it's a stretch, i know, lol

but i guess if you're curious about a D&D character, I gotchu covered

5 and 7 for Eska?

5. Does your character have an accent? What does it sound like?

If there's an in-universe accent inherent to the Artis region, they'd have it, but when I'm doin' the Eska voice I don't put any accents on. (I kinda just make them a bit more high-pitched because the only noises I've heard tortoises make are squeaks lmao)

...oh no, that's cute.

(TURTLES ARE ADORABLE)

Fun fact: It's never come up, but their Elvish is notably devoid of the accent you'd usually expect from someone who speaks Common as a first language.

eska, 2, 8, and 9!

As for their Aquan, Arakosh would probably think that they speak with an accent, because they learned a very different dialect than the Port Schorda Jormun have probably developed

it's like. freshwater aquan, not oceanic aquan.

7. What defines your character's goals? Do they have ambitions for themselves, the world, their loved ones, or are they just coasting?

As a monk, of course, they seek enlightenment. They want to learn to divorce themself from material concepts like needs and fully embody the Way.

They also very much have some fierce ambitions for the people they care about, lmao. It is IMPERATIVE that they are loved and accepted and supported and they achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives, and Eska is gonna do everything they can to see it happen. Their goals are their party's goals.

There's a bit of pollyanna change-the-world in them, too. They want to prove the world wrong. They wanna be like "LOOK FUCKERS, the fundamental nature of the universe is steeped in kindness and wonder and people are fundamentally altruistic"

Bonus secret: as far as more immediate goals go... there's somebody that they want to find.

2. How does your character generally show affection?

EVERY WAY THAT THEY POSSIBLY CAN.

Words. They're always gushing about the things they admire about people and quick to try and comfort and reassure. Eska is not the kind of person who feels like "I love you" is something that should be hoarded away up your sleeve.

Touch. They're immensely snuggly once they've picked up that people are comfortable with contact. Take a shot every time they rest their head on Evani's shoulder or hold Eustace's hand and you will just Die. straight up. This turt is touch-starved and just wants to cradle you

6 and 16 for eska!

Help? They'll do you a favour anytime they see the opportunity. They'll toss you a few extra gold, they'll grab that thing off the high shelf, they'll go foray into a perilous shit-dungeon to recover your macguffin, you name it. Eska just lives to speak every affection-language they possibly can lmao this turt Wants To Love

8. What is the best way of earning your character's loyalty?

Exist.

9. Does your character like to be touched? If so, how?

YES. BIG YES. They can't really feel anything on the shell parts of them, and touching the like.... squishy pale skin that would be covered up by limbs when they hide in their shell is kinda uncomfortable and weird, but they adore physical contact a lot

Hold their hand. Pat their head. Boop their snoot. LET THEM HOLD YOU IN THEIR ARMS. Even just permit them to piggyback you around on their shell, and they're happy. They just like the warmth of being connected to someone.

eleventeen: would eska paint their long nails

sources say: hell yeah babey!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. How would you describe your character's anger? Does it blind them, or does it clarify things?

Eska has internalized a lot of fear about themselves and their body. They're strong, they've got big claws, they look like a monster. They know how to fight. They can kill a man with their bare hands. They kind of... see themselves as innately destructively, and feel like the nurturing parts of them are only there out of, like

constant exertion and effort to defy their basic nature.

Anger, to them, is absolutely forbidden. An enemy that has to be chained down at all times. They cannot be angry. They can't.

Which is tough, because fundamentally, Eska is someone who's grieving, and you can't grieve without anger!

They have things they're still bitterly angry about! There's a black, smothering fury at the pit of who they are!

i already regret asking, thanks!

But they don't want to be a monster, so they suppress. So if anything, Eska's anger is just a force that turns inward and directs at Eska themself

and it manifests in the way they devalue themself, belittle themself, let mistakes chew at them, always act so quick to assume that others only just kind of tolerate them

because surely eska is an acceptable target for eska's anger right

The irony behind it behind that like... they only point it at themself because if they let their bitterness out, then what if it consumes them

but cramming it away because you Have To Be Positive Have To Be Soft kinda just means that it's something that they let erode themself, so that desperation and fear of others because They'll Get Sick Of You Eventually has a way of seeping into everything you do and people pick up on it

so like. there's Frustration and Bitterness within Eska that they will eventually need to work on lol

once they figure out "hey maybe being a good person doesn't mean martyrdom actually"

16. What are some physical tells of how your character is feeling at any given moment?

Eska is a very open and earnest person, so it's probably not surprising that their body language is pretty easy to read too. Being a bigass turtle with a beak and Weird Upside Down Reptile Eyelids and stuff, their face might not translate 1-1 to a human's for emotions, but their body language broadcasts stuff big time

Tension or excitement? Their throat kinda pulses like a bullfrog. Interest? That big ol neck stretches out and they've got that snout in the air trying to see everything at once.

Discomfort or fear are really easy to pick up on because they'll literally withdraw lmao

The more their head sinks into their shell, the more they Would Prefer Not to Be In This Situation Please.

if they're just a big ridiculous wall of squish and wrinkle with a teeny bit of snout juuust peeking out, they officially Hate This

Basically, they're very physically expressive. It's never hard to tell what Eska's feeling, even if their beak is stuck in a permanent :3

a perfect and beautiful creature

this is the ideal body. you may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like

A glorious being.

reptomin pellet diet