Deep in the swamps and marches of our world live perhaps the oldest creatures to inhabit the land. The Turtlefolk are an ancient people, whose elders are rumored to have seen great changes and disasters that shaped our world today. Indeed, given their age and absurdly deep memory, one can hardly fathom what the Turtlefolk have seen throughout history. Built like fortresses, they last just as long. They are a peaceful race and hardly seek war or conquest. Those who have moved into the larger cities and towns can usually find work as diplomats or lawmakers, given their affinity for justice, fair treatment, and compromise.
Death, while not an unfamiliar concept to them, is more a rarity to the Turtlefolk than to other creatures. Given their biology and no doubt their healthy sense of mind and diet, Turtlefolk have a natural lifespan than lasts 400-500 years. The eldest among them is rumored to be greater than a thousand years old. However, when death finally claims a Turtle (whether natural or not), their loved ones usually save their shell to be used as a shield in battle. While the Turtlefolk prefer peace, their warriors are fearless. Built like a tank, a Turtlefolk shell is one of the hardest and densest materials one can use as protection. Usually passed down to the eldest child in the family, these shell shields are held in the highest regard, being seen as honoring the dead by bringing them into battle. Perhaps knowing that a grandfather, a mother, or even a sibling is still protecting the Turtle even after death, it gives the Turtlefolk a lack of fear in battle.
