Plaguewing (Patreon)

Fallen blight, taken flight…

The sight of a flock of birds falling from the sky is seen as a grim portent. It's often accompanied by doomsayers raving about the end of days. The learned scholars offer more logical explanations, such as a disease or strange weather to comfort the people and assure them that an apocalypse is not around the corner. However, if the sight of a flock falling to the ground would strike fear into a community, imagine the abject terror felt by those who witness it rise once more.

Festering Flock. When a bird is afflicted with the terrifying disease that is plaguerot, it can quickly spread to the rest of its flock. As it ravages their ranks, they fall to the earth as terrible diseased missiles. Before they have time to decay, the grim congregation rises anew, drawn to any signs of life to which the plague can be spread further. None knows the origin of the magical  plague, but many a lich have been known to intentionally spread it in order to create the perfect protection for their gruesome lairs.

All Are One. Though mindless, the flock retains the uncanny skill of flying in formation. To see a spiraling mass of fowl with eyes aglow with necromantic magic is terrifying enough, but eventually as their numbers grow they begin to congregate, taking the form of a massive raptor. This display is not only visually intimidating, as the beaks and talons formed have the strength of the entire flock behind them. Some suspect this form is a residual image of the bird each of them once were, but now with their minds joined by the undead plague, they take on their old form as one.

Pecking Plaguebearers. Being in close proximity to the plaguewing can cause one to be afflicted by the very plagurerot that created them. The flocks have been known to swoop down through onlookers and adventurers to spread their grisly disease. Those afflicted become weak and sickly, their health slowly deteriorating, becoming plaguebearers themselves. Upon death, they rise again to join the plaguewing in its ultimate mindless goal of joining all in the wretched congregation.

The fallen flock lies motionless on the ground before you, stiff and silent in the chill of night. As you walk you become increasingly aware that no creatures call out, no sound breaks the stillness but your own movements. You find your eyes wandering to the nearest corpse, it's back to the cold ground and beak pointed to the sky. With a sudden jerk the head twists to meet your gaze, as sickly energy billows from the fowl’s eyes. The sickening sound of countless rigid bodies springing into motion fills the air as the corpses rise in swirling unison. Horrified, you watch as the bodies congregate and swarm to form a massive visage of a ravenous raptor. Wings formed of hundreds of the fallen birds flare outward, and the grim congregation’s eyes swivel to target you as the legion begins to dive.

[Pokemon D&D Fusion: Pidgeot X Giant Shark Skeleton]