[366 Days of Monsters] Day 085/366 - Crystal Runner (Patreon)

A happy accident created by the Transmuters during the Battle of Aspaeth, crystal runners were specifically developed as war mounts during Aspaeth's conflicts with the danaavrakt of The Obsidian Plain. A crystal runner looks like a colorful, seven-foot tall flightless bird with a long, featherless neck and powerful legs. In place of feathers, the crystal runner has sharp, crystal-like shards that act as physical and psychic protection.

Crystal runners reproduce asexually, laying fist-sized, gem-like eggs in the red sands of The Wither and savannahs of Aspaeth. A single clutch can contain up to 30 eggs with a gestation period of 30-45 days. Unfortunately, crystal runner eggs are a favorite delicacy of the wild xorn who roam both regions.

Although their prominence as war mounts has subsided since the seventh century, brave (and stupid) heroes who hope to lead attacks on Shred in The Obsidian Plain still seek the beasts as protection against the danaavrakt.