The Servos jungle is a region of great perils. It is also the place I first met the creature the human tribes of the region call the Moonali. They told me that the name means "Bird that is as the sun"
I was with a caravan traveling south to the t'skrang ferry of lake ban when I looked up at the sky. More precisely I was looking at the sun. Something had caught my attention. Sudenly I realised that there where rays of sunlight detaching themselves from their source. In less time than it takes me to cast my bone dance spell, there where some thirty dancing rays of light in the sky.
Looking a little closer at these flashing beams I realised that they where not what they seemed at first glance. These were some kind of bird. They had a strange way of flying with their wing under them, but they were birds. That is when I noticed the group of people directly under them, staring staight up at them. At the same moment, the birds folded their tails on their backs, tucked their heads in and plummeted towards the group of people. To my great surprise, no one moved. They were all staring and even pointing as if they were witnessing the most fascinating and mesmerising event of their lives.
Game Information
Moonali Attributes: DEX: 8 STR: 5 TOU: 5 PER: 8 WIL: 5 CHA: 6 Initiative: 8/ 2D6 Physical: 11 Number of attacks: 2 Mystic: 12 Attack: 10 Social: 8 Damage: Beak (10) Tail (12) Armor: 4 Movement: Combat:20/55 Myst. Arm: 3 Full: 40/110 Knockdown: 7 Spellcasting: Step: 13 (see text) Effect: 16 Death Rating: 55 Recovery test: 3 Wound Threshold: 10 Unconscious Rating: 40 Description These birds fly with only their only wing by having it swirl under them in a motion that looks like an "8". They are social creatures and normally keep in flocks of 30-50. The hunting parties will go out in groups of 4-12 by very bright days when there are very little clouds in the sky. They like to hunt at high noon.
They fly very high above the ground and use their great vision to spot their prey from afar (add +3 steps to perception for spoting items in the distance). Large targets don't worry them by the way,they break them apart to carry them. They will try to hit only one member of a group, very quickly while the others are still under the effect of the Sun Flash spell. Once they have their target, either on land or ship, they fold their tail on their back and pull their head back, putting them in a position to plumet towards the target.
During the first round of combat, Moonali's will always use the Sun Flash spell. They will not attack a group that out numbers them. They will each pick a target, and if they out number them, double up on the physically bigger opponents. To use the Sun Flash spell, a Moonali does a spellcasting test against the spell defense of their target. On a successfull test, it does an effect test against the willpower step of the target. On an average success, the target is considered suprised until the end of the next round. Add one round for each level of success above average. Ex: on a Excelent success, the target would be considered suprised this round and the next 3. Only a fail has no effect. A result above fail but not average still reduces all actions of the target by 2 for that round. During the round they plumet, even though they cast Sun Flash on different targets, they will all attack their chosen target with their tail. This first attack works a little like a charge therefore adding the Moonali's STR step to the damage. In the rounds following the first one they will attack with beak and tail from the ground, and are often agressive in the second round since most of their opponents will be unable to attack them.
Moonali's will kill only one target then try to fly away with it. The lift capacity of a flying Moonali is of 200 plus 100 for each extra Moonali. They never attack an Obsidiman. If a fight continues more than 3 rounds after the stuning effect has left the last affected target, they will fly away to come back and fight another day.
Legend Point: 225 Loot: The sharp middle feathers on the Moonali's tail are great for arrow arrow tips and the others for the fletch. Tail feathers are worth 1gp + 2D6 x 10 sp (sharp) plus 1D4 x 10sp (others).
Copyright 1999. Eric Campeau