Once you've finished downloading the beta rules, you'll know that not only are their dragon (skydrake) mounts but animal variants and giant insects as well. Truth be told, when this flying mount came across my laptop screen I hesitated for a nanosecond before saying, "Well $#!T... Why not?" So here it is... in all its glory... an armored aerial wonder... the Giant Dung Beetle. If ever, in the midst of combat, you wanted to drop a load on your enemies... here's your chance. 

Giant dung beetles are armored in black chitin with a metallic sheen of iridescent black, bronze, or dark emerald. Its body is barrel-shaped and robustly adapted for pushing immense loads. Its six powerful legs end in sharp, hooked claws with astonishing traction and digging prowess. From its broad, shovel-like head sprout prominent horns and compound eyes, that constantly scan for its next meal.

     Highly Mobile. Dung beetles are capable of flight and excavating burrows. They have an incredible sense of direction, even able to navigate by moonlight. Unlike their smaller relatives, giant dung beetles can carry a huge ball of dung while flying. 

      Revolting Diet. Dung beetles feed on dung from other creatures. Adults sometimes augment their diet with decaying fungi, rotting fruit, or carrion.  They instinctively roll dung which clever riders might take advantage of by directing them to push objects in constructive or obstructive ways. 

     Strong Instincts. Training a dung beetle proceeds very slowly. Their instincts are incredibly strong, and they’re extremely attracted to the smell of fresh dung which they seek to roll up into a ball they feel compelled to bring with them unless they store it in their burrow. 

     Terrain. Dung beetles are found in warmer climates where dung can be easily found. Tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions are all common, especially in grasslands or agricultural areas with large numbers of herd animals. 

     Training. A dung beetle’s primary drive is to collect dung. Their simplistic thinking makes training them challenging, but they can be conditioned to associate a rider with access to prime, delicious dung. Specific odors released by a rider or using vibrations by tapping a stick on the ground near them can allow the dung beetle mount to learn simple commands. 

     Gear. Giant dung beetles need saddles that fit between the head and wing cases in order to fly. Riders expecting to take advantage of their mount’s ability to burrow will also want to install a shield that affixes to the front of the saddle to protect their body from rubble. Riders can prepare special pouches with dung attached to the end of poles whose scent attracts the beetle on one direction or another.