Mole people

Mole people (Acirian: talpa persone), or mole person (Acirian: persona talpa) are a mythological people from Acirian folklore associated particularly with the mountainous central regions of Aciria, but the belief in the mole people is present in all of Aciria. While the descriptions of mole people change drastically from region to region, some common traits are deathly pale skin, long claws and beady, black eyes; Montanaro tradition describes them as overweight and hairy.

The mole people are known to enjoy the smell of human sweat, and have a distaste for light. The mole people are accused of stealing children to eat them.

Appearance
Said to be generally humanoid and the size of an adult male, the mole people live in various caverns, caves and mines. The mole people generally stay underground not only due to their distaste for light, but the temperature difference between the underground and surface, only occasionally leaving the caverns at night during the warmer months. The typical terms used to describe mole people consist of deathly pale skin, long claws and a hunched posture. The creature is also known to have beady-black eyes. The mole people do not talk, but are known to shriek when startled.

The mole people are thought to smell of smoke.

Some regional descriptions of the mole people change not only their physical description but habits; the Montanaro people describe them as short, hairy and fat while the Marinai people descriptions of mole people behaviour describes them prowling in swamplands on top of caverns, too.

Behaviour
The mole people are generally cowardly when it comes to people, avoiding contact outside of children, who they prey to capture and eat. Mole people are also solitary, avoiding other mole people as best as they can, often only one mole person inhabiting a cave. Mole people are known to be quite accomodating to the homeless, however; willing to share shelter with homeless drifters.

As a threat
While cowardly, mole people are known to be quite territorial. Humans and livestock alike that wander too close to caves inhabited by mole people can be attacked without warning. Historically, the mole people have been used as a deterrent to keep children away from caves and caverns to keep them away from potential danger.

Weaknesses
The most common weakness of the mole people is light, whether it be natural or man-made. During the winter months, some regions made it a tradition to place torches by cave entrances to make the mole people unable to leave the cave, a tradition still done today.

As an ally
The cowardly mole people can be easily turned into an ally against its will. The mole people, while unable to talk are able to understand speech, responding in nods or shakes of head. Captured mole people can be forced to make a deal to either defend the land against predators such as wolves or bears, which it has to follow due to being oathbound.