Quazac

Colossal Magical Beast (Wildspace)

Hit Dice: 36d10+324 (522 hp)

Initiative: +3 (Dex)

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 300 ft. (clumsy) (60 squares)

Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, -8 size, +12 natural), touch 5, flat-footed 14

Base Attack/Grapple: +36 / +67

Attack: Claw +43 melee (2d8+15)

Full Attack: 2 claws +43 melee (2d8+15) and bite +41 melee (3d6+7)

Space/Reach: 60 ft. / 20 ft.

Special Attacks: —

Special Qualities: Immune to gas attacks, Natural spelljammer, Wildspace traits

Saves: Fort +29, Ref +23, Will +14

Abilities: Str 40, Dex 16, Con 28, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 14

Skills: Knowledge (planetology) +3, Knowledge (wildspace) +6, Listen +7, Spot +20, Wildspace Survival +15

Feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Multiattack, Power Attack, Skill Focus (knowledge [wildspace]), Skill Focus (wildspace survival), Snatch, Wingover

Environment: Wildspace, asteroid fields

Organization: Solitary, pair, or flock (3-36)

Challenge Rating: 14 (Warhawk 15+)

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 37-74 (Awesome)

Level Adjustment: —

Wings spread wide, blotting out the sun, the great golden eagle extends claws to crush flesh, bone, ships...

Few creatures are more impressive in wildspace than the Quazac. These creatures are great birds-of-prey that inhabit asteroid fields and wander the depths of wildspace. They are distantly related to rocs, though they are much larger than their ground-based cousins. They hunt kindori whales, scaavar, and krajen. They can roam across an entire sphere in search of prey. Their asteroid nests are made of the wreckage of destroyed spelljammers, twigs from Starfly trees, and other like materials.

Quazacs appear as colossal eagles of dark brown, black, or gold color. Other colors are rare but not unknown. An average specimen is 100' from beak to the base of the tail, with tail feathers adding a further 50' to their overall length. Their wings have a spread of over 300'. Some individual Quazacs have been reported to be as big as 300' from beak to the base of the tail, rivaling the size of the largest ships in wildspace. Only the radiant dragons need not fear the Quazacs, but do tend to avoid these aggressive creatures unless hungry.

Centuries of exposure to wildspace has gifted the Quazacs with some intelligence. They understand common and at least one other language. They are unable to speak any language, but make their desires known with their body language.

Combat

Quazacs are highly territorial creatures that aggressively defend their claimed territories, which can sprawl across an entire sphere. They usually attack their favorite prey animals on sight. Unfortunately, they also view the many animal-shaped spelljammers as prey as well, and will not hesitate to tear ships apart in their search for food.

Immune to gas attacks (Ex): Quazacs can breathe air of any quality, and thus are immune to the effects of poisonous gas attacks. They foul very little air for such huge creatures, counting only as a medium-sized creature instead of a colossal creature.

Natural spelljammer (Su): A Quazac can fly at Spelljamming Speed. This ability follows the same rules as standard helms as to when it can achieve Spelljamming Speed.

Warhawks

Some wildspace civilizations have managed to tame the Quazacs and use them as beast of burden. They strap huge howdahs to the backs of the Quazacs, which does not affect the creature's flight in the least. The Quazacs don't breathe air, and carry a massive air envelop, so many beings can pack into a howdah for long voyages. A typical howdah can carry 24 medium-sized creatures under cramp conditions. Howdahs are often armed, usually with 1-2 ballistae and a heavy catapult.

If raised from the egg, Quazacs can be trained into powerful and vicious war mounts. These creatures are called warhawks and greatly feared in wildspace, for they combine the devastating attacks of the Quazacs with the tactics and magic of their riders.

Quazacs carrying howdahs are often armed with siege weapons such as ballistae and catapults. A typical howdah has two ballistae and a heavy catapult. These weapons follow standard rules, adjusted for spelljamming conditions. Green crews suffer a double the normal reload time, but proper training (about 2 weeks practice) eliminates this penalty.

In the Spheres

Quazacs are rare in wildspace. Recently, encounters with Quazacs carrying howdahs have become more common at the edge of the Known Spheres. A nation of wild elves have been breeding the creatures in great numbers and using them to strike at all enemies of elfdom (in other words, everyone that's non-elvish). The ferocity of their attacks has shocked even the scro, as has their brutality. The wild elves seem hell-bent on not only driving the scro from wildspace, but to render them totally extinct. The Elven Fleet has been completely silent on the matter (but suspected of quietly cheering them on).