"Rosy-cheeked fiends, thieves of the Reach!"

Reach Squirrel

Reach squirrels, as their name implies, are native to the Southern Reach. They are cousins to the much more common red squirrel and their appearance is quite similar. They have dark, coppery coats and lighter underbellies with spiky, tufted ears, but what really sets them apart are their bright red cheeks. It’s due to this physical distinction that residents of the Reach often call them “rosy-cheeked,” but their cute appearance is just a clever ruse. Wiser residents know reach squirrels to be quite intelligent thieves: harassing locals, stealing food and, most harrowing of all, using the undead to do their bidding.

When the Spire was just a budding settlement, reach squirrels were observed using a distinct chattering sound to attract necrophages. These squirrels would then hide high up in trees, causing the undead to ram themselves into the trunks and drop a plethora of nuts and fruits from their branches. With all the hard work done for them, the squirrels would eventually descend and feast upon their harvest. To the regular ear, it sounds remarkedly like children laughing, but some recent scholars of the Reach suggest the chittering elicits telepathic control with the weak-minded undead. Of course, the phenomenon is up for debate.

With the Spire town growing in size and population, reach squirrels have become accustomed to the presence of people and have begun to capitalize on it. Kitchens, pantries, basements, and practically anywhere with food can become home to an infestation. They are particularly clever, sneaking inside buildings and thieving their preferred banquet of seeds, nuts, fruits, and the occasional pastry, before leaving with little trace of their presence. Gangs of reach squirrels will often target a specific residence continually until they are caught, and they’re also known to hold grudges and target people that have mistreated them. Often this takes the form of pelting unsuspecting targets of their ire with rocks or other small objects, however, a continued feud can quickly turn dangerous.

Very rarely, gangs of reach squirrels have been known to attract necrophages into the vicinity of people they don’t like, usually siccing them onto residences that have thwarted their targeted thievery. New residents of the Spire are encouraged to befriend the squirrels by offering food willingly; just as they have the capacity to form grudges, they have the capacity to form deep bonds as well. A person that has gained favour with a reach squirrel will often receive trinkets: shiny pebbles, twigs, sometimes even a coin or two. People that befriend these creatures may use them to lure out necrophages in order to hunt or exterminate them from an area. Some mercenaries or monster hunters capture reach squirrels in order to forcefully use their chattering to attract the undead, but this method is very risky knowing their temperament.

Written by ShinyBlue and Electric, contributions from Reedie and Book