Hadrosaurs

Name- Hadrosaur. Also known as: Plodders, Cud Beasts

Appearance- Hadrosaurs are massive, herbivorous saurians with sleek, rubbery skin in mottled shades of green, brown, and grey. Their snouts are duck-billed, giving them a comical appearance that belies their immense power and bulk. Adult bulls can reach 4 to 5 meters in height and weigh nearly two tons. Their eyes are placid, dull, and unfocused, betraying their low intellect and docile nature. A raised dorsal ridge runs along the spine of older specimens, a sign of age and strength in House Gelbvieh’s livestock rankings.

When in motion, the earth trembles slightly beneath their synchronized gait. A slow, ponderous march that can span dozens of leagues over the course of a migration.

Ecology- Hadrosaurs are native to the vast grasslands of the southern reaches of the Oligarchy. Plains that now belong largely to House Gelbvieh and its vassals, such as House Terr. In the wild, they would form herds along river basins, grazing endlessly and migrating with the seasons. In domestication, they’re rotated across controlled pastures and driven in massive caravans to culling grounds. They’re herbivores with a constant appetite for grain, tubers, and certain mineral-rich weeds. Their manure is considered valuable by alchemists and farmers alike, often used to fertilize magically accelerated crops.

Cultural Impact- Among the people of the south, Hadrosaurs are beasts of burden, meat, and milk. Songs sung by herders speak of "Thunder without Storm," referring to the sound of thousands of Hadrosaur hooves across the sea of grass. Children of some of House Gelbvieh's vassals are raised with Hadrosaurs from an early age, often assigned one to care for as a rite of passage. House Terr often Herds them across the plains using their famous Terr-Raptors to intimidate them. When it comes time to cull the herds for their meat, they are headed into pens when sanctioned wizards and alchemists are employed to stun, sleep or kill them where appropriate to ensure a bountiful harvest while preparing the next herd to roam.