#next time ON mezian theocratic empire: i should explain how the metalworkers even make these things

[sanctus-ingenium]

Saint Taurus & a handy size chart based mostly on relative size rather than Actual Size (so ignore the little human figure).

Once the church threw itself into the hunting of dragons and subsequent harvesting of their ichor, a new problem arose: the transportation of thousands upon thousands of gallons of highly volatile, toxic dragonsblood. The harvesting process takes months, and it is a continual race against time; dragonsblood in liquid form will become gas at very low temperatures, and a good 50% of all spilled blood is lost to evapotranspiration after a battle. Transporting this precious liquid safely is a greater challenge than harvesting it.

Taurus provides a simple solution. Stationed in the most central region of the empire, Taurus can reach the site of a battle and start transporting ichor before the dragon has even died. Taurus is the biggest of all the beasts and by far the strongest, and his harness & transport barge consist of the largest manmade structures within the empire (and potentially beyond it, as well). In fact, the fire shield at the front of the barge is the single largest continuous piece of metal ever designed by the armoursmiths, but it serves a vital role of keeping sparks from the exhaust flames from reaching the dragonsblood. Although the barrels are sealed, the danger of dragonsblood ignition is so great that all caution must be taken.

As if the logistical and metalworking challenges of this venture were not enough, Taurus must also be heavily armoured, with his main connection points to his barge reinforced. Poachers who can't bring down dragons to get their own dragonsblood engine fuel frequently choose to attack the barge. Taurus is considered to be unstoppable, too large and tank-like to even attempt to take down, but he still needs an escort of ground soldiers to watch the back of the barge, or occasionally a companion beast if the risk is high. It's a tricky operation - the scale of the barge is such that it becomes difficult to watch every inch, and on nearly every single excursion there is some ichor lost to theft, even if it is only as much as a single person or horse can carry.

The knight rider of Taurus, Sir Bounty, always rides with an inspector in his throne chamber, after an incident fifty years back wherein the previous Sir Bounty was found to have been taking bribes from poachers from outside the empire. He would linger at certain points on the route long enough to allow significant theft of ichor from the barge. Since then, all knights are regularly tested to ensure they do not succumb to the sin of greed, and that their vows of poverty remain unbroken. The punishment for the crime matches that which the old Sir Bounty suffered; death by immersion in hydrargyrum.