Genius Loci: Concerning wempons

The beasts called wempons were among the first concepts I stuck with when I began developing Genius Loci years ago, and their design has never changed much. My main inspirations were anteaters, watussi cattle, and pangolins, but there's a bit of elephant and camel in it too, the latter mainly in their behaviour.
Wempons have large burrowing claws they can also use for climbing (yes, there are trees on Kitas that can carry a beast of almost four tons). Their muscular tails can grab, although they are not very dextrous. They are mostly vegetarian, preferring leaves, fruit, and roots, but also eat bugs and the likes. Thick scales protect their upsides, long thick fur the underside, their horns are enormously long - riders climb their mount holding on to them or stepping on a bent leg.
They are great mounts if one can get along with them. Wempons are picky about riders and hard to get used to being rented; usually they belong to a single rider. They need additional training to serve as packing animals, but can then carry great loads. Some nomad peoples have herds of them packed with the contents of an entire village worth of belongings. Wempons don't like having things dangle over their legs, so the riders' legs have to be out of the way and are pulled up on the saddle.
Being sent to herd the wempons is among the least favourite jobs for youngsters; the beasties will push them around and be hard to look after. On the other hand, it's a good way to become friends with one that will be a loyal mount later.

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