Firebird

Firebirds were rare non-elemental cleptomaniac, dim-witted yet sentient relatives of phoenixes that resembled a humanoid-sized mix of a peacock and a bird-of-paradise.

"A fantastic, addled creature fashioned from ten parts tail, and two parts beak, to one part brain."

- Exerpt from The Council of Blades

Description
Firebirds were huge avians the size of an average human with stubby wings. Their beautiful and bright plumage was of stunning oranges, fiery reds, and golds. Their heads crowned with silly sizable plumage, yellow eyes, long necks and huge severe-looking curved razor beaks  Firebirds' tail feathers were significantly longer than the rest of their plump bodies, similar to that of a man-sized bird-of-paradise. Firebirds' feet as well as their talons and eyes were golden yellow. The birds had very expressive faces. An average male firebird was about long and  if one was counthing their tails.

These birds' necks housed a stretchable pouch to safekeep the shiny loot before it was regurgitated, washed, and deposited in the nest.

Abilities
Firebirds appeared stunningly beautiful in flight, with long tails floating through the air like silken streams. Even though the birds were usually peaceful creatures, their talons were strong enough to easily rip through rooftops' sheet meatal.

Personality
These giant avians' most notable characteristic was irresistible cleptomania. They possessed no self-control and grabbed anything that glittered, like glass, gems, pearls, and precious jewelry. When firebirds were in pursuit of "shinies," they were known to gleefully prance while guards and city watch were out of sight.

Firebirds were also narcissists who thought themselves the smartest and most beautiful creatures, even when among others of their kin. The giant birds were often overwhelmed with joy over glittery loot or just their own magnificence, exploding into glorious songs of incomparable beauty. Or at least that was what firebirds believed. In reality, their singing was loud, cacophonic, and dangerous. The shrieking and yodeling reached frequencies beyond simple mortal's hearing. It scattered dogs in fearful howling, it spoiled cheese, made chickens mislay eggs, and crumbled stone and mortar sending gargoyles topping down off the castles' roofs.

Firebirds showed curiosity and had limited intelligence. They were smart enough to learn, use tools, avoid traps, and use stealth. However, they were still quite dim-witted compared to most humanoids. These creatures liked flare and heroic posing. Firebirds rarely showed anger nor malice and often displayed curiosity towards their opponents. They were fascinated by colorful illustrated books and could spend hours turning pages. Firebirds spoke a version of the Phoenix language that sounded especially avian. It consisted of honks, chirps, worbles, and screeches, accompanied by what only could be described as silly interpretive dance. They also could understand Common.

Firebirds considered humanoids to be terribly disfigured by the lack of plumage.

Combat
When forced into combat, firebirds tried to intimidate their opponents rather than stooping to barbaric melee. They inflated their chests, fluffed up feathers, and angrily flapped their stubby wings. Size alone was more than enough to dissuade most from attacking these winged beasts. The loud hissing was adding to the intimidation.

Aerial combat was alien to firebirds as well. The closest thing to fighting that firebirds experienced was mating fights. The birds flew around trying to humiliate their opponents by performing the coup de grace plucking tail feathers. When confronted with real danger, dim-witted birds attempted to pluck tail feathers from opponents such as hippogriffs, or griffons, to little success.

Ecology
Firebirds were believed to have inhabited the skies above the Shining Sea for many generations, living in seclusion. They did not have predators due to their size and possibly due to their foul singing. Many Chultans knew of the fabled firebirds from legends that talked about the bird's unearthly beauty. The same tales told about gods' fury upon anyone who harmed the creatures. However, some sages believed that these legends were a mere warning for hunters not to stalk the birds as it required them to stay within earshot from the creatures for extended periods of time.

Firebirds appearance was the evidence of their carnivorous nature; however, they appreciated fruit and cheese as much as they did meats, and even salted ship's biscuits.

History
In the, the smartest and most beautiful by his own accord, firebird named Tekorriikii followed a giant glittering gem in the night sky from his kin's habitat in the Shining Sea until he reached a marvelous and wondrous place called Sumbria of the Blade Kingdoms. The city was filled with food and glittering beautiful "sparklies." With a hiss of awe when the bird witnessed his first crystal chandelier, Tekorriikii decided he had found a new home. The first victim of the firebird's crime spree was Lady Ulia Mannicci. Tekorriikii got away with her priceless emerald necklace. Within several days, the city=state of Sumbria realized they had a cat-burglar that targeted the nobility, and they implemented guards, traps, and defenses. However, non could stop Tekorriikii, the smartest of the firebirds. He dim-witted bird targeted the Toporello family palace and the antique star sapphire-studded horse bridle. The bird used all of his roughish skills to avoid danger and clawed his way through the carved wood, metal, and plaster until he made a new skylight at the palace and stole the "sparklies." The bird made himself a gem-filled nest in one of the towers of the Palace of Manniccis, the home of the Prince-elect of Sumbria.

The tower belonged to Princess Milianna Mannicci da Sumbria a self-taught aspiring young wizard. During one of her frustrating learning sessions, a rogue spell was discharged, causing the ceiling of her toom to collapse, along with an outraged and disheveled firebird. The duo quickly found a common group and befriended each other. With the research help from Lorenzo Utrelli Da Lomatra, the youth were able to determine the species of the strange sentient bird. Groonpeck's Field Guide to Terrifying Denizens of the Air, with special appendices for Acheron, the Elemental Planes, and the Abyss described their new friend exactly. Soon after, Tekorriikii accompanied the couple on a foray into the Festival of Blades where the bird was allowed to show his deadly weaponized singing against rowdy drunk nobles.

Perhaps the most notorious deed of the orange-feathered criminal was an attempt to steal the Sun Gem a giant mystical diamond that was a symbolic heart of the Blade Kingdoms. The bird was initially successful but was confronted and pursued by Shaatra, a vicious hippogryph of Ugo Svarézi, a Blade Captain from the city-state of Colletro. The vicious black hippogryph managed to claim the legendary gemstone and leave Tekorriikii's behind plucked and embarrassingly bare. This loss of the Sun Gem eventually led to the grand civil war in the Blade Kingdoms and Ugo Svarézi's temporary rise to power.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Council of Blades