They are pressed into service as laborers, allowing groups of a few hundred umber hulks to build fortifications and underground cities for them or for beholders that would normally require the labor of thousands. Some train as warriors to defend the umber hulk or beholder stronghold, but this is far less common. Burrowers are the lowest caste, thought of as little more than beasts of burden. 

Burrowers are clearly hybrids. They stand a little over 5 feet tall and are covered in hard, chitinous plates, with compound insectoid eyes. Despite their buglike features, burrowers' basic humanoid appearance. The most striking feature of a burrower is its massive claws. Often over 2 feet long, these allow it to tunnel through earth with ease, and even to move through rock (though at a greatly reduced rate).Unlike umber hulks, burrowers vary greatly in coloration. A few are brown or yellow, with red, black, and purple chitin most common. One in ten burrowers has thick hair growing from the top of its plated head, with colors normally matching its shell. 

Burrowers have no need for clothing and rarely wear armor, but they often strap belts, bags, and pouches to various parts of their bodies. 

Burrowers are sturdy, dependable creatures who rarely panic or lose their wits. Although some scholars claim this is a result of stupidity-and it is true that burrowers are not the cleverest creatures-their emotional stability is more than a simple lack of imagination. Burrowers are fatalists who assume that the worst is yet to come and that life is unlikely to get better. This attitude prevents them from acting hastily or in fear: They don't see any reason to rush into what is likely to be a bad outcome, even if things look horrible currently. Burrowers enjoy simple pleasures, especially the accomplishment of a time-consuming or difficult task. They are unimpressed with most art and music, but appreciate such things as well-made crafts, magic items, and food. (A burrower can survive on fungus but prefers a widely varied diet.) Burrowers admire dedication and often praise those who are devoted to a cause, even when that cause is opposed to the burrower's own. Because of this, burrowers have great respect for all religion. Despite this, burrowers rarely show strong dedication to anything themselves. Most are neutral in alignment, doing their best to muddle through life without taking too many risks or stepping on too many toes. This works well in the hive colonies most burrowers grow up in, though it is limiting to anyone traveling through the world at large. 

Burrowers do sometimes become invested with a particular religious belief, sometimes even going so far as to change alignments. Such beings put their sturdy and unflappable attitudes to good use as missionaries, scriveners, and even warrior of the faith. Burrowers grow up as second -class citizens, workers in a hive society dedicated to the preservation of everyone-except the burrowers. They are worked hard from an early age, long before they grow to adulthood, and receive little advanced education or training. This harsh treatment does little to teach them about the outside world or encourage them to grow in any way as individuals, but it does them little real harm. Burrowers learn that life is harsh and their lot is cruel and unjust, but they accept this without allowing their own sense of self-worth to be diminished. 

Burrowers are sometimes stolen from their homelands, lose their way in the surrounding tunnels, or (most rarely) decide to escape their deplorable situation and explore the world. As umber hulks scarcely value a single burrower, they make little effort to find one lost worker, regardless of the circumstances. Once free, burrowers generally work their way from place to place, making few friends and fewer connections to communities. A burrower generally doesn't consider a place "home" unless the inhabitants make an effort to welcome it. (Monasteries and churches have the best track record in this regard.) 

Burrowers get along well with spellcasters of all kinds except sorcerers, whom they see as undeserving of magic, acquired as it is without study or toil. Similarly they don't like thieves because such people steal from others, though they have no objections to rakes, scoundrels, and assassins with similar skills. Barbarians are an enigma to burrowers, who can't understand why anyone would willingly fly into a rage. Those burrowers who take up priestly vocations are most likely to join adventuring parties. Members of other races often find their appearance disturbing and their origins distasteful to contemplate. This doesn't bother burrowers much, though they spend more time with individuals who don't flinch or look uncomfortable whenever one appears.

Racial Traits 

+4 Strength, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence. Burrowers have tough and powerful frames but are slow thinkers. 

Medium-size. Burrower base speed is 30 feet, with a burrow speed of 20 feet through dirt and earth. They can tunnel through rock, but much more slowly, at the rate of 1 foot per minute. 

+4 natural armor bonus to AC. 

Low-light vision and darkvision with a range of 60 feet. 

Burrowers may make two natural claw attacks instead of wielding a weapon. These deal 2d4 points of damage each. 

Immune to fear effects. 

Burrowers have tremorsense, allowing them to automatically detect any creature touching the ground within 30 feet, as long as the burrower is also in contact with the ground. 

Soften Earth & Stone 1/day

Stone shape 1/day

Earth Glide (Su) you gain the ability to move through earth, dirt, and stone for a number of rounds per day equal to your HD level. You cannot move through worked earth or stone; only natural substances can be traversed. If your total duration expires before you exit the earth, you are flung back to the point where you entered the stone, take 4d6 points of damage, and are stunned for 1 round. Your burrowing does not leave a hole, nor does it give any sign of your presence (although you can be detected by creatures with tremorsense). These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Earth Supremacy (Su) +2 enhancement bonus to your CMD to resist bull rush, drag, reposition, trip, and overrun attempts as long as you are touching the ground. This bonus increases by +1 for every five HD you possess. In addition, you gain a +1 insight bonus on melee attack and damage rolls whenever both you and your foe are touching the ground.