Monster: Paek-ma-khu

Paek-ma-khu
Armour Class: 3
Hit Dice: 2+2**
Move: 120' (40')
burrow 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2-20
No. Appearing: 1 (1-6)
Save As: M3
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 55

A paek-ma-khu (also referred to as paekhu and stonehunger) is a singleminded creature, chewing its way through earth, stone, and most anything else that crosses its path in an endless quest to fill its always-starving gullet. Though more intelligent paek-ma-khu learn to glide through the warrens of the Plane of Earth -- or through the corridors of a dungeon labyrinth -- many more simply tunnel endlessly, carving out passages and leaving behind voids that others settle. Paek-ma-khu are roughly spherical creatures some 3' in diameter; composed of concentrated metallic impurities mixed with elemental energy, its hide is a dull gold or brass. With no obvious sensory organs -- save for two small dark pits that seem to serve as "eyes" -- a paekhu is essentially a sphere with a huge and razor-sharp maw.

As with all other activities -- burrowing, for example -- a stonehunger attacks by biting. Its maw is powerful and charged with earth-energies, inflicting 2-20 hit points of damage per bite; creatures of the air, or of flame, take double damage from a paekhu's attack, and on a change of 1-in-8 the creature's attack severs a limb.

Paek-ma-khu take no damage from non-magical weapons. They may be distracted or briefly mollified by offerings of crystals, elemental cysts or -- oddly -- fresh fruit.