Surnoch

Surnoch

(Creature)

Type

Animal

CR

9

Environment

Any underground or vacuum (Diaspora)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Alien Archive, pg(s). 108

Surnochs are a species of giant worms that bore tunnels through asteroids and small moons.

Appearance

Surnochs have acid glands at the bases of their spines, which allow them to burrow tunnels and move through them quickly. A surnoch's colour matches that of the asteroid where it makes its home. Its mouth is a deep funnel filled with a grasping grinder-like jaw and numerous orifices that filter material entering the mouth: nutrients are sent to the digestive tract, and the rest to the caustroliser system, which serves as a chemical factory. A typical surnoch is 15 feet long and weighs more than 1200 pounds.

Ecology

Surnochs are instinctively aware of what they need most and can see their food even through rock. After a surnoch eats, waste material that can neither be digested nor turned into acid is condensed, hardened and excreted. Such excretions look shimmering and ethereal, and sometimes contain useful alloys and amalgams not found elsewhere. While not territorial, surnochs are hungry and dangerous to any that try to visit their territory and harvest their castings, since they see most technology as food.

Surnochs are commonly found in the Diaspora, the larger rocks in the rings of Liavara, and on some small moons in the Pact Worlds system. It is possible to determine the surnoch's gravity tolerance by examining their corpses on larger moons.

Surnochs reproduce by budding once per decade. Before giving birth, a surnoch will prefer to consume radioactive minerals. Newborn surnochs are immediately ready to eat, but for some reason at least a third of them are consumed by their parent right after birth.

Surnochs are usually solitary, but are sometimes brought together by electromagnetic signals echoing off their hides that cause them to prefer different foods and burrow parallel tunnels in search for this food. Sometimes, a poorly-understood trigger can cause them to turn against each other, wreaking great havoc.

Society

Surnoch excretions are useful to some technological races of the Pact Worlds, leading to numerous expeditions for the purpose of harvesting them. Some such harvesters protect themselves by using gear made from material that the surnochs consider inedible. Sarcesians are consummate connoisseurs of surnoch castings, using the material to make jewellery and sculptures. Surnochs are also hunted for their acid glands and spines, which some manufacturers make into acid lancers.