Turtle Gnome

When sunlight filters through the trees, calm souls can discover the vibrant magic of the forest floor. At first indistinguishable from other fungi, you stir and continue your journey through the forest. In this guise, you are a care giver that listens and directs healing and attention to the creatures that inhabit your world. You cast an aura of harmony without requiring the senses on which so many depend. You are a respected shepherd of the forest, sensing and connecting. Your magic is also one of graceful diversity. Your kind sprouts everywhere, in any shape, colour and size. As the sun cascades shadows across the moss and lichen, you continue on your path of wisdom.

Your form defies most minds. You are one part forest people, one part fungi, and one part turtle. Your body suggests you have attention to detail. You are adept at crafting tools from your environment. Your mushroom head suggests you don’t take yourself too seriously and are attuned to your instincts. You know things others can’t see. Your turtle carapace suggests that you thrive through steady determination. In some cases, you warn other creatures to keep their distance, as you know the ways of the forest poisons. Ultimately, you are a peaceful creature beloved by the calm animals of Unilandia.

Turtles are reptiles of the order testudines characterized by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. “Turtle” may refer to the order as a whole (American English) or to fresh-water and sea-dwelling testudines (British English). The earliest known members of this group date from the Middle Jurassic, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than snakes or crocodilians. A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors. The fungus kingdom encompasses an enormous diversity of taxa with varied ecologies, life cycle strategies, and morphologies ranging from unicellular aquatic chytrids to large mushrooms. However, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at 2.2 million to 3.8 million species.