Opossum

Opossums, also known as possums, were small marsupials that lived in forests.

Description
The fur of an opossum was coarse and oily.

Abilities
Opossums had keen senses of smell and hearing.

History
In the ancient Netherese enclave of Eileanar, magically altered opossums known as sniffers acted as the noses of spider golems.

Ecology
Opossums were arboreal creatures. They hunted poisonous snakes.

Habitats
Opossums could be found in Cormanthor, Thar, the Tannath Gap, Semberholme, and the Mere of Dead Men. Intelligent opossums capable of speech were found on the Steaming Isles, where they acted as chamberlains and household servants to the animal pashas. Due to the influence of Citadel Umbra, opossums of the Winterglen operated as spies for Unseelie creatures in the forest.

Relationships
Opossums were sometimes taken as familiars by wizards, and rangers that dwelt in urban environments took them as animal companions.

Some were known to act as servants of the deity Thoth.

Copper Opossum
The copper opossum was a native to Cormyr, living on its hills. Its diet mainly consisted of weeds and sprouts. The shy creature rolled itself into a ball at the least provocation; if attacked past that point, it could lash with the venomous spikes just above its feet.

Though some long-lived locals related it causing paralysis, the poison was known to actually induce an effect all but indistinguishable from temporal stasis, except that neutralize poison could break it as well. A competent metalworker could also extract up to five pounds of metal from the pelt of a copper opossum, which incidentally, contained actual copper.

Giant Opossum
Giant opossums were known to live west of Urmlaspyr, where the largest game reserve for the species in Toril was.

Notable Opossums

 * Pocket, the pet of the young mage's apprentice Sil.

Trivia

 * In the church of Baervan Wildwanderer, "Opossum" was one of the titles for confirmed priests, ranking directly above "Squirrel" and below "Hedgehog".

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Realms of Infamy: "And Wringing of Hands"