Avoral [Guardinal]

Avorals are tall, muscular men and women whose arms are huge eagle wings, with talons on their lower legs and feathered vanes there that serve as a tail in flight. The face is more human than bird, framed by a cowl of featherlike hair, with bright golden eyes. A deep chest anchors the wing muscles, and strong hollow bones keep even the biggest under 120 pounds. Small hands sit midway along each wing; folded, the wings place them where human hands would be, and they work just as well.

On foot an avoral can batter enemies with its wings, the way a swan's wing can break a man, but it would rather fight aloft, where its speed and rock-hard talons count. It cannot wing-buffet while flying. Diving 100 feet or more onto a grounded foe gives +2 to hit and double talon damage, and between stoops it normally spends a round regaining height. Hitting with both talons lets it seize a creature of up to 300 pounds and climb 120 feet per round with it. Only great anger would make it drop a nonevil victim.

Each round it may call on one of these at will: light, command, blur, hold person, gust of wind, or a four-missile magic missile. Its daily powers are an 8d6 lightning bolt and a 20-foot-radius fear effect. It sees detail 10 miles away and, after concentrating for a round, gains true sight to 100 feet; legend says it can tell eye color at 200 paces. Only silver or +1 or better weapons harm it.

No other guardinals fly, so avorals are their race's scouts and skirmishers, watching the skies over the gentle first layer of the blessed fields and meeting any invader who comes by air. Born wanderers, some roam hundreds of worlds and never come home. They seldom gather, preferring to soar alone over the wilder second and third layers; occasionally a family shares a temporary aerie on a spectacular peak. They are fine hunters of small game, never killing for sport, and like their meals properly cooked.