Erina

Erina are a race of small, inoffensive hedgehog people who inhabit the Old Margreve Forest in the Midgard setting for Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, and could be considered a spiritual update of the long-forgotten Hurgeons. Though their druidic leaders claim that the race has an ancient history, they are very similar to halflings in that they have long held a "live and let live" policy towards the world at large, and thusly have largely gone unnoticed - despite their stated curiosity about the world around them.

The erina pursue a simple life of hunter-gathering and subsistence agriculture, cultivating roots and fruits whilst also hunting for insects and small fish or animals with their spears. They are a highly communal race who dwell in large groups that inhabit labyrinthine underground burrows, which contain a dizzying number of tunnels and chambers with multiple camouflaged entrances and exits. Invading an erina burrow is a nightmarish experience, as the little defenders burrow over, under, and beside their enemies with alarming speed, striking from a freshly dug hole before retreating to safety. Certain fey sometimes live alongside or even amongst erina communities.

As is typical for races built around the "reclusive woodsy forest-dweller" archetype, erina favor the druid and ranger classes, and are deeply suspicious of arcane magic, which mostly manifests amongst their numbers as sorcerers and warlocks - outside of the rare halfling-esque "too curious to remain in the woods!" erina or an erina seeking to confront some great threat to their home region, most erina adventurers are arcanists who have been promptly expelled from their home community.

Erina speak their own language, a series of whirring sounds punctuated by clicks. Erina can also communicate with other erina using only twitches of the nose and whiskers, though this old non-verbal language has fallen out of fashion in recent generations. Most burrows have at least one member who speaks the Common tongue. Erina names translate very poorly into other languages. When outside erina lands, the hedgehog-folk tend to adopt names with long, open vowel sounds. These sounds are rare in their own language and bring pleasure to their ears. Erina are certain to extend the vowel sounds in their names when introducing themselves.

The Erina debuted as a playable race in the Margreve Player's Guide, alongside the Alseid and the Piney.

5e PC Stats

Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom or Charisma

Size: Small

Speed: 25 feet

Darkvision 60 feet

Hardy: You have Poison Resistance and Advantage on saving throws against Poison.

Spines: While you are grappling a creature or while a creature is grappling you, it takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage at the start of your turn.

Keen Senses: You have Proficiency in Perception.

Digger: You have a Burrow speed of 20 feet, but can only burrow through earth and sand, not substances like mud, snow or rock.