Avian
Avians, whether magical or mundane in nature, are among the most interesting creatures ever to evolve. Their unique physiology sets them apart from all other life, and their grace and beauty have earned them a place of respect and adoration in the tales of many races.
The banshee or groaning spirit, is the spirit of an evil female elf - a very rare thing indeed. Banshee hate the living, finding their presence painful, and seek to harm whomever they meet. Banshees appear as floating, luminous phantasms of their former selves. Their image glows brightly at night, but is transparent during the day. Most banshees are old and withered, but a few who died young retain their former beauty. The hair of a groaning spirit is wild and unkempt. Her dress is usually tattered rags. Her face is a mask of pain and anguish, but hatred and ire burns brightly in her eyes. Banshees frequently cry out in pain - hence their name.
These reptilian monsters all posses a gaze that enables them to turn any fleshy creature to stone; their gaze extends into the Astral and Ethereal planes. Although it has eight legs, its sluggish metabolism allows only a slow movement rate. A basilisk is usually dull brown in color, with a yellowish underbelly. Its eyes glow pale green. While it has strong, toothy jaws, the basilisk's major weapon is its gaze. However, if its gaze is reflected, and it sees its own eyes, it will become petrified itself, but this requires light at least equal to bright torchlight and a good, smooth reflector. In the Atral plane its gaze kills; in the Ethereal plane it turns victims into ethereal stone. These will only be seen by those in the Ethereal plane or who can see ethereal objects.
Broken ones (or animal men) are the tragic survivors of scientific and magical experiments gone awry. While they were once human, their beings have become mingled with those of animals and their very nature has been forever altered by the shock of this event. it is rumored that some broken ones are the result of failed attempts at resurrection, reincarnation, or polymorph spells. While broken ones look more or less human, they are physically warped and twisted by the accidents that made them. The characteristics of their non-human part will be clearly visible to any who see them, For example, a broken one who has been infused with the essence of a rat might have horrific feral features, wiry whiskers, curling clawed fingers, and a long, whip-like tail. Broken ones know whatever languages they knew as human beings and a few of them can communicate with their non-human kin as well. It is not uncommon for the speech of a broken one to be heavily accented or slurred by the deformities of its body.
The Brownie is one of the kindest and most helpful of the Fae (fairy kind). They have coal black eyes, brown hair, pointed ears, and long, nimble fingers. They are usually small male Faeries living in the roots of forest trees. They are kind and gentle to animals and have been seen riding the backs of wolves and birds. Brownies are, for the most part, highly intelligent Fae. The House Brownie looks for kind hearted humans to live with. He looks for a warm, cozy home, preferably with no cats. He rewards kindness shown to him by assisting the residents in their daily needs, and chasing away ill-spirited beings.
Bugbears are giant, hairy cousins of goblins who frequent the same areas as their smaller relatives. Bugbears are large and very muscular, standing seven feet tall. Their hides range from light yellow to yellow brown and their thick coarse hair varies in color from brown to brick red. Though vaguely humanoid in appearance, bugbears seem to contain blood of some large carnivore. Their eyes recall those of some savage bestial animal, being greenish white with red pupils, while their ears are wedge shaped, rising from the top of their heads. A bugbear's mouth his full of long sharp fangs. Bugbears have a nose much like that of a bear with the same fine sense of smell. It is this feature which earned them their name, despite the fact that they are not actually related to bears in any way. Their tough leathery hide and long sharp nails also look something like those of a bear, but are far more dexterous. The typical bugbear's sight and hearing are exceptional, and they can move with amazing agility when the need arises. Bugbear eyesight extends somewhat into the infrared, giving them infravision out to sixty feet. The bugbear language is a foul mixture of gestures, grunts, and snarls, which leads many to underestimate the intelligence of these creatures. In addition, most bugbears can speak the language of goblins and hobgoblins.
Centaurs are half-human and half-horse, living in secluded forests and pasture lands throughout the world. The chest, arms, and head of the centaur are human. The body, legs, and tail are those of a horse. The centaur is typically seven feet tall from its hooves to the top of its head, but some rare species are as small as four feet. An adult centaur can weigh as much as one thousand five hundred pounds. The human features of centaurs are slightly larger then those of an actual human. Their chests are broad and barrel-shaped, and their arms ripple with solid muscle. They have huge shoulders and thick necks. They wear their hair in long flowing curls; hair colors include black, brown, blonde, red-orange, and white. They have bright eyes, usually blue or brown, but sometimes violet, green, or black. Skin tones on the human half of a centaur range from pale pink to light brown to rich ebony. From a human perspective, both male and female centaurs are strikingly attractive. The males are ruggedly handsome, with square jaws, aquiline noses, and full beards. Females are sleek and voluptuous, with full lips, soft cheeks, and sparkling eyes. Centaurs move with an easy grace, their steps assured and proud. The horse portion of the centaur is with hair. This coat of hair grows throughout the year, becoming shaggy in the colder months, and shorter in the spring when the coat is shed. Centaur coats come in a variety of colors, including brown, blonde, black, white, and gray. Some coats are combinations of colors; white and black or brown and blonde are the most common. A shiny coat indicates a healthy centaur. Centaurs have long, full tails. They can twitch their tails at will, and usually do so to sweep away insects or to fan a companion. Centaurs do not normally wear clothing. When associating with humans, however, female centaurs wear simple cloth blouses in deference to human custom. Most centaurs carry leather or clothe bags slung over their shoulders with long straps to hold food, treasure, and other possessions. Centaurs speak their own language as well as common language. They speak in deep, sonorous voices. Humans find centaur speech somewhat formal and stilted; for instance, centaurs use "thou" and "thy" where humans use "you" and "your". Compared to humans and demihumans, centaurs are not particularly intelligent. Nor are they especially virtuous, devoted more to their own self-interests than the common good. Centaurs are sensualists first and foremost, preferring the taste of a good wine or the warmth of a sunny day to debating philosophy or exploring new places. Soaking in a woodland stream can easily occupy an entire day.
How chimerae were created is a dark mystery better left unexplored. The chimera has the hindquarters of a large, black goat and the forequarters of a huge, tawny lion, Its body has brownish-black wings like those of a dragon. The monster has three heads, those of a goat, a lion, and a fierce dragon. The goat head is pitch black, with glowing amber eyes and long ochre horns. The lion head is framed by a brown mane and has green eyes. The dragonhead is covered with red-orange scales and has black eyes. The chimera speaks a limited form of the foul language of the red dragons. As a rule, however, it will only pause to communicate with those creatures who are more powerful than itself.
The cockatrice is an eerie, repulsive hybrid of lizard, cock, and bat. It is infamous for its ability to turn flesh to stone by a single touch. The cockatrice is about the size of a large goose or turkey, and has the head and body of a cock, with two bat like wings and the long tail of a lizard tipped with a few feathers. Its feathers are golden brown, its beak yellow, its tail green, and its wings gray. The cockatrice's wattles, comb, and eyes are bright red. Females, which are much rarer than males, differ only in that they have no wattles or comb. The cockatrice thrives in the wilderness. Its petrification power makes it immune to most predators, and enables it to compete with other birds for food, The feathers of the cockatrice are prized by certain wizards as magical scrolls must be inscribed with pens made from such quills. Many people also seek unhatched eggs, or even a live cockatrice, as unusual pets or guardians.
