Beetle Chariot Sleds

A Rolling Riot of a Ride

When the Dwehrlen initially began their excavation of The Stoneroots, it became quickly apparent that horses would not be a viable source of transportation or work animals. There was something instinctual in their nature that would not allow them to proceed too far below the earth as they quickly grew frightened and retreated to the surface. Domesticated Rock Drakes of the Worldspine, commonly referred to as pack lizards, proved to be effective in their efforts yet their preventative diet kept their costs too impractical to become a commonly used tool of the workers. Workers would be forced to haul all tools and materials by hand for the foreseeable future. For centuries, the Dwehrlen continued to experiment with a variety of beasts in the hopes of finding one that would suit their needs below the world's surface. It wasn't until they cracked open the cavern where Gromstrelm now rests that they found their solution.
Entering this newly discovered cavern, the Dwehrlen miners came across a previously unknown species of Magickal Beast known as the Helix Beetle. These beetles would fold their segmented body in on themselves and roll away from the slightest hint of danger. They were overly large for insects, with their shell being a little over three feet high when rolled into their ball shape. The miners who worked to continue clearing the cavern and develop the area would regularly come across the beetles and came to recognize their speed and resilience as they rolled across the rocky floor. As a practical joke one day, one of the workers tied a rope to his mining cart and lassoed it around one of the beetles as it sped past. They were shocked as the beetle they expected to stop in its tracks stormed off down the nearest tunnel with the overburdened cart in tow. Every worker who witnessed this ordeal came arrived at the same idea.
The plan was two-fold; first, farm and domesticate these beetles to ensure a trained and ample supply. Second, to come up with a design of a vehicle that could hold and steer these beetles. Designs were drawn up and brought before the smiths at Tor Karrick who immediately brought this before the greatest of their kind in the smiths of Deign's Anvil. The thought of presenting the Dwehrlen workforce with a viable mode of transportation inside their tunnels would revolutionize the progress of their underground nation. Smiths and designers worked hand in hand to design their idea of a perfect vehicle for their people.
Ultimately, it took five years and many iterations to arrive at the Chariot Sleds they would use for the Helix Beetles, and ten more after that to establish a successful farm and training for the insects. For every Dwehrlen worker, the wait was nothing in sight of their previous plights.
The vehicle itself is a large sled with curved metal runners, made from an alloy specifically designed to resist the damage caused by riding across the rocky floors of their settlements and tunnels. Forward from the sleds is a set of reins attached to a metal harness around a free-spinning axle. When the harness is fit over the Helix Beetles, the axle will be placed underneath them in the pit of their stomachs. When they roll into their ball formation, the beetles will wrap tightly around the spinning axles and pull the reins and sled forward in a smooth, continuous motion, acting similar to the wheels of a wagon but with the control of sled dogs. Two versions of the Chariot Sleds have been mass-produced throughout the Stoneroots; a common sled with three slots for the beetles to be hooked up, and a larger sled with spots for six meant for larger loads and transport teams.
Introducing these sleds has revolutionized transportation throughout the underground nation of the Dwehrlen. The mining force can carry larger loads of materials than ever before and transport them faster than they ever imagined. Regular citizens could travel between settlements in a matter of days instead of the weeks it would take them previously. Their high speeds and difficult controls require a trained hand to use, which has led to a thriving taxi service in the Stoneroots to transport outsiders.
Dwehrlen were now able to dig deeper and further into the crust of the world, all excited at what new secrets they might uncover next.

A Shared Trait

It was not difficult to establish the connection between the Helix Beetle's ability to roll into a ball and escape with the Dwehrlen's own tendency to adopt this tactic. Other Risen argue that the Dwehrlen adopted this trait from the Helix Beetles, but this was a simple coincidence.
Early Dwehrlen workers toyed with the idea of pulling similar sleds or wagons simply with their kind balled up and rolling. The issues of traction, speed, and strength left this beyond practicality. Not to mention the morality, of course.
The Helix Beetles simply outclass the Dwehrlen when it comes to rolling. They could pull larger loads, and control their travel with ease, and their speed was easily five times that of their Risen compatriots.
Being familiar with the movement, however, proved to be essential to the creation and mastery of these chariot sleds. The movement patterns feel natural to Dwehrlen and offer themselves easier control of the vehicles. Early prototypes of the harnesses and axles were actually tested using Dwehrlen, utilizing their similar shapes when balle dup.
It is also not unheard of to lose one of the beetles from the chariot's harnesses. In these cases, some Dwehrlen have put it upon themselves to don the empty harness and get pulled along with the beetles, matching them akin to a spare wheel on a wagon.