Talpid

WELL, IF IT'S MINERS YOU'RE AFTER, NOT EVEN dwarves can get through earth faster than a talpid digging team. I might be biased, but I'd advise you non-burrowers to never set foot underground without at least one molefolk backing you up. Just in case.

-- Dusty Burrowfoot, Talpid Ranger

Talpids, or molefolk, are a race that developed first in the Underdark, but they fairly quickly made their way into the Prime Material, the elemental plane of earth, and even the Shadowfell. Their true origin is lost, but many mages spec-ulate that they were developed from true moles. Regardless of their origin, molefolk have established themselves as a successful race, and they often have entire secondary cities deep beneath the streets of the better known ones above.



Underdark Origin

Talpids evolved first in the Underdark. Instead of darkvision, they navigate by sensing vibrations in the earth, which gives them a distinct advantage. Talpids appear as bipedal moles, squat mammals with velvety fur and massive front paws. Their eyes and ears are difficult to see, as their fur is pattern-ed to protect them. Those unfamiliar with them often focus their attention on the nose, which stands out from the fur and can have fleshy, sensory appendages on it which give it a star-like shape. They are stout, and are typically dressed in practical clothing with subdued tones.



Expert Tunnelers

A talpid's most powerful ability is their potent digging power. Their front paws are huge for their size, bigger even than hands on the largest races, like goliaths. These paws have long claws on each finger, that are both robust and sharp. These allow for both delicate motor functions and startlingly swift digging. While most talpids are restricted to digging in dirt, mud, sand, or ice, a few have managed to hone their skill to tunnel through stone, albeit at a significantly slower pace.

Unusual Habits

Talpids live a substantial portion of their lives underground. Even those who deal with them extensively have only rarely seen their young, who don't even see the sun until they've reached adulthood. While this proclivity towards the subterranean has offered great protection, it has left them with norms that other societies find odd. Molefolk eat insects, often alive and wriggling, and they keep pets that other races find bizarre, like giant centipedes and tamed bulettes.

Natural Excavators

Due to their inherent connection with the earth, most talpids can find easy work as archaeologists, tunnelers, gravekeep-ers, and miners. Those who become adventurers often dedicate themselves to paths that benefit from an ambush style of attacking, such as assassins and gloomstalkers.

















































Talpid Names

Talpids have first names and surnames, as many other races do. Oftentimes, these names allude to their subterranean life-style, as an easy way to break the ice with surface dwellers.

Male Molefolk Names: Dusty, Clay, Delver, Desmen, Urotrich, Surico, Tenrec, Flint, Byron, Grant, Roark, Brock.

Female Molefolk Names: Bertha, Opal, Condy, Lura, Mogera, Roxanne, Amethyst, Amber, Jade, Agatha, Ametrine. Molefolk Surnames: Talpini, Scaptonychini, Neurotrichini, Scaptonyx, Burrowfoot, Spadeshoe, Warrener, Diggums.

Talpid Personality

Living without sunlight for most of their lives, talpids are seen as strange by many surface-dwellers.

Talpid Quirks