Osalakil - New Athasian Monster

 

Osalakil
Climate/Terrain: Rocky Badlands, Stony Barrens
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary or Flock
Activity Cycle: Night & Morning
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-12
Armor Class: 5
Movement: 2 , Fl 14 (C)
Hit Dice: 1+3
Thac0: 19
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attacks: 1-6
Special Attack: Psionics
Special Defense: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (3'-4' Long)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 120

Psionic Summary
Level: 3
Dis/Sci/Dev: 2/2/7
Attack/Defense: EW, MT/ M-, MB
Score: 14
PSPs: 55
Psychokinesis: Telekinesis, Ballistic Attack, Control Light, Molecular Agitation, Molecular Manipulation
Telepathy: Mindlink, Aversion, Contact, Daydream
Osalakil

The osalakil (pronounced os-ala-kil) is a black-winged bird, with brown plumage on its body. Often the head is a lighter brown than the body, or white. It feeds on the bones of the dead, preferring to snap them in half and suck the marrow out. Although, osalakil will break the bones into small pieces and devour them as well. They also eat small amounts of meat, when available.
Osalakil nest in the jagged crevices of the rocky badlands and stony barrens, venturing out at night to find food and returning before it gets too bright. Osalakil have sensitive night-vision and dislike direct sunlight. When caught in direct sunlight, they must succeed at a morale check, or flee.

The average osalakil is 3 1/2 feet long and weighs 14 pounds.

Combat
The osalakil attacks with its talons, which are wickedly sharp and inflict 1d6 of damage. However, osalakil prefer to use their psionics and safely stay out of harms reach. They will usually begin an assault by using their daydream psionic power on anyone who is conscious, or they will use control light to make them more difficult to detect.
Luckily for most intelligent humanoids, osalakil prefer to snatch unattended bone weapons, or freshly killed prey. If a bone weapon is raised against them, osalakil will use their molecular manipulation psionic power to break the weapon, in the hope sit will be discarded.
If an individual comes between an osalakil and its food, they may be attacked, but only if the osalakils outnumber their foes three to one. Osalakils are not particularly brave.

Ecology
Osalakil nest in large caves and form hunting flocks of up to twelve, when venturing out to search for food. Males tend to form the hunting parties, while females remaining at the nest to guard their young and defend the nest. It is not uncommon for young females, who have no chicks to watch over, to join hunting parties as well.
Osalakil mate throughout the year, with females typically laying 1 or 2 eggs every few months. These hard shelled, brown-speckled eggs hatch in sixty days. Osalakil chicks are defenseless for four months and gain full maturity, and psionic abilities, after a year. Chicks between the ages of four months and one year have six hit points, no psionics, and only their talon attack, which causes 1d4 damage.

Ecology
Osalakil are carrion birds that fill an important role in Athasian ecology. They assure that none of the nutrients, of fallen animals, are wasted. In return, osalakil are preyed upon by climbing and flying predators.
Osalakil meat can be eaten, but it is acidic and bitter. However, it can be safely consumed to avoid starvation, or used for kank feed, and each osalakil provides 7 pounds of meat. Feathers of the osalakil are rarely of good quality, but a quarter pound of down may be gathered from female osalakil. The down sells as common feathers.
The stomach acid of an osalakil is particularly potent and, if properly saved in a glass bottle, may be used as a grenade-like weapon. It takes four osalakil stomachs to collect enough acid to create a grenade-like weapon, which causes 1d4+2 damage. This acid must be used within 1d6 weeks, or it will become inert.