Flatbills (Tractator latum) are enormous herd-dwelling herbivores, typically around nine metres long and weighing several tonnes. They are broad-bodied, overwhelmingly quadrupedal animals with powerful hindquarters, long muscular tails, broad padded forefeet, and flattened beaks backed by dense batteries of continuously replacing teeth. A low crest across the skull supports a small fleshy comb that can flush red when the animal is agitated or excited. Wild Flatbills remain abundant across temperate plains, river valleys, open woodland, and taiga, generally travelling in large, wary herds.

Flatbills are also among Veyrath’s most important working animals. They domesticate readily and have been bred for docility, endurance, and tolerance of noise, predators, and rough handling. Domestic animals haul heavy wagons, timber, artillery, and construction loads, carry large panniers through country unsuitable for roads, and serve as slow but dependable mounts for surveyors and expeditions. Their broad feet make them particularly effective in mud and broken ground, while their great size and thick hides make them considerably less vulnerable than horses in predator country.