Celestial Lammasu

Cousins of the Prime Material lammasu, these dwell in the wild reaches of the mountain realm, often beneath its great peak, and are called 'lions of the mountain.' Each has a powerful lion's body, great wings of long, beautiful feathers, and a human face with keen, wise eyes framed by a flowing mane, projecting majesty and belief in goodness. Proud of how many languages they speak, they will use a tongues ability if needed.

They join any fight in which evil threatens good creatures, and sometimes help nonevil neutrals against evil. Two huge paws rake for 2-12 each and can harm creatures normally struck only by magic. Diving from the air, each claw gets +2 to hit and deals double damage (4-24).

They cast priest spells at 15th level with major access to all spheres and wizard spells at 12th level, requesting their wizard spells each day from any school but necromancy rather than keeping spell lists. They also have spell-like powers used one at a time, once per round, at 20th level. Nonmagical weapons and magic of +3 or less cannot hurt them, and they regenerate 4 hit points per round.

From their home plane they battle evil across the Inner and Outer Planes and give guidance and occasional aid to their mortal cousins. Only 36 are known, each bearing a true name.

Once a decade one attends a moonlit council with the leaders of every lammasu pride for hundreds of miles. That night the temple blazes white for miles; evil creatures within a mile are destroyed outright, and nonevil neutrals within a mile sleep magically until dawn. They serve no deity as the celestial servants of the gods do, fighting their own personal war on evil even though it aids the good powers.

Celestial lammasu stand outside any food chain. Nothing hunts them, and they never eat living things, feeding directly on the upper planes' goodness.