Land Urchin Species in Levantis | World Anvil
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Land Urchin

Biology

Land urchins, not to be confused with hedgehogs which are sometimes also called urchins, are a land-bound distant relative to the more common sea urchins. They are much larger, ranging from 3-5 feet in diameter but they are just as spiky, being covered in long needles that excrete a paralyzing poison on contact. They have tiny leg-like protrusions that they use to set themselves off, but then use that momentum to simply keep rolling.   They do not have eyes, but instead they use a type of innate clairvoyance to visualize their surroundings in a crude manner. This is facilitated by a gem-like organ in their center. The size of this organ, and thus their clairvoyance qualities, increases with age. When grown, these organs can be incredibly valuable as components for magic items, rituals or divination spells. Which is why there are professional land urchin hunters who scout for the grown specimen and try to harvest these organs without succumbing to the paralyzing poison or accidentally damaging it. It's more difficult than it sounds too, as the organ is more fragile than glass.  

Intelligence and Social Behavior

They are animals with only a very basic intelligence. They live as non-aggressive scavengers that simply roll around the steppe-land, feeding on small animals or scraps. They avoid fighting larger creatures and simply extend their spikes hoping to be avoided. When truly pressed or aggressed upon, they can fire their spines in defense, hoping to paralyze the opponent so they can make their escape. They have so many spines that they can easily fire off a large amount of them without worry. They also grow back over time.  

Statistics

Geographic Distribution

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