A large, flat, flightless beetle with a strong carapace and long, feathered legs that help it smoothly traverse the Splintering Desert. They are mostly a light tan in coloration to help with camouflage (though their size, ability to curl their legs under their hard shells, and lack of meat tend to keep predators at bay) in the sandy wastes, but soem breeders have achieved deep reds or mottled greens after generations of breeding. Sandskaters are timid and tend to eat the sparse grasses and insects of the desert. They travel in small packs of 8-10 and rarely have offspring. They are prized as excellent mounts to traverse sand dunes because of their ability to almost glide along the ground, creating a smooth, comfortable ride for anyone on its back. Naturally their backs are fairly flat, but domesticated sandskaters tend to have ridges along the front, sides, and center of its back to assist with light rigging and hand holds. All desert dwellers, but the gilakin specifically, use sandskaters as beasts of burden, caring for them fondly and brushing sands out of the cracks of their carapace and ensuring the health of the creature. Sandskaters can comfortably carry up to two medium creatures along with supplies for a few days journey provided they are stopped for a few minutes every two hours and have six hours a night without load to rest. Sandskaters tend to be expensive to both purchase and properly care for, but are good companions. They do not do well in stalls and require a decent space to roam. Additionally they are susceptable to rot if they are in a humid environment for too long. Because of this, they are rarely seen in the city of Oasis or along the coasts of the desert. When a sandskater bonds with its owner, they nuzzle them with the feelers above their mouth to rub their scent on them. After this has happened the large insect will obey trust their owner implicitly and follow orders without question. Most sandskaters sell for 75 gold each with stronger "bull" breeds going for over a 150. Rare breeds, usually owned for their asthetics, range from 300 to 1000 gold, depending on the breeder's prestige. Saddles for the beasts are also variable in price, with basic, two person set-ups pricing at 10 gold and caravan style saddles and cargo straps going for 50-100 gold depending materials.