Sa'ir [Lamia]

A sa'ir has a goat's hindquarters and a lion's front half, with a full mane on both sexes and goat horns and beard on its leonine head. It understands simple common commands but rarely obeys anyone but a lamia, and its only voice is a strange bleating roar.

Sa'ir graze like harmless herbivores until within 20 feet of prey, then pounce, giving victims -1 on surprise. They attack with two paws, two horns and a bite. Their AC is 6, but the heavy mane makes the neck and forequarters AC 5.

Sa'ir prowl deserts, ruins and wastelands near their lamia parents, though they feel no affection for them. They live in small prides like lions and defend their range against other predators. None has ever been seen giving birth, and they are thought sterile.

Though omnivorous, they strongly prefer meat and will choose day-old carrion over fresh plants. A pride would attack an elephant if one appeared, but usually must forage daily for smaller game. After a big kill they gorge and bask for days to digest.

Sa'ir protect lamia lairs in effect but cannot be trained as guards, and their numbers rise and fall with local lamia breeding.

The family has three branches: nobles, common lamias and sa'ir, and their looks lead some to suspect chimeras and wemics are related. Nobles' origin is unknown (curses of gods or demons are often blamed); today they are born only when a noble mates with a human. Common lamias come from two nobles or from a common lamia and a human, and sa'ir only from two common lamias.

Once a year lamias and sa'ir spend a week in heat, at peak fertility and driven almost wholly by the urge to breed. Intelligent lamias seek human mates to produce their own kind, pairing with each other only if none are found, and a human met outside the summer season can trigger heat. Common lamias are hermaphrodites who can mate with either sex: with a man, the lamia conceives; with a woman, she bears the cubs. Nobles have true sexes, breed only with humans of the other sex and kill same-sex humans without hesitation.

A litter of 1-4 cubs is born eight months later. Most die before maturity at four, killed by siblings or by hot-tempered parents who may maul a cub for a playful nip at the tail. Strong lust and weak maternal instinct keep lamias few.