Art by Legend_Arts

Desmin

These burrowing rodents are considered the greatest pests of the underground. Where one desmin is visible, ten more are hidden away somewhere nearby. Living together in large packs, these foot-long (0.3m long) vermin are famed for their destructive tendencies. Their ever growing teeth make them seek out anything tough enough to grind them down. For this reason, many wooden shacks of the undercity suffer damage from wild desmin packs that go unchecked.

Their one benefit is these scavengers will eat nearly anything thrown to them and breed rapidly. For this reason, some undercity dwellers raise them as livestock for meat in steel enclosures. Desmins that have gone through generations of domestication are actually known to be rather friendly and docile to their caretakers, with some eccentric individuals actually keeping them as exotic pets.

These rodents navigate the undergrounds with a combination of scent and tactile feedback. Their sense of smell is said to rival that of bloodhounds, being able to sniff out worms and insects with ease. While they do have eyes, they are only capable of sensing changes to light levels. Their fur is coarse and their whiskers are very sensitive, allowing them to feel vibrations when burrowing through the earth.

Additionally, their claws are extremely durable, allowing them to dig through hardened earth and loose stone, while their teeth continuously grow and require constant maintenance to prevent them from overgrowing.

Written by NOS and Waffleheart

DM Guide

The information below is almost exclusively intended for DMs: an explanation of the creature's behaviour, weaknesses, its unique abilities, and a full statblock to aid in rolling checks and contests where applicable. Characters may reasonably have the knowledge of the information in the above post. The information below is more OOC-facing and can be learned in detail via IC research (a research ticket or event) or known in vague, broad strokes where applicable: common sense applies! A Falstoner may have a vague idea of a Faded Steppe creature's abilities, but not specifics. For example: "the creature spews blood, but I don't know how, when, and what that looks like."

Not every spell, feat, or ability interaction is defined for beasts. DMs are expected to use their discretion when adjudicating interactions that are not explicitly covered. Additionally, the mechanics of bestiary creatures are set in stone and not open for adjustment unless specific issues are noted through DMed encounters.

Spoilers ahead... proceed with caution! Here be dragons!

As these are generally non-hostile creatures, they do not have a set statblock nor any boons and banes. If players do come into combat with desmins, they can be thought of as coming into combat with beavers or the like: willing to defend themselves, but ultimately not at all a threat to people.