundreds of tons and having a shell at least one acre in size. Elder tortoises can have shells of two to four acres in area. From nose to tail, a typical two-acre World Tortoise is some 400 feet long. With this vast area to work with and a sufficiently inspired plan, World Tortoises can fashion entire villages or palaces on their backs. What makes them even more amazing then that is the fact that somehow, by some ancient sorcery, a World Tortoise is a living Manse. The forms they fashion into their shells have geomantic significance and channel the Tortoise's own Essence into the proper forms to turn the living being into a living Manse. The master of a World Tortoise is never without his home, for it follows him around with steady loyalty. World Tortoises can actually reshape their shells in accordance with the wishes of their master, allowing for alterations to the facilities and Manse on their backs. For reference, a World Tortoise's stride carries it at about 5 miles per hour and it can walk for weeks without tiring.
It should be noted that the requirements listed here are for a middle-aged Tortoise. Younger Tortoises will have smaller shells and less Essence, they would only require Manse 1 and Familiar 5. Elder Tortoises could in theory require up to 5 dots in each background to represent a World Tortoise that has been wondering Creation since the First Age. It is also possible that somewhere in Creation there exists a variation of the World Tortoise that either by design or accident does not have the Manse Body power and is not able to work Geomancy into its shell. Such a creature is still Familiar 5 and still able to fashion buildings from its shell, but it will not be a Manse nor produce a Hearthstone.
Attributes: Str 10, Dex 1, Sta 20, Cha 0, Man 0, App 1, Per 3, Int 1, Wits 1
Abilities: Brawl 4 (Trample x3), Endurance 6, Resistance 6, Survival 5, Crafts 2 (Own Shell x3), Awareness 2
Dodge & Soak: 0 (Can't Dodge) | 30B/30L (Really Thick Shell 15/15)
Essence: 2
Willpower: 8
Health Levels: -0, -0, -0, -0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, -4, -4, -4, -4, Incap
Virtues: Compassion 1, Temperence 5, Conviction 1, Valor 5
Attacks:
- Trample - Acc 15 | Dmg 40L | Def 0 | Rate 1/2 | Spd 1
Special Notes:
- Shape Shell - By making an extended Int + Crafts roll, a World Tortoise can force his shell to grow into specific forms. Each roll represents a week of growth time. For some examples, it would be difficulty 3 to craft a crude hut on the shell but difficulty 10 or higher to craft a fancy mansion or small village of well-made homes.
- Manse Body - The Essence of a World Tortoise flows through its body in amazing ways, channeled by magic and the geomancy of its own shell. The Tortoise is, in effect, a living Manse and somewhere on its shell a Hearthstone forms of a level equal to the Tortoise's Essence.
