Phoenix

The phoenix is a huge bird from beyond the Prime, spanning 40 feet wing to wing. Its feathers burn with violet, scarlet, crimson and flame orange, its beak and talons are blue-violet and its eyes glow like rubies. Though mortal, it carries itself with an aloofness worthy of a god. It has its own language, can talk with any bird and otherwise communicates through limited telepathy or empathy.

Kind and free-spirited, a phoenix takes no joy in fighting, but it is fast and formidable when pushed. Aloft it rakes with two claws for 1d8 each; on the ground it bites for 2d12. Being clever and magical, it usually prefers its powers to its talons.

Each round of battle begins with a piercing cry. Every foe of 12 Hit Dice or fewer within 30 feet adds 3 to its initiative roll, while the bird's own actions are unaffected. It also has a set of spell-like powers usable at will, once per round and one at a time, at 20th level of ability. With wings spread in a ritual dance it can call on three more abilities at 40th level; each may be repeated as often as it likes, but one at a time, taking a full round each, with nothing else (not even the shriek) that round.

A brush of its wing works as cure light wounds, up to twice per person per day for each phoenix. A touch of its comb acts as cure disease, once daily for any one person. When badly hurt, the bird can turn its spilled blood into holly-berry fire seeds, one for every 5 points of damage taken.

As a last resort it can unleash a combined fire storm (20 feet high, 5 feet wide, 8 feet deep) and incendiary cloud at 40th level, even if it already used those powers. This consumes the adult, but a young phoenix with every power of its parent remains.

It moves astrally or ethereally at will, can be struck only by weapons of +3 or better, is never surprised and has infravision to 120 feet.

Phoenixes keep far from the lands of humans and their kin. They can reach any plane through the Astral and Ethereal, yet most stay in the blessed fields of the upper planes or in remote corners of the Prime Material. Barbarian tribes and other simple peoples treasure them in legend as the living image of renewal.

Accounts of their lifespan run from more than 1,000 years to as many as 12,000. When its end nears, a phoenix flies deep into the mountains, far from any town, and builds a great nest of straw and herbs on the highest summit. There it gazes over the world a final time and, content that its labor is done, bursts into blinding flame. When the fire dies the nest is untouched, and a bright young phoenix sits within. Some stories say the fledgling must then carry its parent's mummified remains to a temple of the sun for burial.

Every culture tells the tale its own way. Some see the bird as a gentle herald of death that appears when a life is over; others, mostly evil peoples, see it as fiery wrath and ruin; still others call it a friend of the good. What is certain is that it champions good. It does not go hunting evil, but it seldom lets a chance to strike at it pass. Above all it stands for creation through destruction: the fire that ends the old bird, with all its centuries of wisdom, also brings forth a fresh mind and so purifies the line.

Alchemists and sages want nearly every part of a phoenix for potions or study. Its feathers can adorn a staff of healing, go into potions of extra-healing and serve many other healing purposes. Eyes, beak and talons fetch 5,000 gp or more apiece, though buyers are hard to find because so many peoples hold killing a phoenix to be taboo or an evil omen.

Every phoenix is male, and self-immolation is its only form of reproduction. Whether that is biology or magic, no scholar can say.