Guac'ca Mole

Also known as tunnellers, the guac'ca moles are small, six-legged carnivorous mammals that live underground in the mushroom forests of Vohd. They have a long round snout, no tail, and soft fur that serves as camouflage, varying in colour from light browns to blacks that blend with the Vohdian soil, especially in low-light conditions.

They are generally sturdy, well-built beasts in which nature has found a way to combine the agility and speed of a rodent and the body of a small ape. Guac'ca moles can walk in either two or four legs: they always use their hind legs to walk, the middle pair of limbs to grab and manipulate small objects, and can use their front limbs for either locomotion and stability or manipulation and agility, depending on the situation.

The guac'cas live in a series of tunnel networks that stem from a central point and extend for hundreds of kilometres under the surface. Due to their subterranean habits, they have not evolved in the same way as other Vohdian species and can't breathe the Fog-ridden atmosphere without suffering its detrimental effects. However, this does not stop them from going out to the surface when necessary. If it is smart enough, a guac'ca mole that exits the tunnel network can find ways to protect itself from the Fog, even if only for a short period.

However, the moles have one big flaw that can (and usually does) put them at risk of death, either by the hands of other predators or avid collectors. They have a penchant for shiny things and collect every piece of scrap they can put their hands on, whether natural or not. Guac'cas are known for harvesting Funglung crystals off the dead bodies of other creatures, as well as taking all sorts of objects from adventurers' corpses (anything from small trinkets to unusable blaster guns and rebreathers). Put simply, when guac'cas see shinies, guac'cas want the shinies, and then guac'cas dig to hide the shiny until they can return to the central point of their tunnel network.

Guided by their instinct, guac'cas are always digging to expand their routes for hunting and hiding. When they do this, it is usually in groups of two or three, or only one if it is just exploring. Male guac'ca moles are smaller, faster, and more agile than most females and often take the role of scouts and diggers. Female guac'cas are bigger and stronger than their male counterparts, both in toughness and willpower. They hunt, ensure protection and lead their labours.

When facing conflict, most males flee, taking with themselves all the treasure they can carry, while females defend the group. If the male guac'cas do not come back, they are left to their own devices until they can find their troop again. Guac'ca moles are not aggressive by nature but will not hesitate to retaliate if attacked.

(concept submitted by pavlogs_)