Armour-Beak

Due to the success of the armored nobom on the savanna, their numbers rose steadily. Eventually, some herds were forced north into unfamiliar terrain to find territory, food, and water for themselves. Over generations, they evolved to take advantage of the Honeycomb Crystal. The armour-beak has evolved a tough beak made from the same wooden material as its armor. Strong jaw muscles enable these creatures to bite into the crystal towers. They can successfully digest both the photosynthetic outside and fungal inside of the towers, whereas the azelak scavengers can only eat the fresh insides. For a quick snack, Armour-Beaks will also eat clusters of stickyballs if they can found them, which supplies them with water in the hot summer.

In the forest, the armour-beak’s back sails could tear easily on passing branches, so they have become tougher and more flexible, resulting in the loss of their iridescent shine. For mating, males find an open area in the forest and flap their sails up and down in a show of strength. The males also bellow at the same time, attracting any nearby females to witness the spectacle. Armour-beaks travel around in large groups of mixed individuals and have kept some of the armor for protection against any azelak scavengers that may attempt to steal a young one.