Phoera

Phoera were bird-like creatures connected to elemental fire, that each shared a soul with a humanoid being known as a phoelarch. Whenever a phoera died the phoelarch tied to it would show up to exact revenge and vice versa.

Description
Phoera were covered in a beautiful plumage of red and gold. They had wickedly hooked beaks and talons. Their long tail feathers streamed behind them as they flew, leaving a shimmering of heat in their wake. On average, from the tip of their tail to their beak a phoera measured in length and weighed around.

Behavior
Phoeras had some degree of intelligence beyond that of a simple beast, but lacked any desire to form communities. Though they could be very territorial and would hesitate to set a forest ablaze it keep it out of the hands of intruders.

Generally, phoera would not willingly risk their lives, but these creatures were vicious combatants when angered. They only had a vague sense of the personality and emotions of the phoelarch tied to them.

Abilities
Phoeras were impervious to harm from fire, their bodies instead being healed by it. Though they were vulnerable to cold-based spells and abilities.

Phoera could generate so much heat that touching them would burn a creature. And both swipes of their claws and bites of their beak could cause burning. In addition, three times per day they could breath a gout of flame.

If killed, a phoera would explode sending flames flying outward. In the wake of their death all that would be left was ash and a chrysalis in the form of a small, black glass egg roughly across. These eggs radiated a faint transmutation magic, but otherwise had no magical properties.

Phoera could not be raised by any means, though their ash and chrysalis could be used to resurrect them. Casting gentle repose or a similar spell on their chrysalis would stop it from hatching, which occured within a 24 hour period. Once hatched a fully grown phoera would emerge, but this would be an entirely new phoera without any of the old one's memories. Once hatched, the only way to bring the previous phoera back to life was by using the spells miracle or wish in conjunction with some resurrection effect.

The ability of phoeras to rise from the ashes like a phoenix seemed to be tied to the phoelarch they shared a soul with, meaning that if they died before their phoelarch could return to life they would likely remain dead. Strangely, phoera seemed to have no knowledge of their resurrection ability.

Combat
These creatures would claw at their enemies with their burning beak and talons or hit them with their burning feathers. They relied on the attrition of their burning attacks to weaken their enemies in hopes of driving them off.

Ecology
Phoera were typically seen flying either solitarily or in flocks.

Some phoera were born from chrysalises left behind when a phoelarch died.

Diet
Phoera preyed on small mammals, tending to shy away from larger beasts.

Habitats
These creatures were native to the Elemental Chaos. On the Prime Material plane, their most preferred environment was temperate forests.

Rumors & Legends
Many believed that these creatures might have some relation to the legendary phoenixes.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter