Not Hawk the Slayer or Ladyhawke, but there are a lot of other Hawks...

HAWK (#8/29, #39/365) [OOTP IV]

            Giant Hawk Warhawk Griphawk Gryphawk

SKILL:          9              8             9             5

STAMINA:     9              8             10           4

ATTACKS: 1 (except Griphawk: 2)

WEAPON: Large Claws

Gryphawk - Small Claws

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT:

Giant Hawk - Plains, Hills, Mountains, Wilderness, Desert

Warhawk -Plains, Forests, Hills, Mountains

Griphawk - Caves, Dungeons, Ruins

Gryphawk - Forests, Plains, Hills, Mountains, Towns

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2 (except Gryphawk: 1-3)

TYPE: Bird

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: Average

HAWKS are large winged predatory birds, of which there are many types on Titan. Previously we have considered the Death Hawk and Night Hawk (both in Out of the Pit, p. 65) and the Giant Bloodhawk (see Beyond the Pit, pp. 21-22). Presented below are four other species of Hawk recorded from Titan at present.

Although slightly smaller than the Giant Bloodhawk, with a wingspan of only three to four metres, the GIANT HAWK is nevertheless a dangerous avian predator. Usually found circling far overhead in clear skies throughout Khul, from the Ximoran Protectorate, across the Mountains of the Giants, to the immense empty wastelands beyond, the Giant Hawk prefers live prey but will subsist on carrion if needs must. In appearance it has brown-feathered wings and fiercely clawed talons, which which it attacks, gliding down out of the sky uttering a terrifying shriek. If a Giant Hawk ever rolls a double six for its Attack Strength it has picked up its opponent, if human-sized or smaller, and carried them off in its talons, to either dump in a nest of 2-7 hungry chicks (SKILL 4 STAMINA 5, Small Bite), or hurl against a cliff or down to the ground, for 'softening up'. Mountain Giants in Khul's upland regions have been known to train Giant Hawks as hunting-birds to track down such delectable treats as humans, Elves, Dwarfs and others!

Another very large type of Hawk, although this time from Allansia, is the WARHAWK. With its huge wingspan, curved black beak and fire-red feathers, there is no mistaking this gigantic predatory bird. Thought to originally have been raised as attack-birds by Mountain Elves and northern human kingdoms such as Goldoran, the regular use of Warhawks is now rare. However, Zanbar Bone in his second incarnation as a Skeleton Demon, summoned one to place a demonic Black Keystone atop the parapet of the wizard Yaztromo's tower, in a doomed bid to rule Allansia. Like Giant Hawks, Warhawks will carry off a designated victim if they roll a double six for their Attack Strength, and they also have one further weapon in their arsenal; Warhawks have been known to aerially defecate on a victim before attacking, which requires a Test for Luck to avoid or the victim loses 1 SKILL point until they can properly bathe and wash the disgustingly smelly stuff off!

Proof that the powers of Chaos also afflict the avian fauna of Titan comes in the form of the bizarre GRIPHAWK, a weird subterranean mutant only distantly related to its surface-dwelling relatives. In appearance it appears as a huge, black-feathered hawk but with four claw-bearing feet instead of two, and great staring eyes that have excellent dark-seeing capabilities. Griphawks typically nest in large caverns in extensive underground systems such as the Dark Chasms beneath Gorak, preying on lone Orcs, Goblins and others. Occasionally, they go into a sort of hibernatory stasis, burying themselves in the wall of a tunnel or passageway, with only a claw protruding to facilitate future escape. Woe betide the simpleton passing down a tunnel who pulls such a claw however, as the Griphawk will instantly awaken and attack with full fury!

Not to be confused with the Griphawk, from a nearby region of south-western Khul we have the GRYPHAWK. Interestingly, the prefix 'Gryp' seems to be a linguistic feature of the Kingdom of Kazan, where we also find the Grypvulture (see Beyond the Pit, p. 64), and the Grypfalcon (see p. XX in this book). Gryphawks are similar to Death Hawks in size but with golden-brown feathers. They are also easily trainable, and are used as messengers, hunters, and guards by many different types of people within Kazan, including humans, Orcs and Goblins. Gryphawks, like many other predatory birds, can be commanded by the magical artefact known as the Grey Talon of Sakar.