Hurrum | |
---|---|
Climate/Terrain: | Any |
Frequency: | Common |
Organization: | Solitary |
Activity Cycle: | Any |
Diet: | Omnivore |
Intelligence: | Semi (2) |
Treasure: | See below |
Alignment: | Neutral evil |
No. Appearing: | 1 |
Armor Class: | 8 |
Movement: | 6 (12) |
Hit Dice: | 1-1 |
THAC0: | 20 |
No. of Attacks: | 1 |
Damage/Attack: | 1 |
Special Attacks: | Nil |
Special Defenses: | Nil |
Magic Resistance: | Nil |
Size: | T (1’) |
Morale: | Average (9) |
XP Value: | 15 |
These brightly-colored beetles are highly prized for the pleasant humming sounds they produce. Better trading houses have at least one.
The hurrum have a brightly-colored, opalescent, chitinous shell that varies from cobalt-blue to copper-green. Convex and oval in shape, the shell protects four pair of small, vestigial wings. With a smallish head, stubby antennae, and four very short legs, the beetle appears comical.
Hurrum beat their wings rapidly back and forth, gently striking the underside of their carapace which creates the vibration and noise for which these creatures are best known. The sound is also used as a simple form of communication between hurrum beetles.
Combat: Few creatures in the insect kingdom attract prey (or earn a living) the way the hurrum beetle does. The beetle produces a pleasing humming sound by continuously fluttering its vestigial wings. The wings beat in rapid succession between the soft body of the beetle and its hard, chitinous shell. The rising and falling rhythm has a soothing, almost hypnotic effect. To ignore this effect, a successful Wisdom ability check must be made. Failure means that the individual merely finds the sound soothing, but it in no way effects his or her free will.
The beetles’ staple diet is small, flying insects which are drawn to the vibration produced by the beetles’ wings. The vibration also makes prey docile and easy to overcome.
Habitat/Society: A solitary creature, the hurrum only seeks others to mate. If more than one beetle is placed in the same area, an audible change in humming can be heard. If the beetles are of opposite sexes they will produce a harmonic sound after a few minutes. This is believed to be a type of mating ritual. If the beetles are of the same sex, the sound will be atonal and unpleasant.
Ecology: This flightless beetle produces soothing humming noises (although few would call it music) which change in pitch and frequency throughout the day. Frequently, the bright, opalescent shell of the hurrum beetle changes color with the speed of its humming. The humming is a by-product of the creature’s attempt to cool itself by rapidly beating its small, vestigial wings. A real pleasure is letting the beetle crawl across one’s bare skin where the slight vibration of the shell and the humming are coupled with a very slight breeze. Halflings find hurrum extremely pleasing (though when hungry, halflings find them delicious).