Starry Hillopes

Yeh, the starries were the lifeblood of the clan. They were our workhorses, our companions, even our food in some cases. We loved 'em. They deserved better. When the Folk came, they went for the starries first. Everyone was asleep a' the time. I was right next to one o' the pens, woke right up with the screaming. Only thing you can do in that situation is run, so I ran. Ran until my legs gave out. Thought I was a goner, but one o' the starries'd followed me. Dug me right up to the surface, an' here I am today.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A starry hillopes is essentially a giant star-nosed mole. They lack eyes and feel the world around them with probing nose tendrils and sense tremors in the earth with their feet. Their front paws are significantly larger than their rear ones, being made for digging through dirt and stone, and sport large and powerful claws. They have velvety soft fur and little stubby tails.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Starry hillopes subsist primarily on the fungi and large grub creatures that live in the deep underground. It can smell for various types of fungus, while it uses its tremor-senses to hunt for giant worms and other such wriggly creatures. Wild starry hillopes usually have a small "pantry" dug out in their dens dedicated to storing and growing excess food.

Additional Information

Domestication

Gnomes have domesticated starry hillopes to use as beasts of burden and to tunnel between settlements and mining areas. They are particularly useful on mining expeditions as they can not only haul large quantities of ore, but they can also alert their masters of incoming threats.
Starry hillopes are also bred for their meat, which is said to be stringy yet tender at the haunches and excellent stew meat near the front legs.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Starry hillopes can be found just about anywhere, but only deep underground or within a mountain. Movement on the surface interferes with their ability to hunt and travel safely, so they're usually at least 200 meters below, though they have been known to bring gnomes up to the surface at night during emergency situations.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While they lack sight and have rather poor hearing, they are exceptionally adept at sensing even the slightest vibrations in the ground around them. The tendrils extending from their noses are also extremely sensitive, able to discern the subtlest texture differences. They also possess a strong sense of smell.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Starry hillopes have dark brown to black fur covering their bodies, while their front paws are usually pale. Their noses are a dull pink.