Lupasus

These winged wolves reach 8 feet plus tail and 1,000 pounds, typically gray with dark patches above and pale bellies, bushy tails, strong jaws and round pupils. Like horses they come in breeds: a pure gray royal-kennel line famed for precision flying, plus patterned, two-toned and stocky strains. Their wings bear soft fur, not feathers, no more flammable than the rest of the body.

A lupasus can fly bearing a man-sized rider in light armor with shield and weapons, up to 200 pounds total. Unencumbered, it saves vs. paralyzation each hour aloft; on a failure it must rest half an hour per 2 hours already flown. With a rider it loses one maneuverability class and must save every half hour. At 50% hit points it can no longer fly, though it can glide until it reaches 75% lost. Many prefer to fight on the ground anyway, so being grounded rarely troubles them.

Wild packs roam the steppes north of a frontier kingdom of dog-folk and do equally well on prairie, in forest or on any but the highest peaks. Nearly impossible to tame, they avoid humanoids except for the occasional lone dog-folk wanderer. A dog-folk knight who lives with a pack for a full year may win a companion that follows from friendship, never as a servant.

Dens are caves, thickets or burrows. Spring litters of 3-9 cubs stay with the parents until they fly the next winter; this family is the basic pack, defending a marked range, though larger packs with clear leaders form, mostly in winter.

They hunt small game and birds, and close-knit packs cooperate to bring down dangerous prey. A fine pelt fetches over 100 gp on the black market, but in the dog-folk kingdom killing a wild lupasus except in self-defense is illegal and owning a pelt, however acquired, is punishable by hanging.