Foursaken Fowl
Welcome to Foursaken Feature. Today’s feature actually is somewhat forsaken, having been left behind by both players and developers as the 4th edition juggernaut marched on. When I finally stumbled upon the achaierai, it was turning tricks in Renton just to stay afloat long enough to maybe make a comeback. I took the infamous “foul fowl” under my wing, so to speak, and showed it what being a 4th edition monster is all about. After months of rigorous training, I think the little guy’s finally got the hang of it, so I’ve decided to tag him and release him into the wilds of 4th edition.
Achaierai are large, flightless birds who live in certain realms within the astral sea. They have four legs, each of which ends in a powerful and wicked talon and can be used equally well for slashing or grabbing. They have small, stump-like vestigial wings, implying that they may have been able to fly at some point in the distant past. Their plumage is always very bright, typically in shades of red, yellow, and orange (though other colorations aren’t uncommon). Their beaks have been known to cut steel.
Despite their animalistic appearance, achaierai are surprisingly intelligent. They speak their own language, Achaierai, and live together in large groups not unlike human, elven, or dwarven society. They hunt in packs, displaying a masterful understanding of tactics. They rarely kill their prey immediately, however, and often take it back to their community, as they have a strong fondness for torture, especially when their prey is sentient. Though some achaierai leave their communities and travel the astral sea (or, even more rarely, other planes of existence), this is incredibly rare, as achaierai tend to have very close-knit communities.
