Cave Dwellers

Cave Dwellers

Endogean (Entrance Zone)
The Endogean is deceptively like the surface environment. It has ample natural sunlight, photosynthesizing plants.

Stone Gnomes
Stone Gnomes are actually not actually any different from their tree trunk dwelling kin. Instead they settle in caves only for the relative protection it grants small creatures like them from larger monsters. As such they settle in ravines and dead end caves which generally limit the chances of conflict with other humanoids.

Seltims
Seltim s are known to live mainly in the entrance zones of caves.

Kobolds
While Kobolds are also found in the Endogean and in above ground ruins, they are significantly more common the Parahypogean where humans dare to venture and dwarfs ignore. They have low CHI scores and are individually weak but move in packs and have an innate tactical cunning making them dangerous if they get established. They are generally scavengers though they do sometimes hunt and some groups will even mine to trade.

Boulder Trolls
Boulder Trolls are not too dissimilar to their surface dwelling 'bridge' cousins. They are large (about 3 meters tall), stupid, solitary creatures, renown for their bombastic nature. They can see in the dark but as they can not get down small tunnels they rarely venture far from the surface.

Cave Goblins
Unlike Stone Gnomes who are just cave dwellers of their species, cave goblins are actually a separate species. They can see better in the dark then in the light and are the natural enemies of dwarfs.

Lizardmen
Lizardmen are much like Kobolds whom they share dragonic ancestry with but far more heavily set. Like the Kobolds, they lack the ability to see in complete darkness but have very good night vision. The difference is that Lizardmen typically provide their own light in the form of bioluminescent moss which emits a low red light that lights their cities and they carry around on them to show them where they are going.

They are a fire elemental off shoot which has retained much of their civilization but going underground. While they lack the ability to see in complete darkness, they have very good night vision which means that they build sparsely light cities. They mainly eat fish though they can resort to fungi and trading with Kobolds.

Harogean (Black Zone)
The Harogean is a zone that exists well bellow the caves known to humanoids. It is inhabited by strange, dangerous creatures that feed on food from above. As in the dark zone, bacteria and even fungi can survive down here though fungi can struggle to find enough neutriants.

Anklon
Anklons are six legged giant ant like creatures reaching about 10 meters in length but only 2 meters in width and one in height. They typically lie dormant waiting to feel the vibrations of their prey where upon they kill with their pincers. A stray deer can sustain them for a few weeks.