Derm was ugly, and he knew it. Though his world never saw sunlight, he could feel that his face possessed neither the strength in the alligators' features nor the sleek smoothness of the rats he shared his tunnels with.

Derm lived a very basic life. Sleep, hunt, play with the alligators and rats, explore the tunnels, and eat were all that Derm ever did. However, on occasion, something would happen to disrupt his routine. One thing that was beginning to occur with increasing frequency was the appearance in his tunnels of a different creature. These beings seemed of a different world, with bright hides and light that shone from their single eye to penetrate the slim and gloom that hid Derm. Needless to say, he tended to avoid these beings at all costs.

Then, one day, Derm's life changed forever.