Grunger

Appearance

Grunger are subterranean lizards that eat the roots of trees. They have slick scales that allow them to swim through the ground and long snouts to dig through more packed dirt. They use their long tails as a rudder and their gangly claws to dig and to grip tightly to the roots which they eat. The use two large incisors to scrape away and eat the roots.

Personality

Grunger are skittish when interacting with others. Though they might dine on the same tree, they are as non-confrontational with each other as they are with outsiders (excluding when the need to breed). If one were to unearth a grunger it will quickly detach from the roots it was dining on and horridly burrow deep into the ground. If you were to catch it before it gets away, it will attempt to persuade, plead, and beg you to let it go with quick jumps in emotion. They first try to talk their way out of the situation with sweet words and empty promises. When that fails they will flail about and beg for their release. Any chance they get at escape they will take, just lose your grip slightly and they're gone.

Reception

According to the Chiran people, seeing a grunger during burial rites is not only a sign of bad luck for all involved, but also that the deceased's soul is eaten with the roots of the tree and is unable to return to the great war. The only way to free the devoured spirit is to ritualistically sacrifice the grunger the same day, something that they try to avoid. Most grunger plead that they did not eat the soul of the departed and were unaware the tree they were eating was so important to them. These cries fall on def ears, the grieving members more focused on freeing their dearly departed than the ramblings of a grunger.

The Oakn people also see these creatures as bad omens, but for completely different reasons. If one grunger is found gnawing at the roots of ones trees, it's probably right to assume that your entire forest is infested. Many Oakn hunting forests have been felled by an infestation of grunger. The people of oak try to convince them to leave, but if the don't they have to take more extreme measures.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Tihn*g