[In several sources, the alicanto is said to be flightless, and I did consider a version akin to a terror bird. But the mechanics of a low level, flying ranged attacker were appealing, as was the above artwork. If you want a more terror bird-like alicanto, add its special abilities to an axebeak, boosting it to CR 3.]
Alicanto This creature appears as a
magnificent eagle with golden feathers. It shines with the light of the sun.
Although
they resemble a bird of prey, the resplendent alicantos do not feed on meat.
Rather, they eat metals of all kinds, although they prefer softer precious
metals such as silver and gold. Thus, miners and treasure hunters have a
love-hate relationship with these birds. A humanoid who is canny enough to spot
and track an alicanto back to its lair is likely to find a motherload of
ore—one that the bird and its kin will defend with blazing light and sharp
talons.
Alicantos
are far more social than other birds of prey, gathering into sizable flocks to defend their food sources. They are common in deserts and caves, where the forces
of nature have exposed precious metal for the alicantos’ access. These lairs
are most commonly found at exposed seams of metal ore, although the birds have
typically eaten most of what is available at the surface. The bodies of
foolhardy adventurers can be found in these caves—the coins are typically
consumed, metal weapons and armor picked at and damaged, but other valuables
left untouched. Some alicantos take up posts in urban areas, where they prove
pests. A single alicanto can scarf down a hundred coins worth of metal in a
single sitting, and an aerie of alicantos can result in widespread economic
panic.
Although
some claim that alicantos are born from the feathers of a phoenix, they have a
mundane reproductive cycle. Alicantos lay two or three eggs at a time, but
typically only raise a single chick to maturity per brood—the smaller chicks
are killed by their larger sibling. Alicantos can be trained if raised from an
egg, and such birds are valuable to treasure seekers. An alicanto egg is worth 250 gp on the open
market. An arcane spellcaster of 5th level or higher can take an
alicanto as a familiar using the Improved Familiar feat.
Alicanto are native to mountainous regions across Gladia, though they are most common in Dwas’kin. They are often taken as improved familiars by t’nalli spellcasters, and are becoming a trend in Egdwen. Captive breeding operations have not had much success, however.
Shores of Swords 