Art by @PotatoLion

Dirft

A small tortoise-like creature, less than half a meter in diameter, the nearly blind dirft can be found in particularly mineral rich locations. Dirfts spend most of their time burrowed under the dirt, using large, mole-like claws to dig underground and uproot and eat plants, dragonflies, and nutrient-rich dirt and clay. There have been reports of dirfts a meter wide or even larger, but these are usually chalked up to be tall tales. Due to their fondness for rich soil, they are often found such locations as flood planes, grasslands, recent eruption sights, and old-growth forests. They stay primarily on the eastern continent, all the way from The Northern Kingdoms to the Southern Reach.

For many farmers, finding a dirft in the wild often serves as an omen of good fortune and an indication of ground that could become a homestead. Finding one on an existing homestead, though, is often more akin to discovering a pest due to their insatiable appetite for nutrient-rich soil. They are easily scared away by loud noises and have no real defense aside from kicking up dirt in the face of their pursuers as they make a rapid escape further in the ground.

It is rumored that the drift is a distant cousin to the igneous crawler due to being found near thermal vents and bearing a similar diet to them. It is believed a Mistan ship had initially brought a few igneous crawlers from the Ashlands to sell to wealthy merchants and kings for menageries many centuries ago. With many of these 'gifts' escaping into the wilds sooner or later, they began adapting to less harsh climate of the Reach, eventually developing in a different-looking creature entirely.

Written by PotatoLions