A Tortle Monk who hit his pinnacle when he beat his own sister, the Harengon Fighter Basil, in a race in high school — I bet he could throw a ball over those mountains!
Party Member — GM-run NPC (Steve)
A cigar-addicted tortle monk and the “Uncle Rico” of the party — a washed athlete (football glued to his mini) who follows along, signs paperwork, and arrives one round behind everyone else. Half-brother to Basil.
| Player | Race | Class | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve (GM) | Tortle | Monk | ”AI-control” NPC / pack-mule | Active |
Overview
Nortle is run by the GM (Ch 1.1–1.7’s DM, Steve) as a deliberately passive party member — “he won’t be making decisions.” A slow-talking, cigar-addicted monk turtle wrestling with “his monkish desires and the desires of the flesh,” he’s along on the journey to “find himself.” He’s the party’s keg-mule, paperwork-signer, and the very deliberate ambulance who’s always a round behind — handing out potions of healing when he finally arrives.
Story
Backstory
- Uncle Rico: a glory-days athlete; his mini has a football on it to indicate his “incredible athletic prowess” (“I bet I could throw a football over those mountains”).
- Half-brother of Basil the Harengon — same turtle family.
- A devoted appreciator of the music scene that grew up in the century after The Forgotten Hour — which led him to roadie for TBD.
Chapter 1 Notable Beats
- Signs the contract: while filling out paperwork in triplicate, unwittingly binds the party to a recurring gladiator contract (Ch 1.2).
- The Pope hat (“the Tope”): acquires a conical hat with an unidentified Charm-Person power from Mademoiselle Nero (Ch 1.5).
- Serves as keg-mule and disguised cleaning cart during the Parliament infiltration (Ch 1.6).
Appearances
- 240530-ch1.1 (⏱ 00:36:51) — Steve’s DM-controlled NPC; an athletic tortle monk with a cigar addiction and Basil’s half-sibling. Accompanies the party but makes no decisions, occasionally used as a drum.
- 240626-ch1.2 (⏱ 00:14:38) — Paperwork-obsessed tortle (turtle-folk) companion voiced by the GM (an NPC). Navigates the desert, uses his shell as a walking desk, and fills out the party’s trade forms and waivers in triplicate.
- 240709-ch1.3 (⏱ 00:19:23) — The party’s slow, paperwork-loving turtle/tortoise companion; fills out waivers in triplicate, trails behind on the stairs, and sits cross-legged watching the ‘concert.’
- 240807-ch1.4 (⏱ 00:07:58) — Turtle NPC companion (‘a roadie for TBD’); keeps retreating into his shell, trips Jaykins, gets kicked like a hockey puck, shrinks to 44%, and eventually guides blind Xeros by the hand.
- 250816-ch3.5 (⏱ 02:45:07) — Steve’s player-character, a tortle monk (unarmed strikes, flurry of blows, shell defense, hour-long breath-hold) and Basil’s brother. Uses his shell as a ‘library’ and knows tortle lore firsthand.
- 250911-ch3.6 (⏱ 02:43:00) — Steve’s PC, a tortle and former touring rock musician (roadie/band days, drugs). Basil’s sibling; he wrestles the converted creature Amla and once had a fling with the missing Nereza.
- 251009-ch3.7 (⏱ 02:46:55) — Steve’s player-character, a turtle-folk monk and former roadie, Basil’s ‘sibling’; ribs attached to his shell, 40ft speed, and carries a tricorn hat earned swabbing a pirate ship.
- 251023-ch3.8 (⏱ 02:23:42) — Steve’s PC, a turtle monk and Basil’s brother. Masters his grappling feat by wrestling Amla and carries the shrunken TBD around in his hat.
- 251204-ch3.10 (⏱ 20:40:10) — Steve’s player-character, a TMNT-style turtle monk with a defensive shell, grappling feet, flurry of blows, Thunder Wave and maracas; Basil’s adoptive sibling.
- 260227-ch4.1 (⏱ 00:10:49) — Existing PC (Steve). Tortle monk, former roadie and athlete, Basil’s brother; collects tarot cards. Very strong, empty-headed, good at math.
- 260320-ch4.2 (⏱ 19:49:13) — Steve’s PC, a tortle monk who was knocked out by chloroform at the start. Fiercely protective of his sister Basil; wears a mitre/‘Pope hat’ and uses his shell.
- 260403-ch4.3 (⏱ 19:27:29) — Steve’s PC, a turtle-folk monk with draconic breath and spectral wings. Still furious that the party hid his half-sister Basil’s mutilation from him; the tree buds’ truesight let others see his true tiefling-like form and he let go of the grudge.
- 260409-ch4.4 (⏱ 20:35:02) — Steve’s tortle PC and Basil’s brother. Turns invisible to sneak aboard the ferry and wins the taste game with a tortellini story about his ‘Meemaw.’
- 260501-ch4.5 (⏱ 20:06:49) — Steve’s Tortle monk PC, ‘taste tester supreme,’ who won the stick chops at the trial of taste and eats everything (even porridge) with them.
- 260515-ch4.6 (⏱ 20:23:29) — Steve’s tortle who ‘wishes he were a real boy.’ Turned invisible to scout the castle, licked the banquet door to taste the fear inside, and stayed skeptically un-converted at the singing trees.
- 260610-ch4.8 (⏱ 19:47:01) — Steve’s turtle-monk PC (‘stick chops’), obsessed with punching Astaroth in the throat; gained spectral draconic wings via step-of-the-wind and landed at Rex’s Dojo through the portal.
- 250228-ch2.6.2 (⏱ 00:08:22) — PC (Steve), a tortle monk with dragon breath and flurry of blows who can neither read nor count; he is thrown and badly mauled by the shark-bear, ending the fight at two hit points.