| DESCRIPTION: Thrindles are gangly, insectoid humanoids standing about 3½ feet tall. Their bodies are covered in sparse, wiry hairs surrounding a chitinous torso and its long, spindly limbs end in hooked claws. Their oversized eyes dominate a narrowing face with a circular, rasping mouth beneath. Rising from the crown of the head is a flexible antenna ending in a small bulbous organ that constantly emits a faint, almost inaudible hum. ABILITIES: Echolocation. A thrindle's enormous eyes do not see in the conventional sense. Instead, specialized organs within them emit constant subsonic pulses that bounce off nearby surfaces, allowing the creature to perceive its surroundings through echolocation to a range of 60'. This sense functions equally well in darkness, smoke, fog, magical darkness, or against invisible creatures, provided they reflect sound. Therefore, a thrindle cannot be blinded by light or darkness, and is not affected by gaze attacks. However, while within the area of a silence spell or any similar sound-negating effect, its echolocation ceases to function, effectively “blinding” the thrindle until it leaves the affected area. Mimicry. By vibrating its antenna node, a thrindle can imitate simple environmental sounds such as dripping water, distant footsteps, quiet (indistinct) conversation, rattling chains, digging, or cries for help. Thrindles commonly use this ability to lure prey into confined spaces or distract predators while escaping. Languages. Thrindles speak their own language—a combination of simple chirps, clicks, hums, and subsonic pulses. They can learn broken Common or Dwarvish, though their speech is slow, buzzing, and difficult to understand. They can also communicate silently with other thrindles by transmitting subsonic vibrations directly from one antennae to another with in a range of 60’; any thrindle receiving such a communication can simultaneously “bounce” the transmission to another thrindle within 60’, effectively allowing up to dozens of thrindles to receive the message within seconds of the original message. ECOLOGY: Thrindles are opportunistic omnivores that feed on cave insects, fungi, carrion, small animals, and mineral-rich lichens. They nest in abandoned burrows or narrow rock fissures lined with fibrous moss and shed hairs that amplify vibrations throughout the colony. Small groups communicate through rhythmic tapping and humming transmitted through stone, allowing them to coordinate silently over surprising distances. Although eerie and often mistaken for malicious monsters, thrindles are intelligent enough to bargain with those who approach peacefully, sometimes exchanging information about nearby tunnels or dangers for food, shiny trinkets, or interesting sounds. | STATS |
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