Log 27, Poulous. We can no longer see the top of the wall, which means we’re close. We’ve also spotted our second large creature in the sun strip, standing about 9 ft tall. Ming actually named this one; she called them poulous.
It’s the sound they make.
They sound like a pitched-up water cooler, which is probably because they’re just a water jug on legs. The poulous store large amounts of water in a special sack that runs down their neck. They seem to migrate from the wetlands to the wall, likely nesting in its rocky caves. The species is well equipped for pilgrimages across the sun strip; the large horn absorbs most of the sun’s heat while shading the body and babies riding on their parent’s backs. The feet are wide and flat, allowing them to walk easily across the sand and avoid alerting subterranean predators. The most notable trait of the poulous, though, is their symbiotic bond with a species of flyers. I’ll go into more detail about them later, but for now, they pick parasites off the poulous in exchange for shade and water. Many poulous carry these flyers in their mouths so they can cool off. The desert is a more hostile place on Murkosia; it’s nice to see species working together in its toughest climate.