Opinicus

An opinicus (the word is both singular and plural) seems assembled from spare parts: the hump-backed body of a camel, wings like an eagle's, the grinning face and clever fingers of a monkey, and a lion's shaggy mane and tufted tail. Thumbed forepaws let it grasp tools and weapons. Coats run from pale buff to golden brown, a little darker on the face and wings.

It is no wizard's botched experiment but an ancient breed rooted in the haunted wastes and fallen kingdoms of the desert lands. Most speak an archaic form of the common trade tongue of the desert lands, and a few hint at a private language they never use around others.

Though peaceable, it attacks evil freely, undead and al-jahar on sight. It is never surprised, and its stealth gives enemies -2 on surprise rolls, or -5 on its home ground. It dives into foes when it has room to fly. The forepaws claw for 1-3 each; if both connect, or whenever it is airborne, the hind claws rake for 1d6 apiece.

Its magic equals a 7th-level cleric with Wisdom 18, it can turn undead, and it may cast holy word and heal three times each per day. A DM may treat individuals as desert soothsayers or true-seeing wise women, but seldom other kits. It can turn ethereal at will, as plate mail of etherealness. Once per turn (10 minutes) it can loose a sparkling, sunlike gaze in a cone 20 feet long, 10 feet wide where it ends; undead and lower-planar beings in it take 2d8 damage, halved by a save vs. spell.

Its psionics (Constitution 16 for this purpose) include the sciences probability travel, teleport and telekinesis, plus the devotions animate object, levitation, control winds, inertial barrier, astral projection, dimension walk, dimensional door, time/space anchor, teleport trigger and dream travel. Usually spent on travel and pranks, these powers turn defensive under pressure, especially inertial barrier and dimension walk.

Opinicus haunt deserted cities, palaces and temples, and one found elsewhere is usually on a good errand; good folk welcome their help despite the endless pranks. Long-lived and ancient, and some sages think the outer planes sent them long ago to fight al-jahar and vargouilles.

They leave little mark on the world beyond sometimes tidying their ruins or carving sculpture.