Harrier

Harriers were a species of vicious humanoids.

Description
Harriers had the basic body structure of a humanoid. They had long, sharp beaks filled with razor-sharp teeth. A thin, wing-like membrane of skin connected their arms and legs. They had sharp claws on both their hands and feet. Hairless, their skin had a texture like leather.

Abilities
The mottled green skin of a harrier provided it with excellent natural camouflage. Harriers had a natural immunity to all fire and heat-based effects and spells.

Combat
Harriers were blood-thirsty predators and attacked any creature it encountered, even if it was far larger than it was. They usually attacked by gliding in from above, attacking with their sharp beak, teeth and claws. A bite from a harrier delivered a vicious poison.

Society
Harriers were solitary creatures and lacked any sort of societal structure. Harriers only tolerated each other during mating rituals.

Habitat
Harriers lived within the deepest, and hottest, parts of the jungles of Toril.

Ecology
Harriers were obligate carnivores and ate any creature it could, including carrion. If prey was scarce, they did not hesitate to feed on the flesh of their own kind or the eggs of other harriers.

A female harrier laid a clutch of up to eight eggs after a three-week pregnancy. She separated the eggs into separate groups, to allow as many eggs to hatch, and then abandoned the nest. After about a month, the harrier larva emerged from the eggs. They were small, resembling worms, with brown skin. They were born with a fully functional, and sharp, beak. Due to predators and lack of any parental care, only a few larva survived to maturity.

Uses
Harriers could be somewhat domesticated to be used as guard creatures. This required the trainer to spend at least an hour per day with a harrier larva until it reached maturity. A fully grown harrier guard was still dangerous, as the extent of their domestication was the ability to recognize its trainer. Despite their unpredictability, they guarded their designated post fiercely and to the death. Due to the difficulty in acquiring harrier eggs, they cost up to 1,000 gp.