Compromise and Conceit

So called because of its bizarre resemblance to an enormous thumb, the Battle Thumb is the Chimaeric creation which elevated York Constructs, Inc. to greatness. Bought in bulk by the armies of several nations, the Battle Thumb is much respected for its endurance, great strength and reliability. Though not easy to armour, its hide is naturally thick and it has some resilience against extremes of temperature. It is not agile but is highly mobile, requiring little space to turn and capable of reversing as well as walking forward. It is not capable of high speeds but its cunning physiognomy makes it a stable combat platform in any situation – mounted archers can fire from its back even when it is at full sprint. It is also capable of carrying quite heavy weights, though it is not efficient given its overall size and its speed and mobility decline rapidly as the weights increase.  It is, however, an excellent scouting and light combat mount, especially useful for archers, scouts and skirmishers, and useful for adventurers who need to move over rough or mountainous terrain. It has one other admirable trait which makes it much desired by military planners – it can eat anything. This beast is rather uncharitably referred to as “the Duke of Yorks Cock” by many soldiers.