Noa, Drayli (3.5e Monster)

The ground shakes as a massive flightless avian thunders towards you, bellowing like a roaring gray sandstorm.

When some male helsinsid noas reach about twelve years old, they undergo a startling change. A sudden growth spurt stretches them to a towering 12 feet tall and they double in weight-about 500 pounds. Their raised nostrils extend into long, elegant (largely ornamental) horns and their feathers become long and shaggy and tinged with silver.

Alot of superstition surrounds these fierce males, since their scarcity has elevated them to near legendary status. Many desert-dwellers attribute their strange growth to the dead goddess Amurali, to whom the noa were most sacred. In any case, few will hunt the drayli for fear of supernatural repercussions and to many the sight of one is considered a blessing from the goddess.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a Helinsae noa is up to 532 pounds; a medium load, 536–1,064 pounds; and a heavy load, 1,068–1,600 pounds. A drayli noa can drag 8,000 pounds. All species of noa are treated as quadrupeds for determining their carrying capacity.

Combat
Highly aggressive, drayli noas prefer to bull rush their foes first, then slash them to ribbons with their powerful beaks and talons.