=== Major Planetary Zones | (Twin) Sections of the Habitual Belt | Regions | Wildlife ===

====== NOKARI ======

{{ :nokari_gg_scenic_2d_tropicalforest_02.png?direct&200|}}

===== Overview =====




The Nokari is a small scavenger native to the [[asari|Asari Region]] and later spread to the [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]]. Despite its nickname “Nokari Mouse,” it bears little resemblance to terrestrial rodents. Its strange, insect-mammal hybrid form and fungal symbiosis make it one of VOI 700 D’s most distinctive opportunistic species.

In addition, the Nokari Mouse maintains a symbiotic relationship with a luminescent fungal patch that grows on the arch of its back. This glow is faint, usually hidden by fur, but visible when the animal is stressed or overheated — a signal used in both defense and communication.

===== Physique and Appearance =====

  * **Body Length:** 20–25 cm
  * **Weight:** 280–350 g
  * **Fur:** Dense gray-white coat capable of shifting tone (gray, white, faint blue) for camouflage in snow and twilight environments
  * **Body Shape:** Compact, barrel-like torso, conserving heat in tundra climates
  * **Limbs:** Four short but sturdy legs; hind legs slightly elongated for sudden leaping bursts
  * **Head:** Flattened, triangular skull with no eyes; surrounded by a collar of whisker-fans that detect vibrations, airflow, and heat
  * **Tail:** Split, stiff, semi-prehensile; used for balance, carrying small items, or producing rhythmic tapping signals
  * **Fungal Symbiosis:** Rounded hump on the back hosts bioluminescent fungal fronds that pulse when the creature is stressed or overheated, glowing communally in colonies
==== Special Features: ====

  * **Vibrissal Fan:** Primary sensory organ, replacing vision and allowing detection of tunnels, predators, and prey.
  * **Bioluminescent Fronds:** Glow pulses when stressed, alerting colonies and disorienting predators.
  * **Tail Grip:** Split prehensile tail can hold small objects, fibers, or food scraps.
  * **Adaptive Camouflage:** Fur subtly shifts tone for concealment against snow, stone, or twilight shadows.
===== Game Mechanics =====

  * **Armor Class (AC):** 11 (fur camouflage + compact body)
  * **Hit Points (HP):** 8
  * **Speed:** 25 ft. (skitter/leap), Leap 10 ft. (as bonus action when startled)

==== Attacks: ====

  * **Defensive Bite:** +1 to hit, 1d2 piercing damage (used only when cornered)
  * **Leap Kick (escape action):** +2 to hit, 1d3 bludgeoning; pushes attacker 5 ft. away on hit.

==== Special Abilities: ====

  * **Vibrissal Sense:** Advantage on Survival checks to detect tunnels, hidden predators, or warm refuges.
  * **Bioluminescent Glow:** Emits faint light in a 5 ft. radius when frightened; predators attempting Stealth in this glow roll with disadvantage.
  * **Tail Grip:** Can carry objects up to 0.5 kg using its split tail.

===== Behavior =====

  * **Diet:** Omnivorous; consumes dried flora, fungi, worms, scraps, and insects.
  * **Social Structure:** Solitary for most of the year but will cluster in loose colonies around stable food or warmth sources.

==== Survival Traits: ====

  * **Thermal Burrows:** Digs snow tunnels lined with glowing fungal mats, forming miniature warm refuges.
  * **Alarm Signals:** Uses tail-tapping and stress-glow to warn others in its colony.
  * **Opportunist Scavenger:** Nests near Exohuman infrastructure, frequently hitchhiking in caravans or food stores.

===== Reproduction and Lifecycle =====

==== Reproductive Traits: ====

  * **Gestation Period:** 3 weeks
  * **Litter Size:** 3–5 pups
  * **Maturity:** 2 months

==== Lifespan and Growth: ====

  * **Average Lifespan:** 2–4 years
  * **Population Turnover:** Rapid, allowing survival despite high predation

===== Look and Feel =====

You hear it before you see it — a faint tapping rhythm in the snow, followed by a squat, fur-covered body scuttling into view. Its whisker-fans twitch outward in a halo around its eyeless snout, searching for vibrations. A dim fungal glow shimmers along the hump of its back, pulsing faintly as the creature freezes. Then, with a sudden jerk of its hind legs, it leaps sideways and vanishes into a snow burrow — leaving only the fading glow behind.
===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

The Nokari can serve as a narrative device and ecological clue rather than a threat:

  * **Glowing Clues:** Stress-glow in the snow may reveal predator presence, hidden burrows, or Exohuman activity.
  * **Cargo Hitchhiker:** Infested supplies risk spoilage, damaged gear, or accidental spread of colonies into new regions.
  * **Cultural Symbol:** Native Tribes interpret their glow as spirit-fire, adding weight to encounters with local NPCs.
===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]]
  * [[asari|Asari Region]]
  * [[ralar_tundra|Ralar Tundra]]
  * [[trade_route|Trade Route]]
  * [[halfway_inn|Halfway Inn]]
  * [[wildlife_of_asari|Known Wildlife of the Asari Region]]
  * [[the_wildlife_of_the_dark_side_from_a_to_z|Known Wildlife of the Ralar Region]]

**Known Predators (Asari Region):**

  * [[arr|Arr]]

**Known Predators (Ralar Region):**

  * [[draelith|Draelith]] 
  * [[glaciok|Glaciok]]
  * [[korozo|Korozo]]
  * [[xzonomi|Xzonomi]]
  * [[zapor|Zapor]]