Araakh (WindSteed)

Climate/Terrain:	Any aerial or mountainous	Hit Dice:	3+3
Frequency:	Rare	THAC0:	17
Organization:	Solitary	No. of Attacks:	3
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attacks:	1-8/1-8/2-7
Diet:	Carnivore	Special Attacks:	Dive
Intelligence:	Semi(2-4)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	L (25' wing span)
No. Appearing:	1	Morale:	Steady (11-12))
Armor Class:	6	XP Value:	120
Movement:	12, Fl 30 (B, C if mounted)

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Araakh, or WindSteeds, are a winged relative of the temraakh. They resemble normal temraakh with the second set of legs modified into wide, vaguely bat-like wings. Their coloration runs from a midnight black to pure white, though most are some shade of bluish-grey. Like temraakh, male araakh often develop manes.
Araakh have carrying capacities equal to their land-bound cousins. An araakh saddle is even more specialized, and is constructed with a number of straps and support structures to protect the rider from injury during radical aerial manuevers the araakh is capable of.
Araakh are very agile in the air, capable of wing-overs, barrel-rolls, and even loops with sufficient dive time. While the sweep of their powerful wings can propel them to high speeds, the araakh can open its wings very wide and glide for hours on the thermals rising above plains and fields.

Combat: In combat, all araakh rake with their front claws and bite with their sharp teeth. Also, if they enter combat by diving more than 200', the araakh gains +2 to hit and does double damage with its claws. If an araakh dives, it can not bite.
Mounted combat on an araakh is similar to fighting from the back of a griffon. Like land-bound temraakh riders, araakh riders prefer light spearing lances which take advantage of the greater maneuverability of the araakh. A lance strike made while the araakh is diving also does double damage.

Habitat/Society: The araakh is a solitary creature, living in mountain ranges within easy gliding distance of open plains or farmland. Males and females only associate freely during mating season. The araakh's gestation period is only about 6 months. Female araakh give birth to only a single cub (young araakh). The cub is weaned after six months, learning to hunt with its mother. The araakh matures in less than two years; it is considered adult at age four. The usual life span of a araakh is 35-40 years, though rare exceptions have lived to age 50, and hard-worked araakh rarely live past age 12. Araakh form the backbone of many kingdoms' aerial cavalry.

Ecology: Araakh are solitary hunters, completely carnivore, who can be found in high mountains near open plains or savannas. If poorly fed, araakh will begin to lose hit points at the rate of one per day, with a likewise loss of movement rate, until it can be given the proper food. A meal of meat and a day's rest can restore starvation lost hit points.
Trained araakh are rare and typically cost 2,000 or more gp in nations where they are available at all.


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