Pyrolisk

The pyrolisk was a close relative of the cockatrice that enjoyed causing mayhem.

Description
Pyrolisks were very similar, visually, to cockatrices: a chicken-like creature about tall, with golden-brown feathers, bright red eyes, red comb and wattle, grey, batlike wings, yellow beak, and a green, lizard-like tail tipped with a few feathers. There were a few subtle differences in that pyrolisks had a reddish cast to their wings and a single red feather on the tail.

Behavior
The starwood area of the Cormanthor forest contained a number of pyrolisks. If these encountered an owlbear termite pit, they would use it to hatch their young. The owlbears did not put up a fight since they knew the threat posed by the pyrolisk. To make herself at home, the pyrolisk would eat all the adult termites and then scatter some gems and shiny objects in the pit. Once the eggs were laid, the mother would abandon them, leaving the hatchlings to eat the termite larvae.

Abilities
While the cockatrice was often cited as having a stoning touch or gaze, a pyrolisk relied on its own special gaze that caused any who met it to burst into flame, along with any nearby source of fire. Pyrolisks themselves were immune to all sources of fire. Unlike the cockatrice, which had an animal intelligence and behavior, the pyrolisk had a somewhat increased intelligence, and was an evil creature. While it normally detested all creatures, its mortal enemy was the phoenix.

Ecology
Although a young pyrolisk did not possess all the special abilities that its fully grown counterpart had, it could still cast pyrotechnics at will.