Diomestoll
The diomestoll was a carnivorous, aggressive organism used by Legerians as a steed. Its nature made it excel as a combat mount, where it could thrive under the pressures of warfare and battle.
Appearance #
Diomestolls were quadrupedal mammals that possessed scalebound legs and a tail. Their clawed feet had thick, leathery pads that allowed them to traverse any terrain with ease. Diomestolls were easily recognized by their sickly yellow-to-green, hairless skin.
A diomestoll's most prominent and recognizable trait was their head. It was long and slender, ending in a fleshy protuberance that displayed a vortex of razor sharp teeth. This aided them in stripping the flesh off of bones as they scavenged. Their eyes were small, black and beady.
Behind the diomestall's head was a "mane" of needle-like keratinous growths.
Scavengers #
Diomestolls were scavenger organisms that fed off of the carcasses of large creatures. They were highly aggressive, opting to try and chase off predators from their own kills in order to feed.
Diomestolls were highly territorial against their own kind. They roamed in herds, and would violently attempt to drive diomestolls from other herds out of their own territory.
Competition
Diomestolls were more common across Legere before The Calamity. Afterwards, carrion retrievers began to encroach on their ecological niche, decreasing their wild populations. Diomestolls would remain fairly stable in wooded areas, since forest canopies helped block larger flocks of retrievers.
Warhorses and Mounts #
Diomestolls were known to be ideal mounts for combatants. They made effective war steeds, since they were more resilient against fear and the stresses of combat. Their aggression also made them a fearsome addition to a mounted warrior's arsenal.
While they weren't as fast as horses, they possessed a stronger ability to conquer irregular terrain or steep angles. Additionally, they were more temperamental and more costly to feed because of their diet of meat. This could often be offset by simply feeding them the corpses of the slain after a battle--literally allowing them to "graze" on a battlefield.
Diomestolls were less loyal than horses, and would often feed upon their own rider should the rider be mortally wounded or dead.