An Aurumvorax is an eight-legged mustelid the size of a medium dog. It has a thick gold coat and even its claws are golden. Like most mustelids, it has a long snout, rounded ears, and an orthogonal molar at the back of its mouth which allows it to rip the flesh off even frozen carcasses.

Being sexually dimorphic, the male (HD12) is about 20% larger than the female (HD10) and can weigh as much as 500 lbs.

Also called the “Gold Digger”, the aurumvorax is fond of gold and copper and will spend hours every day gnawing on metal if any are at hand. Solitary and territorial, mating has never been observed. If found in lair, a female might have up to 2 kits which leave the den after one year.

In combat, the aurumvorax will typically lay in ambush and pounce on its prey and thus will surprise on a roll of 1-2. Its bite will inflict 1d8 points of damage and will lock into its prey if successful. Thereafter, it will automatically inflict 5 points of damage from the bite and will attack with an additional 2d4 claws, each doing 1d6 points of damage until either it or its prey is dead. Because of its highly dense bones and thick coat, the aurumvorax takes only half damage from blunt weapons. Its coat also completely protects it from normal fire and reduces damage from magical fires by half. It is also completely immune to poison of any kind, including gas.

Also known as the “golden gorger” for its beautiful golden coat, the aurumvorax is a long-bodied, eight-legged carnivore. It lives in plains or woods. Though as small as a badger, the creature is very dense and heavy, weighing as much as a bear. A successful bite means the creature has locked its teeth in its target like a bulldog; it will then bring its claws up to rake the target, who will suffer 2d4 damage automatically each round from the teeth while the creature is attached, and an additional 1d8 attacks from the claws. Each claw inflicts a further 1d6 damage. Once locked on, the only way to detach the aurumvorax from its target is to kill it.

The aurumvorax’s thick coat is such good armour it takes only half-damage from blunt weapons. It is also highly resistant to fire, taking only half damage from fiery sources, and neither poison nor gas can harm it.

Rumour has it the aurumvorax is not native to this part of the prime material plane, having been brought here by visitors from a very distant place.

Treasure: The aurumvorax does not hoard treasure and places no value on it. However, its lair might contain treasure assigned by the GM—this would be appropriate in cases where it has slain a creature carrying treasure and dragged that creature back to its lair.