Dungeon Squirrels

The following are excerpts from the lab journal of Fulmen, Clarati Sorcerer, now held in the Foxbridge College library. They are the elements deemed relevant to the species known as 'Dungeon Squirrels', as compiled by the Librarian. Dates are from the Clarati Calendar system that predates our current system.

- 2nd Apex of Lepus 2752: The Dungeon Narrative that I seeded some decades ago has taken hold in the popular imagination, and the number of tales incorporating it has proliferated to the point where it will be possible to use it in experimentation. I will select specimens suitable to the narrative's parameters and begin to establish favorable conditions for the E.F. to sieze upon them.

3rd Finis of Scorpius 2852: I have procured an unusual rodent colony as subjects for the Dungeon Narrative, and have established them within the Bestarium. They will need to be enlarged significantly, as well as gain in both intellect and dexterity, but I think they will make a good subject to demonstrate highly complex instinctive behavior generated via narrative forces.

1st Stella of Triangulum 2852: I've inserted my new rodents into the dreams of several storytellers who work with the Dungeon Narrative. With the upcoming Interannum, I expect that they will be working on new tales to share during the celebrations, and at least some of them should include the creatures into their stories.

1st Luna of Aquila 2853: The rodents have been successfully included in several Dungeon Narrative tales told over the Interannum. Oddly, they have been conflated with the common ground squirrels native to Ynys, which is not an expected connection, but not one that should interfere with their development. I will monitor the tales and the breeding program of the colony.

2nd Flexum of Cygnus 2871: After many generations, the Dungeon Squirrel colony has developed to the size ascribed to them in the stories. Additionally, their burrows have grown more elaborate and complex, and now include a number of labyrinthine features.

3rd Lumex of Aquila 2879: The Dungeon Squirrels have begun to include rudimentary traps in their burrow design, with basic camouflage and mechanical elements. Their front paws have become far more dexterous in the most recent generations, and they have begun to scavenge for tools and construction material.

2nd Aura of Equuleus 2886: The most recent generation of Dungeon Squirrels have vastly improved their burrows, and they now resemble the kinds of structures humans might build, with doors and worked stone throughout. Also, they have been steadily increasing the range and variety of the materials they scavenge, and have begun to hoard valuables in secure locations, matching the treasure elements of the Dungeon Narrative.

3rd Diurne of Ophiuchus 2900: After many generations of increasing the sophistication of their traps and general construction, the Dungeon Squirrels appear to have ceased to improve the dungeon designs. They still expand them, but they are no longer improving in their abilities.

1st Solast of Draco 2900: Disregard my previous note. The Dungeon Squirrels may no longer be improving the traps and construction of the dungeons, but they have begun to build lairs for other creatures within their dungeons, and to design the layout to funnel any invaders into those lairs, fulfilling the combat aspects of the Dungeon Narrative. They've even begun to craft a grand chamber for Dracanor, who seems to be gratified by the efforts, and by the treasure they've heaped in the lair they are constructing for him.

2nd Luminos of Corvus 2919: The Dungeon Squirrels have begun to exhibit their own variety of Folk Magic - they have developed intellectually such that their own beliefs are creating and maintaining a metaphysical microclimate inside their dungeons. So far, this has extended only to a slight warping of space, allowing the dungeon to fit more corridors and chambers than the external measurements would permit, but I expect to see more developments along these lines in the future.

2nd Aura of Delphinus 2923: The Folk Magic of the Dungeon Squirrels has adopted necromantic properties, wherein they can trigger the spontaneous animation of dead bodies under specific circumstances. They've begun a more extensive program of raiding graveyards and bringing back any valuables, as well as corpses for animation. Dracanor is fully ensconced on the treasure pile they have accumulated for him, and is now the centerpiece of their lair. The Dungeon Squirrel queen herself is located in a non-descript area with no particular treasure - I believe this is to deceive those who might try to raid the dungeon into believing the dragon is in charge.

1st Aura of Cetus 2925: People drawn to the dungeons in search of fame and fortune are beginning to be a nuisance, although it has reduced the work of feeding Draconor somewhat. I'm posting more guards around the Bestarium to deter future adventurers. Also, I've had reports of a Dungeon Squirrel nest in northern Ynys - perhaps I can redirect any of our intruders to this new colony.

2nd Flexum of Auriga, 2945: Dungeon Squirrel nests have appeared in the Norður Islands for the first time. Also, the Folk Magic of the colony has begun to exhibit a new effect where the lairs of many monsters are experiencing temporal effects. Time inside these lairs is slowed dramatically, so that the inhabitants experience a few seconds while years pass outside. The effect collapses once the chamber is breached by adventurers, but it reduces the labor of maintaining these lairs significantly.

1st day of Interannum following 2989: The Dungeon Squirrels appear to have reached total equilibrium with the tales of the Dungeon Narrative. I've been monitoring them for the last thirty years for signs of any instability or degradation, and I think I can now declare this experiment a complete success.

This is the last entry regarding the Dungeon Squirrels in Fulmen's records. These journals were not updated after the fall of Sange in 2996. Fulmen was killed by his servant Wuffa in 3305, but any thoughts or observations regarding the Dungeon Squirrels were not recorded during the Age of Warlocks.

Dungeon Squirrels are a species of large rodents created as a part of the Bestarium experiments conducted by the Clarati sorcerer Fulmen. They have been shaped by the Egregoric Force to instinctively build dungeons, complete with traps, treasures, and monsters. They are mainly found in the Northeastern Region, where the 'Dungeon Narrative' story structure is most commonly told.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A dungeon squirrel is a giant rodent. A typical worker is about four feet long, 22 inches high (at the shoulder) and weighs about 100 pounds. A colony queen is much larger, with the largest examples reaching nearly 250 pounds. They have pale, hairless skin, and are very adept at moving through tight underground tunnels. Their skin is extremely wrinkled, and seems almost too large for their bodies - this is helpful when they need to squeeze through tight spaces. They have large front teeth which grow continuously, and they must constantly gnaw on hard substances to keep them from growing through their lower jaws. Their forepaws have extremely dexterous hands which some consider to be disturbingly human-like.

Genetics and Reproduction

In a dungeon squirrel colony, the queen is the only reproductively mature female. She will select a new male to mate with each time she goes into heat, and has litters of up to twenty pups at a time. Gestation is between 130-150 days, and the queen will nurse the pups for an additional month thereafter. Once the pups are weaned, the queen will immediately go into heat again.

If the queen dies, several of the other females in the colony will begin to enter puberty, and will attempt to kill each other in order to become the sole queen. Sometimes, one of the potential queens will leave the colony with a few males and prepubescent females rather than compete for the rule of their birth colony.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dungeon squirrels grow very quickly, and reach their full weight in their first year. The males are reproductively mature after the first nine months, while females will only enter puberty if the colony has no queen.

Ecology and Habitats

Dungeon Squirrels are not a natural species, and build their own ecological niche. They build vast subterranean tunnel networks, and fill them with blind corridors, large chambers, and other architectural features more commonly associated with human buildings. They fill their dungeons with traps, and also create spaces specifically dedicated to other dangerous creatures, which lair in the dungeon and provide additional hazards for any invaders. These dungeons also interact directly with narrative forces tied to the stories about dungeon exploration, and tend to draw in adventurers who attempt to invade and retrieve valuables that the Dungeon Squirrels have hidden. If a dungeon is thouroughly plundered, the colony of dungeon squirrels will typically migrate away from the site to start over in a new, more remote location. They avoid direct confrontation with the invaders, and frequently are never seen at all.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are omnivorous scavengers, and will eat anything that presents an easy meal. They are especially known for consuming the bodies of any adventurers killed by their traps, although they will carefully preserve any valuables, and may use the bones as either construction materials or to create undead guardians for the dungeon.

Behaviour

They are driven to replicate the settings where the Dungeon Narratives take place. This is a consequence of the influence of the Egregoric Force on their development, and was the specific aim of Fulmen when he created them - he was attempting to demonstrate how much the power of story could transform a species given the right conditions. At this stage, their legend is self-reinforcing. As they continue to build the dungeons, stories associated with the Dungeon Narrative continue to have relevance, which supports their ongoing drive to build more.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dungeon Squirrels have small eyes, and very poor vision. Their sense of smell is extremely acute, as is their sense of touch. They can feel vibrations through their skin that informs them of movement nearby, and are able to identify members of their colony by smell.

Lifespan

140 years

Geographic Distribution

• Northeastern Region

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