Couatl

The couatl (koo-&AElig;T-ul or koo-AT-ul ) was a large, winged serpentine creature, and considered a native outsider.

History
The couatl were originally sarrukh from Okoth who, when they realized that their empire was failing, fled to the other planes of existence. They never found a plane that they were willing to live in for more than a generation, so they became nomads, traveling from plane to plane. This life hardened most of the sarrukh, leading them into evil. A few dissenters broke off from their evil peers and entreated Jazirian, a fragment of the World Serpent, for succor, who responded by turning them into their present forms. The rest of the Okothian sarrukh declared war on their transformed former brethren but the couatl held their own, despite the sarrukh's advantage of greater numbers. This continued until Jazirian was slain by Merrshaulk, a darker fragment of the World Serpent. This forced the couatl to flee back to Abeir-Toril. They arrived in Maztica, where most remained.

Environment
Coutal inhabited warm jungles. They were most common in Maztica.

Description
A couatl resembled a long, feathered serpent with a pair of rainbow-feathered wings that allowed it to fly. They were around 12 feet (3.5 meters) in length, with a wingspan of 15 feet (4.5 meters). They weighed around 1,800 pounds (882 kilograms).

Abilities
Their powerful minds were capable of great psionic might.

Society
Couatls live solitary lines, in pairs, or in flights of 3–6 individuals. Their intellect was above that of most humans, and, although they did not use weapons and armor as a human might, they often owned treasure. They typically spoke Common, Draconic, and Celestial.

The spell summon monster IX could summon a couatl.

Couatls were known for their beauty, magic, and virtue. Due to their intelligence and devotion to good, they were sometimes worshiped by people who inhabited the same area as them.

Maztica
Couatls became the favored beings and signs of the god Qotal. When he left the True World, he made a prophecy that a couatl would one day appear and be greeted by his chosen daughter. This would be the first sign of the god's return to his people.