Sandstrider

Sandstriders are gigantic octopods used by Dunnites to cross the dunes of The Arid. They stand around forty feet tall and sixty feet long. Sandstriders resemble an elongated giraffe with an extraordinarily flat back. They are almost exclusively used for transportation, as they are remarkably rare with only around twenty known to exist, and the Dunnites believe them to be sacred, so killing them is almost always met with retribution.   The creatures are ambulatory plants with eight legs. They feed on the constant oppressive sunlight of the desert, and when sleeping extend roots deep into the ground that seek out water. They are able to eat supplementary food via massive pitcher structures along their necks, which on dark or rainy days their riders fill with meat. Food that has gone bad is sometimes disposed of in this way as well.   Sandstriders cannot be made to move in a specific direction, they have fixed migration patterns depending on the individual. Trading outposts have sprung up along their routes, and many pass near major cities. They are not known to be particularly loyal of the humans who ride around on them, but are capable of showing small amounts of affection. If kept well-watered, the beasts grow massive leafy protrusions from their sides, which their grateful humans use to take shelter from the very sun the leaves drink from.