Draft Lizard

Draft Lizard

Stout reptiles with scales in a checkered gold and white pattern, draft lizards sport powerful jaws and even stronger backs capable of hauling loads four times their own weight. Native to the underground tunnels of the Five Kings Mountains, the reptiles have been domesticated to serve as beasts of burden within the Depths and sprawling web of passages beyond. Zoologists theorize that they are a part of the same reptile family as zetogekis, as the two share a similar build and other physical characteristics.

Draft lizards within the vicinity of Highhelm have adapted their diet to feed mainly on grindlegrubs. However, residual behavior suggests in lean times or before domestication they would devour stones for sustenance. The animals can still be observed habitually gnawing on boulders or large stones, cracking them with their powerful jaws and seeming to savor the taste as they roll the debris around in their mouths. Overworked draft lizards will stray from their handler’s control in order to consume rocks, only to return back to their path with a new undercurrent of purpose.

Normally as docile as any other beast of burden, the draft lizards of Highhelm will defend themselves if attacked by predators from the Darklands. Curiously, the lizards have an intense hatred for hryngars, attacking them without any prompting or hesitation. No dwarven records indicate teaching this behavior during the domestication of the animals, leaving its origins a mystery. Some caravanners even claim that the reptiles can sense the presence of hryngars, giving advanced warning of attacks by hissing menacingly into the darkness.

Though too large to be exceptionally dexterous, with careful training some draft lizards can be taught performative tricks. The Rolling Wheel is particularly known for a trio of reptiles that balance on their tails, catch hurled boulders in their jaws, and other stunts. The spectacle is well known in Highhelm, considered one of the big acts that the group performs. This has led to some younger dwarves attempting to teach their animals the same feats, mostly resulting in failure and light property damage in the Depths.

Draft Lizard Habitats

The domestication of the draft lizard occurred at some point during the beginning of the Quest for Sky, when the dwarves who would later rediscover Highhelm encountered the creatures within the Darklands. After many failed attempts that resulted in crushed or lost limbs, the dwarves managed to bribe the reptiles into docility with a steady supply of grindlegrubs. In time, draft lizards have become central to dwarven caravans and movement within the subterranean tunnels of the Five Kings Mountains.

The popularity of draft lizards as dwarven mounts comes as a surprise to visitors of the Sky Citadel, as the creatures are rarely seen above ground. When Highhelm was resettled by the dwarves, an attempt was made to bring the mounts to the surface, but the reptiles stubbornly refused to enter natural sunlight. While some progress has been made adapting them to the surface, it remains a rare sight to see a draft lizard outside of the stone warrens.