Spical

The Spical are a sub-race of **Zogardian** created from the tortoises of the land.

## Settlements

**Lanteglos** is a settlement within the **Rahashi Desert**. The top of the settlement is a large castle made out of stone, with moss sticking out between the bricks holding it up. Once inside of the castle, you may descend down into the main area, where a large library holding the original copies of all of the Spical’s knowledge reside. Within the library is a copy area, where Spical will gather together to make copies of their books to trade all over Eprea. It is considered the main settlement of the Spical.

**Bluefield** is a settlement within the **Rosewood Plains** of **Orifora**, where Spical living within flowery huts reside. The Spical here are extremely peaceful, and mingle happily with the other tribes and races that live within Orifora. The Spical of Bluefield enjoy traveling to the **River of Nostalgia** towards the center of Orifora, specializing in researching the nymphs that pass through it.

## History

The Spical came to be in Ancient 1,985. The creation of the Spical was a direct opposition by **X’fere** towards **Tozra**. X’fere watched as Tozra began to forcefully turn the snakes of the land, and X’fere searched for creatures to use to bolster his own army. He had decided to target the large and wise tortoises that roamed the lands. X’fere, in his rush, forcefully changed the Spical into his personal scholars, their minds bent to share the same viewpoints as the **Celestial** and look towards him for answers.

During the **Eprean Civil War**, the Spical were tacticians who focused on gathering information from all of the kingdoms, supplying X’fere with everything he needed to know in his war against Tozra. They convened at their settlement of **Lanteglos** to share any information that they had acquired, being the ones that led the war to its most ferocious of battles.

Once the war had come to its end, the haze over the Spical’s eyes was lifted. The Spical who served Celestial with their lives began to regard him with distaste and hatred, locking themselves away within their settlements. They made quick work of the large statues of X’fere within their settlements, with only the cracked apart pedestals remaining within them. Despite the Spical cutting off X’fere to the best of their abilities, their lust for knowledge and desire to learn as much as they could about their world remained.

The Spical are regarded as one of the most intelligent species on Eprea, with groups of them continuing to learn more about the world around them. Their close relatives, the **Tekat**, are close to them on their levels of knowledge.

## Physical Appearance

Depending on the level of mutation a Spical is at, they can range from 2' (60.96 cm) to 7' (213.36 cm) tall.

The Spical have large shells that they’re able to slide into whenever they please, with the shell being extremely hard and difficult to break. Male Spical have longer necks and tails, while the females have longer claws and shorter tails.

Spical do not wear clothes because of their shells, and instead choose to decorate their shells with colorful paints and intricate designs.

### Life Span

Spical appear to be immortal, with the oldest known Spical to be around nine thousand years old. They’re children from the ages of one to 25, adolescents from 26 to 40, and adults from 41 years and on. Despite their slower, physical aging, their intelligence matches that of a **Manna**. A Spical child can sometimes be more intelligent than an adult Manna.

## Culture

Spical are typically not the strongest race, with most of them resorting to knowledge and relaxation rather than worrying about strength and combat, due to them typically having a slow nature and reaction time.

During the **Thousand Years War**, the Spical retreated back to their settlements to hide from the brawling dragons in the sky. Hasty scrolls are found within their settlements, depicting the scene and documenting what had happened during the war. These scrolls are the main documentation that Epreans reference when learning more about the war and how to prevent it from happening again.

Once the war had ended and the new species of Eprea had emerged from the blood of **Ter’ot** and **Vyros**, brave groups of Spical were the first to venture out and learn more about them. The Spical documented and learned about the **Void Dwellers** from afar, writing and publishing books that tell more about each of them and what they had discovered. As for the **Celestial Spirits**, they simply went to the shrine of the **Celestials** or spoke with the new creatures directly to learn and write about them as well.

When traveling, the Spical prefer to travel by carriage and **horse** due to their slow speed. The Spical build their own carriages, with many of them being built out of roots and thick planks of oak wood. The back of the carriage is filled with empty and filled scrolls, with some being for trading and others being for copying. Spical will consistently make stops in areas that peak their interest, using the empty scrolls to write as much as they can about the things that they have discovered.

### Food

The Spical also enjoy being around shallow waters due to them assisting in creating healthier vegetation, along with some of their favorites, such as fruits, leafy greens, flowers, and local herbs. A favorite dish that the Spical create is a **fire-roasted apple** with cinnamon seasoning. When the Spical aren’t researching, they enjoy foraging the surrounding areas to find new herbs and plants to eat.

### Romance

The Spical enjoy doing communal cleanings of their shells, and during these cleanings, it is common for two Spical to be drawn to one another during them. They do not give each other gifts or speak any words, instead they seek each other out to keep their shells polished and clean. Spical who have an interest in each other will bump their shells, testing each others endurance to see how well they’d be able to defend themselves.

### Childcare

Spical can have children with **Manna**, other **Zogardian**, **Oril**, **Ceardian**, and **Vlennite**. Typically have 1 to 2 children at a time.

After laying an egg, the mother will cover the egg with sand, soil, and organic materials to allow it to incubate on it’s own.

### Death

Upon death, Spical wrap their dead in cloth and place them shell-side up on a bamboo platform. The shells are decorated with funeral patterns, and the dead are left infused with necrotic magic to keep their bodies in one piece. The Spical graveyards are placed away from settlements and within protected groves.

### Language

Spical means “the Researched” in the Eprean language, referencing their tendency to go out and study all types of creatures and events.

## Leadership

**Olle Vidar** is the current leader of the Spical.