Granite Eft

Of course I knew it was a bad idea, but come on. It was like seeing a bird on the city street.
I just had to try to pick it up.

— Bolkhyn teenager tending a burn wound

The granite eft is a skittish drakora found in the volcanic plains of Bolkan. Magical in nature, with a taste for stone and coals, these peculiar salamanders are rare sights in the region, but a favorite sighting for locals.

Lava Critters

The orange, beady eyes of granite efts are solid, similar to glass and reminiscent of eftbulbs, and do not seem to blink; it is theorized they may not need to due to the mucus coating on their bodies. When their eyes are in some way soiled, the eft will clumsily brush over them using its armored forelimbs. Their green-striped dark grey skin is coated with a shiny mucus, making them a slippery catch for any predator or hunter.
Their primary defense mechanisms frequently swap between fight or flight; the efts have been known to spit molten rock at those who threaten them, though making a swift escape is most common. These creatures burrow through stone with minimal effort, their boring holes closing behind them as they travel through the stone. It is thought that these salamanders are so difficult to find because they live within the stones they burrow through, leaving no identifying marks by which to track them.

Myths of More

In all of the sightings of granite efts, no one has ever seen one larger than one foot in length, and it is speculated that these efts are so named because they are mere juveniles to a much larger creature. This has yet to be proven, simply assumed to be another myth of the land. These small efts, however, are among the smallest of the known drakora, giving some plausibility to the claim.
Though not outlawed, the locals see hunting these creatures as cruel and unnecessary, and may look down upon those who do so. Any reagent which may be harvested from the granite eft can be found elsewhere and often in better condition or potency and, in many cases, in easier ways.

Skittish little lava salamanders, rare to find but beloved among the local population.

by Strixxline via Midjourney

Origin/Ancestry

Drakora (Leyblood)

Average Length

6" - 11"

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No Burrows

Myth once stated that where one finds stones pocked with holes, it was a sure sign the granite efts were about. However, as the granite eft does not leave holes behind in stone as it travels, it is far more likely one has found the burrows of a much less friendly reptilian creature, the yellowfoot stinger.

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