Grounders

The Grounder family is a very loose association of tiny animals who are most active at night but can also be found in the day. They are as much defined by what they do not have, as they are by their common characteristics. They eat insects as well as other smaller prey, and they burrow into the earth, thus their name: Grounders.

They are the some of the smallest of the mammals known in North-Western Lythia. Short, tight fur covers most of their bodies, with some notable exceptions. Some shrews have hair and Urcheons are renowned for their spines. All grounders have long, narrow snouts that taper to a very sensitive nose. Each paw has five-claws on short legs. Their eyes and ears are both very tiny and often make them appear to be squinting when seen in daylight.

When they walk, they move on the sole of their foot, with the heel touching the ground. They have neither an opposable thumb, or toe.

Their skulls are low and flat in outline and often long and slender; bulbous at the top and tapered towards the nose. Their teeth are specialized for seizing and crushing insects and other small prey, rather than biting. Their hide is very thin, but their caracas carries a lot of meat for their size.

COPYRIGHT

© 2001 R.Downey, Built off the Fauna of NWLythia by Robert B. Schmunk Common Lore by Kevin Knight, Map by Rick Ivansek, & editing courtesy of HarnBeasty group. Formatting by Mitchell Gore. Built off the Fauna of North Western Lythia by Robert B. Schmunk. Hârn, HârnMaster and HârnWorld are © Columbia Games Ltd. and N. Robin Crossby. No breach of their copyright is intended with this article.

Common Lore

The following is known to anyone who lives in North-Western Lythia, regardless of their career.

Urcheon

The folklore surrounding the Urcheon is as varied as any animal.

In weatherlore it is common belief to observe the winter surfacing (Morgat 4th) of the Urcheon from its hibernation. If the animal retreats back to its burrow then there will be another 3 to 4 tendays of inclement weather. One frequently heard bit of doggerel also offers counsel on the weather:

Heed the way Urcheon weaves a nest,
To the north, south, east or west;
For `tis true what sages say,
The wind will blow the contrary way.

Mole

The nigh blind mole has accumulated it own body of lore. Due to the fact that it is seldom seen, and then only at night, has given rise to the belief it is quite lucky if beheld. Among bandits and other countryside robbers, it is deemed very auspicious to see a mole for it foretells of a successful theft and hiding of the loot. Cottars and other folk with smallholders regard the appearance of a molehill in their garden as a sign of impending wealth or at least a good harvest, while the sudden disappearance of one predicts the contrary. Numerous molehills indicate the owing of money.

With regards to folk remedies, moleskin enfolded around the problem area is said to be efficacious in the treatment of joint ailments. Fresh mole blood applied to warts is claimed to offer a cure from this affliction, while a troche made of blood drawn off from its nose and mixed with the herb ìbullís bloodî is a well-known treatment favoured by miners for cough.

Shrew

Unlike its cousin the mole, the voracious shrew is viewed as an inauspicious beast. Some believe it has the capability of ëoverlookingí or hexing folk, therefore it is often recommended to kill them on sight. If bitten by a shrew the offending beast must be caught, killed and placed on the wound to enhance the healing. It inadvisable to tolerate a shrew to scurry over oneís self or that of a beast for inevitably this will cause the ruination of health. In order to dispel the evil effects of a shrew it is necessary to catch one alive and wedge or bind it to a fork of a Sh·va Maple, and leave the accursed beast to die. These forks are said to be invested with magical powers with the ability to ward off shrews and any of their malevolent effects.

Habitat Range

Grounders are found throughout most of north-western Lythia. Urcheons prefer woodland edges, hedgerows and suburban habitats, while Shrews and Moles prefer a much wider variety of homes.

ENCOUNTERS

Grounders are most often encountered when hunting at night in their preferred habitat. Encounters could occur:

While Hunting With Dogs: the dogs may get distracted from their intended prey by the grounder's sent. In some places grounders are hunted solely to exercise the Hunting Dogs. In other regions grounders are hunted for their pelts or bounties.
While Foraging: The grounder and the (N)PC are intent on eating the same foods. Or the grounder is found beneath the plant the (N)PC has just picked. In such cases the grounders will usually flee.
While Hiding: the (N)PCs hiding place already has a resident. Fortunately the grounder does not mind sharing.
While Travelling: the grounder and the (N)PC briefly cross paths. The grounder, being timid quickly retreats back from whence it came.

No Grounder is aggressive unless sick or threatened.

Urcheon Pie

The following is a translation of the recipe lists in the "Urcheon Recipe" . It is actually a recipe for Pork and Cheese pie., modified accordingly. Considered a delicacy in Kaldor, it is rarely found elsewhere on the island of Hârn or the mainland.

Ingredients

Pastry dough for 2 nine-inch pie crusts
1 pound ground Urcheon
2 C grated, mild cheese
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp each, cinnamon and powdered ginger
1/8 tsp each mace and cloves
Butter for sautéing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line a pie pan with pastry dough.
In a frying pan, brown the ground pork.
In a bowl, combine pork, grated cheese, sugar, and spices. Fill the pie crust with this mixture. Bake for half an hour. Remove and allow to cool.
Roll out the dough for the second crust, and, with a sharp knife, cut it into little diamonds, about an inch and a half long.
In a frying pan, over low heat, melt butter and fry the pastry diamonds until they are golden brown. Take care they do not burn.
With a table knife, make incisions in the top of the pie, about three quarters of an inch deep, and laid out in an interesting pattern. Insert the pastry diamonds halfway into these incisions, so that a pattern of little points is made.

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