The What Is It? Contest 4

[Mark Chance]

It's time for a fourth What Is It? Contest. The picture at the right for WIIC4 comes from the Dictionnaire encyclopédique Trousset.

The Rules

1. One submission per entrant.

2. Post a complete stat block and fluff text for the creature depicted above in this thread using the standard format for PF monsters. Also, include at least two plot hooks for the monster.

3. Your work must be your own and cannot use anyone's Product Identity or Closed Content material.

4. The deadline is 30 April 2011. After this, all entries are considered final.

5. A winner will be chosen via a poll set up in another thread. This poll will remain open until approximately 7 May 2011.

6. All entrants retain rights to their submissions.

The Prizes
1. The winner chosen by poll gets to brag about how awesome his or her monster is.

2. The winner will receive a $5 gift certificate to DriveThruRPG. Reception of the gift certificate is contingent on me having a valid email address for the winner.

Previous Contests
#1 | #2 | #3

 

[Mark Chance]

Just a quick bump to keep this near the top.

 

[Walking Dad]

[FONT=&quot]Dire Mole CR 6[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]The earth below your feet shudders and piles up. Massive black claws are the first thing you see before the creature emerges. It is a dire mole, a massive sized black mole whose upper hide is scaled like an armadillo.
[FONT=&quot]
XP 2400
N Large animal
Init +7; Senses low-light vision, scent, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +11[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]DEFENSE[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]AC[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] 21, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +9 natural, -1 size)
hp 60 (8d8+24)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +5; [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]OFFENSE[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Speed[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] 40 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +7 (1d8+5/19-20)
Space 10 ft.Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks [/FONT][FONT=&quot] rend (2 claws, 1d8+5), savage claws[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]STATISTICS[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Str[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] 15, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6;
Base Atk +6; CMB 11; CMD 25
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +11, Perception +11[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]ECOLOGY[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Environment[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] temperate hills, underground
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]SPECIAL ABILITIES[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Savage Claws (Ex) A Dire Mole's claws is particularly dangerous. It applies 1-1/2 times its Strength modifier to damage inflicted with its claw attack, and threatens a critical hit on a 19-20. The base damage is also calculated at if the Mole were one size category larger.[/FONT]


Background:
The dire mole is a throwback to a primal age. Some managed to live to current times, just like dire wolves.

or

Dire moles were created by the magic of an evil shaman to topple the buildings of his throws by this tunneling menace.

or

Dire moles live in deep caverns underground, but the last ones are protected by mole-were keepers who were infected by a rare kind of lycanthropy that gave them intelligence and the ability to take a dwarf and hybrid form.

You decide!


Hooks:
What is it's origin? - Where did they come from? Are they another natural occurring dire animal or threy were created on purpose? Who could use large creatures that can tunnel quickly through anything but solid rock?

Tunnels through the wall - an empire, city is protected by a wall. The heroes have to stop the dire moles from tunneling under it to prevent it's destruction. But was this chance or is this the preparation for an attack from the barabaric tribes of the west.

Hunting party - Some nobles vanished one by one on a hunting trip, leaving only big holes below their tents. What happened here? Has an evil druid found a shape to quickly under-tunnel the nobles defenses? And what horrors may lay in his underground lair? The heroes have to act quickly as this dungeon looks rather unstable.


Edit: Take the last background, if you allow only one for the contest.

 

[Dog Moon]

I'm currently ill, but I will try to post something for a Dire Mole, later.

Heh, I was thinking Armadillo.

 

[Falariel]

Bumping to keep the interest up... Doing a little brainstorming myself...

 

[Mark Chance]

[FONT=&quot]Dire Mole CR 6[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

Heh, I was thinking Armadillo.

Bumping to keep the interest up... Doing a little brainstorming myself...

As I tent my fingers, I say to myself, "Excellent."

 

[Mark Chance]

Hmm. Just a few days left. Let's get those entries in.

 

[Walking Dad]

Bump.

It's not a competition with only one entry...

Sorry for the short background. Is hard to write something about an animal

 

[1Mac]

Gaah, I've been too sick or busy lately to come up with anything. Someone else should post something.

 

[Scott DeWar]

is it possible to extend the deadline?