Shantak

Larger than an elephant, this scaly, bird-like creature has a vaguely horse-like head and vast, slime-encrusted wings.

Shantak (CR 8)

Huge Magical Beast
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Initiative: +3
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision; Perception +3

Speed: 20 feet, Fly 80 feet (average)
Space: 15 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 21, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +10 natural, -2 size)
Hit Points: 104 (11d10+44)
Saving Throws: Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +6
slippery
Immunity: cold, disease

Offense

Melee: bite +17 (2d6+8) 2 talons +17 (1d8+8 plus Grab)
Reach: 15 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
26 (+8)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)	8 (-1)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +11
CMB +21 (+25 Grapple)
CMD 34 (42 vs. Grapple)

Feats: Awesome Blow, Fly-by Attack, Hover, Powerful Maneuvers, Wingover

Skills: Escape Artist +11, Fly +13

• Racial Modifiers: +8 Escape Artist

Languages: Aklo

Special Qualities: No Breath, share defenses, starflight

Special Abilities

Share Defenses (Su)

As a free action, a shantak can extend its no breath ability and cold immunity to a single creature touching it. It can withdraw this protection as a free action.

Slippery (Ex)

A shantak's scales seep slippery slime. This grants the creature a +8 bonus on all Escape Artist checks and to its CMD against grapples, and imparts a -5 penalty on all Ride checks made by creatures attempting to ride a shantak.

Starflight (Su)

A shantak can survive in the void of outer space. It flies through space at an incredible speed. Although exact travel times vary, a trip within a single solar system should take 3d20 hours, while a trip beyond should take 3d20 days (or more, at the GM's discretion)- provided the shantak knows the way to its destination.

Ecology

Environment: Cold Mountains
Organization: solitary, pair, or flock (3-12)
Treasure: none


Shantaks speak in a shrill voice that sounds like glass grinding against stone. They are intelligent creatures and cannot be trained as mounts-a would-be shantak rider must use diplomacy or magic to secure a shantak's cooperation as a mount, and even then, shantaks have a tendency to deliberately strand riders in dangerous areas.

Many shantaks have a strange and irrational fear of certain creatures, such as the faceless nightgaunts said to dwell in certain remote mountains, or specific types of harpies or gargoyles in more civilized regions. A shantak avoids confrontations with these types of creatures if possible.

A shantak's ability to travel the gulfs of space ensures that these scaly, bird-like creatures can be found on numerous worlds. Yet despite this unique ability, shantaks are generally quite reluctant to seek out new worlds unless faced with no other option, for a shantak knows well that an attempt to fly to an unknown world could easily result in being lost forever in the gulfs of space.