Deep Whistler
by WingofCootArmor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 3
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 2
Damage: 1-4/1-4
No. Appearing: 2d4 (0)
Save As: Fighter
Morale: 9
Treasure Type Q (D)
Alignment Neutral
XP Value 35
Named for the eerie sound they produce from their breathing spiracles, these creatures vaguely resemble bipedal mole crickets, but they only have four limbs. They attack with claws that resemble a crab's except that they are three-part.
Deep whistlers are dazzled and disconcerted by sunlight (-1 to attack rolls, Morale drops to 5) but sometimes venture aboveground at night, especially in humid regions such as Valles Marineris.
They are most numerous in the complex systems of caverns, passages, and canyons under Tharsis. They are also frequently found in caves connecting to the canyons of Noctaurus and passages honeycombing the walls of Valles Marineris.
Outside this area, they are often considered legends - "hearing a whistler" can be a comment that someone is paranoid in many areas of Vaniae's northern hemisphere.
The truth is that deep whistlers are the descendants of Vaniae's ancient terraformers, the creators of the meks - now evolved into a non-sapient form. Meks ignore deep whistlers; they are too changed to be recognized as having authority to command the robots, but a fail-safe in their programming still keeps the meks from harming deep whistlers, even when they destroy all other living things.
Due to faint memories of their intelligent origins, they generally collect treasure. A few throwbacks have greater intelligence and may command large packs.