fauldfaulds

Fauldfaulds are a fictional taxon of cave-dwelling organisms featured in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing games. The term is used in-world as a descriptive label and by fans as a shorthand for a class of life adapted to subterranean environments. The name often signals a doubled or mirrored nature through its reduplicated form.

Physical descriptions vary by source, but common elements include small size (roughly 2–8 cm), a soft exoskeleton, and irregular bioluminescent patches. Some depictions show a double-lobed head or paired sensory organs, reinforcing the sense of duality suggested by the name.

Ecology and behavior place fauldfaulds in damp cavern networks with mineral-rich soils. They are typically described as omnivores, feeding on fungi, detritus, and tiny invertebrates. Socially they form loose clusters and can organize into larger foraging groups. Reproduction is inconsistently described across sources, with some narratives invoking communal brooding or parthenogenesis.

In-world role and cultural use: fauldfaulds serve as archetypal cave-dwellers that illustrate adaptation to subterranean life, often appearing in bestiary entries, adventure modules, and speculative fiction to explore themes of duality, concealment, and resilience.