Twoback

In the deserts of Ludwag there’s little food or water to be had. There’s no shelter or safety for miles on end as the dunes create a tomb of sand and ruin. In this desolate place hope would be lost if not for the mighty Twoback. ‘Tectum Pecus’ as the Aridians call it, the walking oasis. They harbor life upon their two ridged backs, carrying the means through which the whole desert can endure from one side of the dunes to the next. For their contribution to the stability of this otherwise chaotic place the Twoback are respected and seen as sacred among the dune-faring tribes of Northern Ludwag.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

As two-toed ungulates, the Twoback are exceptional travelers along the desert. They possess long eyelashes and a rounded brow to keep debris from getting in their eyes. Their nasal canals are broad and lined with hairs to stop particles from clogging them. Should a Twoback be caught in a storm they can articulate their ears independently to face away from the debris. Nothing can challenge a Twoback in its ease across the desert. A Twoback’s long yet sturdy legs can carry them vast distances without rest or carry them as quickly as some common horses for brief stints. Where a horse would falter on the desert, the Twoback marches on, able to live off their humps reserves for up to a month at a time.

Running along their back, from the back of the skull to the base of the tail, is a special fatty surface. This surface is enriched with excess water and nutrients but has no nerve endings extending with it. This surface presents the ideal conditions for desert vegetation to grow with pores directing new seeds and spores to rest within it. In a mature Twoback, this strip is carpeted in vegetation of almost all degree. A key indicator of age is the Twobacks’ biodiversity, the more varied the garden is the older the Twoback may be. By providing a surface through which other organisms can persist the Twoback in turn gets benefits from its guests. Excess sugars to supplement their diet, additional energy, and any defenses the plants may produce it reaps the benefits of.

Twoback are not born with their gardens and must develop them as they grow. In their infancy they’re exceptionally vulnerable. Usually a Twoback will inherit part of their mothers garden as she spends time alongside them, helping to foster their maturity. A Twoback calf will only leave their mother’s side once they’ve developed a proper garden of their own, usually after about six months.

#### Psychology

Twobacks are social if a tad grouchy beasts that dwell in herds as large as ten adult individuals. They’re quick to assert their frustration through bites and gurgles. Twoback herds don’t have any real hierarchy beyond the more experienced animals usually directing the others. None express any sort of dominance over the other. Twoback herds are a mix of male and female specimens who will reside and procure young together. Only the female partakes in active childcare though any member of the herd may come to the aid of a calf should it be in the position to do so. Twoback are fairly stubborn and won’t back down unless they don’t believe they can best an adversary.

Twobacks are widely domesticated and serve as pack animals across the desert. Their gardens are occasionally cultivated by sapient races as well as smaller animals which reside within them. Certain vegetation can only complete their life cycles on the Twoback, making their cultivation as important as Twoback survival.