Broadback

Large, shelled reptiles reminiscent of large tortoises, broadbacks act as the primary beast of burden in the city of Moru Kel. Natives to that city, they’ve walked its hillsides for centuries. The famous Slow Road is believed to be a broadback path that predates the foundation of a city on the site. Outside of Moru Kel, broadbacks are unheard of.

Physiology

A fully grown broadback is massive, standing about 5–6' at the shoulder and 8–9' at the peak of the shell. Squat animals, they are about 10' in length (not including the pendulous tail) and can weigh over 2 tons. Their domed shell has long horns or spikes curving up from the bottom, with another row of spikes along the crest of the shell. A flat, leathery tail, a sharp beak, and thick, tough skin complete their formidable defenses. 

The broadback is semi-aquatic, preferring to bask on the rocks atop the city’s tiers during the day and to swim and graze in Kilpo Bay near dusk and dawn. They are steady and powerful surface swimmers, albeit not very agile in the water. Adults are unable to dive very deep owing to their shell’s buoyancy. Broadbacks are natural vegetarians, though developing juveniles will sometimes seek out insects and grubs.

The broadback is long-lived, with a lifespan believed to be on par of that of elves; at least three working broadbacks in the city are known to have been fully grown adults at the time of the city’s founding over 150 years ago, and only one of those shows any signs of old age.

Broadbacks lay clutches of 1–2 white, almost-spherical eggs in the sands around Kilpo Bay. Juveniles must dig to the surface and then dwell terrestrially for the first 1–2 years before growing large enough (and a strong enough shell) to begin braving the waters. Only about 25% of eggs produce a hatchling who survives its first year. Surviving pairs are unusual, but tend to form a linked pair of adults with a strong bond. Eggs hatching during the rainy season have a much higher survival rate, owing both to the easier digging conditions and the relative abundance of food available to the newborn hatchlings. The Seta view broadback clutches as lucky, defending them from predators while maintaining distance if possible.

Behavior

Broadbacks have an excellent, almost genetic memory, and a built-in stubborn streak: while they range around the mouth of the bay in search of food and warm perches to lounge on, they stick almost entirely to their ancestral track up the Slow Road when away from the water. A skilled driver with a good rapport with his beast can divert them for a few blocks along the way, but they invariably make their way back toward that path. 

The Basking Rocks atop the city are their destination when making the climb. They will naturally spend a couple of hours on the stones, warming their bodies, though they seem to do fine with as little as an hour of basking each day.

Juveniles are eaten by birds of prey, lizards, and other predators, but adult broadbacks have few natural predators. Disease (including shellrot), amok, and physical trauma are their biggest threats. A few large krakens, sea serpents, and the like could pose a threat, but those creatures are not generally found in Kilpo Bay.

A small percentage of animals, known as wanderbeasts, seem not to be tied to their path on the Slow Road. Four such animals are documented in the literature. Three of those were wild broadbacks who seemed to leave during times of intense population pressure, dying not long after making their way out of the city. The fourth, nicknamed “Bronze” Brynnon, was tame and used for off-Slow Road deliveries. Brynnon even made a notable journey to Mezzi Island at the school’s request, where he was wined and dined and poked and prodded. Sadly, Bronze Brynnon passed away of shellrot shortly before the Rose Stone Craze. Of special note, none of the four known wanderbeasts is believed to have produced any offspring or even laid any eggs.

Use as Pack Animals

Because of their strong size and steady feet, broadbacks make excellent pack animals. Standardized barrels are used for the transport of most goods, with the barrels designed to fit within the curves of their spikes. Their amphibious nature makes them versatile, and allows ships in the Bay to load directly onto the animals that will haul their cargo up the mountainside without resorting to dinghys or longboats and the corresponding re-loading labor and time. Broadbacks typically deliver only around the shoreline of Kilpo Bay and the Slow Road.

Broadback drivers are members of the Broadback’s Guild, and are generally bonded for life with their beast. When a driver retires, they will often pass their beast on to a child or hand-picked successor to continue working (and basking each day).

The Friends of Fur, Feather, Fish, and Fowl society and the Broadback’s Guild are both actively involved in opposing the proposed paving of the Slow Road.

Amok

Broadbacks are naturally placid, but prone to bouts of amok. A broadback who goes amok will rampage about, smashing obstacles in its way and throwing its body against buildings and obstacles until it dies or exausts itself.

It’s unclear what exactly causes amok, though males seem more prone to it than females. Forcing a broadback out of its comfortable area has been known to induce amok, as have injury and other high-stress factors. But rarely a creature runs amok for no apparent reason.

Beasts who go amok are generally put down. Otherwise they will usually injure themselves sufficiently during their thrashing to ensure a painful end, or become so injured and stressed that they continue running amok even after exhausting themselves to the point of unconsciousness and subsequent recovery. A few, though, have fatigued themselves without grievous injury and gone on to recover and live seemingly normal lives afterward.