Diakk

Diakka are large wingless birds, common and widely hated predators of the gray wasteland of despair. Where wings should be they have small clawed human arms. Two kinds exist. The varath is tall and stork-like, its faintly human face ending in a long bill. The carcene is squat and broad, like a stubby pelican with a short bill on a human face. Both wear short, oily feathers in sickly shades from pea green through gray to rust, with bare faces of matching color and black, dark green or maroon legs, bills and claws.

Even when no diakka are in sight, the wasteland's three layers ring with the varath's shrill cries and the carcene's bubbling croaks. They speak their own tongue, the language of night hags and that of other vile denizens of the lower planes.

A varath stabs with its long bill for 1d12, while a carcene claws for 2d4 per hit. Both have weakness by touch once a day, audible glamer once a day and jump twice a day.

When four or more ring a single foe, they can begin the dance of weakening, screeching and croaking at their target for no fewer than four rounds. The victim is then affected much like ray of enfeeblement, Strength dropping to 5 for 13 rounds. The dance bypasses magic resistance, though a saving throw still applies, which makes it dangerous even to mercenary fiends and other fiends.

Diakka are sly cowards. They study prey first and attack only what they judge weaker than themselves. Then they surround it, use audible glamer to seem more numerous, and strike with bills and claws, adding weakness to their blows and using jump to hop in and out of reach.

Flocks mix both kinds, usually in equal numbers, though sometimes varath outnumber carcene. The carcene are a bit stronger and much smarter, so one or two of them usually lead. There is no loyalty or affection among diakka; none will risk itself for another, and separate flocks keep their distance, each afraid the other will strike, fitting residents of so hateful a place.

Night hags sometimes keep diakka as guards or servants. Each side hates the other but thinks it benefits, and the dim birds never grasp that hags make no lasting allies; most end up in a hag's stew pot. Hordlings eat diakka as a staple, though diakka have dined on plenty of hordlings too.

They eat the flesh of any weaker creature that strays too close.