Earthworms were an unintelligent and soft invertebrate that had tube-like, limbless bodies. Lacking traditional sight, they relied on chemoreceptors and light sensitivity to give them an effective blindsight, allowing them to find food and mate. Their movements were powered by rhythmic muscle contractions, allowing them to glide smoothly through their surroundings. Earthworms thrived in moist environments, living in the earth's depths or near decaying plants, though some adapted to become parasites that lived in other creatures.
Earthworms primarily fed on decomposing organic material like leaves and roots, breaking it down into nutrient-rich castings that benefited the soil. Most were quiet workers of the earth, tunneling and consuming organic matter to enrich the soil. Despite these traits, however, earthworms lack of intelligence and general frailty made them symbols of weakness or low class. In many cultures, comparisons of Smallfolk to worms were considered Slurs.