A jhakar, a stocky dog-lizard hybrid with a pug-like face. Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast.

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The Lore

Kestrekels are not to be confused with kestrels, which might not even exist in Athas. They’re basically Darker and Sunnier vultures, with a habit of gathering around creatures that are about to die in the wastes. They’re a lot more enthusiastic about hurrying the process along than their mundane counterpart, and while a single kestrekel isn’t much of a threat a whole flock of them can be very dangerous.

Those who want to turn the tables and hunt the birds instead might be able to draw them closer by feigning injury, but this rarely works - they’re a bit too clever for that tactic.

The Numbers

Kestrekels are Tiny Natural Beasts with a ground speed of 2 and a flight speed of 6. We get two stat blocks here.

Kestrekel Carrion Eater

This one represents a single individual. It’s drawn to movement, so even a traveller who isn’t wounded or dying might find one or three of these staring at them from a distance, and following them for a while.

The kestrekel is a Level 1 Minion Skirmisher. Its claw attack is stronger against bloodied targets, and its Darting Rake at-will ability lets it shift 3 squares and make a claw attack.

Kestrekel Blood Flock

You might get a whole flock like this one on battlefields and similar places, where carrion abounds and its smell carries great distances. This is a Medium swarm of kestrekels, counting as a Level 2 Controller with 35 HP.

The flock has all standard swarm traits: half damage from melee and ranged attacks, vulnerable 5 to close and area attacks, can occupy enemy spaces, can squeeze past any opening large enough for a Tiny creature.

Its Swarm Attack aura (1) deals a bit of physical damage to enemies caught inside, and also slows them for a turn when that happens. Its basic attack is a swarm of Scrabbling Claws, which does standard physical damage with a small bonus against bloodied targets.

The flock’s sheer bloodlust is also a weapon: the Loathsome Feast ability is a psychic attack that can be used if the flock is adjacent to a bloodied enemy. It attacks enemy Will in a close burst 3, deals psychic damage, and pushes each target hit a number of squares equal to their speed.

Encounters and Final Impressions

Whether you’re dealing with a few individuals or a whole flock, kestrekels are very opportunistic. They’ll stay away and watch until they see their victim is injured, sick, or dying. Then they dive in. Spilled blood also drives them into a frenzy, so they’re sure to join in on any fight that they see starting, intent on eating the combatants.

These things don’t exactly spark joy in me, but it feels like they’re an interesting addition to any battlefield, where they’d be a constant hazard.