Elephant

The Elephant is a unique clockwork mechanism devised by Mr. Playwood when he was just seven years old.

In order to assemble it the young engineer used the drawing of an elephant from an ancient scroll. Mr. Playwood only found out the actual size of an elephant much later, after gaining access to the Great Arboreal Library.

While serving Mr. Playwood as a toy, this mechanism was also used to transport small-scale loads like fruits and nuts and – as a reconnaissance scout. It was through the Elephant work that the tribes residing on the Great Tree found out about the upcoming attack by the savages who came out of the Green Sea and were able to prepare for it in time.

At times of peace the Elephant is used to procure the most succulent fruits from hard-to-reach branches. It can carry around a kilogram of fruits at once. Doesn’t seem a lot but thanks to its stamina the elephant is capable of making up to hundred cargo runs per day. Suddenly it’s a whole quintal of delicacies we’re talking about!

The Elephant is operated using voice commands. They should be given in a calm voice, avoiding rasp shouts. There are claims some of the scribes mastered the art of telepathically controlling the Bot, however, there is firm evidence to support those rumors.

The Elephant is sluggish; however, its extraordinary endurance and tranquility make up for it. It responds to the nickname Jug Ear, loves basking in the sun, and is unfussy in day-to-day life.

The Elephant is depicted on a postage stamp worth 5 seeds, printed on the wafer-thin high quality bark.

There’s a belief that should one meet a fully-loaded Elephant somewhere on the branches of the Great Tree, one should jump over it thrice without tumbling down from the branch. Whoever manages to complete that trick should expect success in all endeavors. Meeting an unladen elephant, however, will bring rain.