Gronninst

Basic Information

Anatomy

If one were to compare a spider monkey to a common brown bat, then a Gronninst would be a gorilla. As the Gronninst evolved from its diminutive counterpart, the cave bat, they grew in size exponentially; this is due to their ability to eat minerals and earth and digest them, thanks to a concentration of geomancy in their bodies. They are generally the size of a small bear, but their fur is much thinner, due to the low temperature of the cave systems they live in. They have enormous ears proportioned with their bodies in the same way as a smaller bat. Their noses are also large, flat, and shaped like upside down hearts. Their arms have lost any traces of wings since they grew too large to fly, but remain long, and thin, with protruding fingers. They also have long toes on their legs, and they crawl over uneven cave ground on all fours.

Ecology and Habitats

Gronninst live relatively deep in caves, usually finding spacious chambers and building nests of moss and roots to sleep in, as they are too heavy to hang from ceilings. They travel by tapping their nails along the ground as they walk, both to feel their way through the caverns and to use their echolocation. They are able to find moisture by licking condensation on the walls. Very rarely, should they find themselves near the entrance to their cave system, they will venture out, because soil is easy to dig through in search of insects to eat.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Gronninst's diet is broken into two key elements. The bulk of their nutrition comes from insects that they startle with their low, booming cries. By upsetting insects, they will fly into the air, making noise for the Gronninst to pick up on, so that they can grab them out of the air. Because of their large size, they supplement their diets with earth and minerals that their bodies can process for nutrients. They use their natural geomancy abilities to seek out their favorite minerals and ores, and use the same magic to break through rock to reach them.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Gronninst has the standard bat ability of echolocation, as it is almost entirely blind. However, they will use their natural aptitude for geomancy to feel the vibrations in cave walls by tapping with their long nails, and sensing the minerals within the earth. This is also how they use their echolocation to travel, by tapping, because their larger size has caused their cries to become lower pitched and less useful for echolocation.