Krag Berserker - Creature Conpendium - The World Arcanum

maller in stature than a halfling, the krag have slight, agile bodies covered with thick, leathery hide. Thought to be of distant relation to the tribal kite, they differ in that they boast an impressive set of dragon-like wings, making them incredibly swift when aloft. This speed serves a useful purpose, as the krag prefer meat as their mainstay, and feed often upon small birds, wild fowl, fish, rabbits and the occasional young gowrath. The krag enjoy wild fruit as well, but these are a rare treat in the mountainous regions that the krag inhabit.

Young krag are born from eggs high atop mountain aeries and cared for by their parents for a brief time. Once they can fly, it then becomes the responsibility of the older females and inactive males to raise the young hatchlings to adulthood, a period of about two years.

Rarely seen upon the ground, the krag prefer to remain airborne, landing only to feed deep within mountainous caves and crevices or to roost upon their lofty aeries. From our observations, we believe that the krag live in hierarchical groupings of 20 to 40 individuals. Up to three krag shaman will lead each group, or covey, and have at their disposal the use of rudimentary magicks which they use to protect their covey from harm. The krag are a relatively peaceful species and are not generally known for unprovoked attacks, although they can become quite vicious if cornered.

The exception to this principle is the krag berserker. Young males are often called berserkers for their erratic behavior - especially in the spring during the krag mating season. At such times, they will often attack one another or anything invading their territory with violent abandon as they strive to show their worth to potential mates. Long limbs and nimble fingers have allowed the krag to develop and use rudimentary tools such as small bows and knives in addition to their sharp, piercing claws, which can make these unprovoked attacks quite dangerous.

It was unfortunate for the particular covey that we were intent upon studying that we happened to arrive in the middle of mating season. The number of berserker attacks upon our party was significant. And although the berserkers were highly aggressive, the krag are not overly powerful and our well-armed guides were able to bring the attackers down relatively easily.