Kettelese Scarab Beetle

The Lamércians ride with grace on a horse. But the Kettelese ride with determination on their scarabs. I would rather face a man on horseback than a man on beetleback anyday.

— Imperial Soldier

The Kettelese Scarab Beetle is an insect that stands close to five feet tall, with a wide body and head. They make common transport and pack animals in the Kettelese Steppes.
Since the early days of the Kettelese inhabitation of the Kettelese Steppes, they have bonded with and domesticated the beetles. In the original Old Kettel Kingdom, the sigil of the Kettelese was the beetles, and today the Kettelese Queendom's Sovereign Animal is the beetles.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Kettelese Scarab Beetle looks like its smaller cousins except enlarged to about a hundred times. They are stout bodied with a metallic coat, and legs suited for digging and traversing rough terrain. They possessed clubbed antennae that can be compressed or fanned out like leaves. They also posses curved horns at the top of their heads, usually used in combat.

Additional Information

Domestication

For years, the Kettelese have domesticated the beetles. They are friendly in nature and so its often a matter of ensuring they are not panicked in the presence of sentient species. They also possess a one-track mind and so they are taught from the early stages not to engage, move, or act without permissions from their rider - letting a beetle act of its own accord can have disastrous effects.
Often beetles are adorned with lightweight plates on their back and helmets for war. Their horns are sometimes decorated with carvings that match the rider; the horns are keratin and therefore do not harm the beetle when cut into.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The beetles are used for transport of goods, people, and for war. Their ability to not recognise damage or thirst or fatigue makes them very useful in the climate of Kettel.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The scarab has sensitive hearing to high frequency sound in the air, and sensitivity to lower frequencies within their legs as they travel. With this, the scarabs communicate to one another either by clicking using their mandibles, or the thumping of their steps on the ground. The communication they make has been observed as being fairly simple; observing where food or water may be found, whether there is danger, or if they are sick. They do not communicate if they are hurt or need assistance meaning caring for a scarab can be very difficult. Even if they are sick, they will often communicate this to other beetles that approach and then separate to protect the larger host.
There is some discussion on whether the scarabs have some form of hive mind, but no prominent research has yielded an answer.

Geographic Distribution

• Kettel